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1 | 2 0 0 9 P R O D U C T S | P R A C T I C E S | P E R S P E C T I V E S

ContentsKBAEditorial 2

SheetfedOpen house on 4 over 4 in medium and large formats 3DriveTronic SPC in Indonesia 5Leasing in financial crises 6QualiTronic Professional in the Netherlands 8Successful transition to large format 10Premiere for dedicated drives in northern Germany 12Berlin takes Germany’s first Rapida 75 14World makeready champion in Oldenburg 16KBA coating sample book 18Rapida 162a in Los Angeles 20JDF in KBA customer showroom 22Outlook bright for IGB, Italy 24UK: Burlington’s dream team 25

Web OffsetCompacta 818 for D’Auria in Italy 29Sego Group boosts productivity with Compacta 818 30

NewspaperQuartet of 4/1 Commanders at RCS, Italy 32Gulf News takes the plunge into waterless 33Interview with Marc Z Kramer of the Daily News, New York 34Quality enhancement through data optimisation 36First Prisma goes live in India 37Cortina 6/2 in Bremerhaven 38Kathimerini, Athens: valuable insights into hybrid printing 40Printing blankets are not all alike 42Trinidad Guardian expands with Comet 44

UV OffsetDruckwerker storms new markets with Genius 52UV 45Premius for Cinram 46

Shorts 47

There’s life in print yet!Bloodied but not bowed by the global credit crunch

As the last issue of Report wentto press in August 2008, theworld was still largely in order.Suppliers to the print media indus-try were basking in the upbeatmood engendered by the Drupatrade fair, and looking forward tocompleting a string of contractsinked at the show, and to somebrisk post-Drupa business as well.When reports started coming in ofgaping deficits in banks’ balancesheets, and the bursting of thehousing bubble in the USA, theywere initially dismissed, even bymany financial experts, as regionalor sectoral issues with no seriousimpact on the real economy. But atthe end of September the blackclouds that had gathered on thefinancial horizon during the sum-

Klaus Schmidtklaus.schmidt@kba.com

Drupa euphoria proved to be a mere flash in the pan: within a matter of months the print media industry and its suppliers were sufferingthe full impact of the global financial crisis on both business and funding

mer erupted in a cataclysmic stormthat blew away Lehmann Brothersand presaged the end of invest-ment banks which had previouslybeen considered solid as a rock.

Press manufacturers, withtheir focus on exports, soon suf-fered the full impact of the finan-cial meltdown on their businessactivities. Contracts that hadalready been signed had to be can-celled for lack of funding followingbank failures, the abrupt closure ofcredit lines and changes in centralbank directives. And with marketconfidence rapidly waning, evensolvent investors started postpon-ing major projects. The unparal-leled global dimension of thisfinancial dislocation caused aslump in demand on a scale of mag-

nitude that could not have beenforeseen. It was quickly succeededby profit warnings, short-timework and widespread lay-offs.

Nor have printers escapedunscathed, as the swelling num-bers of insolvencies and takeoverstestify. Like many other branchesof industry, print must prepare fora long, hard slog. But this doesn'tmean it is down and out. Every cri-sis represents an opportunity, andthis one is no different. While oth-ers hold back, now may be thetime to refocus activities and, per-haps, make strategic investmentsin preparation for future growth.This issue of Report offers a fewexamples.

Report 34 | 20092

Editorial

Turbulence in financial markets leaves its mark on the print media industry

Good times, bad times

Albrecht Bolza-Schünemann, president and CEO, Koenig & Bauer

The last two issues of Report were dominated by the Drupa trade fair, aseemingly successful event for all those, like us, associated with the printmedia industry. Little more than six months ago, with bulging order booksand the prospect of further business to come in the wake of the show, wewere looking forward to a sustained lift in demand following a slow startto the year. Looking back, this optimism was misplaced: the mortgagemeltdown in the USA and existential threats to banks from crippling loss-es and massive write-offs of non-performing loans, derivatives and otherspeculative instruments had been occupying the media for the past year.But while the knock-on effects of economic downturns in the USA, UKand other markets were already being reflected in our export figures, thiswas nothing exceptional because fluctuations in demand have been aninherent feature of the press engineering business cycle for many decadesnow.

What virtually no-one foresaw was the shattering impact the financialcrisis would have on the real economy and, more specifically, on export-driven sectors such as the automotive industry or indeed the engineeringindustry, which at that time was still flourishing. This was hardly surpris-ing since the scenario of the past six months has no historic precedentwithin the past fifty years. Neither the oil crises of the 1970s and 1980snor the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001 causedsuch an abrupt and universal disruption in the global marketplace. Butwhat is more important, the banking system continued to function as nor-mal. Even the economic crisis of 1931 cannot be considered comparable,because eighty years ago globalisation was nowhere near as advanced asit is today.

In all my 30 years in the press engineering industry I have never expe-rienced such a precipitate collapse in demand. As a consequence, at theend of September we were obliged to make a substantial downwardadjustment in our sales and profit forecasts for the 2008 business yearand to announce several hundred redundancies at our sheetfed division,which had been particularly hard hit. Similar unwelcome announcementswere subsequently made throughout the entire supplier sector and, witha short time-lag, in the print sector itself. Plant closures by paper manu-

facturers, a sharp decline in the sales and profits posted by prominentpre-press providers, short-time work and drastic capacity adjustments bymajor press manufacturers now dominate the headlines in the trade andbusiness media. A slide in new orders of 30% or more has since beenreported in other sectors of the engineering industry.

In common with other branches of the media industry, print is expe-riencing fallout from negative growth rates and savage cuts in advertisingexpenditure in many countries. The advertising slump has mainly hit com-mercial, magazine and newspaper printers, while lagging consumptionhas affected packaging printers: if, for example, hundreds of toy manufac-turers in China have to close down, they no longer require packaging fortheir products. A wave of bankruptcies and takeovers has swept the printmedia industry, and neither size nor prominence has proved a safeguard.There is no question in my mind that we face one, or more probably two,severely challenging years ahead.

At such times feckless optimism is as unconstructive as endlessrecriminations over the excesses of the past and unbridled pessimismwith regard to the future. While the crisis will undoubtedly acceleratestructural change and consolidation in the print media industry, it willeventually produce some winners alongside the losers. As a sector large-ly populated by mid-size enterprises we can expect little assistance fromthe state. The economic stimulus and aid packages drawn up in manycountries may be worth billions of euros, but they primarily focus on thefinancial sector and the automotive industry, while the main beneficiaryof public investment in infrastructure is the construction industry.

What is needed is personal initiative. It is in times of crisis such asthis that entrepreneurial skills come into their own. Sometime in theforeseeable future the economy, advertising and the print market will takean upward turn again. So we must all do our utmost to master the majorchallenges facing us without sustaining existential damage, and gird our-selves today for the upswing and the opportunities it will bring. May yourefforts – and your business – be crowned with success.

Yours,

Report 34 | 2009 3

KBA demos high-volume perfecting in medium and large formats

4-over-4: bigger format boosts productivity“None bigger, none better” was the banner on the invitations KBA issued for an open house on 9 December. Around

60 representatives of major commercial printers from Europe and overseas converged on our Radebeul facility

to find out more about current options for high-volume 4-over-4 production, and their practical applications. A

briefing on theory was accompanied by press demonstrations where the focus of interest shifted from the medi-

um-format Rapida 106, whose superior productivity in short-run full-colour perfecting was so compellingly

proven at Drupa 2008, to the Rapida 162a, whose sheet format in perfecting mode has been expanded to 1,200 x

1,620mm (47.24 x 63.77in).

Sheetfed Offset | Strategy

Large-format perfectors havebeen unique to KBA for manyyears, and numerous eight-

colour presses have been shippednot only to book printers but alsoto big commercial printers. Ourcalculations show that, as with64-, 72- and 80-page commercialweb offset presses or six-widenewspaper presses, switching to alarger format can enable high-vol-ume commercial sheetfed printersto enhance both their productivityand their cost efficiency. Manninglevels for large-format Rapidas areno higher than those for medium-format presses, while makereadytimes, which were once significant-ly longer, have been dramaticallyreduced by automation.

Four square metres of print per sheet– in one passFollowing an opening address byKBA executive vice-president forsheetfed sales Ralf Sammeck,Jens Baumann of our productmanagement team explained thebenefits of the proven single-drumperfecting system we use in ourlarge-format Rapidas. At Drupa lastyear we unveiled an upgraded ver-sion of the Rapida 162a that canprint the full sheet format of 1,200x 1,620mm even in perfectingmode, and has just five print-freecorridors instead of seven. Togeth-er, these advances increase theavailable image area by up to 10%while at the same time reducingtrim waste by as much as 52mm(0.25in), thus enhancing both pro-duction flexibility and layoutoptions. Numerous automationfeatures – among them a Drive-Tronic shaftless feeder with auto-

The Rapida 106 makeready champion printedthree jobs of 400 saleable sheets apiece

Anja Hagedorn and Wolfram Zehnle hosted the demonstration on the Rapida 162a

An eight-colour Rapida 162a for 4-over-4 perfecting printed the two 64-page sections of a deluxe cookery book at a speed of 9,000sph

matic preset, and automatic platechanging with simultaneous blan-ket and impression cylinder wash-ing – deliver an additional produc-tivity boost.

