High-level automation and triple-wide productivity are part of KBA’s persuasive case to publishers, and this week, the company showed off the both – on the first 6x2 Commander CT press in Europe – to industry and media representatives.
The two-tower press at ‘Der Neue Tag’ in Weiden, on the German side of the border with the Czech Republic, replaces a KBA Express installed in 1995. The first of three triple-wide CT presses to go on stream in Germany so far, it prints a 48-page all colour product at up to 90,000 cph.
Others are in production in locations as widespread as Karlsruhe, Koblenz and Salzburg, at Transcontinental in Canada and at the New York ‘Daily News’. KBA also has orders for Barneveld in the Netherlands and Delmenhorst in Germany.
With the waterless Cortina series, it shares compact press features including ‘glide apart’ towers and innovations such as remotely adjustable roller locks, automatically adjustable cylinder bearings and automatic plate changing during production.
The plant for ‘Der Neue Tag’ – the largest daily paper in the Upper Palatinate region – is a 25 million Euros investment, its new print centre making an architectural statement in its rural setting. It produces the flagship daily, regional titles ‘Sulzbach-Rosenberger Zeitung’, ‘Amberger Zeitung’ and five other local editions, with a total daily print run of up to 84,000 copies. It also produces weekly freesheets and other newspaper-related products.
Manager Thomas Maul says the Vogelsang, Döhler, Shanahan and Panzer families are shareholders of the traditional media company that currently has a workforce of more than 400 employees.
Maul and management consultant Martin Blume told guests of the planning and implementation of the project, which includes presshall, warehouse space, mailroom and dispatch hall with an integrated prepress department on a 16,000 m² site
Installation and commissioning of the press went “without a hitch” and Maul says the entire production process was soon running smoothly. “The Commander CT delivers top print quality with extremely low waste,” he says. “Ultra-fast edition changes require less handling and lower manning levels thanks to automated press presetting and plate changers.”
The press has a cylinder circumference of 910 mm and a maximum web width of 1890 mm. Towers also have automatic colour register control, KBA automatic blanket washing and a central ink supply. Two Pastomat CL reelstands are linked to an automated Patras A reel logistics system with integrated stripping station and daily storage.
There are two double turner decks, three formers above the KF 5 jaw folders, a section stitcher, skip-slitter and KBA’s variable Zip'n'Buy perforation unit. Equipment also includes reel aligners, cut-off register controls, web edge/web centre controls and pre-former web guiding systems to reduce start-up waste to a minimum.
The press is controlled via two KBA ErgoTronic control consoles with a scheduling system and automatic press start-up and run-down systems.
Participants enjoyed an evening meal together in a typical Upper Palatinate restaurant before experiencing the night production run first-hand at the Weiden Print Centre.
Picture: Gerhard Götz, ‘Der Neue Tag’