KBA Report 32 - english

Transcription

RZ_BE_Report 32 englisch
28.04.2008
17:12 Uhr
Seite 1
w w w. k b a - p r i n t. c o m
2|2008
PRODUCTS|PRACTICES|PERSPECTIVES
32
Contents
KBA
Editorial
What’s new at Drupa
KBA Complete: total workflow
Alliance with ClimatePartner
COUNTDOWN
COUNTDOWN
COUNTDOWN
The KBA stand at Drupa will feature ultra-compact newspaper presses
See you in Düsseldorf!
B
y the time you read this issue of
KBA Report our fitters will be
beavering away setting up our
exhibits in hall 16 on the Düsseldorf exhibition site. At Drupa 2008
we’ll be showing a total of nine
litho presses for formats ranging
from B3 to size 7 (201/2 - 633/4in).
And we’ll be demonstrating a
string of Drupa firsts, among them
four-over-four perfecting in large
format, closed-loop inline quality
management and RFID-controlled
pallet and pile logistics. If that’s
not enough, you can also see the
most advanced newspaper press
technology on the market, along
with web-to-print options and practice-proven environmental printing
scenarios based on waterless off-
At Drupa we’ll be demonstrating an array
of new features in every sheetfed format
set. A new entity, KBA Complete,
will be offering modern printshop
management and networked print
production in association with
Hiflex, Kodak and MBO. Find out
more inside.
As in 2000 and 2004, at this
year’s Drupa KBA will once again
set the tone on many of the issues
currently occupying print media
players. In keeping with our banner, “People & Print”, our focus at
Drupa will be on you, the users of
press technology. We look forward
to seeing you.
Klaus Schmidt
klaus.schmidt@kba-print.de
Sheetfed
Green printing and
web-to-print with 74 Karat
Genius 52UV
in new environment
Unique to KBA:
4 over 4 in large format
Adding value with
green accreditation
Closed-loop
quality management
Book printing in the UK
Rapidas:
no. 1 for packaging printing
DriveTronic SPC
at Kehler Druck
Vietnam: an emerging nation
Second Rapida 162a for Silton
Rapida boom in Singapore
Indonesia’s printers
discover KBA
Web Offset
Compacta insert press
at Transcontinental
Tiber, Breschia,
moves into 48pp league
48pp Compacta at FSD
V5 folder at Drukkerij T’Hooft
2
3
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
21
22
24
26
28
30
32
36
37
38
40
Newspaper
International Newspaper
Color Quality Club
Turkey: 5 Commanders
for Ciner Group
New York Daily News orders
6/2 Commander CT
Compact tower or
9-cylinder satellite?
RollerTronic: the benefits
Hybrid production in Australia
Another Cortina for Denmark
Coldset/heatset print production
46
49
50
51
52
Shorts
53
42
43
44
28.04.2008
16:52 Uhr
Seite 2
Editorial
The print media family meets on the Rhine
Just a few days to go
Albrecht Bolza-Schünemann,
president and CEO, Koenig & Bauer
My grandfather, Dr Hans Bolza, and my father, Dr Hans-Bernhard BolzaSchünemann, took me to Drupa for the first time in 1972, when I was in
my last year at school. At that time the fair was much smaller and not as
noisy as it is today. Thirty-six years ago no-one had heard of the internet,
computer-to-plate or digital print. What impressed me most during that
first visit were the crowds of people at the presses and the free posters,
which back then were much less sophisticated.
Despite the wrenching changes that have since occurred in the industry, Drupa has retained its fascination for many of us who work with
print, paper or the media. But other sectors of the population, from
pupils, students and poster collectors to bankers, stock brokers and politicians, also attend the fair in Düsseldorf every four years to experience at
first hand the sheer dynamism and impact of print in all its many facets.
A spot of promotion wouldn’t go amiss, because in a multimedia world
the long-term prospects of a modern informed society would be pretty
poor without print and the cultural accomplishments of reading and writing.
Whatever their size, providers of pre-press, press and post-press technology, consumables, workflow and dedicated software always come up
with something special for Drupa. No other print show in the world sees
so many new products promoted with such panache as in Düsseldorf.
Some visitors to the show are overwhelmed by its sheer magnitude and
diversity, and the stress that this engenders, while for others it is an inspiration as they seek out the technology to translate their ambitions into
reality.
The print media industry, and thus Drupa, are facing endless challenges. While the addition of new halls has substantially enlarged the
space available, and the number of exhibitors is likely to be a record, a
wave of consolidation in recent years means that some familiar names will
be absent. And the exhibition space taken by former specialist providers
of office equipment, such as Canon, Hewlett Packard and Xerox, will continue to swell in comparison to conventional press manufacturers. There
will also be more Chinese and Indian exhibitors and visitors in Düsseldorf
than four years ago. The digitisation of print production, whether with
conventional or digital printing presses and the networking of the internet and print will continue apace.
Advances in our industry take place in many areas and at many levels
simultaneously and at a breathtaking speed. At Drupa 2008 there’ll be
2 Report 32 | 2008
more digital print than in 2004, and to a higher standard, but there will
also be quality and efficiency advances in analogue printing that will make
it more cost-effective for short-run work. Networked production from
pre-press to finishing will once again play a major role, and we’ll be seeing more integrated logistics systems, some with RFID transponders.
Web-to-print scenarios will be another focus, as will brand protection,
printed electronics and closed-loop quality management. We’ll also see
advances in paper, inks and coatings, while low-carbon or carbon-neutral
printing is sure to be a key issue.
A lot of young people choose the internet, radio and TV in preference
to newspapers – which does not always enhance their verbal skills – and
print media markets in industrialised countries are approaching saturation, in some places exacerbated by shrinking populations. But the fact
remains that the global output of print is growing, and in 2008 there will
be more paper printed than ever before. In many countries print is still by
far the most popular medium for disseminating information and advertising. Newspapers’ advertising volumes and impact still outpace the internet by a huge margin. And in high-population threshold economies like
China, India, Brazil, Turkey and Ukraine, per capita print consumption is
rising disproportionately fast relative to the increase in wealth.
We must all strive to enhance the visual and haptic properties of print,
trim production costs and digitise the production chain right up to the
buyer, making it more efficient and user-friendly. At the same time we
must exploit the opportunities afforded by digitally linking print and
online media. And we must not forget to communicate print’s unique
strengths of credibility and durability, and promote its use among creative
professionals.
Notwithstanding the shadows cast by the current financial crisis, the
weak dollar and soaring oil prices, we are all looking forward to an exhilarating and, hopefully, highly profitable Drupa for all concerned. KBA, as
a press manufacturer with a long tradition of innovation, will spare no
effort to make it a success. Once again we’ll be actively promoting the
interests of printers worldwide. We cordially invite you to join us in Düsseldorf.
Yours,
25.04.2008
14:09 Uhr
Seite 3
Trade Fairs | Drupa
The new Rapida 75 and an upgraded Rapida 105 (successor to the Rapida 105 universal) were presented as the “best value in their class”
Pre-Drupa open house in early April
Foretaste of Drupa
at KBA Radebeul
At a pre-Drupa open house from 9 to 11 April at our sheetfed facility in Radebeul (near Dresden) we gave an
exclusive preview of the major innovations we shall be exhibiting in Düsseldorf this year. Around 1,600 industry
professionals from more than 50 countries took the opportunity to attend, and what we showed was well worth
the journey. Alongside new features and upgrades in formats ranging from half-size to large we demonstrated a
raft of innovations for enhancing productivity in the face of diminishing print runs. These included automated
inline quality management, closed-loop control of print parameters, inline finishing, integrated substrate logistics, printshop networking and environmentally responsible production.
Around 1,600 print professionals from more than 50 countries attended the three-day pre-Drupa open house at KBA Radebeul
T
he event opened with the
unveiling of the new Rapida
75 and an upgraded Rapida
105 as the “best value in their
class”. The Rapida 75 supersedes
the Rapida 74 and Performa 74,
while the Rapida 105 is the latest
generation of the globally popular
Rapida 105 universal. Both models
have been given a new, distinctive
design and target the large number
of printers who are looking for production flexibility, performance
and intelligent automation at a
price that will not break their limited budgets.
Rapida 75:
bigger and better
Re-engineered for a slightly large
sheet size (520 x 750mm or 201/2
x 291/2in) and tested to market
maturity at diverse beta installations, our new 15,000sph Rapida
75 is configurable with two to
eight colours plus coater and perfector. Label and packaging printers will be glad to hear that there is
a special 605 x 750mm (233/4 x
291/2in) version, which was also
demonstrated. Many of the proven
features that have made the bigger
format presses popular have now
been incorporated in the Rapida
75. These include pneumatic vacuum sidelays, an open inking unit
design, gripper systems and an
ErgoTronic console with optional
DensiTronic density measurement
and control. A convertible perfecting option will be available in the
autumn. A five-colour coater press
with extended delivery demonstrated a high-speed job change
Report 32 | 2008 3
25.04.2008
14:09 Uhr
Seite 4
Trade Fairs | Drupa
CLOSED-LOOP QUALITY CONTROL
QUALITRONIC
Camera-based, dedicated inline
sheet-inspection system that scans
each sheet as it enters the delivery or
the perfecting unit, and compares it
with a reference sheet. Capable of
working at maximum press speed,
QualiTronic features in a large number of medium- and large-format presses, particularly packaging presses.
Group president Albrecht Bolza-Schünemann
welcomed some 70 trade journalists from all
over the world to KBA’s pre-Drupa press
conference on the day before the open house
In his opening speech Ralf Sammeck,
KBA executive vice-president for sheetfed
sales, outlined KBA’s core message at
Drupa 2008
from luxury spirits packaging on
lightweight board to a brochure on
150gsm (40lb bond) paper.
help minimise waste, makeready
times and quality deviations. The
Rapida 105 at the open house
demonstrated its capabilities by
printing packaging and postcards.
QUALITRONIC MARK
This tags off-spec sheets which can
subsequently be ejected automatically in die-stamping or folding machines, provided these have the relevant
capability. At Drupa 2008 KBA will be
demonstrating this in association with
MBO.
QUALITRONIC PROFESSIONAL
An inline density measurement and
control system that measures 100% of
the sheet, even at maximum production speed. It takes just 60 sheets
to normalise density and can also be
used on perfector presses.
DENSITRONIC PDF
A world first in offset litho. A scanner
attached to the measuring arm on a
DensiTronic Professional densitometry system scans the sheets at a resolution of 330dpi and compares them
with the original PDF. The sophisticated software allows even minimal
deviations to be detected and automatically recorded for the customer's
benefit in the quality log. Available for
all formats up to size 7 (Rapida162),
DensiTronic PDF delivers substantial
time and cost savings in applications
that are subject to rigorous quality
standards (eg packaging and book
printing).
New-look successor to
Rapida 105 universal
We have also revamped our standard B1 (41in) press, the Rapida 105
universal. Reverting to its original
name, the Rapida 105, the upgraded model has a maximum output of
15,000sph (16,500sph with HS
package) and is available with up to
seven printing units plus coating,
UV and hybrid options. Alongside
reliability, quality, productivity and
value for money, the 105 focuses
on versatility – it can print commercials, books, labels and cartons.
Automated features include a
shaftless DriveTronic feeder, plate
changing (automatic or semi-automatic) and washing. For greater
convenience press controls are
now based on a Windows operating
system, ensuring that updates will
be available in the long term.
Video-aided automatic colour register control and a choice of DensiTronic or Densi-Tronic Professional
closed-loop densitometry systems
Quality enhancement with
QualiTronic modules
At Drupa 2008 KBA will be demonstrating huge advances in quality
control, with self-regulating or
closed-loop systems featuring
strongly. At the open house these
were demonstrated on a Rapida
106 commercial press and a Rapida
162 packaging press (see box on
the left: Closed-loop quality control).
New Rapida 106:
the world makeready champion
In the medium format, our leading
exhibit at Drupa 2008 will be the
Rapida 106, which evolved from
the 105 model launched at the last
Drupa. Here, the focus is on output (18,000sph, or 15,000sph in
perfecting mode), fast makeready
and the higher productivity afforded by a larger sheet size of 740 x
1,060mm (29 x 413/4in), or as an
option 750 x 1,060mm (291/2 x
413/4 in). The choice of automation
options is also bigger. DriveTronic
dedicated drives, which feature in
more sheetfed litho presses and
drive more components than any
other comparable system, deliver
enormous benefits in terms of
changeover times, operation, maintenance and waste.
The DriveTronic feeder, with
its manifold presetting options, can
now handle even lighter stock at
higher speeds. Four years on, KBA
is still unique in offering a sidelayfree infeed, DriveTronic SIS, that
eliminates all manual intervention
during changes of stock and
ensures a much smoother sheet
travel than mechanical or pneumatic systems. DriveTronic SIS now
features in over 60% of all high-performance Rapidas.
With print runs steadily diminishing, our DriveTronic SPC dedicated plate-cylinder drive system is
a key module. This supports simultaneous plate changing in less than
60 seconds, regardless of the number of printing units. Because
makeready work and washing can
also be carried out simultaneously,
it dramatically shortens changeover
times, too. To date, DriveTronic
SPC drives have been specified for
over 40 B1(41in) Rapidas, or more
than 300 printing units.
Faster run-up with
DriveTronic SPC
and Plate-Ident
A further innovation associated
with DriveTronic SPC is DriveTronic Plate-Ident, which reads registration marks imaged in the gripper
margin on the plates and uses
them to correct registration, ensuring that it is precise right from the
first proof. What is more, DriveTronic Plate-Ident identifies the
Makeready champion:
three top-quality print jobs of 500 sheets
apiece, entailing 24 plate changes, were
completed in just over 15 minutes on the new
Rapida 106 (successor to the Rapida 105).
With KBA’s new automation modules, QualiTronic Professional (inline densitometry) and
DriveTronic Plate-Ident (plate recognition,
automatic preregistration), neither colour nor
register require manual adjustment
4 Report 32 | 2008
25.04.2008
14:09 Uhr
Seite 5
The upgraded KBA Rapida 162 demonstrated
quality UV packaging printing with integrated
RFID-assisted logistics, QualiTronic inline sheet
inspection, QualiTronic Professional inline
density measurement and control, and a new
module, DensiTronic PDF
colour separations on the plates in
each printing unit by scanning a
data matrix code that is also
imaged in the gripper margin. This
eliminates all risk of confusion and
thus unnecessary waste.
The Rapida 106’s claim to be
the true world makeready champion in its format was demonstrated
on an eight-colour perfector sporting DriveTronic SPC dedicated
plate-cylinder drives, DriveTronic
Plate-Ident plate positioning and
registration, and QualiTronic Professional inline colour control.
Three print jobs of 500 sheets
apiece, entailing 24 plate changes,
were completed in little more than
15 minutes. With the new QualiTronic Professional and DriveTronic
Plate-Ident automation modules
neither colour nor register require
manual adjustment at the console.
Members of the audience examined some perfect-printed start-up
sheets taken off the press while
still damp, and found that the quality of the challenging images produced was immaculate.
Rapida 142:
productivity boost with 4 over 4
in large format
KBA is the world’s sole supplier of
large-format perfector presses,
most but not all of which are used
to print books. At Drupa we’ll be
clocking up a first by demonstrating eight-colour perfecting on a
size 6 press, a Rapida 142. The aim
is to demonstrate the productivity
gains possible in commercial as
well as in book printing through
switching to large format.
Rapida 162:
yet more new options
for packaging printers
At the open house KBA reaffirmed
its position as market and technology leader in large format press
engineering – and more specifically in packaging printing – by printing some technologically challenging packaging for hair colorant on a
six-colour Rapida 162 size 7 (63in)
UV coater press with extended
delivery. Following a high-speed
automated plate change the press
then produced Lego packaging containing a lot of small print. The production run was monitored by
an entire range of QualiTronic
inline quality control modules.
During makeready the proof was
scanned by DensiTronic PDF, compared with the original PDF and
approved in just ten minutes. Without DensiTronic PDF this would
have taken half an hour. But for
printers of high-quality packaging,
the high spot of the demonstrations was the production of aluminium-coated cardboard packaging for a brand of spirits, which
entailed an application of opaque
white followed by process and spot
colours to create some impressive
metallic effects.
The Rapida 162 concluded by
demonstrating the efficiency of our
PileTronic automated pile logistics
system at a production speed of
14,000 sheets per hour. New features in this system include
PileTronic Ident, a read/write system that identifies the pallet, and
the number of sheets on it, by
scanning RFID tags that are either
embedded or attached. The system
can be used to record material consumption and pallet location. Each
time the delivery pile is changed,
KBA’s new Rapida 106 and a Rapida 162
packaging press with a slew of new features
were unveiled amid a laser light show with
dancing, acrobatics and singing
PileTronic-Ident writes the number
of printed sheets on the RFID tag
and automatically prints out a pallet docket via LogoTronic Docu.
KBA Complete:
one-stop workflow optimisation
As a new service to printers and
media enterprises KBA has teamed
up with MIS provider Hiflex to create KBA Complete, an independent
consultancy specialising in strategic investment planning, process
analysis and workflow optimisation. Established just one week
prior to the open house (see pages
8-9), KBA Complete collaborates
with other key industry providers
to offer JDF workflows, marketdefining technologies for pre-press,
press and post-press applications,
print process management, MIS,
process standardisation and climate-neutral print production.
Journey through time
to 18th century Dresden
Attendees at the pre-Drupa event house were
transported back in time when they dined out
at the Panometer, an 1880-vintage industrial
monument displaying a 2,600m2 panoramic
picture (r) of Dresden as it looked in 1756
The open house gave an authentic
foretaste of KBA’s appearance at
Drupa in Düsseldorf. The event
closed with a social evening at the
Panometer in Dresden, a gasometer dating back to 1880 and now
an historic industrial monument.
Measuring 100 metres (330ft) in
diameter and 26m (85ft) high, the
Panometer has a panorama of Dresden as it was in 1756 painted on
the inner wall.
Klaus Schmidt
Report 32 | 2008 5
25.04.2008
14:10 Uhr
Seite 6
Drupa 2008
1
4
5
2
10
6
3
9
11
7
8
1 Information,
conference rooms, restaurant
2 Web corner
3 Genius 52UV and UniverSYS
4 Commander CT
5 Cortina 6/2
6 74 Karat + coater
7 Rapida 74G-5 + UV coater
8 Performa 66-5
9 Rapida 162a-6 + coater
13
12
10
11
12
13
14
Rapida 142-8 perfector
Rapida 106-8 perfector
Rapida 105-5 + coater
Rapida 75-5 + coater
KBA Complete workflow
14
Focus on productivity, quality, workflow and ecology
KBA in hall 16 at Drupa
Some of the new sheetfed features and products KBA will be showing at Drupa
format, we’ll be offering high-volume printers a real gem in the shape of a
have already been described in the preceding article on the pre-Drupa open
large-format perfector for four over four. In the web section, newspaper and
house in Radebeul. But there will be more. On our 3,400m (36,600ft ) stand in
semi-commercial printers will find the most advanced technology on the mar-
hall 16 we shall be exhibiting innovative yet affordable technology in SRA2
ket.For commercial printers we are following up the launch of the Compacta 818
(26in), and also demonstrating our longstanding expertise in digital and water-
at Drupa 2000 and Compacta 217 at Drupa 2004 not with a brand new press but
less offset with B3 (20in) and B2 (29in) presses sporting anilox inking systems.
with an array of innovative features for our existing models.
2
2
And alongside our Rapida 106, the world makeready champion in medium
F
or many years now KBA has
been the only press manufacturer in the international marketplace with the know-how to
deliver perfecting capabilities in
formats ranging from the size 5
(511/4in) Rapida 130 to the size 7
(633/4in) Rapida 162. Most of
these presses are configured with
eight printing units or more and
are used to print books (see pages
16 - 17 and 21). More recently
their high productivity has attracted the attention of commercial
printers.
expertise we have attained in this
technology. The press exhibited in
Düsseldorf will feature QualiTronic
inline sheet inspection before and
after the perfecting unit, QualiTronic Mark inline sheet tagging,
QualiTronic Professional inline
colour control, PileTronic Ident
RFID-controlled pallet and pile
logistics, and LogoTronic Docu for
producing hardcopy pallet-routing
slips.
Moving up to the Rapida 162a,
we are pleased to announce that
the print length of the perfector
version has been extended from
1,120mm (44in) to 1,170mm
(46in), which means that now the
full sheet format can be used in
perfecting mode. Printers of quality packaging and commercials will
be interested to hear that register
accuracy, perfecting and sheet
guidance have been improved still
Workhorse with a new look:
the Rapida 105 universal
is now the Rapida 105
Drupa first:
4/4 perfecting in large format
For the first time in its 50-plus
years of existence, Drupa will be
the venue for demonstrations of
four-over-four perfecting on a
large-format press when a size 6
(56in) Rapida 142 eight-colour
press is put through its paces printing high-quality commercials. It
will demonstrate the high level of
6 Report 32 | 2008
The only manufacturer offering large-format 4-back-4 perfector presses, at Drupa KBA will be demonstrating new advances that will enable
book and commercial printers to enhance their cost efficiency still further
25.04.2008
14:10 Uhr
Seite 7
Focus on ecology: as a pioneer of ecological
printing technologies, in Düsseldorf KBA will
be showcasing three waterless, keyless sheetfed presses. A Genius 52 small-format UV press
(left) and a Rapida 74G with Gravuflow inking
units (right) will demonstrate environmentally
friendly waterless UV printing
further, there is a new, lower delivery pile and the print-free corridors have been reduced.
Waterless printing
with anilox inking units
As a pioneer of anilox inking – a
technology that has since been
adopted by another major market
player – KBA will be underscoring
its commitment to greener production processes with four keyless,
waterless presses: a Genius 52UV,
a Rapida 74G Gravuflow, a 74
Karat DI (all sheetfed) and a Cortina (web). The B3 (20in) Genius
52UV will be put through its paces
printing plastic sheets and lenticular film, while our Rapida 74G will
make its exhibition debut as a
waterless five-colour version with
coater. UV versions of the Rapida
74G have been in operation for
some time now in Germany, the
Czech Republic and Finland (see
KBA Report no. 31, pages 6 - 7).
KBA has also entered alliances
with environmental specialists
such as ClimatePartner to develop
greener business models and webto-print options specifically for
family-run enterprises and repro
houses, based on the 74 Karat DI
offset press.
Our conventional Rapidas,
which attained eco-accreditation
some years ago for both conventional and UV production in all formats, will demonstrate our green
credentials with low-alcohol or
alcohol-free operation. Demonstrations will be given on Rapida 106
and Rapida 142 perfectors and a
Rapida 162 UV press.
At Drupa, KBA’s highly automated Cortina 6/2 and Commander CT mini tower presses will be
demonstrating that, in the newspaper industry, the future is compact
The Performa 66, an SRA2 press that is very popular in eastern Europe and overseas,
has also been upgraded
Compact technology
from the inventor of
the newspaper press
The B2 Rapida 75 is also available in a special 605 x 740mm version
Makeready champion in B1: KBA’s new Rapida 106 – an upgraded version of the high-tech
Rapida 105 launched at Drupa 2004 – sports an array of unique features and options, and can
be made ready faster than ever before
While the limited erection period
means there will be no live demos
of web presses on the KBA stand,
web printers will still find plenty to
interest them. Following the debut
at Drupa 2000 of a single-wide
pilot version of our compact Cortina, at this year’s event we shall be
showing four-high towers of both
our compact presses, a waterless
6/2 Cortina and its conventional
counterpart, the Commander CT.