Effortless quality excellenceNowadays print quality must bemonitored constantly and, if thecustomer so wishes, fully docu-mented. For this purpose KBA has

developed QualiTronic, an inlinesheet inspection and colour controlsystem available in three versions(two Basic, one Professional).Inline colour density control alonehelps cut start-up waste by up to50%. And since measurement, con-trol and documentation are contin-uous processes that do not entailany press stoppages, this substan-tially increases net output. Densi-Tronic PDF, a new software pack-age developed specifically formedium- and large-format presses,has already been successfullydeployed by a number of cus-tomers. A scanner on the measur-ing arm at the DensiTronic deskscans the sheet at a resolution of330dpi and can detect even theslightest deviations (such as textu-al discrepancies) from the original

Report 34 | 20094

PDF. It is therefore possible toachieve total quality control withnone of the time-consuming andlabour-intensive input that hascommonly been required up tonow.

Rapida 106: world makeready champwith a slew of unique featuresThe automatically convertible per-fecting unit for our Rapida 106 –the world makeready champion inmedium format – offers the bene-fits of precise registration, user-friendly air settings and the abilityto handle a broad range of sub-strates. Other winning features areits DriveTronic automation mod-ules, which include two that areunique in this format class and aboon to users: DriveTronic Feeder,which can be preset from the con-sole, and DriveTronic SIS sidelay-free infeed. With DriveTronic SPCdirect plate-cylinder drives, all theplates on the press can be changedsimultaneously in just one minute,while parallel washing and convert-ing sequences reduce job changetimes still further. DriveTronicPlate Ident ensures exact pre-regis-tration during automatic platechanges and at the same time

Martin Dänhardt/Klaus Schmidtmartin.daenhardt@kba.com

checks that the plates are assignedcorrectly to the individual printingunits.

When does 4-over-4 production pay?Dr Roland Reichenberger of theproduct management departmentrecalled that a KBA open housethree years ago entitled “5-over-5in 3B or double the formatstraight?” had demonstrated thateconomic aspects should play acrucial role in the choice of format.He pointed out that since then sub-stantial advances have been madein both automation and productivi-ty, and gave examples of the eco-nomic gains possible with the vari-ous features and configurationsavailable for large- and medium-for-mat Rapida presses. In large for-mats, a high degree of automationcan dramatically boost capacity andthus the bottom line, while ROIcalculations for the Rapida 106revealed that the payback fromautomation increases as runlengths decrease.

Larger format an assetfor giant perfectorsTaking as an example a 128-pagesaddle-stitched book measuring

190 x 280mm (7.5 x 11in) andprinted on art paper in a run lengthof 20,000 copies, product managerAnja Hagedorn illustrated theadvantages afforded by the newRapida 162a’s larger perfecting for-mat. Since 64 pages now fit on asheet instead of just 48 pages, thenew model can print the entirebook in just two sections, com-pared to its predecessor’s three(two of 48 pages, one of 32 pages).This cuts the production timerequired by almost two hours andproduction costs by around €3,000($3,865).

The job described above – adeluxe cookery book with bled-offimages – was subsequently printed“live” during a demonstration of 4-over-4 production on an eight-colour Rapida 162a perfector. Thepress was made ready and printedthe two 64-page sections under thewatchful and critical eyes of thetrade audience, who were thenallowed to scrutinise the superbprint quality delivered. Anja Hage-dorn and Wolfram Zehnle, headof our Radebeul customer show-room, explained the individualsteps involved and the benefits tothe user of a 75mm (3in) longer

print length and fewer print-freecorridors.

Automation can be crucial to survivalA ten-colour Rapida 106 press linesporting a complete range of Drive-Tronic and QualiTronic optionsthen demonstrated the breathtak-ing speed of job changeovers possi-ble today. The three jobs it printed,each of 400 saleable sheets, lentfurther weight to the perceptionthat as run lengths continue toshrink (at least in developed coun-tries), further automation mayprove crucial to survival.

KBA Complete departmenthead Thomas Göcke showed thatan integrated workflow embracingthe print buyer can deliver bothcost and time savings. Here the keytool for process automation is aJDF-based management informa-tion system, which optimises theperipheral processes that oftenaccount for 75% of total productiontime.

Funding investment during financial meltdownsThe credit crunch and financingissues were the focus of a presen-tation by Rüdiger Freiherr vonFölkersamb of the Deutsche Leas-ing management board, whoexplained the procedures involvedin a leasing transaction. His conclu-sion: even in today’s hostile eco-nomic climate leasing remains apopular instrument for investing incapital goods. This is because thecosts and security are transparentfor both the vendor and the lessee.

Members of the trade evinced keen interest in the high-quality print samples

Printed sheets laid out for public scrutiny following the print demo on the Rapida 162a

Rüdiger Freiherr von Fölkersamb of DeutscheLeasing offered tips on financing investmentduring economic crises

Dr Roland Reichenberger's profitability calcula-tions showed how increasing automation canenhance the appeal of large-format sheetfedoffset

Jens Baumann outlined the latest advances inRapida sheetfed offset technology for mediumand large formats

Ralf Sammeck, KBA’s executive vice-presidentfor sheetfed sales, emphasised that when thegoing gets tough it is important to stay abreastof technological advances in order to comethrough stronger and fitter

Report 34 | 2009 5

PT Gramedia fires up two new Rapida 106 eight-colour perfectors

Yes, we can!The Rapida 106, KBA’s world makeready champion in medium format, is flying the flag in the high-

growth Asia-Pacific region as well. The production start of two eight-colour perfectors, both with

DriveTronic SPC direct plate-cylinder drives, continues a highly successful association that Indonesian

market leader PT Gramedia Printing Group, based in Jakarta, first entered with KBA in 2001.

The two Rapida 106 eight-colour perfectors at PT Gramedia feature direct plate-cylinder drives for ultra-fast job changes

Over the past few years KBA’s advanced press technology has contributed to the rapidexpansion of Gramedia’s Cikarang operation,where six Rapida presses are now in actionWith the two highly automated Rapida 106 presses PT Gramedia has established a leading technological position in Indonesia and beyond.

From left to right: Evi Soemardi (KBA agency Intertek Sempana), Gramedia director Hari Wardjono, Gramedia production manager Andy Budiman and Ori Santoso Hartono (Intertek Sempana)

The eight-colour perfectors willbe used at its Cikarang loca-tion to print magazines and

high-quality books – a sector inwhich PT Gramedia anticipates par-ticularly high growth rates.

The Cikarang printing centre,which opened in 2005, expanded

its production area to 12,000m2

(129,000ft2) in 2008, enhancingits prominence within the PT Gra-media Printing Group with aninvestment package worth $14 mil-lion (€10m). Gramedia directorHari Wardjono intends to maintainthe company’s strong growth rate.

Full range of optionsProduction manager Andy Budimansays: “For us, the new eight-colourperfectors mean significant techni-cal progress, and they offer greatpotential for even more quality andproductivity. Our previous fourRapidas were all four-colour press-es. However, customers’ wishesdevelop quickly and call for a newway of thinking. We didn’t skimpon our investment: on the con-trary, we utilised every possibleoption.” The two machines weredelivered, installed and put intooperation by KBA printing instruc-tors in September.

In addition to fully automaticplate changing, DensiTronic S col-orimetry, LogoTronic Basic and alightweight paper printing package,PT Gramedia also opted for Drive-Tronic SPC direct plate-cylinderdrives for the new presses. Theseallow all eight printing plates to bechanged simultaneously in just oneminute and, in conjunction with

Gerhard RennSSegger@kbaasiapacific.com

Sheetfed Offset | Indonesia

parallel processes, permit extreme-ly fast job changes.

Andy Budiman continues:“From our team of printers wechose the twelve best employeesfor an intensive two-week trainingprogramme using the new Rapida106 systems, to enable the Rapi-das’ enormous potential to beexploited to the full. Two-shiftoperation was introduced at thebeginning of December, and in theNew Year was expanded to threeshifts. Straight away we receivedan order from the Indonesian gov-ernment for 200,000 books thatallowed no delays because theywere needed for an informationcampaign relating to the presiden-tial and parliamentary elections. Soas not to disappoint the customerwe had no choice but to say ‘Yes,we can!’ Now we can give thisresponse more often, even if dead-lines are just as tight. We currentlyprint around 300 magazine titles,and together with book productionhave reached an output of sevenmillion copies a month. The newRapida 106 presses will help us toincrease these figures substantial-ly.”

Report 34 | 20096

Aglobal slide in demand on theone hand and, on the other, amarked reluctance among

companies to invest in big-ticketproduction kit: these, in short, arethe consequences of the recentmeltdown in the world’s financialmarkets. The printing press sectoranticipates a corresponding drop inturnover in 2009 as customers’investment decisions become amatter of conjecture and uncer-tainty. Since advertising revenuesare the first to suffer in an econom-ic recession as companies slashtheir budgets, many printerswhose income is generated largelyby promotional literature will loseout on business and therefore haveless money to spend on new equip-ment.

The German government hascreated a special fund (SoFFin)aimed at stabilising financial mar-kets, and has also drawn up a res-cue package for banks. One bankafter another has sought the pro-tection of SoFFin and aid from thestate. But one of the government’spriorities should be to see that thisaid is directed towards helpingthose that are most in need: thesmall and medium-sized enterpris-es (SMEs) that are the backbone ofGerman industry. The governmentmust make sure that the money isused to keep credit lines open andthus provide liquidity for suchenterprises.

