Blanket maker ContiTech teamed with KBA to host the eleventh annual Cortina users group get-together.
Some 80 participants from Belgium, Denmark, Dubai, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland were welcomed to the motorcycle and car museum in Einbeck, Lower Saxony.
Among good news was that another plate for waterless peinting - Presstek's Zahara Newz - has been approved for use. Participants exchanged opinions and experience around the choice of material and tests and trials, also working on common strategies to further develop machinery and the market for waterless offset newspaper printing.
Host ContiTech has metal back blankets for waterless produced by hand at its Northeim site.
The Cortina press remains a concept for the future: "The process provides a significant increase in quality, flexibility and productivity, which gives a real advantage over the competition," says Peter Benz, project manager at KBA. "The result is space for impressive quality newspapers and similar orders."
These sentiments were echoed by Matthias Tietz, managing director of Rheinisch-Bergischen Druckerei, in a talk on his own experience: "We've seen a noticeable increase in the number of orders since we introduced the waterless Cortina press."
His colleague, Katja Lümmer, who is head of sales and marketing, expanded on the subject of diversification with an insight into marketing measures. "Based on the findings of the market study presented at the 10th Cortina Workshop, we contacted advertising agencies directly with Cortina products."
This and the relaunch of the printer's website, "really helped" to increase public awareness of the products. The improved internet presence also acted as a great contact point for customers.
"We also publish the magazine "Cortissimo" twice a year, printed on the Cortina," she says. This is sent to agency customers and aims to increase acceptance of the product and attract attention.
"By optimising machine technology and materials, we are creating a market with the Cortina, but in the end it is the products that have to win over the customers."
A comprehensive and varied agenda made for an extremely successful event, with participants agreed on the need to continue making progress.
The next KBA Cortina Workshop is planned for September 21-22, 2016, at the Nordsee printing centre of Nordsee Zeitung in Bremerhaven, Germany.
Pictured: Around 80 international users and suppliers met for the workshop in Einbeck
On our homepage: Katja Lümmer from Rheinisch-Bergischen Druckerei (Pictures ContiTech)