Page 38 - Print 21 Sep-Oct 2019

Offset
Koenig & Bauer
packs a punch
Also from Germany is Koenig & Bauer (née KBA), manufacturer of the popular Rapida press series.
Dave Lewis, managing director of Koenig & Bauer Australia, tells Print21 that as well as manufacturing presses for the commercial market, it is strong in packaging. “Our company in Germany is going after packaging, in particular trying to offer the complete range of packaging machinery, which now includes Koenig & Bauer Iberica die-cutters and Koenig & Bauer Duran folder gluers,” he says.
Lewis bills the Rapida 106, built for medium format printing, as one of the fastest presses on the market with a top speed of 20,000 sheets per hour. It, along with the large-format Rapida 145 and 164 which
are designed for packaging
and display applications, uses gearless direct-drive technology for faster makeready. “That
means simultaneous plate change – you can change all the plates on all our presses in fifty- one seconds. On the Rapida 106, the plate change is thirty-four seconds for all plates, and our PlateIdent system makes sure the plates are on the correct unit, then pre-registers the job before taking a pull. The 106 can also compensate for paper stretching – you can adjust the fit on the run.
“A definite trend over the past few years is that the quick make- ready features on our Rapida 106 have also been put into the large-format presses, which would have been unheard of a few years ago,” he says. “All our presses now include ErgoTronic AutoRun, which is a system that gangs up jobs and performs automatic makereadies with the press computer in control. This system can also lead to reduced manning of the press.”
The manufacturer also has a number of options for in-line finishing and value add. “We offer cold foiling on
all of our presses, and it will be available on the VariJet 106 digital machine as well. We have marking technology as well using a digital inkjet numbering unit.
“We have sold a lot of double coating presses here in Australia”, he says.
Komori can
do Kando
Known for its Lithrone range
of presses, Japan’s Komori is represented in Australia and New Zealand by Print and Pack, and is focusing on making life easier for printers, says David Gunn, national sales manager for print at Print and Pack. “Komori’s emphasis has
been on automatic make-ready giving high productivity and low waste,” he tells Print21.
Komori had one of the largest booths at IGAS in Tokyo last year, according to Satoshi Mochida, president and representative director at the manufacturer.
“In the booth, new concepts were presented, including support for IoT in printing companies with KP-Connect
Pro, Connected Automation that raises production efficiency to the utmost limits, and new offset technologies like Autopilot and Parallel Makeready.
“Komori has been engaged in transforming our business
structure in order to become
a PESP, or Print Engineering Service Provider, offering total service. New development is being accelerated as we approach our centennial anniversary in 2023,” says Mochida.
According to Mochida, Komori’s aim with its products is to offer customers Kando,
a word which has no exact translation in English, but loosely means something which deeply satisfies.
“Komori will engage vigorously in new technology development on the strength of the manufacturing culture that we have built up to now. Based on our management philosophy of becoming a customer Kando company, we will make every effort to deliver Kando – customer satisfaction beyond expectations – throughout the world,” he says.
Mochida highlights the addition of a perfector to the Lithrone G37 series of 37-inch offset presses as an example
of how the company is making offset print faster and easier for customers; this was followed in 2019 by a perfector also joining the GX40 range.
“In the future, Komori will undertake further development of labour-saving and inspection systems for commercial and package printing,” he says.
...continues on page 40
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Koenig & Bauer launches new hybrid
After years of development, Koenig & Bauer will introduce its VariJet 106 hybrid press at drupa 2020, combining Rapida 106 technology with a digital print unit. According to Dave Lewis, any features available on the Rapida 106 – including offset print stations – will be on the VariJet as well.
“Customers with Rapidas would be interested in putting in
a VariJet – all the press components are from the 106 barring the digital unit, including the feeder, infeed and so on. From an operator point of view, moving them across to the 106 would be straightforward.
“It can be a proper packaging press with anything you need on it, that’s the difference between the VariJet and other options. There will be developments in our standard offset presses as well,” he says.
Call 1300 005 879 salesaust@kurz.com.au | www.kurz.com.au
38 Print21 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019
A big thank you to all who visited the KURZ booth at PrintEx19!