KBA Enters Pressroom Consumable Market

KBA North America announced a new pressroom consumables division was being created and there is to be the first large format sheetfed press in its demonstration centre in Vermont (USA).

KBA North America announced a new pressroom consumables division was being created and there is to be investment in the installation of the first large format sheetfed press in its demonstration centre in Vermont (USA).

It will be the only large-format press in a demonstration centre in North America, claimed the company.

KBA North America added that next year will also see the introduction of a new waterless, keyless 29-inch perfecting press, whilst the Genius press will be available with more options.

The firm's stand at Graph Expo was dominated by the Genius 52 UV digital sheetfed offset press, which printed on a variety of substrates, including plastic and lenticular.

The new version of the Genius 52 UV, which was named the 2006 GATF Intertech award winner, features an optional raised kit to allow commercial and packaging printers the ability to increase pile height during the operation of the press.

The higher pile height is said to allow printers to utilise a variety of substrates, such as lenticular, paper, board and plastic, in larger amounts and as a result less pile changes.

Another new option for the Genius is inkjet printing personalisation.

The personalisation option is available through the in-line alphaJet C continuous inkjet system for single sheet marking with variable imprints, such as letters, numbers and barcodes, said the company.

The inkjet system is claimed to be an economical way to produce personalised messages on the Genius 52 UV with low consumption rates.

Ralf Sammeck, president and chief executive officer of KBA North America, made the announcement of KBA's intention to integrate its sheetfed and web divisions in to one operation for sales and service.

The decision came from KBA North America's supervisory board, which felt the integration would better serve KBA's customers to transfer web press sales, service and parts activities from York, PA, to KBA NA's sheetfed division, which has been based since the early 1990s in the Burlington suburb of Williston, Vermont.

Sammeck commented: "Our ultimate goal is to offer all North American customers the most technologically-advanced printing presses in web and sheetfed supported by the industry's best direct parts and service teams.

By combining the synergy of both organisations under one roof we can optimise customer service and overall satisfaction, thus ensuring all printers have one contact point for all their needs." He continued: "Since KBA is the only press manufacturer to offer sheetfed presses from 20" - 81" along with commercial, newspaper and rotogravure web products we can analyse a printing company's overall strategy and then offer them a customised system - this is only available from KBA." The new combined sheetfed and web company will continue as a wholly-owned American subsidiary of Koenig and Bauer in Germany under the company name KBA North America.

Graph Expo also marked the sales of a variety of KBA's most popular presses - the Rapida 142 56-inch, Rapida 105 41-inch sheetfed press, 74 Karat, and the Genius 52 UV.

An Ontario (Canada) based printer purchased a Rapida 105 six-colour press, whilst All Out Printing of Illinois (USA) bought a Rapida 142 six-colour machine.

Other sales concluded at the show were by H and H Enterprises of Las Vegas (Genius 52 five-colour), a Midwest printer purchased three 74 Karat presses and BL Litho of Montreal (Canada) purchased a Rapida 105 eight-colour perfector press.

BL Litho bought the Rapida 105 41-inch eight-colour sheetfed perfector press with UV option.

The new press is due to be delivered in December with a planned start-up date of February 2007.

The Rapida 105 was sold in cooperation with KBR Graphics, the eastern Canadian distributor for KBA North America.

Martin March and and Renee Therrien of BL Litho met with Ralf Sammeck at Graph Expo to finalise the sale of the press.

At Graph Expo, Sammeck also said that in 2007 KBA will market a waterless, keyless 29-inch press capable of coming up to colour within eight sheets.

The Rapida 74 G uses KBA's Gravuflow short inking system, which has been implemented in other KBA presses - the 74 Karat, Genius 52 UV and the KBA Anilox-Colora and KBA Cortina (both web-presses) over the last six years.

KBA added that it believes it is also the first sheetfed press manufacturer to install a large format press - a Rapida 142 56-inch press - in its newly-renovated customer centre in Vermont.

The investment makes its corporate office the large format centre of competence in North America.

At the centre KBA will educate printers on the benefits of large format.

KBA added that it will be able to do comprehensive demonstrations for commercial and packaging printers, test new substrates, inks, coating and specials applications.

The new large format Rapida 142 56-inch sheetfed press will be running by early 2007.

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