The Koenig and Bauer Group (KBA) announced a positive verdict on group performance at half-time. The high level of attendance on the 3,000 square metre KBA stand in the first six days of drupa exceeded expectations and new orders worth a figure in the upper double-digit million Euro range are beyond the ambitious planning.
The press manufacturer has booked a string of new orders predominantly for sheetfed offset presses from half to large format, as is usual at trade shows. Furthermore, a contract for a newspaper web press was signed as well as a raft of promising projects initiated for the new RotaJET L digital press exhibited and the environmentally friendly NEO XD flexo press which operates with water-based inks, both attracting huge crowds. The virtual presentation of the digital sheetfed press, the KBA VariJET 106 powered by Xerox for folding carton printing, announced shortly before drupa and laser coding technology from KBA-Metronic have also been very popular. The group’s focus on growth markets like digital, packaging and LED-UV printing plus live demos of machines for digital, flexo and offset printing in many print markets also contributed to KBA’s successful trade show presence.
Sheetfed orders from six continents
The list of sheetfed customers, many of them new ones, is extremely international and spans more than 25 countries on all six continents. Orders range from the new B2 Rapida 75 PRO to the medium format Rapida 105, Rapida 105 PRO and Rapida 106 up to the largeformat Rapida 145 and Rapida 164. Many of these include long presses with a two-digit number of printing, coating and drying units, which has long been a speciality of KBASheetfed.
KBA’s entry into postpress
First customers have also opted for the new KBA Rapida 106 RDC rotary diecutter for paper and board with a speed of up to 15,000 sph. What is more, many packaging printers welcome the press manufacturer’s plans to expand its offerings for postpress with flatbed diecutters through the planned takeover of Iberica SA in Spain. Ralf Sammeck, CEO of KBA-Sheetfed says, “We are the recognized market leader in cardboard printing, metal and glass decoration and we have continually expanded our offerings in the growing packaging market in recent years. We have extended our service portfolio in the field of printing and now also in postpress. This is in line with the wishes of our many longstanding customers. Their success with our technology and services leads to our success. This is why we are showing our international customers the largest sheetfed offset press at drupa, our Rapida 145. The rise in KBA share price from €9 to €45 demonstrates that others also believe our strategy has a promising future.”
‘Add more KBA to your Day’
KBA addressed established and new markets with analogue and digital print solutions at drupa. LED-UV printing shown on a long Rapida 106 and Rapida 75 PRO by KBA-Sheetfed is currently mainly a topic for commercial and magazine printers with high demands in terms of quality and short lead times. The Rapida 105 PRO with cold-foil finishing exhibited on the neighbouring Vinfoil stand predominantly targeted manufacturers of luxury packaging and the digital RotaJET L addressed commercial, publication and packaging printers as well as industrial printers (for example, decor printers). This unique diversity of print solutions for various application fields was underscored by KBA’s trade show banner ‘Add more KBA to your Day.’