As one of the biggest investorsin the German economy, the leas-ing sector, too, is experiencing fall-

out from the financial crisis, prima-rily in the form of a liquidity short-age. The funding base for manyleasing companies has shrunk sig-nificantly, and this could well cre-ate bottlenecks when financingnew business, because if no newmoney is made available from exist-ing investments, no financingfunds can flow to SMEs. The con-sequences could be dramatic, forexample by constraining the flexi-bility with which the printing pressindustry can conduct its day-to-daybusiness. And leasing companieswhich have neither a bank nor abanking group as their parent mayfind themselves in severe difficul-ties.

German savings banks considered trustworthyIt follows that if a major invest-ment is necessary during the cur-rent economic recession, printersface a dilemma: in a challengingmarket environment such as this,who would be willing to providefunding with no knowledge of thecompany, the sector and the equip-ment required? They need a part-ner who has the ability to assesstheir financial standing properly,understands the issues involvedand the need for new kit, and whocan then provide the wherewithal.Here an in-depth knowledge of theindustry and the capital goods inquestion is essential for assessingwhether the proposed investmentis feasible or not.

Deutsche Leasing, which isowned, funded and promoted byGermany’s savings banks (Sparkas-sen), is in a relatively comfortableposition. The savings banks areconsidered to be sound institu-tions, particularly in times of crisis,which is why in the current finan-cial meltdown they have reported asubstantial inflow of funds fromtroubled investors.

Although the crisis has causedthe banking sector to be judgedmuch more critically, a fine distinc-tion has been made in the publicimages of the individual types ofbank: 70% of the Germans sur-veyed hold that the reputations ofbig banks have suffered, 55% con-sider that the Landesbanken (pub-lic sector banks) have tarnishedtheir image, but fully half of those

Rüdiger Freiherr von Fölkersamb, member of the board at Deutsche Leasing in Bad Homburg

For small to medium-sized enterprises in many countries, leasing new equipment has become a popular alternative to seeking a credit line

Sheetfed Offset | Financing

Deutsche Leasing: providing liquidity and know-how

In the current financial crisis, is leasing kit the solution?Flexible financing concepts for planned investments rank high on companies’ wish lists in the print media

industry. One of the most advanced methods of funding such investments is leasing. Two of the many benefits of

leasing are that it is a means of securing liquidity yet does not feature on the balance sheet. But what impact is

the credit crunch having on this alternative to borrowing?

Website: www.kba-leasing.org

Report 34 | 2009 7

Canada – Halifax

USA – Chicago

Ireland – Dublin

Netherlands – Amsterdam

UK – London

Portugal – Lisbon

Spain – Barcelona, Madrid

France – Paris

Sweden – StockholmChina – Beijing, Shanghai

Russia – Moscow, Samara, St Petersburg

Poland – Warsaw, Gdansk, Poznan, Wroclaw, Katovice

Czech Republic – Prague, Brno

Slovakia – BratislavaHungary – BudapestRomania – Bucharest

Bulgaria – Sofia

Italy – Milan

Germany – Bad Homburg v. d. Höhe (HQ) plus 10 branches

Rüdiger Freiherr von Fölkersambmarkus.wiesler@kba-leasing.org

surveyed believe that the savingsbanks have experienced no loss offace, and 17% are of the opinionthat the crisis has actually strength-ened them. The savings banks’sound business model, which isfounded on sustainability, reliabili-ty and an optimum profit-to-riskratio, has withstood the test oftime. The same attributes alsoapply to the business model imple-mented by Deutsche Leasing.

Know your onionsFor more than 45 years DeutscheLeasing has given its clients thebenefits of its intimate knowledgeof the industry. This is no longerrestricted purely to financing buthas been expanded into a completepackage embracing the acquisition,servicing, resale and eventual dis-posal of plant and machinery. Anda client’s extensive and longstand-ing association with their savingsbank, whose assessment of theircreditworthiness is founded notonly on bald financial figures andaccounts but on qualitative factorsas well, is an excellent startingpoint for the joint implementationof proposed investments by SMEs.Deutsche Leasing’s bellwether rolein the sector, and its strong focuson leasing plant and machinery tosmall and medium businesses,place it in a position of consider-able strength.

Joint subsidiary KBA-LeasingDeutsche Leasing has broadenedand deepened its knowledge of theprint media industry by maintain-ing excellent contacts with leadingpress manufacturers and dealers,and through joint ventures. Itenjoys an exceptionally close asso-ciation with Koenig & Bauer via ajoint subsidiary, KBA-LeasingGmbH, which was established overten years ago. The range of servic-es offered is not confined to

sheetfed or web presses but alsoembraces special presses for print-ing banknotes, securities andmetal. The association has sincebeen expanded beyond Germany.

German printing presses in demand the world overSince KBA exports over 80% of itsoutput, financing projects both athome and abroad is crucial to presssales. Deutsche Leasing maintainsbranches in eighteen countries

beside Germany, from the USA andCanada to the whole of Europe andas far afield as China, and can thusprovide valuable support abroad aswell. Its knowledge of local mar-kets and regional distinctions inbusiness practices, laws and taxsystems benefits KBA customerswho are keen to invest abroad ormove into international markets,by providing assistance and sup-port in such activities. Discussionswith clients also include suchissues as IAS/IFRS accounting orUS-GAAP standards. This helps totake the complexity out of leasingand ensures that clients are wellaware of their tax position prior toopting for leasing as a means ofprocuring new kit.

In tandem with KBA, DeutscheLeasing has gained an intimateknowledge of the sector and itsfinancing requirements. When itcomes to assessing creditworthi-ness this expertise benefits clientsbecause the recoverable value ofthe object leased is factored intothe assessment. This gives us amajor advantage over clients’ localbanks, and helps both equipmentsuppliers and investors to exploitpotential alternative financingtools to the full, even in challeng-ing times like the present.

In the print media industry, with its predominance of small and mid-sized businesses, leasing isincreasingly replacing loans as a means of financing both web and sheetfed presses

Deutsche Leasing has 38 branches in 19 countries

Report 34 | 20098

Sheetfed Offset | Netherlands

KBA Rapida 162a for Roto Smeets GrafiServices in Eindhoven

First Dutch printer to specifyQualiTronic ProfessionalThe financial crisis did not prevent John Caris, CEO of the RSDB group, and Jan van Lith, director of Roto Smeets

GrafiServices Eindhoven, from signing up in early October for a large-format Rapida 162a. Says Jan van Lith:

“An investment such as this is driven by faith in the markets, in the business, in customers and in staff. It is an

investment in the future.”

Major road works on theEindhoven bypass in thesouth of the Netherlands

are frequently necessary to accom-modate a continual increase in traf-fic. For director Jan van Lith, whohas a ringside view of these roadworks from the window of hisoffice, there are parallels to bedrawn: “It’s much the same in aprinting plant. You can’t afford tostand still.” He is the third genera-tion in his family to pursue a careerin the graphic arts: his grandfatherwas a printer, and as a boy van Lithwitnessed the changes taking placein this sector as new technologiesappeared and older ones died out.He experienced at first hand print-ing’s transformation from a handi-craft to an industry embracing acomplete range of customer servic-es. “Our new CTP device can out-put 30 plates an hour measuring1,200 x 1,620mm. No convention-al platemaking device can matchthis level of output in the sametime.”

Continuous quality control with no loss of productivityRoto Smeets GrafiServices Eind-hoven will be the first printingplant in the Netherlands to workwith the QualiTronic Professionalinline colour measurement andcontrol system which KBA unveiledat Drupa 2008. A camera insidethe press checks the colour densi-ties on each sheet, comparingthem with previously stored refer-ence values. Any corrections thatmust be made are carried out auto-matically in real time.

“The big advantage of Quali-Tronic Professional is that the pressoperator no longer has to pull asheet from the press at regularintervals and check it to seewhether adjustments need to bemade. Since sheets in this formathave a surface area of almost twosquare metres, this is a time-con-suming task. Also, we are keen toavoid disrupting production.Younger press operators are accus-tomed to running their machinesat maximum speed. And it is pre-cisely this high level of productivi-ty that gives us our competitiveedge.”

Another advantage of Quali-Tronic Professional is that it helps

avoid needless waste. In large for-mat this is doubly important.According to Jan van Lith, modernlarge-format technology delivers afurther benefit: “While the initialcapital outlay for a big press suchas this is naturally much higherthan for a medium-format one, it isnot even twice as high. And it

requires no additional personnel.This means that in comparison tomedium format it can print virtual-ly three times the image area, yetat nowhere near three times theprice.”

But GrafiServices Eindhovenwill not be increasing overall printcapacity in the market. “The newpress will replace some older ones,so in fact we’ll be reducing thetotal number of printing units. Thisis in keeping with our convictionthat the graphic arts industry inEurope is undergoing a period ofconsolidation. Adding capacity willneither ease competitive pressureon prices nor increase our marketclout. Our corporate philosophy isfounded on enhancing efficiencyand productivity while at the sametime keeping a weather eye oncosts.”

Predictable qualityThe Eindhoven plant is one of twosheetfed offset operations withinthe RSDB group, the other beingRoto Smeets GrafiServicesUtrecht. The contract for the large-format Rapida and the purchase of

The Eindhoven facility will soon fire up the first Rapida press line in the Netherlands to boast QualiTronic Professional inline quality control

Jan van Lith, director of Roto Smeets GrafiServices

Roto Smeets GrafiServices is part of the publicly quoted RSDB group, which witharound 2,300 employees is one of the top fiveindependent graphic enterprises in Europe

Report 34 | 2009 9

Leon van Velzenluc.van.den.boomen@wifac.nl

new pre-press kit are all part of amedium-term business plan whichRSDB has drawn up for the twocompanies.