Orders for these two press types
include a multi-unit triple-wide
Cortina press line for Le Figaro in
Paris and a fifteen-tower Commander CT for the New York Daily
News (see page 44). This new compact platform, KBA Competence,
offers some unique features,
among them PlateTronic automatic
plate changers, NipTronic cylinder
bearings for the remote adjustment of impression pressure,
RollerTronic automated roller
locks, Plate-Ident plate identification and FanoTronic automatic fanout compensation. The benefits
these (and an ultra-compact press
design) deliver in terms of operation, maintenance, production flexibility, cost efficiency and ecology
will be demonstrated during the
show via an interface.
An ErgoTronic control console
with a direct link to new web press
installations at various users will
give commercial printers a chance
to come up to speed with advances
in their field, particularly with
regard to reducing energy consumption and maintenance work.
Klaus Schmidt
Report 32 | 2008 7
25.04.2008
14:10 Uhr
Seite 8
Sheetfed Offset | Networking
Roland Kastner,
managing director
of KBA Complete
K
BA Complete benefits from the
in-depth knowledge and expertise of networking and innovation expert Roland Kastner, who
has been appointed managing
director of this newly established
consultancy.
After qualifying as a business
administrator, Roland Kastner
went on to acquire a working
knowledge of finances and organisation before taking a degree in
computer science at Mannheim
University. There followed a succession of executive positions in
the print media industry. More
than fifteen years' practical experience in the business has given
him a depth of knowledge and
skill which, for the past seven
years, he has sought to pass on to
others in his capacity as an industry consultant. As the managing
partner of Hiflex Streamlining,
Roland Kastner collaborates with
clients all over Europe on process
optimisation and restructuring
projects of all kinds. A rating advisor for the Chamber of Commerce
and Industry, he also helps businesses prepare for internal and
external ratings by banks, agencies, suppliers and investors.
In 2003 Roland Kastner
established ARGE AR+D (a business consortium specialising in
RFID for printing plants) and a
networking group, Pegasus. These
alliances of providers and business consultants to the print
media industry actively promote
strategic collaboration among scientists, providers of systems and
components, and manufacturers
of plant and machinery, as a
means of advancing technological
projects in the industry and innovative developments in process
optimisation.
8 Report 32 | 2008
KBA Complete, a new consultancy, provides the print media industry
with an invaluable service that goes well beyond mere process analysis
and optimisation
KBA Complete: your partner for profit
New consultancy helps
maximise profitability
The production workflows in printing plants are becoming ever more complex. Many printers find it hard to view
their operations objectively and identify the weak spots with potential for improvement.KBA and Hiflex have created an independent consultancy, KBA Complete, to provide much-needed support. The services this new entity
provides are a valuable aid in optimising the value-added chain to secure that vital competitive edge.
P
rint enterprises today are
evolving into service providers specialising in printed
products. To fulfil this function on
a sustainable basis, guarantee a
high level of customer satisfaction
and thus safeguard success over
the long horizon they must automate and optimise their production workflows, make processes
more transparent, expand into new
business activities and, above all,
deliver quality excellence.
Strength in unity
Even if a process is functioning
well, there is always room for
improvement. It is “merely” a matter of recognising where the poten-
tial lies and finding a reliable partner who will look at things dispassionately, from a wider angle. KBA
Complete is just such a partner and
as an independent consultancy
boasts a high level of knowledge
and expertise in process analysis
and optimisation. The company’s
objective is to bring this knowledge and expertise to bear in order
to maximise clients’ profitability.
The focus is therefore on creating
individual, customised solutions
that address specific production
issues.
The experienced staff at KBA
Complete analyse processes, submit proposals for optimising them
and provide support for their print
media clients at all times while the
new business model is being implemented. The adoption of a management information system (MIS)
plays a central role. As the key
component of the entire production workflow, MIS automates
communication and order handling
processes among all those concerned, including suppliers and
end users.
Complete,
one-stop service
The all-in service provided by KBA
Complete encompasses every
aspect of the day-to-day business
routine. The company collaborates
with other key industry providers
25.04.2008
to offer JDF workflows underpinning market-defining technologies
for pre-press, press and post-press
applications, MIS, print process
management, process standardisation and carbon-neutral print production.
The JDF-based workflow allows
all the disparate elements to be
integrated to create a single, transparent process. This releases
potential that can be utilised to
offer unique, customised solutions.
The time savings delivered enable
print enterprises to devote their
energies to devising new business
models, promoting customer satisfaction and enhancing profitability.
Everything
at a glance
KBA Complete staff work alongside
their clients to make the entire
business workflow more cost-effective, efficient and transparent.
Software includes MIS, which
delivers a sustainable improvement
in work processes through standardisation. KBA Complete favours
Hiflex MIS since this is based on
process sequences defined in the
CIP4 standard and therefore furnishes a faithful reproduction of
the JDF workflow.
Hiflex MIS controls the entire
process, from job handling to prepress, press and post-press. The
aim is to automate and enhance
organisational and staff proficiency
(customer accounts, cost calculation,scheduling, JDF management)
with the aid of computer integrated manufacturing (CIM). This
includes the integration of technical and organisational functions,
with data accessible to the competent staff throughout the company.
The underlying technologies are
protected by patents.
LogoTronic Professional, a production management system provided by KBA for networking
sheetfed and/or web presses, can
be used either with or without
MIS, and functions as a gateway,
allowing the workflow to be automated and eliminating the need for
manual intervention from the control console when generating job
and presetting data. LogoTronic
Professional has an open interface
for linking the press to a JDFenabled MIS. This perceptibly
14:10 Uhr
Seite 9
enhances productivity, quality and
ease of operation while minimising
potential sources of error.
Competence delivers
vital competitive edge
All-encompassing process optimisation is synonymous with process
innovation. Being quick to pick up
on emerging trends delivers a competitive advantage because innovative products can increase sales to
existing customers and attract new
ones. KBA Complete provides support in the form of competent
advice and proven business models
relating to web-to-print, RFID, ebusiness, storage optimisation and
paper management.
Timely and precise order fulfilment – that is what web-to-print
offers. And the professional applications on the market today are
perfectly adequate even for largescale printing operations. These
applications are JDF-enabled and
are available as open or closed systems, with closed systems guaranteeing greater data security and
ease of use. Whether open or
closed, the focus is on maximum
automation.
Professional applications help
to minimise maintenance input
by automating cost calculation.
Instead of making a fresh calculation for each individual job the system automatically and dynamically
amends the variables such as
paper, ink and the time required. It
organises the entire production
and administrative workflow and
The objective is to maximise clients’ profitability.
Customer
Agency
Sales
Provider
Internet
Hiflex MIS
Pre-press
Accounts
Scheduling and data capture
Print production
Raw materials and finished goods
Dispatch and delivery
Gang-stitching
Folding
Trimming
Integrated, transparent process with KBA LogoTronic Professional and Hiflex MIS
informs print buyers and suppliers
electronically.
Open shops guarantee print
buyers easy access to standard
products 24 hours a day. In addition, closed systems offer customised processes and can thus
enhance customer loyalty. Webbased order handling makes for
much greater efficiency as well as
information and process transparency.
One development that is
spreading rapidly in the print
media industry is RFID (radio frequency identification), which
allows product data to be stored via
an embedded microtransmitter.
Originally used in security printing,
RFID opens up new applications in
other forms of printing as well.
Advising clients means understanding their needs and offering
solutions that will surpass their
expectations. This is only possible
if the best software developers in
the business are brought to the
table and their recommendations
embedded in a single, seamless
system. The ongoing exchange of
information and technology among
the alliance partners means that
staff at KBA Complete are always at
the cutting edge of current developments. This enables them to
utilise advances in software and
consultancy services that will not
be available on the market for
another one to two years.
Equipment provided by leading
press and systems manufacturers
has been installed in the KBA Complete Lounge in Radebeul so that
demonstrations can be given of
networks employing different permutations of production systems in
conjunction with Hiflex MIS.
Our object is your success
At KBA Complete there is a conviction that, for print and media
providers, the key to future success lies in process automation and
professional implementation. The
analysis the company provides
reveals specifically where there is
potential for savings, and identifies
cost-intensive tasks. So KBA Complete’s claim that “We make your
business more profitable” is not
just empty soundbites.
Rüdiger Maass
r.maass@printperfection.de
Report 32 | 2008 9
25.04.2008
14:10 Uhr
Seite 10
Printing Industry | Ecology
Conservation in the press room
KBA and ClimatePartner
unite to cut emissions
In recent months carbon-neutral production has become a headline issue in the print media industry. ClimatePartner, a
strategic consultancy specialising in the development of software applications for voluntary climate protection,has impleFor KBA, developing greener technology has
been part of its daily routine for many years.
In 2000 it was the first press manufacture to
achieve environmental accreditation for its
sheetfed presses
mented projects with printing plants the world over. Early this year it teamed up with KBA, the f:mp. (Fachverband
Medienproduktioner – the Association of Media Production Managers) and others to organise a road show on sustainability in the printing industry.At Drupa 2008 this dynamic German start-up will be unveiling other joint initiatives with KBA.
C
limatePartner was launched in
September 2006 by Tobias
Heimpel and Moritz Lehmkuhl in Munich. Their mission: to
develop standardised climate-protection processes and promote
their integration in existing business models. Or to put it another
way: to make voluntary climate
protection a no-brainer for business enterprises. Their first product was an immediate success. This
is a software tool for calculating
precisely where, and in what volumes, CO2 is being emitted in the
print production process. Print
providers are thus able to focus
their efforts where they will be
most effective in reducing such
emissions, and can subsequently
attain the pertinent accreditation.
“The real benefit lies in achieving
a balance, that is, in neutralising
emissions,” explains managing
director and co-owner Tobias
Heimpel. “The printer concerned
can instantly start offering a service that delivers value added for
customers while at the same time
raising his profile in the marketplace.” But ClimatePartner, which
at present has 25 staff and five
overseas branches, does not confine its activities to the printing
industry: it also provides standardised processes for calculating emissions and offsets in the IT and
automotive industries, hotels and
at public events.
Joining forces with KBA users
More than 40 printing plants have
taken ClimatePartner’s services on
board, and at the end of last year
10 Report 32 | 2008
74 Karat user Martin Zaklikowski of m.o.druck in Schwäbisch Hall has also worked with ClimatePartner for several months and is enjoying
increasing success with climate-neutral print production
its applications were awarded an
official seal of approval by the VSD
(Trade Association for the Swiss
Printing Industry) as well as the
f:mp. Those who have adopted its
recommendations include a grow-
ing number of KBA customers,
among them innovative Rapida 105
users like Stieber in LaudaKönigshofen (see feature on pages
18 and 19), 74 Karat user
m.o.druck in Schwäbisch Hall and
Swiss printer Feldegg in Zollikerberg, which actively promotes the
environmental benefits afforded by
the waterless 74 Karat it installed
some years ago.
One thing is becoming increasingly clear: sustainability, ie a holistic and enduring commitment to
environmental protection, is a hot
issue. Conservation and environmentally responsible production
have long since come of age and
are now a compelling argument in
customer communications. So
Swiss printer Feldegg‘s commitment to
greener technology is reflected in its press
room, where a 74 Karat waterless DI offset
press from KBA was installed in 2001.
Feldegg has also collaborated closely with
ClimatePartner in recent years, establishing an outstanding reputation for environmentally responsible production
25.04.2008
there is a demand for long-term
energy efficiency throughout the
production chain and, more specifically, in printing technology, for
sustainable forestry stewardship
(FSC and PEFC) and for environmental and quality management
systems (eg ISO 9001 and 14001
or EMAS). “Climate-neutral printing acts as a catalyst,” claims Tobias
Heimpel, who is not just a close
observer of the market but also
applies his energies to shaping
market opinion. “Once you start
trying to offset emissions, your logical medium-term objective must
be to demonstrate that you are
willing to walk the talk by reducing
them in your own operations as
well.”
Credibility and
sustainability
Again and again, waterless offset,
emissions-focused machine design,
the reduction of waste and the
conservation of consumables have
been the subject of heated debate,
and for many years now KBA has
played a leading role in the marketplace. Its outlook complements
that of ClimatePartner: on the one
hand, innovative press engineering
designed to enhance the competitiveness of print providers in an
increasingly challenging arena; on
the other, a fresh approach culminating in an all-in service for print
providers and their clientele. “A
print provider must maintain his
credibility in the long term through
a holistic concept that the market
will reward,” says Tobias Heimpel,
who is finding that more and more
printing plants are seeking to
enhance their profiles through ecological competence.
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Seite 11
The Poza Verde conservation project in
Guatemala, which is funded from the
sale of emission-trading certificates,
helps to replace CO2-intensive sources
of energy such as heating oil, diesel and
coal with hydroelectric power
Effective emissions trading
He continues: “The fact that so
much of this activity is driven by an
honest, personal commitment to
greenery is enormously encouraging.” KBA head of corporate communications Klaus Schmidt agrees:
“Green is no longer the exclusive
attribute of a political movement
whose understanding of business
concepts is somewhat hazy. Green
has become the seal of approval for
a corporate alignment focused on
long-term objectives, where ecological aspects are equal in value to
economic ones. And the good thing
is that both qualities can often be
united to great effect.”
Software applications and technological concepts for environmentally responsible print production
are well proven in practice. Paper
manufacturers already support
countless such initiatives and the
ink industry is also heavily engaged
in burnishing its credentials. ClimatePartner has achieved something previously unknown in this
sector: it has succeeded in
bundling multiple activities into
one offering that enables print
providers to raise their profile
while at the same time differentiat-
ing their products. Print clients are
given not empty promises but a
concrete figure: their product’s
carbon footprint.
How does climate-neutral
printing work?
The concept of neutral emissions,
ie offsetting unavoidable CO2
emissions against reductions elsewhere, can also be applied to print
production. Climate-neutral (carbon-neutral) printing is thus a perfectly normal activity, just like climate-neutral flying or driving.
Climate neutrality must be
predicated on a detailed emissions
log for the product in question.
Alongside the CO2 emissions generated during its manufacture (eg
energy consumption, logistics,
administration, cleaning agents)
this also includes data specific to
the product (run length, colour,
transport and, most important,
paper). ClimatePartner’s emissions
classes for graphic papers afford a
glimpse of the future. This is
because carbon emissions during
papermaking can vary from less
than 500 kilograms per tonne to a
full 3,000 kilograms per tonne.
Several hundred trade professionals attended a road show on climate-neutral printing that took in seven German cities. Organised by f:mp.
in association with ClimatePartner, KBA, Enoplan, NaturEnergie and UPM, the show started in Münster on 27 February and ended in Frankfurt
am Main on 8 April.The photos were taken on 6 March in Hamburg
Once the level of carbon emissions
has been calculated, action can be
taken to offset them by investing in
recognised and effective projects
through the purchase of emissiontrading certificates. A wind farm in
India, solar kitchens in South
African townships and energy generation using organic materials in
South America – today there are
many projects in existence that
would have been impossible without additional funding from emission-trading schemes.
Nowadays conservation is a
major criterion influencing the
decisions of customers and
investors alike. The knowledge that
the product purchased has a carbon-neutral footprint enhances its
value to the consumer and represents a persuasive argument in corporate communications – for, in
the final analysis, it is in all our
interests to help counteract global
warming.
Successful road show on
climate-neutral printing
To this end ClimatePartner, KBA,
Enoplan, NaturEnergie and UPM
joined forces with f:mp. to organise a road show on climate-neutral
printing that toured seven German
cities. The show, which started in
Münster on 27 February and
ended in Frankfurt am Main on 8
April, attracted several hundred
trade professionals. The purpose of
the show was to demonstrate how
environmental protection can be
actively embedded in the production chain. Topics discussed included the impact of innovations in
technology and processes, ways to
optimise workflows, renewable
energy, energy efficiency, green
papermaking and the accreditation
systems available.
Uwe Pagel
theimpel@climatepartner.com
Report 32 | 2008 11
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Seite 12
Digital Offset | New Business Models
W
here previously cost efficiency, print quality and
quick-fire short-run colour
were the prime qualities that sold
the 74 Karat, these have been
increasingly outshone by its green
credentials and its compatibility
with workflow digitisation embracing order origination. The Karat’s
waterless, keyless technology,
on-press imaging and all-digital
workflow from pre-press to press,
and its 100% repetitive accuracy
from one print to the next and in
all repeat runs, make it a highly
effective tool that is already being
exploited to the full by many a
farsighted print entrepreneur.
Enhanced efficiency
with web-to-print
KBA is heavily promoting environmentally responsible print production with web-to-print, and at
Drupa 2008 will be demonstrating
this with the 74 Karat and Hiflex
software tools. The two companies
have created a dedicated joint venture, KBA Complete, whose staff
will be happy to provide details.
Web-to-print facilitates order
fulfilment on an unprecedented
scale. The system allows a dynamic
With the 74 Karat there is no fount
solution, no ink mist, no environmentally
sensitive washes – and a minimum of
waste
Since the 74 Karat made its debut at Drupa 2000 over 120 presses have been sold. At Drupa 2008 it will be demonstrating its green credentials
with web-to-print and a host of unique qualities
74 Karat, green printing and web-to-print
Rediscovering hidden talents
Since Heidelberg’s withdrawal from DI offset the spotlight has shifted away from the 74 Karat. Nonetheless,
KBA continues to ship this model and will be exhibiting an upgraded version at Drupa 2008. Why? In view of the
current focus on environmental issues and web-to-print, the 74 Karat represents a viable alternative to conventional offset for printers keen to drive success by raising their environmental profile in the marketplace.
calculation to be made for production and inventory purposes of all
the pertinent paper, pre-press,
press and coating parameters. It
organises the entire production
workflow and administrative handling, notifying print buyers and
manufacturers electronically. Webbased order fulfilment offers printers and their customers greater
efficiency, more detailed and timely information, and process transparency.
Still the technological bellwether
The B2 (29in) 74 Karat incorporates features that are still unique
in this format. They include a compact design, one-man operation,
integrated imaging of up to ten
jobs with one plate magazine, and
an inline coater that enhances
gloss and allows immediate finishing. Also, the sheets are printed on
the underside but delivered face
up, so they can be fed in straight
away for a second pass without
being tumbled. These attributes
make the 74 Karat the most compact and cost-effective short-run
perfector press on the market.
12 Report 32 | 2008
And if that is not enough, its
Gravuflow keyless inking units not
only deliver rich solids and ghosting-free, consistently high colour
density and brilliance but even
allow the press to reproduce ultrafine reverse type and colour gradations from 2% to 98% on a wide
variety of substrates, non-absorbent materials included.
Low-emission printing
When it comes to uniting ecology
and economy, the 74 Karat really
comes into its own, with start-up
waste levels that are often below
ten sheets, dampener- and alcoholfree printing, chemistry-free plate
imaging, eco-friendly blanket washing with no cleaning agents, and a
minimum of labour input for press
cleaning. On a 74 Karat keyless
press there is no ink mist or splashes. Alongside the standard waterless inks the Karat can even
process soya-based inks and so may
truly be considered a low-emission
printing machine.
With the 74 Karat, the volume
of paper that must be stored at any
one time is much smaller than with
comparable presses, thanks to its
low level of start-up waste (which
reduces the total volume required
for any print run) and the fact that
no interim storage is required prior
to a second pass. So energy consumption for paper conditioning is
also reduced. This, and the Karat’s
compact footprint (it is just half the
size of a conventional four-colour
unit-type press!) make it a popular
choice for small print operations
where space is at a premium.
In association with environmentally savvy industry players
such as ClimatePartner (see pages
10 to 11) KBA offers the option
of optimising the 74 Karat and
embedding it in a provably sustainable production workflow powered
by green energy. This enables 74
Karat users and their customers to
grow market share by promoting
their carbon-neutral credentials – a
service that is in brisk demand.
Andreas Bachmann
andreas.bachmann@kba-print.de
28.04.2008
10:11 Uhr
Seite 13
UV Offset | Strategy
E
stablished by Klaus-Werner
Gottschalk some 30 years ago
as a traditional reproduction
studio, the company has developed
its core business into media production, in which it has built up a
reputation for quality and dependability. Now in the second generation, SGV has twelve employees,
including two apprentices – an
indication of the value it places on
training.
Managing director Olaf Gottschalk (r) and press operator Andreas Thiele at their Genius 52UV
Realignment following
adoption of DTP
Following the adoption of DTP, the
proportion of conventional repro
work handled rapidly diminished.
As managing director Olaf Gottschalk says: “Today, conventional
jobs are just gap-fillers.” As a graduate of the Hauchler Studio in Biberach, Gottschalk is indebted to his
former instructor, Otto Wenkel, for
the idea of taking digital printing
on board, and thus for SGV’s timely adoption of it. The recent expansion of printing capabilities with
the Genius 52UV was merely the
logical consequence. Digital technology is brilliant for printing personalised products and ultra-short
runs, but it cannot reproduce highresolution data in the quality to
which offset customers are accustomed.
The first digital printing press
was installed in 1999 and was followed by a newer version in 2003.
Digital print work has proved to be
an enduring replacement for dwindling repro work, and has enabled
the company to expand from media
design and production (origination,
composition, lithography and digitisation) into printing and logistics
services.
Most of SGV’s customers are
from North Rhine-Westphalia, others come from much further afield
in Germany. Gottschalk’s young,
creative team primarily serves
industrial enterprises, advertising
agencies and printing plants with
no digital, UV or small-format capabilities of their own. When the
decision to install an offset press
was made last year, Gottschalk
soon found that the Genius 52UV
offered the best value for money in
the B3 (20in) format and that its
compact size was best suited to the
limited space available.
Genius 52UV at Medienhaus SGV Reprostudio
Alternative to digital print
Medienhaus SGV Reprostudio in Hilden, North Rhine-Westphalia, has branched out into a new line of activity.
Since late summer 2007 a Genius 52UV offset press from KBA-Metronic has been printing jobs that cannot be
printed cost-effectively on a digital press.The benefits to customers are clear: razor-sharp dot reproduction,lower
production costs and a better quality than digital is capable of delivering.
Saleable colour after
just seven sheets
“The press runs up to colour in
just seven sheets,” enthuses
Gottschalk. And he has been
astounded by its process stability.
“With the Genius 52UV, ghosting
is an unknown word.” The anilox
roller transfers precisely the same
volume of ink to each and every
sheet. There are no ink keys that
allow manual intervention. However, flawless preparation in prepress is absolutely crucial for an
optimum print quality, and that is
where SGV Reprostudio shines.
The Genius 52UV waterless
offset press can print on all kinds
of substrate: paper, board and even
synthetics such as PVC, PC, PS,
ABS, PET etc in any thickness from
0.1 to 0.8mm (4-32pt). Full-colour
printing in just one gripper bite
guarantees that registration is
100% accurate, allowing the colour
to develop its full brilliance and
intensity with no “dilution”.
Standardised process
Print characteristics and ICC profiles stand high in SGV Reprostudio’s esteem. Configured with five
printing units and a coater, the
Genius 52UV operates according
to predefined offset standards,
which means that there is total dig-
Medienhaus strives for transparency and openness, and this is reflected in its new premises,
designed by architect Christoph Gemeiner
ital compliance between pre-press,
the proof and the press. Customers
can count on a uniformly high print
quality and accurate colour reproduction. The waterless plates from
Toray are imaged in a standard
platesetter. Frequency-modulated
screening is used for virtually all
print work. If a client specifies a
colour density that deviates from
the standard, this can be achieved
by adjusting the temperature of
the anilox roller.
The fifth printing unit can be
used to apply a spot colour or matt
coating, and a calendar in the conference room at SGV illustrates
what marvellous effects can be
achieved. The press room is airconditioned to create the best possible working environment.
