KBA's 800m² (8,600ft²) stand (6D560 in hall 6) at the international IPEX 2010 trade fair in Birmingham from 18 to 25 May will present the latest sheetfed offset technologies for commercial, book, plastics and packaging printing in small, half and medium formats, together with the associated integrated workflows and branch software. Following up the success of four years ago, the group's broad expertise and exemplary innovation strengths as a press manufacturer are again to be gathered under the established banner "KBA: Champions in Print".

Profitability, eco-printing and quality are important topics
While neither web presses nor large-format sheetfed offset presses will be on show in Birmingham, the KBA stand nevertheless promises to be a source of comprehensive information on unique technical and technological innovations for the company's traditionally important commercial, packaging and newspaper printers. The efficiency and profitability of new automation modules for faster makeready, reduced waste and effective quality control, sophisticated inline finishing options and, last but not least, climate-friendly low-carbon print with alcohol-free dampening, waterless offset and enhanced energy efficiency, for example with the new KBA VariDryBlue dryers, have already been focal topics at KBA for many years.

Rapida 106: Flying JobChange and other delights
The 18,000sph Rapida 106, proud holder of the title "Makeready World Champion" since Drupa 2008, will once more be representing the KBA benchmark in medium-format sheetfed offset. The press to be seen at IPEX is a highly automated six-colour version with a DriveTronic SIS sidelay-free infeed, DriveTronic SPC dedicated plate-cylinder drives for simultaneous plate changing, on-press plate recognition and pre-registration with KBA Plate-Ident, and KBA Flying JobChange for parallel printing and makeready and thus nonstop job changeovers. The configuration also includes a coater with a viscosity-based coating supply controlled from the press console, automatic cleaning of the coating circuit and automated forme changing. The CleanTronic Synchro system for fast, parallel washing of the blankets, impression cylinders and ink rollers also contributes to extremely short makeready times. Inline colour measurement and control with KBA QualiTronic Professional, camera-assisted ACR-Control autoregistration, ecological ACS delivery (Air Cleaning System), online densitometric and spectral inking measurement and control with KBA DensiTronic Professional, including a DensiTronic PDF module to compare the content of the printed sheet to the original PDF file, and LogoTronic Professional for integrated printshop networking are further highlights of this state-of-the-art press. Equipped with accessory packages for handling board and lightweight stock, the Rapida 106 will be demonstrating cutting-edge performance and versatility with the most varied jobs on paper and board.

Rapida 105: the robust all-rounder in medium format
The press line-up in Birmingham would naturally be incomplete without the trusty workhorse Rapida 105, which is certain to be as popular as ever with the many IPEX visitors from the Middle and Far East, Latin America and eastern Europe. Absolute reliability and flexibility in use for commercial, book, label and packaging applications are prominent characteristics of this press model, which is engineered for speeds of 15,000sph (up to 16,500sph with HS package). It is to be presented in a five-colour configuration with automatic plate changing, ACR-Control video register, automatic washing systems, DensiTronic console-integrated ink density measurement and control system, an aqueous coater, an extended delivery and nonstop facilities for delivery pile changes. Whereas the Rapida 106 is also available with the full range of KBA automation options as a long perfector with up to 16 units, the Rapida 105 is offered specifically as a straight press with up to seven printing units and coating in all variations. Many of the KBA quality control options, for example DensiTronic PDF, can also be incorporated into the Rapida 105. With its wealth of automation features, the Rapida 105 easily holds its own with other presses of the 15,000 and 16,000sph class.

Rapida 75: energy-saving wonder with new features
As a treat for the B2 (29in) market, the Rapida 75 which KBA launched at Drupa 2008 will boast a whole host of new features at IPEX, many of them adopted from the larger sister presses. These are to include a new feeder, the proven sheet grippers known from all larger Rapida presses, air blowers to support sheet guidance, a new sheet brake in the delivery, transfer cylinders without drum shells, automatic format presetting and remote maintenance via the internet. Further details are to be given at the IPEX press conference. In total, the new standards and options can shorten makeready on the Rapida 75 by a good 30%. The press which KBA is bringing to Birmingham is a five-colour version with coater and extended delivery, automated plate changing, inking unit temperature control, roller and blanket washing systems, and a KBA ErgoTronic console with JDF interface. Both the Rapida 75 (format 520 x 750mm) and its smaller counterpart the Rapida 66 (format 485 x 660mm) score with practical automation, ease of operation and an outstanding price-performance ratio based on their unusually small footprint and low energy consumption. The Rapida 75 is also available as a perfector with up to eight printing units.

Genius 52UV: green printing for small formats
The exhibition portfolio is rounded off by a five-colour Genius 52UV press in B3 (20in) format with UV coater and extended delivery. Printing with keyless inking units in a waterless offset process, the Genius 52UV impresses by way of its extremely fast makeready, the minimal start-up waste of less than 20 sheets, substrate flexibility up to a thickness of 0.8mm (32pt), outstanding ease of operation and environmental friendliness. Typical products are smart cards, mouse pads, stickers and lenticular films, as well as short-run paper flyers or packaging samples on board substrates. Alongside the originally targeted applications in plastics printing, the Genius 52UV is gaining an increasing following among digital, online and commercial printers – as an ideal means of production for small volumes of demanding niche products.

Workflow optimisation with KBA Complete and Logica Sistemi
As the stand area booked is significantly smaller than in previous years, KBA will not be showing pre-press systems from its longstanding pre-press partner Kodak at this IPEX. The independent consultants from KBA Complete, however, will nevertheless be joined by German technology partner Hiflex and Italian software developer Logica Sistemi to inform interested print companies on the current possibilities for process optimisation within a print company. In such scenarios, management information systems (MIS) and the networking of Rapida presses via KBA LogoTronic professional play a decisive role. The Hiflex MIS favoured by KBA Complete and further solutions developed by Logica Sistemi are already practice-proven. They can also be used in digital print operations, in the same way as for sheetfed and web offset applications.

IPEX visitors specifically interested in KBA large-format technologies or long medium-format perfectors, are to be offered opportunities to view corresponding presses already installed with users in the Birmingham area.