“The object of this businessplan is to enhance efficiency andshorten turnaround times. Theprinting plant in Utrecht specialis-es in B2 (29in) and B1 (41in) for-mats. It was decided that the Eind-hoven plant should go for biggerformats and also for five coloursplus coating,” explains van Lith. “Aproduction speed of 13,000 sheetsper hour in this format is all welland good, but the beast has to befed with work and materials.” Tosupport such a speed, in 2007 thecompany developed its own onlineworkflow management system,GrafiServer.

Says Van Lith: “This enablescustomers to submit their dataonline and receive instant feed-back on the quality of the data sup-plied. Digital files can be sentstraight to the platemaking lineand the printing process startedjust fifteen minutes later. Not onesecond is lost. And because bothour printing plants have ISO12647 accreditation, our cus-tomers receive a consistently pre-dictable print quality.”

Inline print productionThe Rapida 162a is even suitablefor products involving still largerformats, such as posters, art repro-ductions, billboards, displays andmaps. At the other end of thescale, with 50 individual A4 pagesfitting on a single sheet the 162acan print flyers more cost-effective-ly than a smaller press. The press isequally productive when printingcatalogues, books, brochures andpamphlets.

Another option for enhancingpress productivity is to expand fin-ishing capabilities. “A few years agoour finishing department was spunoff as Nadruk, a bindery specialist,located a few kilometres away.Since then it’s not just transportthat has become an issue, but allthe associated activities such asloading and offloading the pallets.We are therefore planning to inte-grate this business under one roof.As an offset printer we are seeking

to set up inline production work-flows in order to support evershorter delivery time frames. Thiswas also one of the reasons why weopted for a coater on the Rapida162a. It allows us to deliver print-ed products faster than everbefore.”

Reducing time to marketAs if the ability to pump out sheetsmeasuring 1,200 x 1,620mm(47.24 x 63.77in) at a maximumrated production speed of 13,000per hour were not enough, theRapida 162a is engineered forexceptionally short makereadytimes. This dramatically reducesjob turnaround times, which inturn cuts “time to market” for cus-tomers’ products.

Roto Smeets among Europe’s top fiveRoto Smeets GrafiServices’ pub-licly quoted parent company RSDB,with headquarters in Deventer, isamong the top five independentgraphic enterprises in Europe forwhom paper is the dominant infor-mation vehicle.

RSDB’s core activities are con-ducted by two business divisions:Print Productions and MarketingCommunications. Print Produc-tions focuses on the efficient pro-duction of web and sheetfed prod-ucts by specialist service providers.These service providers function asconsultants, producers and direc-tors of the entire value-added chainfrom pre-press to the mailroom.Marketing Communications con-centrates on developing a dedicat-ed, cross-media communicationschannel for its customers, with theemphasis on concept, creation,development and supply. Thegroup has 2,300 employees. AllRSDB printing plants in theNetherlands have ISO 12647accreditation for both pre-pressand press.

“You can’t afford to stand still.” Jan van Lith

The Rapida 162a – pictured here at the pre-Drupa open house in Radebeul – is by far the most successful press in the global 7B (63in) market

Report 34 | 200910

Sheetfed Offset | Austria

Successful transition from medium to large format

Krammer-Repro Flexo Printfocuses on niche marketKrammer-Repro Flexo Print based in Linz, Austria, is betting its future on large-format technology. The most

recent addition to its press room – a five-colour Rapida 142 with coater – has opened up new opportunities and

business lines.

To accommodate the new Rapida 142 a section of the concrete ceiling had to be cut out, providingan excellent view of production

DensiTronic measurementat the console: the qualityand performance of thenew Rapida 142 have seriously impressed KlausSchobesberger, Dr HaraldGranegger and press operator Wilhelm Hammerl (from left)

Press operator Matthias Bachtrog soon mastered the new Rapida 142 and now gets the utmost out of it in terms of both quality and performance

Like many other companies,Krammer-Repro Flexo Printlooks back on a highly eventful

history. Established by Franz Kram-mer back in 1926, it was originallya block-maker for a daily newspa-per. Until 1958, when Krammer’swidow sold off the business to theSchobesberger family, the compa-ny primarily produced letterpressprinting formes. In 1960 there fol-lowed a move into the productionof lithographic and offset plates,since by then a lot of printers hadswitched over to this new process.Krammer’s contract platemakingbusiness was highly successful andremained so until well into the1990s, when desktop publishingand the increasing digitisation ofpre-press technologies allowedmany customers to bring such pro-duction in-house.

Launch into offset printingFor joint managing directors KlausSchobesberger and his brotherMatthäus, the time had come torealign the corporate structure.Their objective – to enhance quali-ty and flexibility – led them toinvest in new pre-press and finish-ing technology and to enter the off-set printing market with a Rapida104 five-colour press. At that timethey also added flexo to theirplatemaking activities, and to thisday generate around 60% of theirtotal turnover with two Esko CDI(Cyrel Digital Imager) systems.

Offset proved to be an immedi-ate success, and in 2003 the com-pany installed two Rapida 105presses – one four-colour and onefive-colour hybrid coater version –

in response to rising demand. Cus-tomer acquisition and productdevelopment were pursued withequal intensity, with the aim of cre-ating a range of coated products tothe highest possible quality stan-dards. Alongside standard businesslines Krammer started specialisingin hybrid-coated products for agen-

cies, industrial enterprises andpublishing houses. At the sametime the company expanded intoposter and packaging printing,which today accounts for around10% of turnover and was one of thereasons why the two brothersdecided to make the move intolarge format.

Premium serviceSpace restrictions at the company’spremises meant that the two exist-ing Rapida 105 press lines had togo in order to make way for thenew, bigger press. The Rapida 142that took their place is one of thefirst large-format presses in Austriawith five units, a hybrid coater and

Report 34 | 2009 11

Michael Scherhagmartin.daenhardt@kba.com

Dr Harald Granegger (l) and Klaus Schobesberger know they can rely on their new Rapida 142 to print a wide range of products – from commercials to posters and packaging – quickly and cost-effectively

At Krammer-Repro FlexoPrint, automation andergonomics are key, and the fully automated Perfecta guillotine oper-ated by David Holzingeris no exception

The pre-press department handles small- to large-format offset and flexo workKarin Huber at Krammer’s Agfa Avalon VLF platesetter which has an average throughput of 60 Agfa Thermostar plates per day, both for in-house and external use

an extended delivery. Says KlausSchobesberger: “We were natural-ly keen to retain all the capabilitiesof the existing presses while at thesame time adding several more.After discussing our requirementsin detail KBA came up with a high-ly customised configuration –something their competitors wereunable to offer. The entire project,from the initial concept to thecompleted installation, was imple-mented without a hitch, despitethe challenges posed by the severelack of space, and this has servedto strengthen our confidence inKBA.”

The new Rapida 142, whichcan handle sheets measuring 1,020x 1,420mm (40.5 x 55.9in) and amaximum print format of 1,010 x1,420mm (39.75 x 55.9in), ismounted on a 420mm (16.5in)plinth and can pump out up to15,000 sheets per hour. Its fiveprinting units and hybrid coatersport the most advanced technolo-gy on the market. Features includeboard and lightweight paper capa-bilities, a 2.6m (8ft 6in) delivery

extension, automatic plate chang-ers throughout, inking and damp-ening rollers for different types ofink, inking-unit temperature con-trol and an anilox roller changingdevice, to name but a few. As aresult Krammer-Repro Flexo Printcan print any substrate thicknessfrom 0.04mm to 1.2mm (1- 48pt).

“The press incorporates a raftof technologically outstanding fea-tures that deliver substantial bene-fits in terms of both quality andcost efficiency,” says director DrHarald Granegger, who is head oftechnology. “These include IR, UVand thermal dryers, a DensiTronicmeasuring system and reversesheet gathering at the feeder. As aresult we can offer our customersnot only an extensive range ofproducts but also, thanks to theRapida’s high level of automationand flexibility, competitive priceseven for short runs.”

Fast makereadies and job changesQuality, cost efficiency and flexibil-ity have contributed in no smallpart to the company’s success. It is

not uncommon for a day’s produc-tion routine to include as many asten plate changes and substratesranging in size and weight from A4to large format and 80 to 300gsm(55lb book to 110lb cover) respec-tively. Fast makeready, automatedplate changing and automatedwashing cycles for the inking anddampening units are thereforeessential. As Klaus Schobesbergerexplains: “With this press we cancost-effectively print A0 posters inruns as short as 100, and A4 prod-ucts from 1,000 items upwards.We are thus able to address thecurrent trend towards ever shorterprint runs yet ever greater productvariety.”

The press room is supported byan integrated pre-press workflowwhich allows the company to han-dle all eventualities. Krammer-Repro Flexo Print has all the hard-ware and software technology itneeds to handle the layout and pro-duction both of internal data anddata supplied by customers. Along-side a Kodak Prinergy workflow thecompany operates an Esko packag-ing workflow that includes Back-stage and FlexRip plus a Heidel-berg Signastation. Common to allthese is the ability to process PDFfiles and utilise CIP4 data for presspresetting.

Plans for the nicheHaving successfully embedded thenew Rapida 142 in the productionflow Krammer is already planningto expand its policy of specialisa-tion still further. Says KlausSchobesberger: “With this presswe’ll be focussing on growing ourlarge-format and packaging print-ing activities. We believe that this

is an area where we can differenti-ate ourselves from our competitorsand hone our profile in the high-end sector. If we achieve our objec-tives, and we are confident weshall, then we’ll eventually have tomove to a greenfield site in orderto increase our production capaci-ty. This will enable us to offer ourcustomers an even broader rangeof options while enhancing thecareer prospects of our 70 staff,who will no doubt reward us witheven greater dedication.”