A rated output of up to 8,000
sheets per hour, semi-automatic
plate changers for high-speed job
changes and a rock-bottom waste
level means that the Genius 52UV
is cost-effective even for very short
production runs, so it is often used
for runs of as little as 300 sheets.
Also, because the ink chambers are
interchangeable, the inks do not
have to be removed for storage, so
press run-down is equally short at
the end of the working day.
Johannes Schaeben
johannes.schaeben@kba-metronic.com
Report 32 | 2008 13
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14:11 Uhr
Seite 14
UV Offset | Specialist Applications
W
hile Maku is an acronym
for Matrizen (matrices)
and Kunststoffe (synthetics), it could apply equally well to
Martin Kuipers, the founder and
owner. Maku makes matrices and
plant labels for nurseries – an
unusual combination, but that is
precisely what appeals to this headstrong entrepreneur, who revels in
conducting precise analyses, deciding on a concept and putting it into
action. He is the first matrix manufacturer worldwide to invest in a
Genius 52UV. A tool maker who
turns his hand to print production,
how does that work?
Matrix manufacturer Maku relies on Genius 52UV
What is a Genius doing beside an
electrical discharge machine?
Why did a Dutch matrix manufacturer take delivery of a Genius 52UV from KBA-Metronic? And what is the press doing next
to an electrical discharge machine? Martin Kuipers, head of Maku in Beuningen, is always open to unorthodox solutions:
“One label is no big thing, but when you’re producing forty million a year, that’s a different matter entirely!”
Management in the blood
After leaving school Kuipers studied computer technology at the
Higher Technical College in
Enschede. He set up Maku while
an intern at Shell because he wanted to run his own company. Business acumen runs in the family: his
father started up a plant nursery
which under the management of
Martin’s elder brother has developed into the biggest nursery for
bedding plants in Europe, with a
whopping 600,000m2 under glass.
Other brothers sallied forth into
the big wide world, eventually
building up a market gardening
business in Africa.
Not Martin. After taking his
degree he spent three years as the
plant manager of a firm that manufactures trolleys for Wagon Lits,
the Dutch railway company, which
uses them to provide passengers
with coffee, tea and rolls. It was
here that he expanded his knowl-
Martin Kuipers is a qualified IT specialist and a self-made entrepreneur
edge of matrices and synthetics. In
1996 he decided to develop this
expertise still further, but in his
own factory.
Active on two fronts
Market gardening in the Netherlands is extensively automated,
with robots deployed in vast green-
houses. The plants are grown in
plastic pots until they are big
enough to sell on to consumers.
The only way to remain competitive is to automate the entire production chain, from taking the first
cuttings to delivering the plants to
customers. That is one of Maku’s
specialist lines of business.
“If you’re raising plants under 60,000 square metres of glass, whittling
two millimetres off the dimensions makes a big difference.”
“We are active on two fronts in
this market,” says Kuipers. “We not
only design the plant pots and containers, we also mill the relevant
templates, which are subsequently
sent to a company specialising in
the production of customised plant
containers. When designing the
original template, every millimetre
counts. If you’re raising plants
under 60,000 square metres of
glass, whittling two millimetres off
the dimensions makes a big difference.”
Once the plants have reached a
saleable size the label doubles as a
convenient handle. Kuipers spent
months brooding over “these stupid labels.” As he explains, “they
are plastic labels that fork backwards at the base to prevent
removal. A robot seizes a label,
bends the ends 90 degrees to the
vertical, and inserts them in the
pot.”
The label contains all kinds of
information for the consumer, for
example the name of the plant in
various languages, how much light
or moisture it requires to thrive,
Precise to one-thousandth
of a millimetre
Maku not only designs, manufacturers
and prints the matrices but also designs
the containers for them
14 Report 32 | 2008
Designing matrices on Maku’s 3-D CAD
workstations can take less than one day.
If the customer approves the design, it
is fed into the CAM station for machining on one of the company’s six CNC
machines. For high-precision work
Maku has installed an electrical discharge machine (also called a spark erosion machine) that can cut the metal to
a tolerance of just one-thousandth of a
millimetre. Since temperature fluctuations can cause deviations in the plotter
when working to such tight tolerances,
the machine is located in an air-conditioned room.
25.04.2008
14:11 Uhr
Seite 15
On occasions Martin Kuipers even operates the Genius himself, and sees no reason why some
of his staff, who normally sit at CAD computers, shouldn’t take on press work if necessary
and other useful information. Surveys have found that good labels
can boost sales by as much as ten
per cent or more.
The labels are packed in special
plastic boxes. “We even design
these. For nurserymen it is important that the labels are well protected, since even minor damage
can disrupt production. Transport
costs must be kept to the minimum, with no waste.”
Round-the-clock
inplant die-cutting
Label manufacture begins with the
production of white synthetic
sheets, which are then used to
print labels measuring 52mm (2in)
wide by 360mm (14in) long. “We
get the labels printed in Germany
because both the quality and the
price are right. The only problem I
have is with delivery: sometimes a
nursery runs out of labels and
needs a new set without delay.
Since its plants continue to grow
whether they can be labelled or
not, the time pressure is enor-
The printed plastic sheets in the
Genius 52UV’s delivery
mous. I can’t afford to wait two
weeks for a print job, it has to be
delivered by the next day at the
very latest.”
Finishing, which demands the
utmost precision, is carried out inhouse. A die-cutting machine that
was also designed in-house allows
continuous production, day and
night. Feeding, die-cutting and
delivery are all fully automated, so
that no manual intervention whatsoever is required. Once the labels
have been die-cut they are packed
in plastic boxes which are also conveyed automatically in the correct
sequence. Kuipers is already busy
designing the next generation of
die-cutters, which will work to
even tighter tolerances.
Colourfast
in rain and sun
Martin Kuipers trawled the stands
at many a trade fair in his search
for the right press. “KBA’s importer
in the Netherlands is Wifac, whose
staff were regular visitors a while
back when we carried out tests on
the Genius 52UV in Germany following its market launch. The
press ran superbly and was just
what we were looking for – sturdy,
easy to operate and with a high,
reliably reproducible print quality.
But the UV inks proved to be the
sticking point because they were
not as lightfast as the suppliers had
led us to believe. Plant labels
demand a much higher level of
lightfastness than other types of
label because they come into contact with water and chemical fertilisers prior to delivery and then
stand outside in all weathers, so
they must be impervious to all
sorts of different influences. This
means that the labels we produce
have to pass tests that are much
more rigorous than the standard. If
a plant is sold after four months,
say, and the label has faded, then
the nurseryman has a problem and
therefore so do I.”
A further series of tests was
carried out, and Siegwerk inks
were found to be the most
resilient. “Once we had found an
acceptable ink, things moved fast.
One reason for choosing the
Genius was that there is virtually
no waste. With eighty per cent of
our costs sunk in the substrate, we
want as little waste as possible.”
“I simply cannot understand why a
press operator should spend more
than one-third of his working hours
feeding the paper or other substrate
into the press at one end and
removing it again at the other.”
Kuipers is unfazed by the fact
that Maku is not a genuine printing
plant: “Print production is no rocket science. I work here with ten
staff who know how complex
machinery functions. They work
with computers all day, so they
should also be capable of handling
a press.”
According to Kuipers, at least
four members of his staff must be
able to operate the Genius. “When
the press was installed we took a
training course, which proved to
be as informative for the instructors as it was for us because the
questions we asked were quite different from those a trained press
operator would ask. For example, I
simply cannot understand why a
press operator should spend more
than one-third of his working hours
feeding the paper or other substrate into the press at one end and
removing it again at the other. To
my mind the human factor should
be taken out of the equation
entirely. We’re still mulling this
over, and I’m sure we’ll come up
with a solution pretty soon.”
Nor does platemaking present
an obstacle. “We process the PDF
files using InDesign and send them
to a Screen PlateRite system for
CTP exposure. Once the machine
has been set it is self-calibrating.”
According to Martin Kuipers, operating a
printing press is no rocket science
Global market
on the doorstep
Martin Kuipers is adamant that he
has no intention of encroaching on
his printer’s patch. “We took the
Genius on board because some
things were not functioning as they
should. While the price and quality
of the prints delivered are excellent, I want to avoid at all costs
having to let our customers down
when they need a rush job done. It
was to eliminate this risk that we
looked around for alternatives and
hit upon the Genius, which proved
to be just the ticket.”
The next step is for the firm to
make its own substrates. “Our
prime motivation is cost, but it is
also important to safeguard continuous production. One problem is
that, because the material is delivered in rolls and tends to curl at
the ends, the robot that positions
the corners above the plant pots
and bends them 90 degrees is useless if the substrate lies flat. So we
have to do it ourselves.”
Beuningen, where Maku is situated, is a tiny hamlet with scarcely 500 inhabitants. But the German
border is just a stone’s throw away,
the A1 east-west trunk road linking
Amsterdam, Berlin and Moscow
passes close by and the northsouth link through Germany is just
a few kilometres away. “Our labels
are exported all over the globe, so
this location is perfect. It’s rural
but within easy reach of the whole
world. And in this world creativity,
innovation and entrepreneurship
are essential, as is rigorous cost
control.”
Leon van Velzen
luc.van.den.boomen@wifac.nl
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Seite 16
Sheetfed Offset | Large Format
This eight-colour Rapida 130a for four over four has been in operation for more than a year at Hungarian printer Prospektus Nyomda in Veszprém
Boosting productivity with 4 over 4 in large format
Proven technology now even better
Four over four perfecting in large format has been available from KBA – and only
future, nor will they be available in the same wide choice of practice-proven
from KBA – for some time.Now other press manufacturers have announced that
configurations as our Rapidas. So we are making the most of our time lead to
they will also be unveiling large-format convertible perfectors at Drupa 2008.
improve the operation, makeready and quality of our big perfectors for high-
However, such systems are unlikely to attain market maturity in the immediate
quality commercial applications.
E
ngineering a press with the
quality and stability necessary
for four-over-four perfecting is
no easy task, which is why the
large-format specialists at our
Radebeul plant brought it to market relatively late compared to
straight presses. At Ipex, Birmingham, in 1993 KBA unveiled a largeformat Varimat press with convertible perfecting after the first printing unit, and followed this up a
year later with the first Rapida 104
medium-format perfector press for
four over four. Other manufacturers took much longer to include
such presses in their programmes.
Even so, KBA caused a minor sensation in 2002 with the first 1,120 x
1,620mm (44 x 633/4in) Rapida
162 with perfecting after the
fourth unit.
At that time the very competitors who are now busy launching
such presses dismissed them as
niche products for the book-printing industry. And today? Fifteen
years on, those who originally
scoffed at the concept of big perfectors are belatedly jumping on
the bandwagon and to save face are
claiming that inadequate advances
in pre-press technology delayed
their entry into the market – an
unconvincing argument considering that the technology has been
16 Report 32 | 2008
up to speed for many years now. It
seems they have finally realised
that enhancing productivity when
printing products with more than
32 A4 pages can best be achieved
with big perfecting presses, and
that demand in the market has
picked up accordingly.
Big perfectors
boost productivity
Whereas a standard B1 (41in) press
can print a maximum of just 16 A4
pages in one perfecting pass, the
large-format Rapidas can print 32,
48 or even 64 pages, depending on
the format. Identical automation
components and a maximum rated
speed similar to that of recent
medium-format presses mean that
their output is substantially higher
with the same number of personnel.
Automatic conversion
in just over 60 seconds
Single-drum perfecting
in a large-format Rapida press
The core component of the largeformat Rapidas for four over four is
the automatically convertible perfecting unit. The single-drum system deployed by KBA in this format
was developed more than forty
years ago and has since been continuously improved in line with the
performance and output of each
new generation of presses. Conver-
25.04.2008
14:11 Uhr
The setting motors for positioning the suction rings in the delivery
also reduce makeready time
sion from straight printing to perfecting and vice versa takes just
over 60 seconds, complete with all
the necessary changes in format.
Manual tasks are kept to a minimum and depend on the substrate
and the image to be printed. Everything else is controlled automatically via the ErgoTronic console.
The impact of changes in the blower settings at the perfecting unit or
the delivery can be checked in a
video monitor at the console with
the aid of up to thirteen cameras
operating in real time in the press,
and the settings addjusted if necessary. And, of course, it is possible
to store all the job-specific settings
for perfecting and air-blown sheet
guidance. This further accelerates
the conversion sequence when
printing repeat jobs on the same
substrate.
Console menu for
controlling the air flow
at the perfecting unit
Seite 17
New air-flow sheet guidance system: turbulence-free blowers
above the delivery make for more precise stacking
At Drupa 2008 KBA will be
exhibiting a perfector version of
the Rapida 162a with an evenbigger sheet size. Whereas previously
the printable width during perfecting was effectively 1,095mm
(43in) on a reduced sheet width
of 1,120mm (44in), this has now
been increased to 1,170mm (46in),
a full 75mm (3in) more. As a result
it is possible to run the maximum
sheet size of 1,200 x 1,620mm
(471/4 x 633/4in) through the press
in perfecting mode.
Commercial delivery
for higher output
At Drupa 2008 KBA will be showing a new, high-performance package for the long perfector versions
of the Rapida 142. This new-generation press was developed specifically for commercial printers keen
to expand their capacity and bid
competitively for high-end commercial work. The package enables
the sheet guides and suction stations to be controlled remotely
from the console. With these
presses only five print-free corridors are necessary – 15mm (0.6in)
in the centre of the sheet and in
the quarterfold, and 20mm (0.8in)
at the outer edges. Reducing the
print-free corridor reduces the
minimum run length at which production is cost-effective. Expressed
in terms of area, the saving is one
sheet in every 110 printed.
It goes without saying that
with this high-performance package all the settings can be stored at
the console for repeat orders. Nonstick coatings on the drum shells,
and turbulence-free blowers located above the delivery, ensure that
The powder sprayer with HEP nozzles
reduces powder consumption in four over four
production
even lightweight stock is delivered
smoothly and precisely to the pile.
Printing books, brochures, calendars and associated products on
a large-format press is one thing:
finishing is another. While there
are binding machines fully capable
of handling formats up to size 7, if
the in-house bindery is only
equipped to handle smaller formats an ICS inline slitter can be
installed in the press to cut the
sheets down to size. Stacked on
two pallets, these can then be put
through B1 finishing stations. However, for higher volumes and longer
runs we recommend investing in a
dedicated large-format guillotine.
Brisk demand
in central Europe
and North America
KBA is the world market leader in
large format, with around 1,000
big Rapidas sold since 1995 and a
market share of more than 60%.
15% of all Rapida large-format
presses have perfecting capabilities. They include five- and sixcolour versions and over 20 presses for four over four. Among the
long perfectors the most popular
model is the Rapida 162a, followed
by the Rapida 142, but they also
include a number of Rapida 130,
130a and 162 press lines. Most
installations of big perfectors are in
central Europe and North America,
the highest numbers being in Germany and Italy, followed by the
USA. But there are also four-overfour versions of large-format Rapidas in the UK, Belgium, Hungary,
China and other countries.
Martin Dänhardt
martin.daenhardt@kba-print.de
Report 32 | 2008 17
25.04.2008
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Seite 18
Sheetfed Offset | Environment
Stieber Druck in Lauda-Königshofen operates
three Rapida 105 medium-format presses
Stieber Druck in Lauda-Königshofen
Value added with
environmental accreditation
Stieber’s approach to conservation is equally wholehearted.
FSC and PEFC accreditation guarantees that only paper from renewable sources is used, and proof can
be provided if the customer wishes. The conditions for PEFC certification are not quite as rigorous as
for FSC, and enable smaller
forestry enterprises to document
their participation in environmental schemes.
With ISO 14001 accreditation,
a company commits to ongoing improvements in environmental efficiency throughout its production
chain via a sophisticated environmental management programme
based on planning, implementing,
monitoring and optimising an operational environmental policy and
environmental objectives. Compliance is monitored regularly by
external auditors. Accreditation is
more than just a declaration of
intent – it symbolises provable,
practical achievements.
German print provider Stieber Druck in Lauda-Königshofen combines production to industrial standards with a commitment to environmental conservation. This is evidenced by accreditation to PEFC,
FSC and ISO 14001 standards. In conjunction with ClimatePartner this mid-cap enterprise also actively
pursues carbon-neutral media production.The fact that such a commitment delivers economic benefits
along with a clear conscience is a welcome extra.
A
n all-inclusive print provider
with around 120 employees,
Stieber specialises in commercial, sheetfed and digital print
production while offering a complete range of pre-press, post-press
and mailing services. An in-house
media agency even handles programming services, for example for
internet applications.
Compliance with DIN 12647/2
(Process Standard for Offset) and
with ISO 9001 (quality management) guarantees a predictable and
reliably reproducible print quality,
which is the company’s prime
focus.
18 Report 32 | 2008
New KBA Rapida 105 SPC
enhances green credentials
Stieber’s environmental policy
embraces new technologies for
conserving resources. In December last year the company pressed
the button on a KBA Rapida 105
with DriveTronic semi-automated
plate changing, installed alongside
two existing presses of the same
type. With run lengths steadily
diminishing and the number of
print jobs steadily rising, the new
press, which incorporates dedicated drives for the plate cylinders,
affords huge potential for cutting
makeready times and material consumption, thus enabling Stieber to
reduce its ecological footprint
while boosting revenue.
Success with a new approach:
Stieber’s innovative management team
comprising (l-r) Volker Bier, Herbert Bier and
Harald Bier proudly displaying the company’s
ISO 9001 and 14001 certificates
25.04.2008
14:11 Uhr
Seite 19
Website: www.stieberdruck.de
“We are confident that the additional outlay for DriveTronic SPC
will be recouped before the end of the year.”
Managing partner Herbert Bier
On average the new fourcolour press cuts a full five minutes off each makeready. With 30
job changes per day in two shifts,
the total daily saving is 150 minutes. But this is only possible if
jobs are well prepared. Plates and
paper must be ready at the press,
and the operator needs a helper if
he is to exploit the productivity
potential to the full. Savings in
material consumption are also substantial over a period of time. Management is confident that the additional outlay for DriveTronic SPC
will be recouped before the end of
the year.
Carbon-neutral
media production
The principles of carbon-neutral
media production are based on the
voluntary emissions trading laid
down in the Kyoto protocol. This
decrees that the location of CO2
emissions and reductions is irrelevant because greenhouse gases
disperse evenly throughout the
atmosphere. Emissions from one
location can therefore be offset by
savings on a similar scale at a different location. Installing a biogas
plant in an Indian village to replace
a diesel generator offsets the
equivalent volume of carbon emissions elsewhere.
Stieber opted for accreditation
through ClimatePartner because
this is achieved by sponsoring projects in developing countries that
deliver a sustainable benefit to the
local population along with the
reduction in emissions. Such projects could not be implemented
without the financial input of emissions-trading mechanisms.
The first step in qualifying for a
“carbon-neutral” label was to measure precisely the total power consumption of all machinery and
equipment, not forgetting heating
and air-conditioning systems. Even
the average commuting distance
for employees was included in the
calculations. Stieber was more
than happy to leave this to Cli-
matePartner, which had already
built up a vast database on carbon
emissions from papermaking, to
which the company data could
then be added. The result was a
reliable calculation of total carbon
emissions from felling the trees for
the paper to delivering the finished
prints to customers. ClimatePartner used the data generated to
devise a carbon calculator that
could be used to work out the carbon emissions for each individual
print job.
Poza Verde conservation project
in Guatemala
Doing well
by doing good
Quite apart from the satisfaction
gained in making a valuable contribution to the fight against global
warming, the effort expended in
conserving the environment can
deliver material day-to-day benefits
for mid-cap enterprises like
Stieber. Not only is it possible to
achieve a substantial saving in running costs, but a new product is
created in the process that can be
VaniVilasSagar conservation project
in India
marketed accordingly. Stieber’s
commitment to conservation has
gained it new customers, helped to
retain existing ones and given sales
a big boost.
Customers profit just as much
as Stieber does from its positive
image and accredited input in aid
of climate protection. And at very
little extra outlay: around 1% of the
total job cost.
Well equipped
Stieber’s example clearly shows
that with farsighted management,
modern production tools and
standards and a willingness to
innovate it is possible to combine
an environmental conscience with
higher earnings.
Herbert Bier (l), managing partner of Stieber, with Volker Brunder of Schneider und Söhne at Stieber’s newest Rapida 105,
a five-colour version with DriveTronic SPC dedicated plate-cylinder drives that support high-speed job changes and reduce
the consumption of valuable resources
Rüdiger Maass
r.maass@printperfection.de
Report 32 | 2008 19
25.04.2008
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Seite 20
Sheetfed Offset | Quality
KBA DensiTronic PDF –
key features at a glance
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Sole integrated system with 300dpi resolution
Scan protocol generated automatically
Sole system for sheet sizes up to 1200 x 1620mm
Fastest system on the market
Contact-free, so damp sheets can be scanned
Rapid response slashes makeready times and
boosts productivity
Reduces financial risk (more accurate estimates)
Less waste
No extra staff needed
Relieves press crew of monitoring tasks
KBA DensiTronic Professional closed-loop densitometric colour measurement
and control system with DensiTronic PDF scanner attached
Less manual input with KBA DensiTronic PDF
Closed-loop quality control
With immediate effect, DensiTronic PDF, a highly automated quality inspection and control system that compares the printed sheets with the original PDF,
is available exclusively for KBA’s DensiTronic Professional densitometry and spectrophotometry system. Language-independent, DensiTronic PDF checks for
errors in copy and colour as well as deviations from the prespecified layouts and imposition charts.
D
ensiTronic PDF basically consists of a scanning head
attached to the DensiTronic
Professional measuring arm. A line
camera in the head scans the freshly printed sheets, after which a
high-powered computer with dedicated software compares the scan
image with the original PDF.
The camera’s high resolution
of 300dpi in RGB means that it can
detect the minutest deviation from
the original PDF, right down to
commas in 5-point fonts. In conjunction with the scan protocol,
which is subsequently generated
automatically, this furnishes the
customer with quality documentation that is fully compliant with
even the most rigorous quality
norms pertaining to the production
of food and drug packaging, for
example the FDA (Food and Drug
Administration in the USA) and
GAMP (Good Automated Manufacturing Practice).
Lower costs,
fewer complaints
DensiTronic PDF thus represents a
valuable tool for handling any customer complaints relating to the
printed image. What is more, the
comparison is conducted in the
background while the system con-
tinues to operate, eliminating at a
stroke the time- and cost-intensive
visual scrutiny that is so often necessary prior to the production run.
DensiTronic PDF can even be
employed as an additional quality
control tool during the production
run.
The scan results can be viewed
and assessed directly at the press,
in the print preparation or scheduling departments and directly at the
customer’s.
Automatically generated
quality protocol
An automatic scan protocol provides
accurate quality documentation
DensiTronic PDF flags errors when scanning
the test sheet. On the right of the photo, side
by side: reference PDF, proof sheet and data
screen with off-spec pixels
20 Report 32 | 2008
A PDF protocol is generated automatically for each print job. The
protocol includes an overview
image for each sheet, and documents all accepted and rejected
deviations. For the benefit of the
observer, a close-up image is displayed of each type of deviation.
DensiTronic PDF is available
with immediate effect for DensiTronic consoles controlling Rapida
105 and Rapida 106 mediumformat presses and Rapida 130 to
162a large-format presses.
