German press giant Koenig & Bauer (KBA) is building a new €6 million digital and flexographic press demo centre that it plans to open later this year in time to celebrate the company’s 200th anniversary.
KBA chairman Claus Bolza-Schünemann and Christoph Müller, CEO of the KBA-Digital & Web Solutions, this week laid the foundation stone of the new building at the company’s plant in Würzburg.
The centre will feature a RotaJET digital printing press for commercial, publication and decor printing, a flexo rotary press from KBA-Digital & Web Würzburg’s Italian subsidiary KBA-Flexotecnica and a newly developed sheetfed flexo press from KBA-Digital & Web for direct printing on corrugated cardboard.
“Many of our national and international customers want to see the presses being operated in action before they decide to invest,” says Bolza-Schünemann.
In his opening speech, the KBA chairman drew attention to the contraction of media-focused print markets and the successful realignment of KBA Group, concentrating on growth sectors like packaging, digital and industrial functional printing. 70 % of the group’s new press revenue is generated in the booming packaging sector.
“KBA-Digital & Web builds the world’s largest inkjet roll-fed rotary presses and in future also high performance sheetfed presses to meet the growing demand for corrugated cardboard packaging. Our Italian subsidiary KBA-Flexotecnica offers technically outstanding flexo rotary presses for film, paper and lightweight cardboard packaging. With the widest portfolio of all manufacturers, KBA Group offers print solutions for virtually all markets. We want to present our systems for the above growth sectors live in action at the new demo centre. And of course, we hope that this substantial investment will have a positive impact on our business in these new markets for KBA.”
The group headquarters in Würzburg was chosen as the site for the new centre to provide easy access to Frankfurt International Airport.
With a usable area of around 2,100m², modernised premises of 21,164 m³ and investment totalling a €6 million (including technical infrastructure; without demo presses) the building project is one of ambitious scale, says the company.
The centre is due to be ready for occupancy in [northern] autumn 2017. The official ceremony to mark the 200th anniversary of KBA will take place in September 2017.