While the third quarter saw demand in the press engineering sector slow, German press vendor Koenig & Bauer AG (KBA) profited from a strong presence in niche markets such as security printing, metal decorating and industrial coding, where demand is robust. In the summer quarter, the group booked new orders worth €472.8m, the highest level since the record year of 2006.
KBA North America announces that its latest corporate report includes informative articles on three of its successful U.S. print customers. These “real-world” stories capture the advanced technology, the thriving expansion, and the strong partnership forged with KBA.
KBA North America proudly announces that Koenig & Bauer AG, its parent company, has risen to 21st from 26th among the top 50 in the annual update of The Patent Board’s Patent Scorecard for manufacturers of heavy industrial equipment in 2011. The update appeared in the Wall Street Journal on Sept. 13, 2011.
KBA North America proudly announces that it recently concluded an exceptional Graph Expo 2011 with a double large-format press sale, the announcement of a new digital press model in collaboration with RR Donnelley, and the presentation of the prestigious Printing Industries of America InterTech award for the unique FlyingJob Change technology, all providing exciting momentum toward Drupa 2012. Graph Expo was held from Sept. 11-14 at McCormick Place in Chicago.
Specialty Finishing, a full-service folding carton manufacturer, purchased two KBA Rapida large-format sheetfed presses from KBA North America at GRAPH EXPO 2011. “We chose to purchase two large-format presses from KBA because they could offer the highest level of automation and productivity, as well as a custom-configured press for our particular needs,” says Mark Wright, Specialty Finishing president.
Offset press output still comprises 90 percent of the printing done, by some accounts, but you wouldn’t know it based on all the attention given to digital inkjet- and toner-based devices at Graph Expo. Lithographic press manufacturers aren’t standing still, however.
After successful realignment of Koenig & Bauer AG (KBA), President and CEO Helge Hansen approached the supervisory board to suggest that his forthcoming retirement at the age of 65 years be brought forward to allow the company reins to be handed to a successor on Oct. 31, 2011.
Scheduled for completion by the end of the year, the $19.3 million project is one of the biggest KBA has implemented in recent years at its Würzburg facility, and brings the total sum invested in new buildings there over the past 10 years to well above $55 million.
August 18, 2011, will mark the 150th anniversary of German press manufacturer KBA’s Frankenthal production plant. The citizens of Frankenthal—and gravure printers the world over—still often refer to the company as Albert, even though that name was dropped in 1995.
Allpak/Trojan, an award-winning printing and packaging company located in Seattle, installed a 56" KBA Rapida 142 six-color plus coater sheetfed press in early 2011 to complement its existing KBA Rapida 142 eight-color press. “Growth from our existing large-format work had developed to the point where a second press was required,” said Wayne Millage, president of Allpak/Trojan.