Jürgen Veil
juergen.veil@kba-print.de
25.04.2008
14:11 Uhr
Seite 21
Large-format book printing with a Rapida 142 one-over-one press
at Cromwell Press in Trowbridge
Depending on the run length and page count, major book printers like Cromwell Press
use digital presses or big KBA Rapida litho perfecting presses
Offset and digital coexist in Great Britain and Ireland
Stemming the digital tide
KBA large-format sheetfed offset technology is attracting massive investment from UK book
printers who are now offering their publishers the choice of short-run digital down to single
figures and offset litho with runs as low as 250 and as high as the publishers dare to go. And
with one of these ultra flexible large-format litho presses matching the output of two B1
(41in) machines there are super savings on manning,waste and energy and better returns per
employee on capital employed.
W
e are told that this is the
year of digital printing and
we are assured that digital
will be the star focus of Drupa
2008. In book manufacture, shortrun digital is a key growth area and
has some excellent usps – a good
environmental story, a smaller carbon footprint, less financial risk
and rapidly improving technology.
On-demand books obviate the publisher’s nightmare of thousands of
unsold books. Digital presses are
getting faster, producing better
quality and now there is matching
automated finishing technology
available. So does digital have its
own way in the future?
In the UK nearly every book
printer is backing two horses
because the old king on the block
– large-format offset litho – is fighting back. Virtually every major UK
book manufacturer is investing
simultaneously in sophisticated
black and white and colour digital
lines and in the latest sheetfed
litho technology.
For digital the old Docutechs
of two decades ago have been
replaced by very advanced systems
from the likes of Xerox, Océ,
Canon, Nipson, IBM, Kodak, Del-
Managing director Ian Walker of Bell & Bain
tends to think digital up to about 750 copies
phax and Ricoh Infoprint. And in
competition over the horizon
charge the KBA large-format Rapida
130s, 142s and 162s, the offset
litho cavalry offering an alternative
route to Fort Competitiveness.
The Who’s Who of book printers
How many leading UK book printers are travelling this twin path of
digital and KBA large format? Butler & Tanner, Frome; Bell & Bain,
Glasgow; Colourbooks, Dublin;
Cromwell Press, Trowbridge;
MPG Books, Bodmin; TJ International, Padstow; Ashford Colour
Press, Gosport. Add to these the
KBA large-format press firepower
at the UK’s biggest national agency
for maps and guides – Ordnance
Survey in Southampton – and the
navigational books and charts produced by the UK Hydrographic
Office at Taunton, and KBA is the
dominant force in books in Great
Britain and Ireland.
The workhorses of a former
book production era, size 6 Crabtree Sovereigns, are disappearing
from factory floors but have left a
generation of printers that is comfortable with a return to large format. So what are the advantages?
Well one press instead of two B1s,
two operators instead of four, one
makeready instead of two, less
space, less paper waste, lower
power costs and a higher return of
capital employed per employee.
Bell & Bain have been producing academic books and journals in
Glasgow for over 170 years and
have just added a second Rapida
142 perfecting press to one
installed in 2005. Managing director Ian Walker is clear on his
choice: “The economics of book
production fit large format far better than B1. Bell & Bain have an
average book run of 1,500 copies
and an average journal print quan-
tity of 1,500.” Ian Walker tends to
think digital up to about 750
copies.
Publishers cannot live
on digital alone
MPG Books, Bodmin, is a company
intent on maintaining the best of
traditional book manufacturing
whilst offering its publishing customers choice based on data interchange and one-stop fulfilment.
Managing director Tony Chard is
delighted with the performance of
his twin Rapida 142 one-over-one
presses: “They have exceeded our
expectations in terms of print quality and makeready times.” He
believes that publishers cannot live
on digital alone. “The two will coexist for years to come,” he says.
Cromwell Press, the Trowbridge mono book printers, set the
pattern for others to follow with its
installation in 2006 of a Rapida
130a. Managing director Allan
Hicks spotted all the advantages of
printing his schoolbooks as 2 X
32pp sections in one splendid pass.
TJ International installed a Rapida 142 in May this year and is just
commissioning the second identical two-colour press. Managing
director Angus Clark says: “The
Rapida 142s do everything we
want them to. Two KBAs do the
work of four Heidelbergs.”
So today’s UK book manufacturing industry is predominantly
moving forward with KBA large-format litho technology, and no competitive book printer would think
of dispensing with large-format offset. In the UK, big KBAs also lead
the field in packaging, map production, posters and point of sale. Big
is indeed beautiful.
Terry Ulrick
cknapp@kba-print.co.uk
Report 32 | 2008 21
25.04.2008
14:12 Uhr
Seite 22
Sheetfed Offset | Packaging Printing
Despite the advent of hybrid printing, two-coater presses like this Rapida 105 have a firm place in packaging printing, and KBA even supplies large-format versions
I
n the print media market, packaging often represents the
crowning touch in enhancing a
product’s visual impact and appeal
at the point of sale. Packaging
should be striking, easily noted and
recognised and yet cheap to produce. So Rapida presses, from halfsize to the superlarge 205, are the
ideal choice.
The original comes
from Saxony
Smooth sheet travel entailing minimum curvature is crucial when
printing heavy board, corrugated or
thick plastic sheets. And it is no
coincidence that this concept was
first realised in Radebeul back in
1965 with the development of
double-size impression and transfer cylinders and the unit-type
press design. It allows mediumand large-format presses to print
board up to 1.2mm (48pt) thick
and microflute with a maximum
calliper of 1.6mm (0.06in). With
the appropriate modifications they
can handle even thicker substrates
such as beer mats. Since then all
press manufacturers of note have
adopted the machine design pioneered in Saxony, but generally
tend to regard packaging presses as
a sideline, whereas for KBA in
Radebeul they have been a primary
market for many decades.
However, the basic concept of
a press is not everything. It must
be enriched with features that will
Along with inline sheet inspection, the many
optional extras available with KBA QualiTronic
include inline colour measurement and control
22 Report 32 | 2008
KBA – the no. 1 in packaging presses
Why choose a Rapida?
For many years now KBA has been the leading provider of sheetfed offset technology to the highly automated
packaging sector. This is not limited to large format: fully 50% of the Rapida 105 and 105 universal mediumformat presses that leave the production line at our Radebeul facility are destined for packaging or folding
carton production. The reasons for this well-entrenched market position are manifold, ranging from the wide
choice of substrates the Rapidas are capable of handling, to our formidable know-how in coating (a subject dear
to packaging printers’ hearts) and process innovation, the quality and durability of our presses and the
customised configurations we can offer complete with integrated substrate logistics.
deliver a high output, support a
range of finishing options, encompass substrate logistics and include
total quality control. Here, too,
KBA has a lot to offer.
The many facets
of inline finishing
Presses with one or more coating
units have become a standard feature in packaging printing.
Whether aqueous or UV coatings,
solid, blank or spot coatings – anything is possible with anilox
coaters. KBA has developed and
perfected new technologies such
as hybrid printing and coating,
which can create some fascinating
matt/gloss effects.
Nowadays, changing the coating and cleaning the coater are no
longer the time-consuming tasks
they used to be. The same applies
to changing the coating formes or
the doctor blade. Changing the
coating plates on Rapida presses –
both medium and large format –
has long been automated, but without this fact being trumpeted as a
world first. So conversion is no
longer as laborious as it was just a
few years ago. The volume of coating applied, and the quality of the
coating, can be controlled precisely by using different anilox rollers
(cf KBA Process 4, pp 28-31).
Well ahead
in green printing
Rapida presses attained “emission
tested” accreditation in 2000 and
since then have been awarded ecocertification that is recognised by
the competent authorities in
numerous countries. This applies
to print production on both paper
and board with conventional,
hybrid and UV inks, and aqueous
and UV coatings. Low-alcohol or
alcohol-free production is also used
on a daily basis in many printing
plants, even for highly challenging
25.04.2008
applications. When it comes to
environmentally responsible print
production, KBA has long been the
acknowledged mover and shaker,
just as it is in inline coating.
Marketing alone
is not enough
Rapida presses can do more than
coat: with the appropriate kit they
can also cut, perforate, number
and even die-cut, while a corona
discharge unit is available for treating synthetic materials prior to
printing. And the first open house
in Germany – and indeed in
Europe – on the subject of brand
protection took place in November
2004 at KBA in Radebeul, where
live demonstrations were given on
Rapida presses. As with many other
technologies, our competitors did
not jump on this particular bandwagon until very much later. In
packaging printing, marketing
alone is not enough: success
depends on recognising and actively shaping emerging trends. KBA
has consistently remained at the
bleeding edge of technology.
Printing thick, rigid substrates
presents a real challenge both to
the press and its operators. Here,
too, KBA offers a string of specialist
aids.For instance, in place of the
manual nonstop feeder our Rapida
presses can be configured with an
automatic version. This comprises
a rake which is located beneath the
suction-tape feed table and automatically inserted between the
residual pile and the pallet. It then
raises the residual pile so that the
14:12 Uhr
Seite 23
pile change can be completed without undue haste, even when thick,
heavy substrates are being printed.
What is more, the feeder can still
be accessed from all three sides.
A fundamental advantage of
the height-adjustable nonstop
roller in the delivery is that it is
inserted in the direction of sheet
travel and therefore functions
much more reliably and with far
fewer missing-sheet stoppages
than other systems. The ability to
lower the pile means that there is
more time for the pile change.
Both automation modules develop
their full potential when they are
used in conjunction with an automated pile logistics system. Various
logistics components can be networked to form a customised,
application-specific holistic concept that can embrace pallet-free
transport systems and the logistics
systems at the feeders and deliveries of several presses.
New products
at Drupa
One new product that KBA will be
launching at Drupa is PileTronic
RFID, the initial component in an
RFID-monitored substrate logistics
system entailing the detection and
identification of numbers attached
to the pallets in the feeder and
delivery. A read/write device
installed at the feeder reads the
job-specific ID number stored on a
chip in the pallet and presents it
via LogoTronic Professional to the
MIS/PPS for cost accounting,
scheduling and logistics purposes.
Plinth-mounted presses with automated pile logistics are amazingly productive
KBA PileTronic RFID can also be
used to locate all the pallets in the
production hall.
In packaging printing it is vital
that the image of the branded
goods packaged should in no way
be impaired by colour fluctuations,
misregistration, tinting, ghosting
or hickeys. The print quality must
therefore meet the very highest
standards. So end-to-end quality
monitoring and control, complete
with the appropriate documentation, is absolutely essential. This
has been available from KBA for
many years in the form of our
QualiTronic inline sheet inspection
system.
With QualiTronic, which was
originally developed for security
presses, the sheets can be inspected throughout the entire production sequence, ensuring 100 per
cent control. At Drupa we shall be
showing two spectacular new features for this system. One is an
inline colour measurement and
control system that scans the
measuring points on each sheet,
records differences in density and
automatically makes the adjustments necessary to obtain the correct density. For greater convenience the current density values
are displayed in real time at the
console, so there is no need to
extract a sheet from the press for
measurement. In the process a
comprehensive quality protocol is
generated on all the measured values in the job, providing hardcopy
evidence of quality throughout the
entire production chain. Our devel-
A read/write device at the feeder (bottom
right) reads the job-specific ID number stored
in a chip on the pallet and presents it to the
MIS/PPS via LogoTronic Professional
The values measured by the inline density
measurement system are displayed in much
the same way as with other systems
opment engineers are also busy
devising new ways of detecting and
ejecting faulty sheets and, in due
course, faulty blanks. Some of
these will be demonstrated at
Drupa. Come and see for yourselves.
The other new feature, DensiTronic PDF, is a software module
embedded in the DensiTronic
desk. DensiTronic PDF scans the
entire sheet and compares it with
the approved original PDF (see
page 20).
Decades of close and successful collaboration with international
packaging printers have resulted in
KBA becoming the acknowledged
market leader in sheetfed offset
technology for printing packaging.
And there are a lot more interesting developments in the pipeline
for enhancing quality and efficiency and creating fresh applications,
not least for brand protection, an
issue of emerging importance in
the industry. So the packaging
industry will continue to enjoy the
support of KBA as a dedicated and
competent partner.
Martin Dänhardt
Report 32 | 2008 23
25.04.2008
14:12 Uhr
Seite 24
Sheetfed Offset | Automation
O
From the left: KBA agent Wolfgang Grunert with Kehler Druck’s managing director Thomas Ness,
managing partner Heinz Dietrich and plant manager Nico Schultheiss, who are delighted with the
productivity boost delivered by the new Rapida fleet
Trio of Rapida 105s at Kehler Druck
Productivity
and time gains
Early last year three new Rapida 105 presses, two of them with DriveTronic SPC dedicated plate-cylinder drives, rolled into action at Kehler
Druck in Kehl am Rhein.The presses – for four and five colours with or without coating and with or without perfecting – have one thing in common:
ne of the oldest print enterprises in the industry, Kehler
Druck started off as a book
printing and publishing business
back in 1863. Landmarks in its
long and eventful history include
the launch at the end of the 19th
century of Der Grenzbote, a newspaper title which later was to
become the Kehler Zeitung and has
since been acquired by the Offenburger Tageblatt. Like many others
of its kind, Kehler Druck evolved
from a book printer into an offset
printer with a number of major
product lines.
A defining moment in the
firm’s long career came in 1988
when the present managing partner, Heinz Dietrich, took over the
business, merging it with another
printing plant to create Kehler
Druck in 1989. In the years that
followed Dietrich invested heavily
in new technologies and in 1994
the company moved to its present
location on the town’s waterfront.
In 2000 the entire mailroom equipment was upgraded and in early
2007 there followed what was the
biggest investment to date in
pressroom technology: three newgeneration Rapida 105 sheetfed
presses as a replacement for three
elderly Heidelbergs. Today Kehler
Druck is one of the most advanced
mid-size print enterprises in Germany, employing over 70 staff.
Up to 6,000 jobs per year
Kehler’s extensive product spectrum ranges from business cards,
forms, price lists, catalogues and
brochures to calendars, books,
sophisticated promos, magazine
covers and direct mail. Print runs
vary from just a few hundred
copies to several hundred thousand. In the course of a year Kehler
handles around 6,000 four- and
five-colour jobs. It, too, has noticed
a recent shift towards shorter print
runs, but entailing much greater
variety and more pre-production
runs. At the same time, driven by
customer demand, the average production deadline has shrunk from
around two weeks to just four or
five days. In some cases jobs must
be turned around in a single day.
Eventually the existing technology was no longer able to cope
and Dietrich started looking for
replacements. Managing director
Thomas Ness recalls: “There was
an urgent need for a streamlined
pre-press workflow, a high-speed
CTP platesetter and, above all, for
they represent a new generation of KBA technology that has helped the
company to become even more profitable and productive. The statistics
speak for themselves: output is up 20% or more, while makeready times
have been reduced by 50%.
“On some days we have to schedule twenty jobs or more on one press,
so every second counts.“
Managing director Thomas Ness
Three Rapida 105 four- and five-colour presses, two of them with DriveTronic SPC drives, are networked at Kehler Druck via two DensiTronic S colour measurement and control systems (centre)
24 Report 32 | 2008
25.04.2008
14:12 Uhr
Seite 25
Kehler Druck in brief
new presses with faster makeready,
higher production speeds and
greater flexibility.”
Three at a stroke
The decision was made to replace
three presses in one fell swoop.
Installation work on the new Rapidas began in late 2006 and early
2007, and was completed in just a
few weeks. Each of the three B1
(41in) presses has a slightly different configuration: one is a fourcolour with optional two-over-two
perfecting, a perforator and DriveTronic SPC, while the other two
are both five-colour coater versions, but only one has DriveTronic
SPC. What all three presses do
have in common is their cuttingedge technology and maximum
rated output of 18,000 sheets per
hour in straight printing mode
(15,000sph in perfecting mode).
Heinz Dietrich is delighted: “With
the new presses we have raised
output by one-fifth and halved
makeready time. The bigger sheet
size has increased our imposition
options no end, allowing us to
print non-standard products that
were previously beyond our capabilities.”
This productivity gain may be
attributed to a number of new features, first and foremost DriveTronic SPC dedicated plate-cylinder
drives, which make it possible
to change all the plates simultaneously. As Thomas Ness explains:
“DriveTronic SPC has cut plate
changing times from several minutes to less than 60 seconds. So
the time savings are fairly substantial, particularly when we’re printing a succession of short runs. On
some days we have to schedule
twenty jobs or more on one press,
so every second counts.”
Another winning feature on
the new Rapida 105 is its no-sidelay sheet infeed. Instead of sidelays
the sheets are guided to the transfer drum by a gripper bar with a
dedicated drive. The system
requires no makeready or manual
setting (a continual source of
errors) and guarantees that infeed
registration is one hundred per
cent accurate. Irrespective of
whether the pile pallet is carrying
paper or cartonboard, the pile is
raised and lowered in one continu-
Production speeds of up to 18,000sph equate with a high level of productivity in long runs,
while new technologies such as DriveTronic SPC shorten changeover times between short runs
Kehler Druck in Kehl am Rhein is
one of the most advanced mid-cap
enterprises in the print media
industry. In pre-press, customer
data are processed using an Agfa
Apogee workflow, an Opix database, two Agfa Avalon CTP systems, an Agfa Sherpa 24 contract
colour proofing system, a Grand
Sherpamatic LFP system for full
and imposition sheet proofs and a
fleet of networked Mac and PC
workstations for print preparation. The press room houses three
KBA Rapida 105 presses with a
variety of different features, two
of them with DriveTronic SPC
dedicated drives, and a number of
mono and two-colour presses that
handle up to 6,000 jobs per year.
In the finishing department there
are seven MBO, Heidelberg and
MB Bäuerle folding machines, a
new Müller Martini Bravo Amrys
gang stitcher with Asir 3 sensor,
and diverse mailing systems.
Klaus Oehler, head of the printing department, is particularly pleased with the ErgoTronic
consoles’ ease of operation
ous, jerk-free movement. The suction head separates the sheets with
the utmost precision, and they are
conveyed to the infeed at linear
speed by a broad suction belt. Also,
the minder no longer has to occupy himself with additional rollers
and brushes. Sheet speed is
reduced by more than half as they
approach the front lays. This gentle
infeed eliminates all risk of damage
to the leading edge. All sequences
are co-ordinated automatically,
ensuring the timely arrival of the
sheets at the infeed, regardless of
their weight.
But their technological prowess was not the only reason why
Kehler switched to Rapidas: their
operating system is equally impressive. The console is as advanced as
the press, with a flat-screen monitor and a clear menu structure
affording rapid access to both press
and peripherals. The operator no
longer has to grapple with complex
setting sequences. For Kehler’s
plant manager Nico Schultheiss,
the benefits are substantial: “Press
controls are logical and easy to
memorise, which saves a lot of
time when setting and monitoring
the various parameters. To simplify
operation still further we have
decided to network the presses
and install two DensiTronic S
desks. This will enable us to access
any press from any console and to
carry out densitometry and spectrophotometry quality control on
all three presses from either desk.”
The installation of the three
Rapidas at Kehler Druck was thus
accompanied by a move to network
production, and this is expected to
be completed in a few months’
time. Concluding, Heinz Dietrich
says: “It won’t be long before most
of the systems in the production
chain, from pre-press to the mailroom, are networked via JDF. The
next step is to embed the entire
scenario in our new management
information system, so that we can
become even more productive. You
could say the new KBA Rapidas
have catapulted us into the networked world, and now we are
finding that this offers our clients a
raft of benefits as well.”
Adapted from an article in Deutscher
Drucker
The equipment in the finishing department is equally advanced, and includes a JDF-networked
MBO folding machine
Michael Scherhag
Report 32 | 2008 25
25.04.2008
14:12 Uhr
Seite 26
Sheetfed Offset | Vietnam
Vietnam’s economic growth is reflected
in its roads, where bicycles and rickshaws
are rapidly being replaced by mopeds
and scooters
The Mausoleum in Hanoi commemorating
the legendary revolutionary leader and
subsequent state president Ho Chi Minh
Vietnamese printing industry invests in kit for Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City
An emerging nation
On the bustling streets of Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City there is no evidence of the devastating war that ended in
1975. Vietnam is back to “business as usual” – and that business is booming as the country draws on its many
inherent strengths. Profiting from a thriving economy, the Vietnamese printing industry is investing as never
before, gearing up to Western standards.
I
n a country that is still predominantly agricultural, most industry and trade, and thus the print
media as well, are concentrated in
the business centres of Hanoi and
Ho Chi Minh City. However, there
are signs of movement in the market. Where previously museumpiece newspaper web presses and
one- or two-colour sheetfed presses prevailed, more modern equipment is now being installed. Since
establishing a presence in Vietnam
four years ago through intermediary Corvet Asia, KBA has expanded
its activities from niche markets
like security printing to commercial and packaging printing.
Security printing:
Rapida 74 UV press at the
Ministry of Public Security
A Rapida 74 with UV capability
went into operation at the Ministry of Public Security in Hanoi
back in 2005. Personal identity
cards, passports and driving
licences for an ever-increasing
number of Vietnam’s 82 million
inhabitants are printed on this
four-colour press using both conventional and UV inks.
Three years on, Colonel B A
Nguyen Le Vinh, head of the
state’s General Department of
Techniques, and Thai Minh Anh,
director of the Center of Security
Document Techniques, are still
delighted with the KBA press,
A KBA Rapida 74 four-colour UV press that
came on stream in 2005 at the Ministry of
Public Security in Hanoi prints ID cards,
passports and driving licences
which in the screening process
came out well ahead of rival products from Japanese and European
competitors.
“The Rapida 74 UV press delivers an outstanding level of production flexibility, performance and
quality,” says Colonel Le Vinh.
More and more printers in Hanoi and Ho Chi
Minh City are investing in high-performance
technology from Europe
Nguyen Thanh Le (3rd left), of KBA’s agency
Corvet Asia, with his highly successful sales
team
26 Report 32 | 2008
25.04.2008
14:12 Uhr
Seite 27
Management at Vinadataxa Corporation has boosted productivity with a Rapida 105 universal
“The support provided by KBA and
its local agency during project planning, commissioning and training
was equally outstanding. We print
security documents, so we simply
cannot afford to compromise on
quality.” Mr Anh agrees: “The Rapida 74 UV runs smoothly and with
absolute precision. Our staff were
trained in Radebeul and had no
trouble handling such a userfriendly press. Soon, with assistance from KBA, we’ll be tackling
fresh challenges.”
Commercial printing:
Rapida 105 universal
at Vinadataxa Corporation
Vinadataxa Corporation, which
added a four-colour Rapida 105
universal to its press fleet in June
2007, was established in 1945 and
is owned by the Vietnam News
Agency, the country’s premier
printer of newspapers and commercials. The Vietnam News
Agency has production plants in
Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
Vinadataxa’s sheetfed division
employs 150 staff and has 6,300m2
The new Rapida 105 universal at Vinadataxa Corporation is the company's first four-colour press
“With the Rapida 105 universal we have seen an enormous improvement
in output, quality and makeready.”
Duong Van Trung, vice-director of Vinadataxa Corporation
(67,800ft2) of production space at
its disposal. A newspaper web
press and six sheetfed presses
pump out newspapers, books, magazines, catalogues and brochures in
run lengths ranging from 10,000
to one million copies. The Rapida
105 universal is the company’s
first four-colour press and in terms
of output, versatility and quality is
in a totally different league from
the other sheetfed presses, which
are all two-colour versions.
Director Pham Mai Thuong
and her production manager Hoang
Lan Huong both studied printing
technology in Germany and have
several years’ experience with
sheetfed offset presses from KBA
Radebeul. The two women first
saw the Rapida 105 universal at the
Gulf Print show in Dubai. Says
vice-director Duong Van Trung:
Tran Dinh Dung (left), director of Thu Do, and his deputy Ngo Xuan Binh (r) have chosen
KBA technology for their ambitious new packaging printing plant
“The impressive support provided
by KBA’s factory in Germany and
its agency in Vietnam strengthened
our preference for KBA technology.
