Heidelberg's local arm has warned printers not to keep putting off investment decisions because the current climate could be "as good as it will ever get".

Globally, the manufacturer has hailed its "strongest start" to a financial year since 2008, though the local managing director said our market has not fully stabilised.

Heidelberg Australia & New Zealand's Andy Vels Jensen told ProPrint the division has sold 18 Speedmasters to local customers in the past six months, "but unlike some of our Asian colleagues, I wouldn't go as far as to say that the market in ANZ has fully recovered or stabilised".

"Instead it's a case of some companies making decisions on their own future, not waiting for better times as, potentially, this is actually as good as it will ever get," he said.

"Rather than being followers, these companies grab the opportunities that are presented to them, and they base their decisions on solid numbers and data."

Nine Speedmasters have been installed in Australia and New Zealand in the past three months, according to Jensen.

Jensen also said another five Speedmasters would be delivered to Australian firms in the next seven weeks.

Heidelberg will then install Australia's first SX 102 and also a CX 102 with fully automatic plate-loading, according to Jensen.

The manufacturer has also taken orders for Australia's first two Speedmaster XL106 presses, one of which will have a perfecting speed of 18,000sph.

Meanwhile, Heidelberg international said a strong showing at Drupa had seen orders surge to €890 million ($1.1 billion) - their highest level since the €1.2 billion recorded in Q1 2008/09.

However, Drupa proved a double-edged sword as Heidelberg blamed it for its worst sales and operating result in almost three years.

Sales for the three months to 30 June came in at €520m, down 4.4% on the previous year and at the lowest level since Q2 2009/10 when Heidelberg posted net sales of €499m.

The manufacturer attributed the poor result in what is almost always its slowest sales quarter to "customers' reluctance to invest in the run-up to Drupa".