Report 34 | 200912

Sheetfed Offset | Packaging

Premiere for dedicated drives in northern Germany

Rapida 105 with DriveTronic SPC at Mensing Druck & VerpackungThe first Rapida press in northern Germany to feature dedicated drives has been in operation at Mensing Druck & Verpackung, Norderstedt, since the beginning of

last year. This five-colour coater version with DriveTronic SPC (simultaneous plate change) demonstrates that dedicated drives for the plate cylinders can deliver

enormous benefits in packaging production where small batches demand fast job changes and a high degree of flexibility. Mensing not only prints folding cartons

but also offers a complete, one-stop service. Its product spectrum includes patient information leaflets for the pharmaceutical industry along with CD, skin and

special packaging, blister cards, stand-up displays and much, much more.

Mensing Druck & Verpackung has 4,000m2 ofproduction floor space, with the new high-baystore in the foreground providing ample roomfor loading and unloading

The new 18,000sph press with DriveTronic SPC simultaneous plate change was erected at right-angles to a seven-year-old Rapida 105 (in the foreground)

As many as 19 jobs in a single shift are nothing out of the ordinary for Rapida 105 operatorMax Ringhand

Walter Gzella, Thomas Koch and Volker Knoop (from left), joint managing directors of Mensing Druck & Verpackung, with Ralf Engelhardt of KBA sales at the new Rapida 105

Print runs normally vary from3,000 to over one million, butjobs of just 700 or, more

recently, just 300 to 500 copies

have become part of the regularroutine. These are best printed ona press with an advanced level ofautomation. The new Rapida 105

has handled as many as 19 jobs ina single shift, while at the otherextreme it has also printed 50 mil-lion patient information leaflets forlongstanding customers. On aver-age the two five-colour pressesconsume 100 plates per day.

Rapida power from lightweight paper to corrugated boardMensing invested in its first Rapida105 seven years ago. But as the vol-ume of orders steadily swelled thecompany found itself having to out-source more and more of its work-load. The addition of the second B1Rapida delivered enough capacityto allow all print work to bebrought in-house once again andproduction reduced from threeshifts to two.

The new Rapida with Drive-Tronic SPC is used for all the short-

run work, the older presses forlonger runs. The two highly versa-tile B1 presses can handle a broadrange of stock from 45gsm light-weight paper (63lb cover) to stan-dard solid board weights and even1.2mm (48pt) G- and F-flute corru-gated. While direct offset on corru-gated represents just a small pro-portion of total output, and only a

Report 34 | 2009 13

www.mensing-druck.de

The new high-bay store is used both for consumables and for completed work

DensiTronic PDF detects the smallest deviations in the printed image and is thus an outstanding tool for total quality management

The printed sheets are scanned by a high-resolution line camera mounted on the measuring arm ofthe DensiTronic Professional colour control system, whose high-powered computer then comparesthe scan image with the original PDF

Harald Hartmann changing the tools on one of the two automatic die-cutters

Martin Dänhardtmartin.daenhardt@kba.com

handful of customers request it,Mensing’s philosophy is to includethis in its product range despitefalling prices for laminates and alimited choice of offset-printablecorrugated board.

The ability to print an exten-sive range of substrates is just oneof the Rapida 105’s many winningfeatures. Others include a suite ofDriveTronic components (nonstopfacilities at the feeder and delivery,sheet monitoring between theprinting units, inking-unit tempera-ture control, automatic simultane-ous plate change and a no-sidelayinfeed), an anilox coater withquick-action plate-clamping, apumping and cleaning system forcoatings, and climate-friendly emis-sions extraction at the delivery – infact everything the modern-day

metric measurement and controlthis ensures that production con-forms to the rigorous quality stan-dards prescribed eg by the drugindustry. Management sees Densi-Tronic PDF as the icing on the cakethat allows the company to delivervalue added for special customers.

Not surprisingly, Mensing hasmaintained DIN ISO 9001:2000accreditation by the DQS (GermanAssociation for the Certification ofQuality Systems) for many yearsnow. It has also implemented itsown in-house hygiene conceptbased on HACCP (hazard analysisand critical control points) -– keycriteria for printing pharmaceuticaland food packaging. Preparationsare nearing completion for environ-mental accreditation to ISO14001.

printer could wish for. The Rapida105 has since been superseded bythe Rapida 106 launched at Drupa2008.

Quality control to the highest standardsOne spectacular new feature thatwas also unveiled at last year’sDrupa is DensiTronic PDF, whichcompares the printed image withthe original PDF at high speed andwith 100% accuracy. A line cameramounted on the measuring armof the DensiTronic Professionalcolour control system scans thesheets at a resolution of 300dpi,and a high-powered computerdetects even the most minute devi-ations from the original. In con-junction with automatically gener-ated monitoring logs and densito-

Investment in the futureIn recent years Mensing has invest-ed heavily in new plant andmachinery. In 2007 it opened anew warehouse with more than700 pallet bays in which it storesfinished packaging for regular cus-tomers. An additional automaticdie-cutter was installed to elimi-nate bottlenecks in the finishingdepartment. The installation of thenew Rapida 105 in January lastyear was a key investment. Plansare afoot to streamline the produc-tion workflow still further. At pres-ent the company has 50 employees(including management), havingtaken on a number of new staffover the past two years. Whilethere may be bigger packagingprinters, Mensing prefers to focuson maximising flexibility. With itssmall yet dedicated workforce andpotential for expanding productionby adding a third shift, the compa-ny is well poised for future growth.

Mensing has been in the pack-aging business for more than 50years, having started by printingrecord sleeves. In the near futurethere are plans to enhance efficien-cy still further. In a market wherepricing competition is fierce, quali-ty alone is not enough as cus-tomers consider this a given. Butthey can still be won over by acombination of competitive pricesand short turnaround times. Thenew Rapida 105 furnishes themeans to achieve this.

Report 34 | 200914

Sheetfed Offset | B2 format

Capital press for the capital city

Germany’s first Rapida 75 goes live in BerlinThe first Rapida 75 in Germany came on stream in Berlin last September at

Druckerei Elsholz, a family-run business with just five employees and 300m2

(3,230ft2) of production floor space. The company's customer base includes a

For Dagmar and Olaf Elsholz, the Rapida 75 was the biggest investment in their company’s40-year history

Master printer Frank Reissner had a say in choosing the new press

Elsholz’s product palette isexceptionally diverse, rangingfrom newsletters to promo-

tional flyers and high-quality tick-ets for cultural events such as exhi-

bition openings, and even stampsfor private postal services.

Elsholz’s appeal lies in its fami-ly-based structure, its flexibility,reliability and direct, personal con-

tact with customers – an aspectwhich is becoming increasinglyrare with the onslaught of digitalcommunications. Established 40years ago in the district of

Kreuzberg, in 1986 the companymoved north to an industrial estatein Schwedenstrasse, in the districtof Wedding. The printing, die-stamping and folding machines areall located on the ground floor,while the administration, pre-pressand digital print departments areon the second floor along withadditional space for finishing anddespatch. Elsholz’s origins weremuch more modest: when HaraldElsholz took over the business in1969 it was just a printshop withno customer base, just one Rota-print machine, a light-table and adesk.

Compact and greenThe Elsholzes first came into directcontact with KBA three years ago.At the beginning of last year HaraldElsholz and his master printerFrank Reissner started lookingaround for a new press andchanced upon the Performa 74.When KBA’s Radebeul plantunveiled its successor, the Rapida

high proportion of longstanding regulars, among them advertising agencies,

banks, craftsmen and tradesmen. With the Rapida 75 Elsholz has expanded from

two-colour to four-colour B2.

Report 34 | 2009 15

Highly coloured areas and reverse type: master printer Frank Reissner (l) showing KBA sales manager Michael Grieger the first prints off the four-colour press

Die-cutting form and printed sheet of stamps for a private postal service

Ergonomic press operation at the GrafiControl consoleLack of space was not a problem with the compact Rapida 75

Martin Dänhardtmartin.daenhardt@kba.com

75, shortly afterwards the twodecided to wait for the newermodel. They took delivery of theirnew press on 3 September and on9 September ran the first job on it:a six-colour ticket printed in twopasses and finished with a coating.For the four-colour version of theRapida 75 that they had specified,this baptism by fire included imageareas with a lot of colour and lightreverse type: a challenge the pressmastered with consummate ease.Since then just about every job ithas printed has been four colours.According to Harald’s son Olaf,who is now managing director, theRapida’s compact footprint and lowenergy consumption – both ofwhich lie well below the norm forthis format class – were decisivefactors influencing the choice ofpress. This is because pressroom

architecture left very little roomfor manoeuvre in configuring fourcolours, while trimming energycosts is a major objective of anycompany. The benefits have beenreflected in the low quotations thecompany can give for jobs.

Master printer Frank Reissner,who has worked with KBA pressesat previous employers, appreciatesthe CIP4 link to pre-press and theconvenience of controlling theprint run via the touch-screen dis-play at the delivery. A practice-ori-ented level of automation, whichincludes diagonal register, washingunits and the GrafiControl consolecomplete with online densitome-ter, makes press operation eveneasier. After working with the Rap-ida 75 for the first few weeksReissner believes that the prints itdelivers can easily bear comparison

with those of the bigger models. Itjust happens to be built on a small-er scale.