With the Rapida 105 universal we
have seen an enormous improvement in output, quality and makeready.”
Packaging printing:
Rapida 105 universal at Thu Do JSC
For a typical example of the dynamic growth currently being experienced by the Vietnamese printing
industry, look no further than the
Thu Do Development Construction Investment Joint Stock
Company (Thu Do JSC). Founded
just last year, the company is
implementing an ambitious $12
million investment package with
the declared objective of moving
up among the leaders in Vietnam’s
The Rapida 105 universal at Thu Do will
soon be put into 24-hour operation
packaging industry. Capacity at
Thu Do’s production plant in
Quang Minh industrial park near
Hanoi international airport will be
expanded in three stages.
Director Tran Dinh Dung and
his deputy Ngo Xuan Binh have
chosen KBA press technology as
the tools for realising their ambitious plans. A Rapida 105 universal
five-colour press installed last year
is operated in two shifts, 14 hours
a day, and this will soon be extended to three shifts and 24-hour production.
Tran Dinh Dung used to work
with a Rapida 104 five-colour
coater press at Pakexim, a state
enterprise, and has no doubts that
its successor, the Rapida 105, is
the right press for the job. Even
back in 1996, when the 104 was
installed, its productivity and quality were an eye opener: “KBA
presses can be made ready in a
minimum of time, are fast, reliable
and exceptionally flexible. The new
model is even more efficient and
user-friendly. No matter what substrate we print, the results are consistently outstanding. We have
great plans for the future and, with
KBA’s support, are aiming to add
presses with coating, UV and
hybrid capabilities. KBA’s technological pre-eminence in packaging,
together with the exemplary service back-up provided by Corvet and
KBA Asia Pacific, give us a feeling
of great confidence.”
As Vietnamese printers look to
equip themselves for future
growth, Corvet Asia, in association
with KBA, is planning to provide
practical support in the shape of
open house promotions in both
Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
Gerhard Renn
SSegger@kbaasiapacific.com
Report 32 | 2008 27
25.04.2008
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Seite 28
The new Rapida 162a six-colour hybrid
coater press is the second one of this
type at Silton
Two Rapida 162a large-format presses at Silton in Bottanuco
Imaginative packaging
designs for special applications
Italian packaging printer Silton in Bottanuco, near Bergamo, celebrated its 40th jubilee last year by inaugurating a six-colour Rapida 162a coater press with
hybrid capabilities.Following a press of the same type that came on stream in 1999 this is the company’s second large-format Rapida sporting a wide range
of options for inline finishing.
ilton was founded in 1968 as
an offset printing plant and
carton factory specialising in
micro- and miniflute with an outer
offset skin. Since then it has built
up an outstanding reputation both
at home and abroad as a creator of
highly original packaging designs.
The company acquired ISO 9000
quality accreditation in 1993 and
progressed to ISO 9001:2000 in
2002.
S
gated. The services it offers also
include producing packaging and
displays from customers’ own layouts.
Word of Silton’s creative skill
and technical competence soon
spread beyond the Italian market to
other countries, and today its customer books feature prominent
brand manufacturers in France,
Belgium, Switzerland, Germany
and Poland.
Formidable know-how
in laminated corrugated
Complete service
in all departments
A family enterprise that currently
employs 111 staff, Silton devotes
18,400m2 (200,000ft2) of its
40,000m2 (430,000ft2) factory
premises to pre-press, print production and finishing. It has two
main product lines: packaging and
displays made out of various types
of paper-laminated corrugated (N-,
F-, E-, B- and C-flute), and packaging made of solid board. In the
course of time the company has
amassed considerable expertise in
the production of laminated corru-
Silton’s project teams are highly
professional, as are the software
and hardware tools they work with,
which include CAD systems for
generating packaging layouts and
cutting plotters for making mock-
Silton’s order books include
some famous brand names
28 Report 32 | 2008
ups and dummies. Finishing equipment includes high-tech automated die-cutters and folder gluers.
Company president Giuseppe
Di Berardino says: “Developments
over the past few years have confirmed that we made the right
move in going for a Rapida 162a.
The first press replaced several
older models from other manufacturers and represented a huge step
forward. The new-generation Rapida 162a is even more productive
and easier to operate. It has automatic plate changing and a DensiTronic S quality management system, both of which make a big
difference. Since we invested in
large-format technology from KBA
our output has increased enormously.”
Unbeatable flexibility
The two Rapida 162a presses,
which are operated in two shifts,
are often used to handle short-run
work to tight deadlines. “We needed to offer our major customers a
fast, short-run service of 100 to
150 items,” explains Di Berardino.
“Most of the orders we book average around 50,000 items, but we
can also print runs of just a few
thousand. The installation of the
second Rapida 162a at the end of
August last year has given us
unbeatable flexibility. While the
configurations of the two presses
are virtually identical – both have
the same number of printing units,
the same additional equipment and
can be operated in tandem for big
orders – for the newer machine we
specified a hybrid capability. At
present we are still using conventional printing and coating processes, but once we come up to speed
with hybrid we’ll be able to offer
practically every type of inline
coating possible. We have a highly
discerning customer base and are
convinced that hybrid has a great
future.”
Gerhard Renn
info@kbaitalia.it
25.04.2008
14:13 Uhr
Seite 29
Sheetfed Offset | Italy
Rapida 105 at Litografia Bretini in Veggiano
Flexibility and
versatility open up
new markets
Courage and farsightedness often lead unexpectedly to great success, even in
challenging times. One good example is the recent dynamic growth posted by
Litografia Bretini in Veggiano, not far from the university town of Padua.
L
ast year company head Raffaele
Bretini and his team decided
to explore new horizons,
investing heavily in what they were
confident would be a springboard
for future growth. For this family
business established in 1988 and
now employing a staff of seven, the
purchase of an 18,000sph newgeneration Rapida 105 five-colour
press represented a massive financial commitment.
All extras on board
Not being content with half-measures, Bretini ordered the press
with every option on the books.
Already engineered for a formidable level of performance and
speed, the Rapida was kitted out
with a coater, hybrid capability, CX
package for printing board, CipLink, DensiTronic S closed-loop
colour measurement and control,
and sidelay-free infeed. Since
December 2007 the new press at
Litografia Bretini’s new premises
has proved to be a highly versatile
asset.
Winning new accounts
Bretini decided to check out the
press’s potential right away by
printing an art calendar on laminated paper using hybrid inks and UV
coatings, and ended up with a hit
on his hands. The superbly crafted
product opened the door to a
whole new world of business
opportunities. Once they had seen
just what the company was capable
of producing, top-notch advertising
agencies such as Pixel did not hesitate to entrust it with their work.
Bretini was amazed at how quickly
his investment in the Rapida 105
began to pay off. Within a matter of
weeks the volume of new orders
and sales was up 20% and climbing.
In view of the euphoria with which
Bretini’s team rises to each new
challenge, a 50% increase in sales is
a realistic target for 2008.
Raising the quality bar
in one great leap
The standard commercial products
that were previously the company’s bread and butter, and which
compete on price alone in a cutthroat market, are steadily being
pushed into the background. Having come of age, the company is
beginning to make the most of the
new resources at its disposal.
Together with Mondadori (Verona),
OPV (Verona) and Press R3 (Bergamo), Bretini boasts one of the
most advanced and versatile medium-format presses in Italy. The
quality of the products now in
brisk demand has improved in
leaps and bounds.
Litografia Bretini has gained a lot of new
customers with its sophisticated products
Market opportunities
in packaging printing
Most of the products Bretini prints
on the new press are luxury inlinecoated catalogues and calendars,
and top-of-the-market commercials. Already there is a noticeable
shift towards longer print runs.
Raffaele Bretini is already busy
making careful preparations for a
move into high-quality packaging
printing. With Norberto Bucciarelli, one of Italy’s foremost pre-press
specialists, the prospects are
bright: Bucciarelli has already optimised the company’s Agfa Sublima
software and ensured that Bretini
complies in full with the relevant
Fogra standards.
Top-class references
The press has sidelay-free SIS infeed that is unique to KBA
A veritable masterpiece: an artistic calendar
printed on laminated paper using hybrid inks
and UV coatings has opened many doors for
Litografia Bretini in the Italian market
Raffaele Bretini is proud of what
the company has achieved: “We
first contacted KBA ten years ago,
when we bought our first Rapida
72K two-colour press. Even back
then we were stunned by the technology. Although we added a second-hand four-colour press from
another manufacturer in 2000, we
never lost touch with KBA. When
the time was ripe for a new fivecolour medium-format press, we
found the advice that KBA gave was
bang on the mark. And the reference plants we visited made it easy
for us to go back to KBA.”
He continues: “The output and
makeready figures for the new
press are impressive. The networked link with pre-press, the
105’s extensive range of equipment, KBA’s competence in inline
finishing, the personal contact at
all stages of the project and the
excellent training provided for our
press operators are a sure indication that we made the right
choice.”
Gerhard Renn
info@kbaitalia.it
Report 32 | 2008 29
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Seite 30
Sheetfed Offset | Singapore
The Singapore Flyer – at 165 metres high
the world’s biggest Ferris wheel – is the city
state’s new landmark
A city with flair: the skyline of pulsating South-East Asian financial and business metropolis Singapore
Sheetfed offset in the booming city state of Singapore
Rapida 105 universal a popular choice
in all market sectors
Again and again, international news headlines feature ambitious projects implemented by the financial and business metropolis of Singapore. One such project, Suntec City, with its gleaming new exhibition centre and futuristic Esplanade cultural centre, had barely been
completed before a new landmark, the Singapore Flyer, was inaugurated on 1 March in Marina Square.Standing 165 metres (541ft) high,
the Flyer is the biggest Ferris wheel in the world and offers a magnificent panoramic view of the Singapore skyline across Sentosa Island
and Changi Airport to the neighbouring states of Malaysia and Indonesia. The first Airbus A 380 wide-bodied jets to roll off the production have been taking off and landing in this flourishing city state since the beginning of the year.
S
ingapore’s economy is rapidly
expanding, and print providers
are investing heavily in new
plant and machinery. For many
years now most of their output has
been destined for export markets.
KBA well positioned
in the market
The biggest national daily, The
Straits Times published by Singapore Press Holdings, is printed
along with a number of other titles
on a huge Commander press line.
Since KBA set up the headquarters
of KBA Asia Pacific in the International Business Park a few years
ago, expanding its local presence
from a longstanding subsidiary in
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, sales of
Rapida sheetfed presses have really
taken off. The central office in Singapore co-ordinates sales and service activities across the entire
region, from Malaysia to Korea and
down to Australia. The expansion
30 Report 32 | 2008
of KBA’s sales and service network
in South-East Asia, and its strong
presence in China, are now bearing
fruit.
In the city port itself, investment in sheetfed offset technology
primarily focuses on the medium
format, and more specifically on
the well-proven Rapida 105 universal. The most recent installations at
Image Printers, Spectrum Press
International and Ho Bee Print
are typical of this trend. The
press’s flexibility and reliability
make it a popular choice for commercial, book, magazine and packaging printers alike. Easy handling,
a superior print quality and a level
of automation specifically adapted
to regional needs doubtless also
play a major role, as does the highly valued after-sales service provided by KBA Asia Pacific.
As the word gets around of the
universal’s robust reliability, a lot
of printers who for many years had
remained loyal to other German
brands or to Japanese press manufacturers, have also transferred
their allegiance to KBA. One of
them, international book printer
Star Standard Industries (SSI),
will soon be pressing the button on
its ninth and tenth Rapidas within
just a few years.
Competent service teams from KBA Asia Pacific
ensure that customers throughout the region
can make the most of their Rapidas’ awesome
potential
25.04.2008
14:13 Uhr
Seite 31
Successful entry into medium format with the Rapida 105 universal: M H Yew (2nd right),
head of Image Printers, shaking hands with Stefan Segger, managing director of KBA Asia Pacific,
attended by Image Printers production manager Bon Lee (l) and KBA Asia Pacific sales manager
Charles Ang
Image Printers: commercial prints for
customers worldwide
A new KBA customer but established in 1982, Image Printers
has built up a reputation for quality excellence in the commercial
market. The business reports,
leaflets, brochures, catalogues,
books and travel guides the company prints are exported to customers in Australia, the UK, the
USA and even distant Mauritius.
After starting up with several
small-format mono and two-colour
presses, Image Printers added its
first four-colour press in 1987.
Today, production manager Bon
Lee’s fleet comprises five two-,
four- and five-colour presses for B2
and B1. A five-colour Rapida 105
universal that was recently brought
on line is the company’s new flagship.
“The output, quality and reliability of our new Rapida is far superior to that of all our other presses,
as is its flexibility and ease of operation,” says company head M H
Yew. “The press has delivered an
enormous boost in productivity
and also supports our qualityfocused corporate philosophy.”
Ho Bee Print production manager
Lin Yuan Zong (centre) is planning
further joint projects with KBA
Ho Bee Print is the third major
Singapore print enterprise
to switch to a Rapida 105
universal in recent years
Spectrum Press International
is also a recent convert to the
Rapida 105 universal.The photo
shows executive director Isaac Lim
(centre) with Stefan Segger (r)
and Charles Ang, both of KBA Asia
Pacific
Spectrum Press’s production staff
are delighted with the quality
prints delivered by their new
Rapida, and its easy handling
Spectrum Press International:
translating ideas into print
Quality, productivity and flexibility
were also the key criteria leading
to the purchase of a Rapida 105
universal by Spectrum Press
International, another company
founded in 1982. Spectrum specialises in creative product design
and implementation. Today its fleet
of small-format four- and fivecolour presses, among them a UV
press that came on stream in 2003,
can handle a huge choice of products ranging from books, catalogues and brochures to packaging,
displays and shopping bags and
even mousepads and plastic cards.
Looking back, executive director Isaac Lim says: “We signed the
contract for our first German-built
press at the Print China trade
show. With small format we had
reached the stage where we could
expand no further, so a medium
format press with advanced technology was the logical choice for
future growth. The results of the
print tests on a Rapida 105 universal in Radebeul were so good that,
for the first time in our company
history, we chose a press that was
not made in Japan. Since the Rapida 105 went live at the end of
August 2007 it has proved to be
just as productive, reliable and easy
to operate as we had hoped. Our
plans for the future include investing in additional kit, more specifically in UV capabilities.”
Top-quality magazine
and book printing
The primary focus at Ho Bee Print
is the production of magazines,
books, flyers and catalogues.
Founded in 1994, Ho Bee also
specialises in product design, for
which it maintains an entire
department. Its customer base includes such prominent names as
SPH Magazine, SIA, Media Corporation Publishing, the Ministry of
Education and Singapore Tourism.
Managing director Chua Pin Chong
says: “We invested in our first KBA
press following a succession of
four-, five- and eight-colour presses
from another German manufacturer. While we always look for the
most advanced technology on the
market, dependability and a high
standard of service are equally
important. The Rapida 105 universal is a highly versatile press with
an outstanding performance, and is
ideally suited to our job structure.”
Gerhard Renn
SSegger@kbaasiapacific.com
Report 32 | 2008 31
25.04.2008
14:13 Uhr
Seite 32
Sheetfed Offset | Indonesia
F
urther deals currently being
negotiated for half-size and
medium-format Rapidas underscore an emerging trend towards
high-tech press lines built in Germany. They include new-generation 18,000sph Rapida 105s and
even long perfectors. To address
demand, KBA Asia Pacific has
stepped up its activities in Indonesia and is working closely with its
local agency, PT Intertek Sempana,
to expand the after-sales services
that play such a major role in gaining and retaining new customers.
Business links between KBA
and Indonesian market leader PT
Gramedia Printing Group date
back to 2001 and the installation
of a Rapida 105 four-colour press.
Established in 1972, the company
is part of the Kompas Gramedia
Group (KG), a fast-growing entity
that is now the biggest publishing
group in Indonesia, with products
ranging from newspapers and magazines to books and comics. Gramedia’s web offset unit in Palmerah is just one of several production
plants throughout the country. In
addition to its own daily newspaper, Kompas, Gramedia prints titles
such as The Asian Wall Street Journal and The International Herald
Tribune for international publishers.
The company’s sheetfed unit,
which recently relocated to the
Delta Silicon Industrial Park in
Cikarang, primarily prints magazines and books for the group’s
own publishing house, plus foreign
titles that include National Geographic, Auto-Bild and Maxim and
three fashion titles, Solitaire, Elle
and Her World.
At the end of last year Gramedia ordered three new Rapidas: one
Rapida 74 and two Rapida 105 universal presses, all for four colours.
For company director Johanes
Brata Wardana, deputy director
Hari Wardjono and production
manager Andy Budiman the choice
was unanimous: “KBA came
through the screening process way
ahead of its competitors, and the
Rapidas have given our productivity
an enormous boost. All three
presses came on stream without a
hitch, while an instructor from
Germany ensured that our press
crew mastered the new technology
32 Report 32 | 2008
Gramedia director Johanes Brata Wardana
(centre) being congratulated by Stefan Segger
of KBA Asia Pacific on signing up for three
new Rapidas. Also pictured are (from left)
Ori Santoso Hartono and Evie Soemardi of
KBA agency Intertek Sempana, and Gramedia
production manager Andy Budiman
A Rapida 74 went into triple-shift operation
at Gramedia at the end of last year
Indonesian printers discover Rapidas’ many strengths
Gramedia and InterAct Corpindo
boost quality and flexibility
Leading Indonesian printers in and around the capital of Jakarta are discovering the manifold strengths of Rapida
sheetfed offset presses. With market expectations becoming ever more demanding, they are finding that price is not the
only criterion for success: productivity, quality and flexibility are equally important.Two print enterprises that have acted
on their convictions are PT Gramedia Printing Group in Cikarang and PT InterAct Corpindo in Bekasi, which recently opted
for Rapida 105 universal medium-format presses. The contracts follow a string of Rapida installations in other parts of
South-East Asia.
Packaging printer PT InterAct Corpindo is experiencing rapid growth with its new
Rapida six-colour press
in no time. We are also delighted
with the after-sales service KBA
provides, and are already planning
further projects. A tour of reference plants in Germany gave us a
more detailed idea of the technological options available, and we
are aiming to exploit them to
expand our book-printing business.”
PT InterAct Corpindo, a specialist printer of flexible packaging
for manufacturers of food, drinks,
cosmetics and household cleaning
products, has signed up for a sixcolour Rapida 105 universal that
will join a fleet of offset and
gravure presses. The ISO 9001accredited company, which was
founded in 1979, previously printed on other brands of German and
Japanese presses. Production manager Pranoto Djati says: “The Rapida has redefined the benchmark in
terms of production diversity, quality and productivity. We can now
fulfil even the most challenging job
specifications.”
Gerhard Renn
interteksempana@yahoo.com
25.04.2008
14:13 Uhr
Seite 33
Sheetfed Offset | Italy
The Antenore production team with KBA-Italia marketing manager Dario Braschi (right) and Graziano Mion (left) displaying sheets off the Rapida 105
Founded in 1968, Italian printer Poligrafica
Antenore in Padua looks back on an eventful
past
New Rapida 105 at Poligrafica Antenore in Padua
The value of distinction
When Poligrafica Antenore was founded 40 years ago it was just one printer among many. So it decided to
specialise in business forms, and sales took off: at one time there were 23 banks, with all their branches and
subsidiaries, on the order books. Then conditions changed, laser printers were launched on the market and
Poligrafica Antenore was faced with the choice of investing heavily in new kit or walking away from this line
of business. Bruno Piazzon decided to walk away.
B
runo Piazzon and his business
partner Gianni Sinigalia started afresh with two secondhand B1 (40in) presses: a two
colour and a four colour. They
already had experience in computer graphics, computer-to-film and
frequency-modulated screening, so
they teamed up with new customers to print catalogues and
brochures in a 120lpc (300lpi)
screen. That same year the two
second-hand machines were replaced by a spanking new Rapida
104 five-colour press that delivered prints of such a high quality
that they won second prize at the
Sappi European Printer Awards.
In November 2007 Antenore
opened yet another new chapter in
its history with the inauguration of
a Rapida 105 five-colour B1 coater
press.
with two US specialists brought
additional know-how.”
Books, catalogues
and displays
Ingenuity and continuous enhancement enabled the company to
attract customers who appreciated
the value enhancement delivered
by its distinctive products. In 2001
Poligrafica Antenore was acquired
by the Zanardi publishing group.
Says Piazzon: “In addition to
upmarket catalogues, brochures
and leaflets for exclusive fashion
houses, industrial enterprises and
retailers, about four years ago we
started printing books and monographs, once again focusing on
quality excellence. We subsequently added displays as a service for
our regulars.”
The breakthrough finally came
two years ago, when Antenore
found publishers from Germany,
France, Poland, the Netherlands
and Switzerland beating a path to
its door. “By 2007 we had posted
a 200% increase in sales,” says
Piazzon. “To a large extent our
resounding success is founded on
the reliability and quality of the
Rapida 104 five-colour press we
took on board ten years earlier.”
Piazzon, “The new-generation Rapida 105 was the perfect choice.
The technical support and service
provided by KBA-Italia had been
consistently outstanding, and the
new Rapida 105 was considered by
industry connoisseurs to be the
best model on the market. Since
being commissioned at the end of
November the press has done us
proud in terms of speed, output,
ease of operation and waste minimisation.”
Success with a top model
29 job changes in 14 hours
The time had come for another
equipment upgrade. According to
He continues: “The coater and
DensiTronic S quality management
system allow us to address emerging market demands by offering
highly individual products. Our
record is 29 job changes in 14
hours. In addition to standard paper stock and special grammages
our Rapida 105 can print cartonboard weighing up to 450gsm. This
is a major advantage when printing
displays. The excellence of our
products has focused the spotlight
on us and we shall soon be kitting
up for further rapid growth with a
Rapida 105 eight-colour coater
press with perfecting capability.”
“Since being commissioned at the end of November the Rapida 105 has done
us proud in terms of speed, output, ease of operation and waste minimisation.”
Bruno Piazzon
Ahead of their time
Looking back, Piazzon says: “From
the quality perspective, we were
two years ahead of the market, but
the time was not yet ripe for FM
screening on a grand scale. So we
continued to drive innovation with
translucent print and laser-controlled perforation. Collaboration
High-speed job changes make the new
Rapida 105 ideal for jobs of any size
Along with upmarket catalogues, brochures
and leaflets for exclusive fashion houses,
industrial enterprises and retailers, Antenore
prints books, monographs and displays
Gerhard Renn
info@kbaitalia.it
Report 32 | 2008 33
25.04.2008
14:14 Uhr
Seite 34
Website: www.nacion.com
Sheetfed Offset | Central America
Grupo Nación in Costa Rica has signed up for three high-automation Rapida 105
five-colour coater presses with board, UV and hybrid printing capabilities
Lining up for the camera after signing the contract for three Rapida 105s:
Grupo Nación president Manuel Jiménez (centre) flanked by (from left) his deputy
president Daniel Robert; Georg Kibler of GEVI S.A., KBA’s agency in Central America;
Mike Engelhardt, KBA sales manager for Latin America; and Mario Hernández, Grupo
Nación’s vice-president for production
Grupo Nación in Costa Rica converts to KBA technology
Three Rapida 105 sheetfed presses
and an extension to Comet web press
Four years after signing up for a single-width Comet newspaper press with heatset capability, Grupo Nación in San José, Costa Rica, has followed up
with a contract for additional Comet towers plus three high-tech sheetfed presses – its first from KBA.The company is thus adopting KBA technology for its
entire press fleet, an indication of its satisfaction with the Comet.
