Offset Printing
First format-variable 80-page commercial web offset press goes into operation at Sego
Wednesday 25. June 2008 - Smooth Production Start-up for KBA Compacta 818 in Taverny
An 80-page commercial web offset press, a Compacta 818 with a format-variable V5 folder, recently went into operation at SEGO in France. This is the first order which KBA has received from the French group which up to this point had only used printing presses which were supplied by another manufacturer. Visitors who came to the KBA booth at drupa had the opportunity to observe the web offset press in action at SEGO via webcam. Just a few weeks after production start-up, both parties signed the acceptance report.
Lothar Hohmann, who manages the commercial printing business at KBA, was visibly pleased with the smooth procedure. “Problems can always crop up on a project like this,” explained Hohmann. “I would like to thank everyone at SEGO who was involved in the project as well as my team, which did an outstanding job.”
The maximum web width on the KBA Compacta 818 is 2,060 mm. The press has a cylinder circumference of 1,197 mm and prints at speeds up to 45,000 revolutions per hour. The Compacta 818 features a reel changer which can handle reels up to 1,524 mm, four printing units for long grain paper, semi-automatic plate change, a hot-air dryer with integral chill roller stand and a variable magazine superstructure However, what really sets this press apart is the variable V5 folder, a feature which only KBA can offer. The versatility of the space-saving V5 has significant advantages for SEGO. Solutions from other manufacturers require two folders to handle long grain and short grain paper. The V5 folder handles both in the limited space which is available at SEGO. The gripper-folder, which has its origins in gravure technology, supports production of 72-page A4 long grain products or 80-page long grain products in a slightly reduced A4 format. In short grain production, SEGO can produce 96 pages in the popular pocket size or 84 pages in near-A4 format. Optional stitching of short grain products in the folder is another attractive feature. Automatic pre-setting with push-button control ensures that start-up, set-up and termination parameters are optimized, and it also reduces wastage while maximizing net production output.