Elsholz’s flexibility and cus-tomer focus are reflected in itsprint runs, which can be as short as50 flyers or 100 Christmas cards,printed either digitally or in offset.Sometimes customers specificallyrequest offset for quality reasons.Of course, Elsholz is also happy toprint longer runs, ranging frombusiness documents to brochuresand leaflets to folders and a raft ofother products, all of which can bescored, folded, perforated, die-cut,saddle-stitched and film- or foil-laminated. This means that it iseven possible to produce stamps.While Deutsche Post does not fig-ure in the order books, Elsholzhandles an increasing volume ofwork for private delivery services

which have found that there is amarket for images specific to theirsales regions. Print runs rangefrom 10,000 to 5 million items,and the Rapida 75 has no troublemeeting the high quality standardsdemanded for stamp production.

Generational successionThe new press and the introduc-tion of a digital workflow havebeen accompanied by a succession-al transition in the family enter-prise. Harald Elsholz now works forjust a few hours a week, while hiswife Dagmar continues to head thefirm, handling customer contactsand administration. Son Olaf con-centrates on pre-press and finish-ing, but will also operate one of thepresses if need be. Frank Reissnerand a third-year apprentice operatethe presses assisted by contractworkers if there is rush of orders.

The Rapida 75 has substantial-ly increased capacity and this hasenabled Elsholz to recalculate itsproduct portfolio. As a result a lotof customers no longer notify thecompany of new orders but simplysend the print data, and the Rapida75 enables the job to be turnedaround in a minimum of time.Speed and flexibility – these, too,are indicative of the changes thatare taking place in the print indus-try, and ones that even family busi-nesses must take on board.

Report 34 | 200916

Sheetfed Offset | Germany

Premiere in northern Germany

Dato-Druck fires up Rapida 106 world makeready championAt one time Dato-Druck was the smallest print enterprise in Germany to install a 4-backing-4 B2 (29in) press. Even

then the company's job structure was shifting away from short runs to higher volume production. Ten years later,

on 21 November 2008, Dato celebrated its 106th anniversary by officially flicking the switch on the first Rapida

106 in northern Germany.

Dato’s management team – Gert and NinaDannemann, Thimo Fehrenkamp and UweDittmann – with Bollmann, their “securityguard”

Olaf Rüscher running a new job on the five-colour coater press

Preparations for the invest-ment had been initiated twoyears earlier, when technical

staff at this 26-employee familybusiness analysed the company’sjob structures and applied theirfindings to determine which typeand configuration of press wouldbe most capable of handling pres-ent and future customer demands.The conclusion they reached wasthat a fifth printing unit, inlinecoating and the ability to handle awider range of substrates would bepreferable to pure 4-backing-4 pro-duction. So the launch of the Rapi-da 106 at Drupa last year could nothave been better timed. It deliverscutting-edge technology, one of thehighest output levels on the mar-

ket and world-beating jobchangeover times – a key criterionwhere print runs are steadilyshrinking. It was thus a perfect fitwith Dato’s product spectrum.

Commenting on the reasonsfor choosing the Rapida 106, jointmanaging director Nina Danne-mann says: “Shortest possiblemakeready and changeover timeswere the deciding factor, becausethey allow us to alter the produc-tion sequence or add a job at shortnotice.” With five inking units, acoater, an extended delivery and aperfector after the first unit, thepress furnishes precisely the flexi-bility required for such quick-firechanges. It can print either fivecolours straight or one backing

four plus a coating. Mono perfect-ing jobs can also be run in onepass. Printing units not requiredfor the job can be simply disen-gaged. This saves energy andreduces wear and tear on the ink-ing rollers.

DriveTronic SPC dedicateddrives for the plate cylinders allowjob changes to be completed innext to no time. “Whether thistakes fifteen minutes or just eightmakes an enormous difference,”says Ms Dannemann. “We, too,have noticed a reduction in theaverage run length, with runs ofmore than 10,000 copies now con-sidered to be at the high end of thescale.” So short makeready timesplay an increasingly pivotal role.

Simultaneous plate changing and much, much moreBut it is not just the simultaneousplate changing that makes jobchanges so fast on the Rapida 106.The setting- and sidelay-free Drive-Tronic SIS infeed system also playsa part by ensuring a precise,immaculate sheet infeed even athigh press speeds. On top of thisthere is a complete gamut of make-ready aids, among them automatedwashing systems and automaticadjustment from the console of thesuction heads on the suctionrollers in the delivery, to minimisemanual input. The coating platesare changed via a quick-actionclamping system, while with ACR-Control register corrections can becarried out in a matter of seconds.

A high degree of flexibility wasthe second criterion governing thechoice of press, and this is wherethe Rapida 106 scored highly withits ability to handle a wide range ofsubstrates from lightweight paperto medium board. The press is alsopreconfigured for inline perfora-tion. Other features include tem-perature controls for the inkingunits, and a height-adjustable non-stop roller facility in the delivery. ALogoTronic system supports theonline transfer of CIP4 pre-pressdata for automatic press preset,while job storage and protocol soft-ware cuts setting times for repeatjobs, which represent around 30%

Report 34 | 2009 17

At the official inauguration on 21 November the press demonstrated its prowess to an attentiveaudience of some 200 people

From the left: Dato-Druck joint managing directors Gert and Nina Dannemann toasting the smoothstart-up of their new Rapida 106 with Jürgen Fischenich, head of KBA's northwest sales outlet, andRalf Engelhardt of KBA sales

Dato celebrates a world champion: during the official inauguration six different brochuresfeaturing photos taken at the event were printed “live” on the press

Olaf Rüscher at the control console and Hendrik Bruns at the delivery are delighted by the new Rapida 106’s advanced level ofautomation and superb print quality

Martin Dänhardtmartin.daenhardt@kba.com

of total output. The Rapida 106 isalso embedded in a quality controland documentation system basedon DensiTronic Professional densit-ometry and spectrophotometry.

Press operators welcome the new pressEven though the foundation for thenew high-tech press line had to bepoured alongside an existing presswhile production continued un-abated, the installation was com-pleted on schedule and without ahitch. Press minders were keen towork with the press right from thestart. Initial awe at the advancedlevel of automation soon changedto enthusiasm once operators sawthe quality of the prints delivered.Inline coating, which was also newground for the press crews,became a routine part of the pro-duction workflow within a matterof weeks. Dato’s customers – mostof whom are industrial enterprises,

advertising agencies and museums– have been quick to appreciatethe finishing options now open tothem.

Long-term plans include in-stalling a new platesetter to satisfythe world makeready champion’svoracious appetite for plates. Butfirst Dato’s existing pre-presscapacity must be exploited to thefull, with one shift per day beingexpanded to two whenever busi-ness demands it. In the finishingdepartment, which is directly adja-cent to the press room, guillotinesand folding machines are in actionalongside a gang stitcher. Here,too, further investment is plannedin the medium term to keep pacewith the higher print output.

Regional trailblazerDato moved to its present locationin 1989. In 2001 it added anotherhall, increasing the total produc-tion floor space to around 1,700m2

Website: www.dato-druck.de

(18,300ft2). The Rapida 106 is thefourth B1 (41in) press to beinstalled here, and stands along-side an eight-colour perfector. Bothpresses are alcohol-free. Dato isalso the first, and at present only,printing plant in Oldenburg toachieve offset process standardcertification under ISO 12647-2,with FSC (Forest StewardshipCouncil) certification soon to fol-low. Nina Dannemann, joint man-aging director since 2004 and thefourth generation to head this fam-ily business founded in 1902, isout to defend Dato’s position asthe regional bellwether.

The Dannemann family hasextensive experience in guidingthe company through troubledtimes, and last year was no excep-tion: the cost of substrates, print-

ing aids and energy rocketed evenas prices for print products fell, notleast as a result of competitionfrom web-to-print services. ForDato this meant maximising pro-duction by streamlining the work-flow. The Rapida 106 furnished asolid starting point, as did new costcalculation software which wasinstalled at roughly the same time.Staff rose nobly to the challengeand after a few initial problemssoon mastered the technology. Theaddition of so much new kit in2008 was only possible becauseeveryone pulled together and pur-sued clearly defined objectives. Butthe key factor was the personaldedication of every single employ-ee and the flexibility demonstratedin every single department for thegood of the company.

The official premiere of theworld champion Rapida 106 in lateNovember was attended by some200 of Dato’s customers, suppliersand business friends, who wit-nessed at first hand its unprece-dented standard of efficiency andproductivity. The first product offthe press was a street map of Old-enburg, after which the plateswere changed and six differentbrochures – each featuring photostaken at the event – were printedin two separate demonstrationsand immediately finished. All in all,a stunning performance by theentire Dato team.

Report 34 | 200918

Sheetfed Offset | Finishing

KBA brings out book of sophisticated coating samples

Practical guide to fine, reproducible finishing

For sheetfed printers keen to raise

their market profile with sophistica-

ted, value added inline and offline

coating effects, KBA has brought out a

handy guide to the production proces-

ses involved in creating and reliably

reproducing such effects. The guide,

“Coating Sample Book – Technology

by KBA”, contains a stunning assort-

ment of coating effects complete with

detailed instructions on how to create

them, the press configurations requi-

red and the materials used. Weighing

in at over one kilogram (21/4lbs), this is

a unique and invaluable aid.