T
he contract specifies three
identical new-generation Rapida 105 B1 (41in) five-colour
presses scheduled for delivery in
May, July and September this year.
Each press will have a coater, dou-
ble extended delivery, shaftless
feeder, no-sidelay SIS infeed, automatic plate changing, Technotrans
Inkline ink pumping plus board,
UV and hybrid printing capabilities.
The three Rapidas will replace four
Grupo Nación’s vice-president for production Mario Hernández (3rd right) shaking hands with KBA
sales manager Ulrich Wicke at the Comet press, flanked by (l-r) Georg Kibler of GEVI S.A., KBA’s
agency in Central America; Carlos Arce, Grupo Nación’s purchasing manager; and Ronald Rojas
(managing director) and Francisco González (production manager) of Grupo Nación’s print arm
34 Report 32 | 2008
presses by other German manufacturers. KBA won the contract following an exhaustive comparison
of press types from Germany and
the Far East, and fact-finding missions to German, Spanish and US
users. Grupo Nación, Costa Rica’s
no. 1 print provider, chose Rapida
105s to address a mounting
demand for inline-coated UV and
hybrid printed products, and aims
to expand its portfolio with coated
magazines and commercial products. The CX board package will
also allow it to address a growing
demand for heavier stock. All the
presses will have Technotrans cooling systems to support low-alcohol
printing. Costa Rica’s rigorous
environmental regulations have
made low-emission printing a
major issue.
To safeguard the presses’ formidable level of performance on an
ongoing basis KBA is providing a
complete service package embracing staff training, preventive maintenance and the supply of spare
parts. The contract with Grupo
Nación is a major milestone in
KBA’s move to grow market share
in Central America.
Additional towers
for Comet
Along with the three sheetfed
presses from KBA in Radebeul,
Grupo Nación has placed an order
with KBA’s Würzburg facility for a
two-tower extension to its existing
Comet press line, raising the total
number to ten. This will allow the
company to increase the page
counts of the four daily titles printed on the press. Its two most
recent launches – La Teja, a
tabloid, and La vuelta en U, a university newspaper – are growing
just as strongly as its well established titles, La Nación and El Día.
The heatset capability is used during the day to print an array of
contract titles, among them magazines, Avon catalogues and flyers.
Klaus Schmidt
28.04.2008
17:13 Uhr
Seite 35
Metal Decorating | Belgium
Quality is key in metal decorating
Shetron Sobem buys six-colour Metalstar 2
Belgium has a lot to offer: chocolate from Neuhaus, the Créateur Chocolatier in Brussels, real ale brewed by Trappist monks at the Cistercian monastery in
Westmalle – and now metal decorating par excellence on a Metalstar 2 at Shetron Sobem in Lint, near Antwerp.
A
n old-established Belgian
company, Shetron Sobemi
opted for a six-colour version
of KBA-MetalPrint’s Metalstar 2
with a UV capability, DensiTronic S
closed-loop colour control and a
double stacker with magnetic overhead brake that delivers the metal
sheets to the pile silently and with
the utmost precision. The press is
slated to come on stream in May.
The company chose the Metalstar 2 because as a contract printer
to the industry it must be capable
of working with an extensive range
of sheet formats and thicknesses.
The new press can print sheets
measuring up to 1,000 x 1,200mm
(391/2 x 471/4in) and 0.12 to
0.40mm (0.005 - 0.015in) thick. It
boasts a number of features that
guarantee an immaculate image
quality: ACRC (automatic camera
register control) for dot-sharp registration, a CIPLink network for
Some of Shetron Sobemi’s
many products
transferring ink-key presetting data
to the press, and of course the
DensiTronic S software, which
measures the colours in the image
just like the human eye does, but
with absolute consistency. As an
ISO 9001-accredited company
Shetron Sobemi naturally makes
full use of the hardcopy log that
DensiTronic S delivers.
The contract for the Metalstar
2 is part of an upgrade package
that includes new Vacumatic systems – also from KBA-MetalPrint –
for the existing Mailänder coating
machines. The Vacumatic’s belt
conveyor transports the sheets
securely and cleanly into the
coaters, which is a big advantage
with sheets that are just 0.13mm
(0.0052in) thick. In addition the
loading machine for the thermal
oven will be fitted with a servoassisted braking system which supports faster line speeds by accurately slowing each individual
sheet.
Shetron Sobemi’s geographical
location close to steel manufacturers in France and Belgium, the
international port of Antwerp and
customers in Germany, the Netherlands and the rest of Europe offers
it a key strategic advantage. The
new equipment, which will enable
the company to address customer
demands at a previously unknown
level of excellence, will deliver a
key competitive advantage.
Derrick Straka
info@kba-metalprint.de
Report 32 | 2008 35
25.04.2008
14:14 Uhr
Seite 36
Commercial Web Offset | Canada
The production team has accepted the
new press wholeheartedly
The new Compacta 618 has substantially
increased capacity in the fast growing market
for flyers and inserts
T
ranscontinental has pursued a
vigorous expansion strategy
over the years that has made it
the biggest print operation in
Canada and one of the top six in
North America. It has more than
sixty plants in Canada, the USA
and Mexico, and is up among the
leaders in newspaper production,
direct marketing, books, catalogues, magazines, retail flyers and
special packaging. In 2007 its
14,000-plus employees generated
sales worth more than 2.3 billion
Canadian dollars (€1.6bn). This
innovative and hugely successful
contract printer combines sophisticated pre-press and printing technologies with an integrated service
portfolio for a highly discerning
customer base. For Transcontinental, printed advertising remains
one of its most effective tools for
reaching consumers and investors
in retail and industry.
Eight printing units in one line
Part of an investment package
totalling more than C$25m, the
new eight-unit Compacta 618 had
to fit seamlessly into the existing
Transcontinental’s premises in
Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec
Denis Marchessault (left), general manager of
Transcontinental Printing’s Marketing Products
Retail Group, and Serge Lemire, plant manager
in Saint-Hyacinthe, at the new press
36 Report 32 | 2008
Compacta 618 at Transcontinental in Saint-Hyacinthe
High-tech insert press
boosts growth
KBA’s cutting-edge web technology is a big success in North America. One example is the
twin-web Compacta 618 insert press that is strutting its stuff at prominent Canadian
printer Transcontinental in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec.
workflow. Transcontinental’s preferred press configuration is a single line, so this is how the new
Compacta 618 was configured.
Denis Marchessault, general
manager of Transcontinental Printing’s Marketing Products Retail
Group, says: “Prior to installing the
Compacta we had no press of this
calibre at all. But we had great faith
in KBA’s experience and its ability
to develop customised press lines
offering the production tools we
needed.”
Folder flexibility
Like the other press lines in
Transcontinental’s fleet, the left-to-
right Compacta 618 has a cylinder
circumference of 1,066mm (42in)
and a web width that is variable
from 840mm to 1,680mm (33 661/4in). There are two P5 folders
positioned parallel to the press line
and a two-storey superstructure
with four formers that can be shifted sideways or backwards and forwards. Both folders have KBA ribbon and section stitchers and a
delta fold, and one folder also has a
second cross fold and two quarterfold devices. It is possible to run
either five ribbons through both
folders or eight ribbons through
one folder. This affords a high level
of flexibility.
Consistently high quality
throughout production
“We have been running the new
press seven days a week, twentyfour hours a day since mid-May last
year,” says Serge Lemire, plant
manager at the Saint-Hyacinthe
operation. “Both the press and the
folders have proved to be extremely reliable, and makeready times
have been slashed. Whether we are
printing copies with four to sixtyfour pages, formats from six to
nine by twelve to twenty-one inches, or paper weighing thirty to sixty
grams, the quality delivered is outstanding.”
Lemire stresses the fact that
“with our complex order structure,
which ranges from short runs of
10,000 copies to long runs of several million copies, this is a crucial
factor. The print jobs often consist
of different, personalised versions.
With the new KBA press we can
minimise standstill during job
changes and guarantee timely
delivery irrespective of the volume. Going by past experience, we
would be happy to work with KBA
again.”
Gerhard Renn
erik.rehmann@kba-print.de
25.04.2008
14:14 Uhr
Seite 37
Commercial Web Offset | Italy
Tiber president Armanno Becchetti (centre) with KBA-Italia marketing manager Dario Braschi (l)
and Tiber managing director Giacomo Becchetti at the new press
Tiber Officine Grafiche followed up the purchase of a 24-page Compacta 318 seven years ago
with a 48-page Compacta 618
KBA Compacta 618 at Tiber Officine Grafiche in Breschia
Moving into the 48pp league
Tiber Officine Grafiche in Breschia has dramatically expanded its production capacity with the inauguration of a new
KBA Compacta 618, the first 48-page web press in its fleet.The Compacta, which replaces two 32-page presses from other
manufacturers, joins an 8-page and a 32-page press and also a 24-page Compacta 318 that went live in 2001. Established
back in 1967, Tiber Officine Grafiche was one of the first printers in Italy to move into heatset.
T
he installation of the new
press has underpinned KBA’s
strong position among highvolume printers in the key Italian
market. Tiber is not the only
prominent print provider running a
48-page Compacta 618 – they are
also in operation at Mondadori,
Mediagraf, Cantelli Rotoweb,
Rotolitho Lombarda and Coptip
Industrie Grafiche.
In the 1980s, to fend off surging competition in the catalogue
and magazine sector, Tiber built up
capacity with a fleet of 32-page
presses. A good twenty years on,
the addition of the two KBA presses, conversion into a public limited
company and expansion into a fullservice provider have once again
placed Tiber in a strong position to
address increasingly sophisticated
market demands.
Tiber president Armanno Becchetti is delighted with the press:
“The inauguration of the KBA
Compacta 318 almost seven years
ago represented a major milestone
in our evolution. At that time we
used this flexible 24-page press to
penetrate markets dominated by a
phalanx of 48- and 64-page
machines that had created a huge
capacity overhang in the market.
Now, with the new Compacta 618,
we are entering this very same 48page sector. Far from being a contradiction this is a further step forward because it enables us to
respond with much greater flexibil-
ity and deliver a higher quality
while preserving sufficient capacity for jobs of all dimensions.”
At present Tiber employs 75
staff and in 2007 posted sales
worth €21 million ($33m). Says
Giacomo Becchetti: “Catalogues
and magazines currently account
for 60% of our total output, with
flyers for supermarkets, wholesalers and retailers accounting for
Tiber has entered the 48-page league with a Compacta 618
the remaining 40%.The Compacta
318 and 618 have the same web
width – 1,450mm – and complement each other perfectly. We’ll be
using the 48-page press primarily
for value-added finished products,
and in the medium term are aiming
to drive up sales to 30 million
euros. Following the consolidation
of production resources as part of a
scheduled equipment upgrade we
can now play a more active role in
the market. Our plans also include
new export projects.”
He continues: “The first weeks
of production with the new Compacta 618 confirmed its reputation
for excellence among Italian commercial printers. Our business plan
up to 2010 foresees further investment. Our contacts with KBA over
the past seven years have developed into a relationship based on
absolute trust. This will doubtless
play a role when it comes to realising our future ambitions.”
Gerhard Renn
info@kbaitalia.it
Report 32 | 2008 37
25.04.2008
14:14 Uhr
Seite 38
Commercial Web Offset | Germany
KBA Compacta 618 for
FSD’s commercial operation
The purchase of a Compacta by WVD,
Frankfurter Societätsdruckerei’s commercial operation, reflects the continuing trend towards two-around presses
for commercial applications. In recent
years, sales of such presses within
Europe have been steadily rising and
now account for more than 40% of the
total volume. For its 48-page Compacta
618 WVD specified a cylinder circumference of 1,260mm (491/2in) and a
maximum web width of 1,450mm
(57in). Maximum production speed is
around 15mps (2,953fpm). Configured
from right to left, the press is embedded in a fully automated Patras A reellogistics system feeding to a Pastomat
RC reelstand, and comprises an infeed
unit, four printing units with semi-automatic plate change, a thermal air dryer
with heat recovery, a chill-roller stand,
a superstructure with three pairs of
parallel turner bars and a P5G pin folder.
The digital flow associated with job and
presetting data, production monitoring
and assessment is handled by a KBA
LogoTronic Professional production
management system. An EasyTronic
press presetting system helps to raise
net output while reducing waste.
WVD’s Compacta 618, which is pictured here prior to being encapsulated, went live in November 2007 and mainly prints magazines
New Compacta 618 at Frankfurter Societät
Multi-purpose press for
48-page commercials
One of the biggest newspaper printers in Germany, Frankfurter Societät (FSD) in Mörfelden, near Frankfurt am
Main, also has a commercial operation serving magazine publishers. Towards the end of last year the company
started up a big new Compacta 618, a 48-page long-grain press engineered to accommodate wide-ranging
customer specs.
T
WVD managing director Ulrich Türk with
some of the company’s best-known titles
Photos page 38: Gerd Bergmann
WVD’s unpretentious premises are next
door to Frankfurter Societät’s newspaper
production plant
38 Report 32 | 2008
he commercial printing plant,
which employs 100 staff,
changed its name on 1 January
2006 from Societätsdruckerei to
Westdeutsche Verlags- und Druckerei GmbH (WVD). The move was
designed to create a competitive
entity that was no longer overshadowed by Frankfurter Societät’s big
newspaper printing operation or
subject to wage and manning regulations more appropriate to newspaper production.
WVD specialises in small- to
mid-circulation magazines. The
new 48-page press in the Mörfelden factory due south of Frankfurt prints runs of between 10,000
and 12,000 copies. This clearly
illustrates just how far the demarcation line between web and
sheetfed presses has shifted downwards, largely as a result of presetting systems and inline register
controls (in this instance from
QuadTech), though the number of
sheet sections and how a product
must be processed also play a role.
Since WVD also operates sheetfed
presses, this shift is presumably
calculated.
Exploiting its strengths
Most of the titles scheduled on the
web press at WVD are periodicals
that are gathered and/or saddlestitched (see also box left). Around
20% of its total output is generated
by magazine contracts awarded by
FSD’s inplant publishing house,
Societäts-Verlag (SV). But because
the publishing house and the printing plant both function as
autonomous profit centres, this is
no sinecure. “Contracts are tendered on the open market,” affirms
Ulrich Türk, who has been in
charge of the commercial opera-
tion since 1992. And, of course,
having the right technology and
expertise is of the first importance.
“We believe in sticking to our knitting,” says Türk. So the books published by SV do not feature in the
production schedule.
One of the company’s prime
strengths is pre-press, and according to Ulrich Türk his staff have
developed a high level of skill and
proficiency. Digital ads are
received from a number of customers, with data coming in from
all over the world. WVD handles all
ad composition and make-up for
the Börsen-Zeitung.
Choice of
delivery options
The Compacta 618, which
launched into action in November
2007 and replaced a 13-year-old
32-page Compacta 408, has just
25.04.2008
14:14 Uhr
Seite 39
The Compacta 618 in Mörfelden is configured from right to left, so the ErgoTronic console is located on the drive side.
The upper printing units, visible in the background, can be easily accessed from the catwalk for plate changes
about every delivery option imaginable. For example, the A4 or A3
folded sheets can be passed over a
Ferag trimming drum and then fed
into a Müller Martini Vivo horizontal bundle stacker or Gämmerler
KL 530 cross stacker.
Time-sensitive
production
The Compacta 618 is WVD’s sole
web press. Production flexibility is
therefore essential, as are rapid job
changes and, of course, absolute
reliability – not least because the
press prints a raft of daily and
weekly financial titles.
And the pace is hectic. “Some
of our print runs take just 45 minutes,” explains Ulrich Türk. His
experience to date with the
EasyTronic presetting system has
been highly satisfactory. Türk is
convinced that the press “is capable of much, much more: we have
scarcely begun to tap its potential.”
This is partly because not all the
periodicals are online, so their production data have not yet been
stored electronically.
To give just one example, the
folder alone, with its gluing and
softening modules, offers a wealth
of options that were previously
unknown. The automated reel
store for the Compacta 618 has
not yet been built because the
space will not be available until the
old press has been sold off and dismantled.
Customer specs
WVD’s biggest customer, of many
years’ standing, is Frankfurt-based
Deutscher Fachverlag (DFV),
whose titles include the Lebensmittel-Zeitung and Textilwirtschaft.
Both are produced in Mörfelden. It
was largely at DFV’s request that
the Compacta’s predecessor was
engineered for the 340 x 495mm
(131/4 x 191/2in) Swiss newspaper
format in which the LebensmittelZeitung was previously published.
Prior to awarding the contract
for the new press WVD conducted
an exhaustive analysis of the market. “We identified the sectors we
View of the printing units from the operating side
The reasons why Deutscher
Fachverlag is a longstanding customer – WVD’s quality, its logistically convenient location close to
Frankfurt and now, with the new
press, its rapid turnaround –
appeal to many other existing and
potential customers. The switch
from a 32- to a 48-page press was
driven by a number of considerations: it means, for example, that a
96-page copy can be printed in two
sections instead of three. Total production time is therefore much
shorter, especially for low-circulation titles, allowing publishers to
extend advertising deadlines.
Driving growth
Equipment upgrades are essential
for growth. Like many other print-
“If you can print 70,000 sections in one hour, that’s fine.
But we prefer flexibility to quantity.”
Ulrich Türk
were planning to target with the
new press, and selected the technology that would enable us to
address customer demands with
much greater precision,” says
Türk. This included a switch from
short to long grain. The effort has
paid off in other respects as well:
the volume of paper waste is much
lower.
ers, Ulrich Türk must make up for
diminishing circulations and pagination by landing more contracts.
“Since I do not believe that circulations will increase, we are aiming
to drive growth and increase market share by expanding our customer base,” he says. While the
company’s portfolio will feature
products that were previously
beyond its capabilities, print runs
of 1.2 million copies with fold-gluing and rotary trimming will
remain outside WVD’s remit. It
prefers to let the press stand idle.
For an experienced print professional like Türk, there is more
potential in bidding for contracts
which at present are printed on
sheetfed presses.
Dependability
So WVD has little contact in the
marketplace with those high-volume printers who, when adding
new kit, always install two identical presses so that there is a backup if one fails. Ulrich Türk has
never seen any need for this: during the past 13 years his Compacta
408 has not let him down once.
Half a day – when a printed circuit
board failed to function – is the
longest technology-induced interruption he has experienced. “We
do have an emergency plan, but
have never had to resort to it.” The
fact that the company can draw on
the maintenance and service team
at the newspaper plant next door,
with its 40-plus employees, also
affords a measure of security
should anything go wrong.
Adapted from an article in Deutscher
Drucker.
Gerd Bergmann
Report 32 | 2008 39
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Seite 40
Commercial Web Offset | Strategy
D
rukkerij T’Hooft has been a
satisfied KBA customer for
many years, and has recently
ordered its eighth KBA press to
date, a 64-page Compacta 818.
Commercial presses typically have
a fixed format, but three years ago
or so T’Hooft pressed the button
on a 40-page (A4) Compacta 418
sporting a variable-format V5 gripper folder for the delivery of both
short- and long-grain copies. Not
only does this afford much greater
flexibility in scheduling production, it also takes up much less hall
space than comparable folding systems from other manufacturers.
Unexpected plethora
of options
T’Hooft purchased the Compacta
418 as a replacement for two
presses – a Compacta 211 and
Compacta 213, both with a cylinder circumference of 578mm
(223/4in) – that were operated in
tandem for coldset and heatset
production. Installing the company’s first variable-format V5 folder,
a retrofit, proved to be a stroke of
genius. The idea was that it would
allow the press to continue printing the short-grain work previously
handled by the hybrid press, yet
also handle new contracts for longgrain copies in the standard A4 format.
It was only after the folder had
gone into day-to-day operation that
Bart T’Hooft became aware of its
enormous potential. More and
more customers were coming to
him for quotes on various types of
short-grain products, eg square formats or smaller formats with up to
60 pages. Demand for the new
capabilities was so brisk that shortgrain jobs now account for around
70% of the work printed on the
press. And because they are generally stitched, they are easier to produce than long-grain products,
which tend to be glued.
“At the time it came as a big
surprise to find that long-grain
products were accounting for an
ever-smaller percentage of the
work printed on the press,” admits
Bart T’Hooft. “But in retrospect it’s
pretty obvious that, once our customers had picked up on the cost
savings delivered by the waste
reduction, they would adopt small-
40 Report 32 | 2008
70% of the high-quality
products that leave the
V5 are short grain
V5 gripper folder at Drukkerij T’Hooft in Belgium
Variable-format folder delivers
vital competitive edge
Since KBA launched the variable-format V5 folder on the market in 1999, a total of 21 European printing houses
have opted for its innovative technology, which originated in gravure and was only later modified for Compacta
double-circumference commercial presses.Report paid a visit to one of the users, Bart T’Hooft of Drukkerij T’Hooft
in Aalter, Belgium, to find out what he thinks of the V5.
er formats with a vengeance.”
While the average run length is
between 50,000 and 70,000
copies, it is possible to print short
runs of 10,000 copies cost-effectively. Now and again the press is
even used to print runs of half-amillion copies. “Anything above
that is usually sent to a gravure
printer,” says T’Hooft, “though the
record to date is a cool 3.75 million
copies!” Some 75% of the contracts
the company handles are for the
Belgian market, with the remainder
destined for the Netherlands and
France.
Regina and Bart T’Hooft did not become aware
of the V5’s awesome capabilities until
they were using it in daily production
Drukkerij T’Hooft at a glance
• Payroll: 42
• Sales (2007): €16.5m
• Presses: Compacta 106, Compacta 215, Compacta 418,
Compacta 818 (from January 2009)
• Annual paper consumption: approx. 16,000t
• Annual ink consumption: approx. 350t
• Pre-press:
1 CTP system, annual plate consumption approx. 40,000m2
• Post-press:
2 film laminators, 2 gang stitchers, 1 glue-binder, 1 inserter
Belgian printer Drukkerij T'Hooft in Aalter
has ordered its second two-around press with
variable-format V5 folder
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Seite 41
To achieve a comparable folding versatility
with other makes of press it is necessary to
install two folders
Higher pagination
with no loss of
format variability
A mounting demand for short-grain
products with 60 to 96 pages is
what persuaded T’Hooft to invest
in a new press for a web width of
1,905mm (75in), and to specify a
V5 folder once again. “As far as we
were concerned, the Compacta
818 was the next logical step for
the company to take, and the press
best suited to our needs. A wider
web never entered the equation,”
responds T’Hooft when questioned
on the subject of webs measuring
two metres (78in) or more.
With any other make of press,
two folders would have to be
installed to achieve the same level
of versatility. So the V5 not only
takes up much less space and is
cheaper than alternatives, it also
consumes less energy and is less
labour-intensive. Added to which
there are fewer sources of error in
the connection to the finishing
equipment. And even though the
V5 for the new Compacta 818 will
handle a higher number pages, its
maximum speed in short-grain
production will be raised to
30,000rph. Says T’Hooft: “The
V5’s compact footprint is perfect
for our press room. We can simply
upgrade our existing CTP for the
new web width.”
Discerning customers
T’Hooft is confident there will be
no quality impairment with the 64page Compacta 818 during longgrain production in A4 format. But
as an experienced printer he does
believe there is a quality risk with
web widths of more than two
metres. The rigorous quality standards demanded by his customers
are best maintained with a pureplay commercial press engineered
for excellence in both printing and
folding. That is also the reason he
discarded earlier thoughts of
adding a semi-commercial press.
The new 64-page Compacta 818
will replace the Compacta 215 in
The gripper technology on the Compacta 215 has proven its reliability in ten years of operation
16-page production as well, adding
plenty of extra capacity in the
process. In view of the current
price erosion in the 16-page sector,
Bart T’Hooft believes this is a
major step towards cutting costs.
