Build Starts On Europe's Biggest Gravure Press

The developments in gravure technology announced early last year by KBA and German media giant Maul-Belser Medienverbund will soon be in operation.

The developments in gravure technology announced early last year by KBA and German media giant Maul-Belser Medienverbund will soon be in operation when the first of two TR12B presses for a 4.32m (170") web width at the company's production plant in Nuremberg (Germany) start rolling.

In what is claimed to be one of the biggest publication rotogravure operations in Europe, Maul-Belser has invested a total of 60 million Euros ($74.6m) in taking on board the technology to address the aspiring demands of its customers.

Implementing the project within the stipulated three-year time-frame and ensuring that each stage is completed on schedule has entailed not only intensive planning, engineering and testing but also complex and detailed scheduling for the transport logistics, offloading and placing, erection and commissioning.

In addition to the two superwide gravure presses, each of which has one reel stand and eight printing units, the contract also specified the corresponding CT12 proofing press with four printing units.

The presses feature compact, asymmetrical superstructures for 18-ribbon production, plus double folders and stitchers.

The first phase of the press installation lasted three-and-a-half weeks.

It included transporting the first TR12B and CT12 aggregates from KBA's factory in Frankenthal to Nuremberg and offloading, placing and pre-assembling them in two different halls.

For that part of the project KBA used Stuttgart-based systems service provider Scholpp Montage, which sent in a 10-man team of specialists to erect the two presses simultaneously.

"The time frame we were allotted for these activities was extremely tight and demanded flawless co-ordination among all the parties concerned," said Heinz-Jurgen Unverzagt, head of KBA's on-site crew.

The press aggregates, some of which weigh 20 tonnes, were hoisted from the low-loaders by a tower gantry and lowered through an opening in the roof of the production hall, where they were positioned to the millimetre by two electrically operated 24-tonne block and tackle systems.

A heavy-load crane and a 33-tonne industrial crane offloaded the aggregates for the proofing press, which were just as weighty.

According to Dr Winfried Marquardt, managing director of Maul-Belser Medienverbund, keeping to the schedule was absolutely crucial.

"The cylinder manufacturing lines had to be modified and the auxiliaries and utilities installed prior to erection and commissioning.

We have been delighted with the performance of both KBA and Scholpp to date.".

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