Some of the samples were finished using a KBA ColdFoiler

Sheetfed finishing of thefinest order: KBA’s coatingsample book is a handyguide to the many issuesassociated with this technology

KBA has long been an engine ofinnovation in the develop-ment and standardisation of

finishing and coating processes.One example is the hybrid technol-ogy we introduced some ten yearsago, which made it possible to cre-

ate previously inconceivable coat-ing effects in a single pass on a five-or six-colour press featuring justone coater. These include contrast-ing matt/gloss effects (without theneed for costly photopolymerplates!), diverse surface structures

and haptic properties, gloss grada-tions and filigree gloss effects –even on ultra-fine type or graphics.

For our development engi-neers, providing comprehensiveinformation on the many coatingoptions available and, in collabora-tion with Fogra and other Germanpress manufacturers, defining stan-dards for the materials used inorder to enhance process reliabilityhave always been a top priority.Among other things it includes thecertification of consumables forUV and hybrid processes. KBA’stechnology publications ProcessNo. 3 (quality enhancement withhybrid production) and Process No.4 (inline coating) were both devot-ed to this topic. The coating sam-ple book provides visual evidenceof the options available. KBAProcess No. 5 (printing on plasticsand composites), which has justbeen published, discusses theissues associated with coating non-absorbent substrates.

Report 34 | 2009 19

Martin Dänhardtmartin.daenhardt@kba.comPrint instructor Jens Pille checking a sample print at the console of the Rapida 106 in our Radebeul showroom

The coating samples arealso available in the form of a swatch

Broad coating spectrumOur sumptuous coating samplebook contains 29 chapters on alter-native coating processes and a totalof 40 print and coating samples.The sheer diversity of the process-es and information contained sur-passes all other collections of thiskind on the market.

The first chapters are devotedto high-gloss UV coatings on hybridinks. These are followed by variousmatt and special-effect coatings aswell as contrasting matt/glosseffects using hybrid and drip-offtechniques. Haptic effects such assoft touch and gentle touch arealso featured. Other chapters are

dedicated to the different dualcoating effects possible by combin-ing various materials. There is prac-tical advice on using aromatic, blis-ter and iridescent coatings, and ondifferent ways of creating metallicsurfaces (eg with a KBA ColdFoil-er). Coating options for labels arealso dealt with at length. These

include UV opaque white on alu-minium-coated substrates or Met-alFX special-effect inks in conjunc-tion with various coatings. Glosstest formes, finishing options suchas die-cutting and cold-foil stamp-ing, and information on combiningmultiple processes complete thisremarkable compendium.

Precise documentationNo less important than the samplesthemselves are the accompanyingdetailed descriptions of the exactprocesses involved. The samplebook carefully explains the pressequipment required, which canrange form a five-colour press withone coater – perfectly adequate formany types of coating – to highlyspecialised 14-unit presses withthree coaters and four interdeckdryers. Each individual stage inproduction is described in detail,complete with all the relevant aidsand consumables, making it easilycomprehensible for print profes-sionals. Most of the samples wereproduced using Crescendo, Chro-molux, label stock and other typesof paper from Schneidersöhne.Charts and graphics provide a con-venient overview of the diversecoating processes used.

Alongside the lavish and costlycoating sample book we have alsoproduced a swatch with accompa-nying explanatory booklet. Smallenough to fit easily into hand lug-gage, this is much handier for trav-elling sales reps, who can take italong when calling on customersand prospects. Both book andswatch can be used for consulta-tive discussions with print buyers.The sample book, which is distrib-uted by our sheetfed sales depart-ment, is restricted exclusively toprinters. The swatch, which is alsoavailable to non-printers, can beobtained free of charge from IlkaDemuth (e-mail: ilka.demuth@kba.com) in our Radebeul market-ing department.

Report 34 | 200920

Sheetfed Offset | USA Website: www.suplitho.com

Los Angeles-based Superior Lithographics adds large-format Rapida 162a

Quick turnaround and a fastresponse to customer demandsSuperior Lithographics, a premier supplier of high-quality litho labels, top sheets and folding cartons for the

corrugated box industry, has installed a fully-automated Rapida 162a 7B (64in) six-colour sheetfed press with

UV coater.

Prior to the press installation Superior’s lead press crew was trained atKBA’s headquarters in Germany

A Superior Lithographics employee carries aplate to be hung on the new Rapida 162a

Just-in-time large-format production on the high-automation Rapida 162a

Our entire firm is built aroundgiving our customers anincredibly fast response to

their printing needs,” explainsCEO and president Doug Rawson.“We needed a tailor-made presswith all the latest technologicaladvances to rapidly produce high-quality large-format work. KBAshares our vision of being super-responsive and has delivered everystep of the way.” The new Rapida162a is equipped with a long list ofaward-winning features, includingLogoTronic, interdeck UV coatingand DensiTronic S scanning densit-ometry.

“We practise lean manufactur-ing,” says Rawson. “We typicallyhave one week’s worth of backlog,yet we run 24 hours a day, sevendays a week. Since everything weprint ends up in a Big Box retailer,we need to consistently providelead time of two or three days tomeet our customers’ needs. Key tochoosing KBA was their fundamen-tal understanding of our businessand their ability to match theirequipment and technology to ourneeds. We can makeready the pressin 20 minutes and have seen runrates in excess of 12,000 sheetsper hour.”

“The DensiTronic S scanningdensitometer was another impor-tant feature for us,” says Rawson.“Much of our work is repeat orderswhere we need to match the priorrun and have consistent colour.”The DensiTronic S is a combineddensity and colour measuring sys-tem for quality control both duringand after printing. Unlike other

systems, DensiTronic S permitsdirect “X,Y” measurements withinthe image. Deviations from definedtarget densities, colour values andother quality parameters (dot gain,trapping, etc) are recognised anddisplayed not only reliably, but alsovery quickly in comparison tohand-held measuring devices. With

integration for online control, thedensity and spectral deviations areconverted into corrective adjust-ments for the individual ink keys.The DensiTronic S system controlsthe density and spectral parame-ters of each sheet by measuringalong control strips or directly onthe image.

Fast customer service response,advance trainingSuperior Lithographics has madefast customer response its numberone priority. One of its uniqueofferings is to have all its sales rep-resentatives equipped to providean immediate quotation fromwherever they are. Additionally,online proofing capabilities allowmultiple people in various loca-tions to view the proof online andapprove the job without having tospend time transporting the proofor visiting the plant.

Superior sent its lead presscrew teams to Germany foradvance training on the Rapida162a prior to installation, so theywere ready to start printing as soonas the press was installed.

Founded in 1987, SuperiorLithographics has 75 employeesand is located in a 60,000ft2

(5,600m2) facility just outside LosAngeles.

Eric Frankmarketing@kba-usa.com

“

Report 34 | 2009 21

Left: The high-speed Rapida 105 two-coaterpress (on the right) installed last year at ModelObaly in Hostinné runs alongside a Rapida 105(formerly Rapida 105 universal). Both pressesare mounted on plinths

Model Obaly in Hostinné was the first packaging printer in the Czech Republic to achieve BRC/IoP accreditation for its production workflow

View from the feeder, showing the extra pileheight afforded by the 375mm press plinth

Model Obaly in Hostinné boosts growth with Rapida 105

Ideal sheetfed offset technologyfor printing packaging

Model Holding, one of the leading manufacturers of packaging in Europe, employs Rapida technology at its

Czech production plants. The most recent addition, the third Rapida 105 (formerly Rapida 105 universal) in

succession, came on stream last October in Hostinné.

The graphic arts industry has along tradition in Hostinné. Thehistory of Model Obaly’s fac-

tory there dates back to 1887,when it started producing hand-glued paper bags. The printingcompany operated under the nameKrpaco until 1998, when it wastaken over by Cofinec. This wasacquired in 2003 by Swiss-basedModel Holding, which proceededto invest heavily in new kit. Todaythe Hostinné facility produces abroad spectrum of exclusive pack-aging for food and luxury goods,for which it was extensively refur-bished. Within four years the com-pany pressed the button on threeRapidas. It also invested in newtechnology for the finishing depart-ment, including a die-cuttingmachine from Bobst.

The first B1 (41in) Rapida,which shipped to Hostinné in2004, was a six-colour coater ver-sion with extended delivery. Withsales steadily climbing, it soonbecame evident that productioncapacity had reached its limits.

After conducting a rigorous selec-tion procedure management optedfor a six-colour Rapida once again,this time with two coaters and twointerdeck dryers. With this press itis possible to print conventionalinks followed by a UV coating ortwo aqueous coatings, and thiscapability has been exploited to thefull.

Blistering growth“With this press we can respond toa broad diversity of customerdemands. We have not yet decidedwhether to embrace all-UV produc-tion, because some of our cus-tomers still prefer conventionalinks and aqueous coatings,”explains Petr Etrich, productionmanager of Model Obaly’s Hostin-né plant. “When the second Rapida105 went into operation two yearsago, it was not long before wenoticed that our production capac-ity was still too small. In 2007 thevolume of incoming orders swelledby 25%. And the first few monthsof last year saw a further 15%

increase. Management thereforedecided to add a third press alongwith a new production line forfolding cartons.”

A contract was signed at thebeginning of May and in October2008 a Rapida 105 of the newgeneration exhibited at Drupalaunched into action. Once againthis was a six-colour coater versionwith extended delivery. “Our threeRapidas not only deliver a superiorprint quality but have also fur-nished the capacity to respondquickly to customer demands,”says a delighted Petr Etrich. “Allthree press lines feature nonstopsystems at the feeder and deliveryto support on-the-fly pile change.”The most recent Rapida wasembedded in the existing Logo-Tronic network and linked to aDensiTronic Professional densitom-etry and spectrophotometry sys-tem.