The 8-page Compacta 106 remains
cost-effective for its designated
markets.
Daily operation
“Operating and adjusting the V5
demands a certain level of experience on the part of the press
crew,” explains Bart T’Hooft. “But
since my operators are a highly
accomplished team they mastered
it in no time and never cease to
impress me with their fast set-up
times and low waste volumes. The
high proportion of short-grain work
is also reflected in lower waste lev-
els. Makeready waste in short-grain
production with no quarterfold is
consistently lower than in longgrain production. Makeready on
folders with a quarterfold capability is automatically associated with
additional waste and makeready
time, regardless of the technology
used. So to my mind the press of
the future for high-end commercials is one with no quarterfold.” A
complete job change usually takes
just 30 minutes, or 40 minutes at
the most, a change of format less
than 10 minutes. So the time
required for an automatic conversion of the V5 scarcely comes into
the calculation.
Reliable
gripper technology
Bart T’Hooft has nothing but praise
for the folder technology: “We
have been working with the V5 for
three years now, and never have to
spare a thought for the grippers.
And the grippers in the F3 folder
on our Compacta 215, which is
now ten years old, have only had to
be replaced once.” Nor do they
require any more maintenance
than a pin folder. With the V5, the
belts at the cut-off and collection
cylinders are changed ever 14 days
as a precaution, in order to ensure
that the folding precision customers demand is always maintained. While this is being done
minor service tasks are carried out
at the same time. Every one of the
presses in Aalter is taken off the
production schedule for 24 hours
once a year so that it can be
cleaned and serviced from top to
bottom. As a result the presses
look as good as new and function
flawlessly, even after years of service. For Bart T’Hooft, this is the
only way to guarantee that there
are no costly breakdowns or loss of
folding or printing quality. Outsourcing short-grain work to other
printers is not an option for
T’Hooft because of the simple fact
that no-one else has the same capabilities as the V5 in Aalter. This
indirectly confirms that the V5
delivers a genuine competitive
advantage.
Erik Rehmann
Report 32 | 2008 41
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Seite 42
Newspaper Production | Quality
International Newspaper Color Quality Club 2008-2010
KBA users tops
again in quality
competition
This year the benchmarking competition for membership of the coveted
International Newspaper Color Quality Club 2008-2010 attracted a record
198 applications. The number of countries participating was also higher than
ever before.
F
ifty submissions, roughly onequarter of the total, were
approved by an international
jury of experts to receive this coveted accolade for quality excellence in colour newspaper printing
sponsored by Ifra, the Newspaper
Association of America (NAA) and
the PANPA (Pacific Area Newspaper Publishers Association).
Applicants must submit sample
copies from their daily production
and print two test targets: an editorial image and a digital ad. The test
targets are measured against a
standard colour gamut, the print
reproduction quality evaluated and
the test prints presented to the
nine-member jury for judgement.
Three Cortina users
among the 50 best
The winners included three KBA
Cortina users: CIE Lausanne (24
heures), Freiburger Druck (Badische Zeitung) and Rheinpfalz Verlag und Druckerei (Die Rheinpfalz). The high success rate of 75%
at the first attempt is indicative of
the enormous quality potential this
ultra-compact waterless press
brings to newspaper production.
32% of top places
go to KBA customers
16 of the top 50 places, or 32% of
all successful submissions, went to
European, Middle East and Asian
newspaper publishers operating
presses from KBA. The NationalZeitung und Basler Nachrichten
in Basel, Switzerland, won a place
for the fourth time in succession
with a contract title, Coopzeitung.
Polish printer Agora Poligrafia in
Tychy was one of the first time
lucky with Metro, and gained a
place for the fourth time in succes-
KBA Cortina user Freiburger Druck was among the top-ranking entries at the first attempt
with its Badische Zeitung
42 Report 32 | 2008
National-Zeitung und Basler Nachrichten of Switzerland gained membership of the International
Newspaper Color Quality Club for the fourth time in succession with Coopzeitung, printed on the
KBA Commander pictured here
Printed in waterless offset on the compact KBA Cortina, 24 heures, Badische Zeitung and
Die Rheinpfalz were given high marks by the independent jury
sion with Gazeta Wyborcza. The
same title also won Agora’s Warsaw
operation membership for the
third time, while its Pila plant
became a new member with both
Gazeta Wyborcza and Metro.
Awarded membership for the
third year running were the TagesAnzeiger, published by Zurichbased Tamedia, The Straits Times
and The Business Times, submitted
by Singapore Press Holdings,
and a regional German title, the
Heilbronner Stimme. Among the
top 50 for the second time were
Singapore Press Holdings’ Berita
Harian and Lianhe ZaoBao, a German title, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung published
by FAZ-Frankfurter Allgemeine
Zeitung, and a Dutch title, De
Stentor, which is printed by
Wegener Nieuwsdruk Gelderland in Apeldoorn.
Prestigious German daily the
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and
an Israeli title, Yedioth Ahronoth,
printed by Yedioth Communication Press in Park Bar-Lev, were
among the first-time members of
this exclusive international club.
The best 50 newspaper titles
will be honoured at a ceremony
during Nexpo 2008 in Washington,
DC.
Dr Bernd Heusinger
bernd.heusinger@kba-print.de
25.04.2008
14:14 Uhr
Seite 43
Newspaper Production | Turkey
The KBA Commander for
Ciner’s Ankara facility
Ciner Group orders five Commander presses
High-speed presses for Istanbul,
Ankara, Izmir and Adana
Turkish printing and publishing house Ciner Matbaacilik (Ciner Printing) signed up in January for five Commander press lines, totalling 27 towers, for its Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir and Adana operations. The presses,which will
print in-house daily and weekly titles along with semi-commercials and external products, are scheduled to go
live in 2009.
T
he company is part of the
Ciner Group, whose interests
encompass mining, energy,
tourism, hotels, trade and industry.
The group also has a strong social
agenda.
World-class technology from a
“driver of innovation in newspaper
press engineering”
Group president Turgay Ciner says:
“Our growth strategy demands
high-performance, cutting-edge
technology that will give us that
vital competitive edge in national
newspaper and semi-commercial
print markets. Following a rigorous
selection procedure we opted for
Commander presses because they
deliver an outstanding print quality, a high level of productivity and
an exceptionally good ROI. Koenig
& Bauer’s reputation as a driver of
innovation in newspaper press
engineering also played a major
role, as did the glowing reports
from the various reference sites we
visited. KBA offered us highly automated presses custom-configured
to our precise specifications and
with plenty of capacity to handle
current and future market
demands.”
Christoph Müller, KBA executive vice-president for web press
sales, marketing and service, says:
“It is a great honour for us to be
chosen by the Ciner Group as best
provider. The inauguration of the
five Commander press lines with
their hybrid coldset/heatset capabilities represents a further landmark in our 190-year history as the
pioneer of mechanised printing.
This major contract strengthens
our presence in the Turkish market
and underscores our position as
the industry leader in newspaper
and hybrid technology.”
High level of flexibility
and productivity
With a maximum rated output of
90,000 copies per hour the five
Commander press lines will be the
fastest newspaper presses in
Turkey. Press features include
RollerTronic automatic roller locks,
automatic ink pumping, blanket
washing and colour and cut-off
register controls to maximise productivity and print quality. Control
technology for the four printing
sites is supplied by EAE.
Dr Bernd Heusinger
The Commander press line for Istanbul has
parallel dryers (visible in the background)
and can deliver hybrid coldset/heatset copies
Report 32 | 2008 43
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Seite 44
Newspaper Production | USA
Innovative compact wet offset press from KBA heralds new era
New York Daily News orders multi-unit
6/2 Commander CT
Untroubled by the subprime crisis in the USA and turbulent change in the
early in the New Year, just a few short months after this highly automated
North American newspaper industry, New York’s Daily News has reaffirmed its
press was officially unveiled in late September 2007 at the Main-Post in
commitment to its core medium, print, with an order for a fifteen-tower, triple-
Würzburg, Germany, the contract is a resounding endorsement of KBA’s pioneer-
width version of our ultra-compact yet conventional Commander CT. Awarded
ing competence.
F
“In one leap, we are strategically positioning our printed product to meet the ever-changing
demands of today’s and tomorrow’s advertisers and readers,”
ounded in 1919 as the first US
daily printed in tabloid form,
the Daily News is the largest
and most widely read newspaper
in the New York metropolitan market and the fifth largest newspaper
in the country. Along with its
newly redesigned web site –
NYDailyNews.com – the Daily
News reaches 4.6 million readers
per week. It has won ten Pulitzer
Prizes.
solidify our leadership in the New
York market, reinforce our position
as the country’s leading tabloid
and raise the bar on newspaper
production in the United States.”
Investment in the
future of print
“I believe in the future of the Daily
News; that’s why I am making this
significant investment,” says chairman and publisher Mort Zuckerman. “When the KBA printing
presses are fully operational, the
print quality of the Daily News will
be head and shoulders above the
competition and equal to any
newspaper in the world. This will
44 Report 32 | 2008
Daily News CEO Marc Z Kramer signing the contract in New York
flanked by Daily News editor-in-chief and deputy publisher Martin Dunn (l)
and KBA deputy president Claus Bolza-Schünemann
says Daily News CEO Marc Z
Kramer. “When our new KBA Commander CT presses come on line,
the Daily News will be the only
major market daily newspaper in
the United States with 100 per
cent colour production capability
and positioned brilliantly to maintain and increase our dominance of
the New York media landscape.”
He continues: “Advertisers’
demands for high-quality colour in
daily newspapers are a worldwide
phenomenon, and nowhere is it in
more demand than in New York,
the media capital of the world. We
live in a world of vivid colour and
newspapers have to reflect that.
Our new KBA presses will allow us
to work even more closely with our
advertisers to meet their everchanging demands. In addition,
these new presses will enable us to
offer creative and innovative ways
for advertisers’ messages to reach
25.04.2008
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Seite 45
Automated paper logistics with a high-bay reel store directly
adjacent to the Commander CT press line
“When the KBA printing presses are fully operational, the print quality
of the Daily News will be head and shoulders above the competition.”
Chairman and publisher Mort Zuckerman
our millions of loyal readers. It is
an opportunity we know they will
want to seize.”
KBA deputy president Claus
Bolza-Schünemann says: “The decision by such a prominent US media
house to adopt the most advanced
wet offset technology on the international market is proof of KBA’s
competence. My father first
explored the idea of six-wide presses with the Daily News forty years
ago, but only recent technologies
and advances have led this unique
concept to reality. The inauguration of a triple-wide KBA Commander CT in New York will mark a further milestone in our 190-year his-
tory, and will again focus on KBA as
a mover and shaker in newspaper
technology.”
Compact footprint,
6/2 output
Scheduled to go live in autumn
2009, the triple-wide Commander
CT press line for the Daily News
will have three sections, each with
five Pastomat reelstands, five towers and one KF 7 jaw folder. It will
be embedded in a Patras A automated reel-logistics system complete with storage and retrieval
vehicles, splice preparation and ondemand reel loading.
Press automation will include
blanket washing, colour registration, PlateTronic plate changers,
RollerTronic roller locks and NipTronic cylinder bearings. The Commander 6/2 will also feature cut-off
controls and ribbon stitchers. It
will be controlled from six consoles
incorporating a job scheduling and
press presetting system complete
with materials management software.
A compact KBA Commander CT has been part of the production routine at the Main-Post in Würzburg for the past year,
while the first sections for Spain’s Heraldo de Aragón will soon ship to Saragossa
Dr. Bernd Heusinger
Report 32 | 2008 45
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Seite 46
Newspaper Production | Technology
In recent years KBA has invested a lot
of money in developing the highly
automated, ultra-compact Cortina
and Commander CT. At the same time
we have led the way in more conventional technology with the delivery
to Austria and Switzerland of the first
double- and triple-width press lines
configured as non-reversible ninecylinder satellite units for four over
four. Some interpret these parallel
activities as evidence of a conflict
between compact towers and satellites, but here they are mistaken. The
Long distances and lots of steps: conventional Commander 6/2 satellite press with four levels
newspaper market is constantly
changing, and with it the demands
placed on newspaper printers. Our
longstanding objective has therefore
been to provide the newspaper industry with the flexibility so vital for
responding to market needs. Hence
satellite presses and, with an eye to
A comparison of KBA’s two top-selling configurations
Compact four-high tower or
nine-cylinder satellite?
the future, more compact press lines.
Both configurations have their
strengths and weaknesses: the final
choice must be determined on a caseby-case basis.
A
s the abbreviation CT (=
CompacT) indicates, one of
the distinguishing features of
the most recent addition to the
Commander series is its reduced
height. A satellite tower for four
over four is more than 8m (26ft
3in) high: a four-high tower for the
waterless Cortina and wet offset
Satellite or compact?
Two presses with very different dimensions
Commander CT is only half that
height. The difference in headroom means that two compact towers can be stacked to create an
eight-high tower. So standard press
lines erected in high production
halls can be either extended
(eg Main-Post) or progressively
replaced (eg Edipresse) with equipment that delivers much greater
flexibility and productivity without
the need to invest heavily in new
buildings. And where investment
decisions determine a company’s
course for the next fifteen or twenty years, greater flexibility allows it
to respond more easily to changes
in market demand.
Older operators are
rarely mountaineers
Being much taller, nine-cylinder
satellite presses entail much longer
walking distances, more levels and
thus more stairs to climb, whereas
the printing units on compact
46 Report 32 | 2008
presses can be accessed conveniently via a lift and the operator
only has to go up to the superstructure gallery for webbing up, the
occasional edition change or maintenance work. An operator once
calculated that he climbs the equivalent of Cologne Cathedral twice
during every night shift. A pretty
strenuous pastime with little
appeal except perhaps to keen
mountaineers – who rarely include
older press operators. So in view of
the demographic changes taking
place in the labour markets of
many countries (a falling birth rate,
longer working life) decision-makers must ask themselves whether
they can afford to ignore this issue
when investing in new kit intended
to last for a couple of decades.
Older members of the press crew
cannot simply be transferred to the
mailroom or pensioned off at 57,
especially in view of the current
skills shortage.
25.04.2008
14:15 Uhr
Seite 47
The Cortina (shown here) and Commander CT have automatic plate changers
for speed and convenience
At first sight the height of
satellite towers does, however,
have its advantages, since the inking and dampening rollers can be
accessed more easily. But to be
honest, who enjoys crawling into
the printing unit tunnel and how
often is it really necessary to
access the inking rollers on the
Cortina and Commander CT? After
all, they are set automatically. The
inking units on the two presses –
and the dampener on the Commander CT – can be accessed from
both sides in a matter of minutes
by simply removing the washing
bar or automatic plate changers. By
analogy, modern cars have less
room under their bonnets (hoods
to our US readers) than older
models. Overall, the ergonomic
benefits to the operator of compact
presses outweigh the drawbacks.
In the event of a web break, wrapups are generally avoided by the
severer and diverter.
Fan-out just one criterion
for a good print quality
A consequence of the current
trend towards smaller formats, also
apparent in Europe, is that highly
automated compact presses can be
used for almost every type of pro-
Nine-cylinder satellite
inking and dampening unit
1
2
3
4
13 12
10
11
4
5
6
5
8
6
7
9
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
Impression cylinder
Blanket cylinder
Plate cylinder
Ink forme roller
Ink distribution cylinder
Distribution roller
Film roller
Ink-duct roller
Ink duct
Spray nozzle bar
Dampening roller
Dampening distributor roller
Dampener forme roller
When it’s time to change the blankets or washcloths, the ultra-compact Commander CT
and Cortina towers can be accessed by splitting them down the centre (KBA StepIN)
duction scenario, though the maximum web width they can handle –
2,100mm (823/4in) for the Rhine
format – is not as wide as the
Nordic format (2,400mm or
941/2in) that can be run on satellite
presses.
Nine-cylinder satellites print
blanket-to-steel, while the Cortina
and Commander CT print blanketto-blanket. The web leads on a
satellite press are S-shaped: on a
compact press they are straight and
vertical and the distances between
the individual couples are much
shorter. But nine-cylinder satellites
do offer outstanding fan-out control and this is why KBA will soon
be shipping a Commander 6/2
satellite press line for a web width
of 2,400mm (941/2) to a customer
in Denmark. Having said that, fanout – or rather its absence – is not
the only factor determining print
quality. On the waterless Cortina it
is non-existent and even on the
wet offset Commander CT is half
what it is on a conventional fourhigh tower. The minimal fan-out
that remains is effectively counteracted with FanoTronic (see Report
31, page 44).
The blanket-to-blanket process
common among newspaper presses outside central Europe offers a
slew of benefits, among them
reduced dot gain, the absence of
set-off on the impression cylinder
with critical stock, simpler webbing-up, the elimination of idler
rollers in the tower, compatibility
with heatset production etc. Nor
does the compact Commander CT
need shun comparison with the
acknowledged high quality solids
reproduction of satellites.
Dot gain on the Cortina, at
around 15%, is even lower. The
sharper image means that a 60lpc
(150lpi) screen can be used as the
standard even in coldset production, allowing fine reverse type to
be reproduced with ease. Another
of the Cortina’s winning properties
in a changing marketplace is the
option of printing coldset and heatset using the same inks.
Less or no ink mist
On the Commander CT, ink mist
has been materially reduced by fitting a new, shorter film inking unit
with just three forme rollers.
Because a much thinner film of ink
is transferred from the film roller
to the ink-roller frame, the inking
unit is much more responsive and
solids reproduction is of a much
higher quality. It has been found
that enhancing the performance of
Report 32 | 2008 47
25.04.2008
14:15 Uhr
Seite 48
Newspaper Production | Technology
Initial start-up
White waste
Restart
9-cylinder satellite
Commander CT
Commander CT
Commander CT
Cortina
Cortina
Cortina
Comparative waste levels
the inking units in this way has virtually eliminated the risk that ink
or fount mist will impair the functioning of our robust and wellproven automatic plate changers.
KBA is therefore happy to guarantee the reliability of the system.
With the Cortina, which features
waterless inking units with anilox
rollers, there is no ink mist whatsoever, so that except for paper dust
the press remains comparatively
clean. Operators of high-speed
satellite presses still have to live
with ink mist, despite the efforts of
press and ink manufacturers.
The Cortina’s waterless offset
technology means that a temperature control system for the anilox
rollers and plate cylinders is
absolutely essential. With the
Commander CT it is available as an
option. Nine-cylinder satellites
generally do not require temperature control: a cooling system for
1
2
the ink distributors is a standard
item only on triple-wide versions.
The waterless inking unit, and
the need for temperature control,
mean that the Cortina consumes
more energy than the Commander
CT, which in turn consumes
approximately 15% less energy
than a comparable satellite press.
Proven plate-changing technology
During the past eight years KBA
has seized the initiative in press
automation and now has by far the
greatest practical experience in
this field. One example is our
PlateTronic automated plate changer, hundreds of which have already
proven their superior performance
and reliability on Cortina and Commander CT press lines. For satellite
presses we continue to offer semiautomatic plate-changing systems,
which also undergo continual
enhancement.
4
3
3
4
6
5
7
8
10
ning requirements. Where production entails frequent plate changes,
it is possible to run the Commander CT and Cortina with far fewer
personnel than a satellite tower
press. This is because the distances
are shorter and there is just one
main operating level, so the press
crew is under less pressure. Compact presses also require much less
maintenance. There is no need for
manual tasks such as setting the
rollers, maintaining the bearer
rings or cleaning the impression
cylinder and idler rollers. With the
Cortina there are no dampeners
and thus none of the time-consuming maintenance work normally
associated with them.
Fewer personnel,
less maintenance
Lower waste levels
One basic advantage of compact
presses with automatic plate
changing is the reduction in man-
2
1
5
Robotic systems, recently
launched on the market as an alternative to automated systems, have
still to pass their baptism by fire.
However, in view of the working
environment at a newspaper press,
the rigorous safety standards that
apply when deploying such devices
(access to the printing couples only
when the robots have been deactivated and secured against reactivation), the additional maintenance
involved and the anticipated
impact of paper dust and ink mist
on robot-assisted plate mounting
and registration, we are reserving
judgment. Only time will tell
whether our misgivings are justified.
4
3
11 12 3
9
3
10
4
5
6
7
8
9
KBA Cortina inking unit
6
1 Blanket cylinder
2 Plate cylinder
7
(temperature-controlled)
8
3 Ink forme roller
4 Distributor roller (oscillating) 9
10
5 Inking roller
48 Report 32 | 2008
KBA Commander CT inking and dampening unit
Anilox roller
(temperature-controlled)
Doctoring blade
Feed pipe
Blade throw-on/off
Ink duct with integrated ink pump
1
2
3
4
5
6
Blanket cylinder
7 Ink-duct roller
Plate cylinder
8 Ink duct
Ink forme roller
9 Spray bar
Distributor roller (oscillating) 10 Dampening roller
Ink-transfer roller
11 Dampening distributor roller
Film roller
12 Dampener forme roller
Waste levels with compact presses
are substantially lower than with
satellites (see chart above), despite
the fact that colour registration on
satellites is very good both during
start-up and run-down. The Cortina is the most economic by a wide
margin because there is no fount
solution to cause density impairments and fan-out. Start-up waste
levels of well under 100 copies are
the rule rather than the exception.
In wet offset, waste levels during
start-up and restarts with the Commander CT are lower than with a
satellite press thanks to the quickresponse inking units. Automatic
colour-register and fan-out controls
also help to reduce waste.
Rene Sieber
rene.sieber@kba-print.de
25.04.2008
14:15 Uhr
Seite 49
Newspaper Production | Automation
KBA RollerTronic: innovative and proven a thousand times over
The benefits of RollerTronic
In the newspaper industry there is a lot of talk about standardisation, cost efficiency, process optimisation and potential cost savings. KBA RollerTronic automatic roller locks are a small but effective aid in
achieving these goals.
T
he benefits are obvious: the
inking and dampening rollers
are always set with absolute
precision in the prespecified positions, ensuring a consistently superior print quality while reducing
abrasion and maintenance input.
Lower maintenance
and labour input
On a conventional wet offset press,
the accuracy and consistency with
which roller pressure is set can
dramatically reduce ink misting.
Anyone who has carried out maintenance work on a newspaper
press knows just how much time
and sweated labour is involved in
removing ink deposits from press
components such as the plate and
blanket cylinders.
But an even more compelling
benefit in terms of cost efficiency
and print quality is the elimination
of time- and labour-intensive manual adjustment of the rollers,
which can routinely occupy two
operators for a whole day and even
lead to production delays, not to
Another economic and operational
benefit afforded by RollerTronic
roller locks is that they reduce
roller abrasion. Coating and preparing new rollers in the printer’s
spare-parts store is a costly occupation, so prolonging the intervals
between replacements can substantially reduce the press line’s
life-cycle costs.
without RollerTronic
with RollerTronic
Superior functioning
and efficiency
Developed in association with
ContiTech, RollerTronic roller locks
have proven their efficiency a thousand times over not only in Commander and Cortina newspaper
presses but also, more recently, in
Compacta commercial presses.
Their advanced technology and
highly effective mode of operation
– they adjust roller pressure on the
cylinder – put them streets ahead
of other systems, which are almost
purely mechanical and based on
manual adjustment of the distance
between the roller and the cylinder. The pressure is set automatically in less than two minutes by
push-button at the console. Press
operators no longer have to waste
valuable time adjusting the rollers
manually with a screwdriver.
