KBA hosts Czech Republic open house

Some 40 print experts from companies around the Czech Republic came to KBA in Radebeul on September 18 to learn about latest developments in sheetfed offset. The group was comprised of representatives of long-standing KBA users, for example Model Obaly from Opava and Vychodoceska Tiskarna from Pardubice; Performa users such as Tiskarna K & B from Most; and a number of potential new customers who have to date been printing on presses from other manufacturers.

The official welcome by KBA sales director Sven Strzelczyk and Jens Junker, CEO of KBA-Grafitec, was followed by a presentation given by KBA Radebeul product manager Jens Baumann, who outlined automation concepts geared to reducing makeready times on a sheetfed offset press.

After the presentation, visitors witnessed a series of three job changeovers on an 8-color Rapida 106 perfector. Jens Baumann and Wolfram Zehnle, head of the KBA customer center, explained the various automation modules on the running press and showed how DriveTronic SPC, QualiTronic professional and CleanTronic interact to reduce makeready in practice.

KBA sales engineer Jrg Henkel devoted a second presentation to ‘Sense Branding & Print’. As has long since been the case in the automobile sector, among airlines and in many other branches of industry, increasing attention is being paid to sensory perceptions in the consumer and luxury goods sector. Advertising materials and packaging are already lent the characteristic and unmistakable scent, appearance or feel of a particular brand name at the time of their production. The finishing concepts elaborated by KBA permit practically all conceivable ‘perceptions’ to be brought to paper. Jrg Henkel compared the pros and cons of different coating variants and described some of the surface effects which can be achieved. Demonstrations were given on a 6-color Rapida 106 with inline coater. The product was first finished with just a UV gloss coating. Then, the previously unused fifth printing unit was engaged to apply an oil-based varnish, creating high-quality and register-true matt-gloss effects (hybrid technology). As a third step, finally, an additional UV effect varnish was used to give the product also a textured surface.

A further highlight of the meeting was the founding of the V.S.O.P. (Very Smart Offset Printers) Club CZ as a community to promote the joint interests of KBA users in the Czech Republic. It plans to organize a variety of events to share information with and among KBA users.

A tour of the production facility, a visit to the Volkswagen Transparent Factory in Dresden and a social get-together on the River Elbe rounded off the day.

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