Petr Etrich continues: “Soonafter we switched to KBA itbecame evident that installing theRapidas had been the right move.

All three presses function flawless-ly, deliver a superb print qualityand are highly productive. Not fornothing does KBA enjoy an out-standing reputation among packag-ing printers. And the Rapidas areideal for our product lines.”

Today Model Obaly in Hostin-né is one of the best productionplants in the entire Model group.At present around 8,000 tonnes(8,800 US tonnes) of board areprocessed into folding cartonsevery year, but over the next twoto three years there are plansto increase the volume to 10,000tonnes (11,000 US tons). Theplant in Hostinné specialises in theproduction of high-grade blisterpackaging and primary packagingfor the food industry, and was thefirst packaging manufacturer in theCzech Republic to achieve BRC/IoPaccreditation for its productionworkflow.

Patrik Thomamartin.daenhardt@kba.com

Sheetfed Offset | Czech Republic

Report 34 | 200922

Sheetfed Offset | KBA Complete

Hiflex MIS KBA Complete in demo centre

JDF-enabled process automation in KBA customer showroom

The customer showroom, whichhouses a number of small-,medium- and large-format Rap-

ida presses for demonstration pur-poses, is itself embedded in aHiflex MIS workflow. So prospectscan experience at first hand thecompelling benefits of networkingfor their own specific job struc-tures.

Management information sys-tems (MIS) are being increasinglydeployed in the print media indus-try as a central storage facility forall the technical and process-specif-ic data required for order fulfil-ment. They are a means of elimi-nating cost-intensive duplicateactivities and of melding individualworkflows into a single network.

But if the investment is todeliver rapid returns and concretebenefits with regard to processautomation, print buyers and con-sumables suppliers must also bebrought on board and willinglyaccept that they have a role to playin the MIS workflow – a role whicheffectively blurs the distinctionbetween internal and externalprocesses.

Integrated non-proprietary workflowIn the new KBA Complete Loungeat our Radebeul facility membersof the print media industry canattend demonstrations highlightingthe immense potential of a JDF-/JMF-enabled workflow throughout

The Hiflex MIS management information system assumes a central role in the production workflow

In the KBA Complete Lounge demonstrationsare given both from the customer and the staffperspective of how process components fromvarious manufacturers can be embedded in auniversal workflow using MIS

Customer Agency Sales Supplier

Web to printvia internet

Pre-press Hiflex MIS

Scheduling and operational data capture

Financial and payroll accounting

Finished goods and raw materials

Delivery and mailing

Gang stitching Folding Trimming

Printing

When deploying modern proprietary software to streamline print production,

success largely depends on how smoothly print buyers and consumables suppli-

ers are integrated in the workflow. In a well equipped demo centre at our

Radebeul facility our affiliated network consultancy, KBA Complete, illustrates

the enormous potential afforded by a multi-level, non-proprietary network

powered by Hiflex MIS software.

Report 34 | 2009 23

Relevant websites:www.druckhaus-dresden.dewww.kba-complete.com

the entire processing chain. Practi-cal demonstrations show not onlywhat is technically possible butalso, and equally important, what iseconomically feasible. Close collab-oration between KBA Completeand leading technology providersallows it to demonstrate diversepermutations of pre-press, pressand post-press systems, all embed-ded in an automated workflow.Prospects can thus more easilyassess the benefits to their busi-ness of modifying their productionprocesses accordingly.

The implementation of MIS isdemonstrated from two perspec-tives, that of the print provider andthe print buyer, so that both caneasily understand just how theprocess components from differentmanufacturers interact seamlesslyat every step, from the customerenquiry, submission of quotationand receipt of order (including dataupload and approval by the cus-tomer) through production sched-uling and pre-press to press, post-press and dispatch. Statistical costaccounting, which is equally impor-tant for the successful manage-ment of a company, is also analysedin detail.

MIS software unites the indi-vidual systems and functions as acommunications control hub. Theresult is more effective processcontrol, enhanced transparencyand flexibility in order fulfilment, adramatic increase in productivityand substantial cost savings.

Innovative web to print solutions for KBA customersWeb-to-print capabilities can be akey instrument in winning newaccounts, and more and more printentrepreneurs are exploiting thisoption. Demonstrations in the KBAComplete Lounge showing how tointegrate print buyers and consum-ables suppliers in the print produc-tion workflow therefore includethe effective use of web-to-printtechnology.

Thomas Göckemarketing@kba-complete.com

KBA Complete provides integrated JDF workflow

Druckhaus Dresden: customised networkingDruckhaus Dresden, a public limited company in which many of its 80-strong workforce hold shares as part of

an employee participation scheme, recently celebrated its centenary. Its press room houses three Rapida 105

medium-format presses which handle between 25 and 30 jobs per day totalling 500,000 to 700,000 sheets. Fol-

lowing heavy investment in equipment upgrades for the pre-press, press and post-press departments the compa-

ny is now focussing on optimising internal processes, ably assisted by KBA Complete.

On its way out: the job docket held by managing director Karl Nolle (r), who is pictured here with project manager Tobias Stange

Sheetfed Offset | Workflow

Joint managing directors Christland Karl Nolle perceive anunmistakable trend towards

shorter run lengths coupled with amounting demand for faster turn-around times and lower prices. Asa result print providers are underincreasing pressure. “Competitionin the marketplace is ferocious. Ifyou don’t maintain the pace you’reout of it!” says Karl Nolle. “For usthis meant analysing all the produc-tion processes within the company,with a view to optimising andautomating them. We consultedKBA Complete, which gave usevery assistance we could have

wished for. Since we deploy sys-tems and workflows from variousproviders, uniting them in a singleworkflow is crucial to our survival.That is why we chose KBA Com-plete to implement the integrationas well.”

Process automation the key to successThe key move in automating theproduction process at DruckhausDresden was to install a manage-ment information system (MIS)based on Hiflex MIS software,which allows the potential inher-ent in a multi-level, vendor-inde-pendent networking system to beexploited to the full. MIS softwarenot only enables process compo-nents from different manufactur-ers to interact flawlessly, it also

regulates and controls communica-tion among the individual systemswithin an integrated workflow.

“We needed an overview ofthe company’s entire productionprocess. Anyone can buy a printingpress, but organising and optimis-ing all the processes within a print-ing plant – that really takes somebrains,” declares Karl Nolle.

Lode Vlayen, managing direc-tor of KBA Complete, says: “Onceyou have invested in new press kit,the only way you can boost produc-tivity and earnings still further –and thus achieve additional timeand cost savings – is to streamlineand integrate internal productionand digital workflows, and auto-mate them as far as possible.”

Thomas Göckemarketing@kba-complete.com

Report 34 | 200924

Sheetfed Offset | Italy

Italian drug and cosmetics packaging printer drives growth with two Rapida 105s

Outlook bright on IGB’s 40th anniversaryIndustrie Grafiche Bressan’s slogan “We pack your business” reveals little of this North Italian packaging printer’s creativi-

ty and outstanding performance. Established by Dino Bressan as a small commercial printer in Viggiu, near Varese, IGB has

evolved from a two-man business into a major player and provider of choice for sophisticated cartons, blister packaging

and displays.

The high-performance Rapidas have already delivered a big boost in sales

Alessio Bressan (2nd left) and his press crew make the most of their new Rapidas’ high productionflexibility and enormous output

IGB founder Dino Bressan and his son Alessio celebrated the company’s 40th jubileelast year

IGB’s 30 staff work with cutting-edge technology in productdevelopment, pre-press, press

and post-press. ISO 9001:2000quality accreditation and punctualdelivery have enabled the companyto build up a customer base amongmajor manufacturers of pharma-ceuticals and cosmetics in Italy andSwitzerland.

First high-tech presses from KBALast year Dino Bressan and his sonAlessio, who joined him at thehelm in 1999, celebrated IGB’s for-tieth anniversary by installing twohigh-performance B1 (41in) KBApresses at the Via Varese premises.The four- and five-colour Rapida105s – the first from KBA followinga succession of small- and medium-format presses from other manu-facturers – have delivered an enor-mous productivity boost along witha superb print quality.

In view of the features speci-fied, this is not surprising. Theyinclude coaters, a hybrid capability(five-colour press), a triple deliveryextension, a CX package for print-ing packaging, DensiTronic S scan-ning densitometry and LogoTronicBasic production management.These not only make for muchgreater production flexibility butalso allow colour and gloss effectsto be created on carton and blisterpackaging that were previouslyimpossible.

Accumulated production benefitsSays Alessio Bressan: “We hadbeen aware for some years of KBA’sexperience and know-how in inlinefinishing, and were provided withdetailed information on the Rapi-das by highly competent staff fromKBA-Italia. While we were mainlylooking to increase capacity, theRapida’s additional benefits havedelivered much, much more.”

He continues: “The two press-es are fast, reliable, easy to operateand complement each other per-fectly. So in one shift, for example,we can print the same productwith either hybrid or conventionalinks, enabling us to respond to cus-tomer demands with much greaterflexibility. There is an emergingtrend towards shorter, on-demand

print runs. Since our customersare unwilling to compromise onquality or delivery deadlines, wemust gear up accordingly. The two

KBA Rapida 105 presses are usedfor jobs of 20,000 copies or more,and combine a high output with