Less
roller abrasion
Energy
Printing-couple maintenance
Rubber coating costs
Potential savings in costly energy, abrasion and maintenance
Enhanced
energy efficiency
Additional savings can be made in
energy efficiency. With RollerTronic the rollers are thrown on
smoothly and with a uniform pressure across their entire width, with
no axial misalignment, however
slight, and no friction at the nip.
This reduces the load on the drives
and consumes less electricity.
Greater
process stability
How an automatic roller lock works:
in neutral position (left) and in the optimum position for printing pressure (right)
mention substantial costs. The
upshot is that rollers are often only
adjusted when perceptible impairments to the image quality occur. If
this happens in the middle of a
night shift the situation can
become critical. Printers loathe the
task of adjusting rollers manually,
not only because it usually entails
prolonged contortions in a filthy
environment but also because it
demands a high level of skill and
experience if it is to deliver an
improvement in the print quality.
RollerTronic makes the printing
sequence more consistent by eliminating disruptive parameters. The
transfer of ink and fount solution
always takes place in identical conditions, irrespective of whether the
press is started up from cold or
restarted while warm. What web
press operator is not familiar with
the situation where ink transfer is
found to be faulty while the Monday issue is being printed on the
Sunday evening? With conventional roller locks this can only be
remedied on a rough-and-ready
basis by resetting the rollers,
which can take up to 30 minutes
and generate a lot of waste.
Reliability
and durability
Unplanned roller setting caused
by faulty ink transfer
1st start-up
2nd start-up
Start-up waste avoidable
with RollerTronic
Start-up waste
A typical production run with unexpected process instability:
without RollerTronic the run-up curve is interrupted
In crass contrast to other systems
labelled automatic roller locks by
their vendors, but featuring setting
levers and self-adjusting springs,
RollerTronic is a true innovation
that utilises know-how from the
automotive industry. Worldwide,
more than 30,000 RollerTronic
roller locks are in daily operation
on new Commander and Cortina
presses, banishing the horrors that
printers normally associate with
roller setting.
Marc Decker
marc.decker@kba-print.de
Report 32 | 2008 49
25.04.2008
14:15 Uhr
Seite 50
Newspaper Production | Australia
Heatset webs off the single-width Comet (left) can be diverted to the adjacent double-width Colora to deliver coldset newspapers with heatset covers or sections
Big KBA press line storms into action at West Australian
World’s biggest newspaper press
line for hybrid production
A few months ago a hybrid press line comprising a double-width coldset Colora alongside a singlewidth heatset Comet successfully launched into operation at West Australian Newspapers in Perth. The
networked presses boast a total of 24 reelstands, 192 printing couples, six folders and an automated reel
handling system with AGVs.
T
he ability to insert heatset
webs from the Comet into the
Colora, to deliver coldset
copies with heatset covers or inner
sections, is unique in the international marketplace. Says Liam
Roche, West Australian Newspapers’ general manager for group
operations and information technology: “West Australian Newspa-
pers has introduced several new
formats to its stable of products
thanks to the versatility of the
hybrid configuration of the KBA
presses. Stitching on-press (and
trimming in the Ferag equipment),
quarter-folding, gluing and heatset/
coldset combination products are
all now common production features from the new presses. Producing larger pagination heatset/
coldset products using our ‘crossover web lead’ facility is currently
in the forefront of the thinking of
our publishing customers.”
Enormous product diversity
Two KBA press lines networked for
coldset/heatset production have
launched into action at West
Australian Newspapers in Perth
50 Report 32 | 2008
The new Colora, which is engineered for web widths from 1,220
to 1,728mm (48 - 68in), has a total
capacity of 576 tabloid pages. In
collect production it can deliver
tabloid copies with as many as 224
pages. The Comet line, which has
two thermal air dryers, can print
64-page coldset copies, 96-page
hybrid coldset/heatset copies or
32-page heatset copies, all tabloid.
Its heatset towers have separate
ink feed systems to allow heatset
inks with different viscosities to be
used for smooth or matt paper. The
new-generation control technology
features EAE’s PRINT job scheduling and press presetting system
and a raft of labour-saving extras
that include a proofing system.
Up to 600 tabloid pages
at weekends
For the market leader in Western
Australia, the production start of
the KBA presses was a landmark
event: the boost in colour, productivity, print quality, production flexibility and automation opened up
new options for The West Australian, 19 regional titles and
numerous contract titles. Says
Liam Roche: “Some of our unique
600-page weekly titles are all part of
the routine at The West Australian
products here at West Australian
Newspapers, such as live tabloid
books as large as 192 pages along
with added content (preprints and
commercial inserts) that can see us
publishing finished newspapers in
the 600-page tabloid equivalent
range, in turn provide some unique
challenges for KBA, particularly in
terms of folder performance. KBA
applied their technical expertise in
optimising the presses and folders
and as a result of this we have had
some outstanding press performances in terms of reliability and
quality levels, recently breaking
several longstanding production
records.”
Dr Bernd Heusinger
25.04.2008
14:15 Uhr
Seite 51
Newspaper Production | Denmark
T
he two companies are planning to work closely together
in future. The highly automated, eco-friendly press will ship this
year and come on stream in a new
printing plant in early 2009.
Quick switch between
coldset and heatset
“We are investing almost ten million euros – the highest figure in
our 130-year history – to make our
newspaper and sheetfed operations competitive on a long-term
basis,” says Morsø Folkeblad chairman Ejnar Clausen. “Cutting-edge
technology has traditionally played
a major role: in 1968, for example,
we were one of the first printing
plants in Denmark to make the
transition to offset. Alongside our
own flagship daily we contract
print a raft of freesheets, advertising inserts and other products,
with the focus on short to medium
runs. With the new press we are
planning to expand into magazines
so as to tap an alternative source of
income to compensate for shrinking newspaper circulations. Our
broad product spread and increasingly sophisticated customer demands have created a need for
much greater flexibility, faster
makeready and outstanding colour
quality. We chose the KBA Cortina
because its proven automatic platechanging system and ability to
print coldset and heatset products
with the same inks cut changeover
times to a minimum. This, together with low waste levels, easy operation and a high output, make the
heatset Cortina the ideal choice for
our specific production scenario.”
Pictured on a tour of KBA’s production plant
after signing the contract: Morsø Folkeblad’s
production director Jørgen Jakobsen (centre),
chairman Ejnar Clausen (on his left) and managing director and editor-in-chief Claus Thomsen (2nd right) flanked by (l-r) Håkan Rundén
(KBA Nordic), Thomas Bergmann (KBA project
manager), Robin Grunewald (KBA Nordic) and
Jochen Schwab (KBA sales director)
Morsø Folkeblad’s Cortina, which sports a raft of extras, goes live in Nykøbing, Denmark,
at the beginning of next year
Further waterless compact press for Denmark
Morsø Folkeblad in Nykøbing
picks heatset Cortina
Following the inauguration in January of a compact Cortina waterless coldset/heatset press at ELBO
Avistryk in Fredericia, a second Danish media house, Morsø Folkeblad in Nykøbing Mors, has ordered a
Cortina press with a similar capability for printing high-quality coldset newspapers alongside heatset
semi-commercials.
Extensive automation
The 75,000cph floor-mounted
press has a 560mm (22in) cut-off
on a cylinder circumference of
1,120mm (44in) and a maximum
web width of 1,590mm (621/2in).
The compact tower incorporates
automatic colour register controls,
blanket washing and central ink
feed, PlateTronic automatic plate
change, RollerTronic automatic
roller locks and NipTronic remotely adjustable bearings. It is configured with a Pastomat reelstand and
a Patras M reel-handling system.
The press package also encompass-
es a folder superstructure with two
turner bars, two formers, cut-off
register controls, a KF 3 jaw folder,
a heatset dryer with integrated
afterburning and a raft of optional
extras that include stitching, perforating or scoring and gluing, and
delivery as a broadsheet, a tabloid
or with a quarterfold. The Cortina
is controlled from one new-generation ErgoTronic console with presetting software. Provision has
been made to add a second tower
at a later date.
Morsø Folkeblad’s new Cortina
is the fourteenth order since this
waterless compact press made its
sensational debut at Drupa 2000.
Nine press lines, totalling 36 fourhigh towers, have already gone
live.
Dr Bernd Heusinger
Report 32 | 2008 51
25.04.2008
14:16 Uhr
Seite 52
Newspaper Production | Commercials
T
his unusual production line
(see also KBA Report No. 30, p.
54) was designed by the
Bologna publishing group to maximise press utilisation. For Salvatore Marotta the term “conjoined
printing” means utilising a common infrastructure for categories
of products that normally entail different technological, organisational
and quality assurance processes.
He is, however, aiming to keep
both types of production completely separate within the press line, so
his clients have no need to fear a
compromise on quality.
Constantly changing market
“Conjoined printing” came into
being following a painstaking analysis of the Italian market, which
revealed a continuing trend
towards full-colour newspapers on
the one hand and a growing number of commercial products with
ever-decreasing circulations on the
other. Marotta says: “Books, long
the traditional reading matter, are
being abandoned in favour of magazines, catalogues and flyers –
high-volume products that demand
a lower standard of professionalism
and have smaller profit margins.”
Today, this experienced print
professional discerns two distinct
movements: colour newspapers in
a print quality that satisfies the
standards demanded by advertisers, and semi-commercials, printers of which have given up offering
the services they previously provided and now compete almost exclusively on price. “We, however, have
always defended the concept of
full-service print provision,” declares Marotta. “With an efficient,
organised infrastructure in place
we are able to print all kinds of
products. Our vision is simple:
print the complete gamut, but to
the quality standards demanded,
with maximum cost efficiency and
the best production tools available
for both commercials and newspapers.”
The coldset Colora press comprises four H-type towers capable
of printing 128 full-colour tabloid
pages at a speed of 75,000 copies
an hour and delivering them via the
folder. However, for newspaper
production only three towers for
96 tabloid pages are used.
52 Report 32 | 2008
The dual press line comprising a coldset Colora (four towers on the right) and a heatset Commander (far left)
Dual press line at Poligrafici Editoriale in Bologna
An unusual installation
“Hybrid” is the word most commonly used for the production on the same press line of conventional coldset
newspapers and heatset sections or supplements. Salvatore Marotta, a qualified engineer and CEO of Poligrafici
Editoriale in Bologna, prefers the term “conjoined” printing when referring to the parallel production of daily
titles and semi-commercials on his new coldset Colora and heatset Commander press line, and considers his company the technological bellwether in the Italian market.
A vertically configured
commercial press
Says Salvatore Marotta: “Our
fourth tower is not a back-up: we
use it to print “warmset” advertising supplements with up to 32
pages, which are inserted in the
newspapers. The press also has
saddle stitchers, so we can be sure
that our readers receive all the relevant inserts with their copies.”
Since the supplements for the following day are printed during the
night shift, the press is available in
the afternoon to print semi-commercials. The 598.5mm (231/2in)
cut-off means that it can print a
near-A4 format. The maximum
web width of 1,520mm (593/4in) is
not far off that of a 48-page commercial press, which is 1,450mm
(57in). The lock-up slots on the
plates are all aligned, which permits a wider choice of plate formats.
The Commander tower standing on the far left of the press is
configured with arch-type printing
units, inking units with three
forme rollers, film dampeners, a
Megtec thermal air dryer, a chill
roller stand and a silicone unit. It,
Poligrafici Editoriale CEO
Salvatore Marotta
too, has a 598.5mm (231/2in) cutoff, but it has a maximum rated
production speed is 80,000 copies
per hour in straight production and
it can handle web widths variable
between 840 and 1,520mm (33 593/4in). In conjunction with the
P5 commercial folder positioned
on the right it can handle stock
weights of 32 to 120gsm (20 77lbs). The commercial superstructure affords even greater flexibility. In addition there are gluing
and softening units, a section
stitcher and two cross fold deliveries for A3 copies after the lower
and upper quarterfolds.
The comprehensive automation package for the Commander
includes semi-automatic plate
changing, RollerTronic automatic
roller setting, automatic colourand cut-off register controls,
colour density control, bustle
wheels, sidelay controls, automatic
washing units for the inking units
and blankets, and automatic pumping for black and process inks.
The Colora tower on the left
and the Commander tower on the
right can print 48 magazine pages
apiece, so when running in tandem
operation they can deliver a full 96
pages with 48 heatset pages
enclosing 48 coldset pages. “We
have a vertically configured commercial press and the print quality
is outstanding,” claims Salvatore
Marotta with a satisfied smile.
(Based on an article published in issue
54 of Italian trade magazine TecnoMedia)
Klaus Schmidt
25.04.2008
14:16 Uhr
Seite 53
Shorts
L
ast year KBA sold a string of
highly automated Rapida 105 B1
(41in) presses to printers in South
Korea. Two of them, a Rapida 105
eight-colour perfector and a fourcolour straight press, came on
stream in December at Prinpia,
part of the Chunjae group.
Founded in 1990, Prinpia specialises in printing books and magazines. Its two production plants
(in Seoul and Incheon) both operate five sheetfed and web offset
presses. The two new 18,000sph
Rapidas were installed in Incheon.
The Chunjae group also owns four
other companies.
Ki Suk Lee, managing director
of KBA’s sheetfed agency KBA-Samwoo, says. “The two Rapida 105
presses are the most advanced
medium-format models on the
market. Their exceptional output
and high level of automation define
the industry benchmarks.” And
setting benchmarks is Prinpia’s
declared objective, as Byung-Mok
Oh, president of the parent company Chunjae Education, revealed:
“Prinpia runs the most highly auto-
Group photo with the new eight-colour Rapida 105 (left to right): Dietmar Heyduck, KBA sales director, Byung-Mok Oh, president of the Prinpia parent
company Chunjae Education, and Ki Suk Lee, managing director of KBA-Samwoo
Brace of Rapida 105s for Prinpia
mated printing facilities in Korea,
and is delighted with the performance delivered by its two cuttingedge presses.” Congratulating the
company on its new presses, KBA
sales director Dietmar Heyduck
expressed the hope that it would
be the start of an enduring and suc-
cessful partnership between Prinpia and KBA.
Both the Rapidas have automatic plate changing, shaftless DriveTronic sheet feed, DriveTronic SIS
no-sidelay infeed, ACR video register control and automatic washing
and cooling.
The official inauguration,
which was attended by print professionals from all over the country, saw a number of new projects
being negotiated. The first Rapida
to leave the production line in the
New Year was shipped to Korea on
5 January.
A new look for a global brand:
KBA-MetalPrint’s latest model,
the Mailänder 222
Mailänder 222:
renaissance of a global brand
M
ailänder printing presses,
already a household name
among the world’s metal decorators, are experiencing a renaissance following their acquisition by
KBA-MetalPrint. Now KBA-MetalPrint has announced a new model,
the Mailänder 222, which sports a
number of innovative functions
designed to address evolving market needs.
The move demonstrates KBAMetalPrint’s commitment to ongoing improvement and technological
advances. Scheduled for launching
on the market at the Metpack
2008 trade fair in Essen, the
Mailänder 222 supersedes the
122A, itself a highly successful
model with some 350 installations
worldwide.
Alongside a facelift and new
advances in coating and drying
technology the Mailänder 222
incorporates the following new features:
• bigger sheet size
(1,200 x 970mm)
• higher maximum production
speed (7,000 sheets per hour)
• automatic plate changing
• diagonal register
• improved remote inking
control via CIP3 link
• bleed-free ink slides
in the ink ducts
• automatic ink-key preset
• ghosting-free ink troughs.
The Mailänder 222 targets
small to mid-size metal decorators
and makers of metal packaging
whose production scenarios span a
wide range of materials and who
therefore demand a high level of
flexibility. The Mailänder 222’s
automatic plate changing and other
automation modules cut makeready times and dramatically
enhance productivity.
Report 32 | 2008 53
25.04.2008
14:16 Uhr
Seite 54
Shorts
Signing the contract for a second KBA
Compacta 408 for Grafix Printing in Dessel (l-r):
Reiner Dluschek (KBA sales manager), Dr
Christine Bötsch (KBA legal representative),
Tom and Bart Bongaerts (Grafische Groep
Bongaerts joint managing directors), Pierre
Bleeckx (Grafix plant manager) and Christoph
Müller (KBA executive vice-president for web
press sales, marketing and service)
T
hree prominent Belgian printing
houses are expanding capacity
almost simultaneously with 16-,
32- and 64-page Compacta commercial web presses from KBA.
Belgium, which covers 30,513
square kilometres (11,788 square
miles), has the second-highest
number of commercial presses in
Europe relative to the size of the
population. Since the turn of the
millennium, Belgian printers have
signed up for a total of 34 new
commercial presses, around 36% of
them large-format 48- to 72-page
presses and 38% 16-page presses.
KBA is well represented, with over
30% of the commercial press market.
Nevada-Nimifi Printing in
Brussels is a family business run by
proprietor Yves Duplat and his
daughters Julie (production) and
Delphine (finances). The new 16page Compacta 215 the company
has ordered is its fourth KBA press
and follows two other 215s plus
one 32-page Compacta 418. Nevada-Nimifi pursues a strategy of
dynamic growth that has placed it
among the top five print operations
in the country. To support this
growth the firm has increased its
press fleet to five commercial web
Belgian web printers
invest heavily in new kit
presses plus three small- and medium-format litho presses.
A major player in the Benelux
market for value-added promotional literature is Grafix Printing in
Dessel. It is owned by the Grafische Groep Bongaerts (GGB), comprising three independently operating enterprises: Grafix Printing
(heatset web), Impressa (litho) and
DOT Media (pre-press). Joint managing directors Bart and Tom Bongaerts are the fourth generation in
a family business that was estab-
Eighth Compacta for
Sogapal in Portugal
F
ollowing four 16-page Compacta 215 and three 48-page
Compacta 618 presses from
KBA, Sociedade Gráfica da Paiã
(Sogapal), one of the biggest commercial printers in Portugal, is
expanding its activities with a 64page Compacta 818 at its new
plant in Cacém, 20km (121/2m)
northwest of Lisbon city centre.
The big new 43,500rph press
for a web width of 1,905mm (75in)
and a cylinder circumference of
1,240mm (483/4in) will print topquality products both for the
domestic market and for export to
Spain, France, Belgium and the UK.
The press package includes Patras
A automatic reel handling, a Pas-
54 Report 32 | 2008
tomat reelstand with a freestanding infeed unit, four printing units
with semi-automatic plate changers, a thermal air dryer, a chill
roller stand, a superstructure and a
P5 pin folder.
Sogapal, a full-service print
provider founded in 1983 by
Manuel Cruz, will bring the new
press on stream in Cacém in the
autumn.
The 64-page Compacta 818 is the
eighth press Sogapal has ordered
from KBA
lished back in 1863. The 32-page
short-grain Compacta 408 they
have ordered is the second of this
type and the seventh KBA commercial web press at the Dessel production plant, bringing the total
number of presses to eight.
The new 64-page Compacta
818 at Drukkerij T’Hooft in Aalter (see pp 40 - 41) is its eighth
KBA web press and joins a line-up
of 8-, 16- and 40-page machines.
Its ability to print long runs of highpagination copies will dramatically
Drukkerij T’Hooft in Aalter is expanding its
press fleet with a 64-page KBA Compacta 818
featuring a variable-format V5 folder
boost production capacity. The
variable-format V5 gripper folder
can handle both long- and shortgrain copies, and is much more
compact than folders from other
manufacturers. Since the 40-page
press is also configured with a V5,
T’Hooft is already familiar with its
superior performance.
25.04.2008
14:16 Uhr
Seite 55
Shorts
Report
is a corporate magazine issued by
the Koenig & Bauer Group (KBA):
Koenig & Bauer AG, Würzburg
An unusual yet highly appropriate ad form in view of the current climate debate, the “Natural Print” option offered by the Main-Post media group
in Würzburg, Germany, is printed on a high-automation KBA Commander CT
T
such as brown packing paper. Says
Main-Post plant manager Andreas
Kunzemann: “The Commander’s
exceptionally versatility and fast
convertibility enable us to implement novel concepts from sales
professionals, advertisers and, of
course, our own designers both
cost-effectively and with no loss of
Koenig & Bauer AG, Frankenthal
Johann-Klein-Strasse 1
67227 Frankenthal
Germany
Tel: (+49) 6233 873-3371
Fax: (+49) 6233 873-3222
Web: www.kba-print.com
E-mail: kba-frankenthal@kba-print.de
New “natural print” ad form
on the Commander CT
he Main-Post, a German regional
newspaper, has come up with
yet another new ad form. On 12
March readers were surprised to
receive their daily copy in an envelope normally reserved for postal
packets. Made of 100% recycled
packing paper with an unusually
high grammage (for a newspaper
add-on) of 90gsm (24lb bond), the
broadsheet envelope was printed
in full colour with an ad launching
a national campaign by C&A for
clothing made from – what else? –
organically grown cotton. A year
ago C&A was also the first to use
another novel option offered by
the Main-Post: “Zip’n’Buy“, an ad
form that is perforated for quick
and easy removal.
The technology for both these
world premieres at the Main-Post
was provided by an ultra-compact
Commander CT that launched into
action in spring last year. The automated NipTronic cylinder bearing
system on this innovative press
allows impression pressure to be
set so precisely that it is possible to
produce good-quality prints not
only on 40 or 45gsm (25-29lb)
standard newsprint and slightly
heavier improved stock but also on
bulkier, more awkward substrates
Friedrich-Koenig-Strasse 4
97080 Würzburg
Germany
Tel: (+49) 931 909-4336
Fax: (+49) 931 909-4101
E-mail: kba-wuerzburg@kba-print.de
quality. As an engineer I find it
intensely satisfying when we can
use our know-how to boost sales
by offering our customers new creative tools. After the UEFA European Football Championship in the
summer we’ll be adding a second
tower, giving us even more colour.
We can hardly wait.”
Koenig & Bauer AG, Radebeul
Friedrich-List-Strasse 47
01445 Radebeul
Germany
Tel: (+49) 351 833-2580
Fax: (+49) 351 833-1001
E-mail: office@kba-print.de
KBA-Metronic AG
Benzstrasse 11
97209 Veitshöchheim
Germany
Tel: (+49) 931 9085-0
Fax: (+49) 931 9085-100
Web: www.kba-metronic.com
E-mail: info@kba-metronic.com
KBA-Grafitec s.r.o.
˘
Opocenská
83
˘
51819 Dobruska
Czech Republic
Tel: (+420) 494 672-111
Fax: (+420) 494 623-675
Web: www.kba-grafitec.cz
E-mail: grafitec@kba-grafitec.cz
Publisher
Koenig & Bauer Group
Editor-in-chief:
Klaus Schmidt, KBA director of
communications, Würzburg
Layout:
Pia Vogel, Mannhof Media
Translation:
Christina Degens-Kupp, KBA
On 12 March readers of the Main-Post in Würzburg received their copies
in an envelope made of brown packing paper printed in full colour
Printed in the Federal Republic of Germany
Report 32 | 2008 55
KBA_I_705_schwarz_Report_6
23.04.2008
11:51 Uhr
Seite 1
KBA at Drupa 2008
The inventor
Join us at Drupa
KBA.I.705.e
Join us on our stand in hall 16 and find out how we can energise your print
production. In sheetfed offset, DI offset, UV offset, web offset, metal
decorating, newspaper printing, security printing and green printing. With
integrated workflows, MIS, Web2Print and, above all, professional planning.
KBA defines the benchmark in many sectors with cutting-edge technology,
innovative processes, intelligent automation – and the courage to explore
new frontiers. We look forward to seeing you.
Koenig & Bauer AG (KBA)
Würzburg, Frankenthal, Radebeul near Dresden, www.kba-print.com
Come and see us
at Drupa 2008
hall 16 / 16B45

KBA Report 32 - english

Transcription

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