This year's PRINT 09 trade fair is to be held in Chicago from 11th to 16th September, and KBA has booked an 800 m² (9,000 sq.ft.) stand in the South Hall to present its cutting-edge printing press technology for small, half and medium formats. The absolute highlight on Stand 2545 is an eight-colour Rapida 106 perfector in a 4-over-4 configuration. It is equipped with the latest automation modules, such as DriveTronic SPC for simultaneous plate changing, inline QualiTronic Color Control, the sidelay-free infeed DriveTronic SIS and CIP4 workflow capabilities via the management system LogoTronic professional, and will be offering renewed proof of its status as makeready world champion during daily live shows.
   
The trade public can look forward to first-hand demonstrations of ultrafast job changeovers for typical commercial production. The presentations start with an already prepared job on the press. After 500 sheets, a succession of three new jobs will be set up and similarly printed with 500 sheets each. At certain times during the fair, the press will be allowed to play out its full prowess: Over the course of an hour, it can then be seen handling 15 jobs of 500 sheets each. The jobs planned will be brochures with technical information, for example the latest issue of the print technology magazine "KBA Process".
 
For half format users, KBA will be showing a five-colour Rapida 75 with integrated coater. It is engineered for the extended sheet format 605 x 750 mm and can thus print the US letter format six-up on a single forme. Further features of the press include non-stop facilities for the feeder and delivery, the DensiTronic density measurement and control system, and a CIP3 interface. The press is able to wash the impression cylinders parallel to blanket washing, permitting further significant savings in makeready time. The Rapida 75 can also be seen in production several times each day, demonstrating efficient job changeovers while printing motorsport posters.
 
The third press on the KBA stand is a waterless Genius 52 UV for the printing of plastic films. Thanks to its short-train keyless inking units, this small-format B2 offset press starts up with just 10 sheets waste, and goes on to excel with ultimate process stability and standardised work sequences. PRINT visitors are to be given a demonstration of its extremely flexible capabilities with alternating production of posters, maps and customer cards on paper, board and plastic substrates. Alongside, KBA Complete will be presenting networking solutions and services geared to optimisation of the company-wide value creation chain, while KBA-Service offers comprehensive up-to-date information on maintenance tools and programs, press inspections and a range of upgrades to increase performance, accelerate makeready and facilitate quality control on existing sheetfed offset presses.
 
KBA views PRINT 09 as an opportunity to set an example in these economically difficult times and to contribute further to a rapid revival of the demand for printing presses in North America. Numerous contracts for new presses have already been signed with American and Canadian printers over the past few months. A.V.I.D. from Corona/California has ordered a five-colour Rapida 162 with coater and extended delivery. A five-colour Rapida 75 with coating was recently delivered to Paramount Performance Marketing in Jacksonville/Florida. And Hanover Packaging in Hanover/Pennsylvania has joined the list of new KBA users with its decision to purchase a six-colour Rapida 106 with coater, extended delivery, plastics accessory package and UV drying. The largest order in the newspaper sector was received from Montreal-based Transcontinental Inc. just a few weeks ago. It entails deliveries of four triple-width presses of the innovatively compact KBA Commander CT series, with a total of 16 towers, four single and two double folders, and six heatset dryers.