This decision of DruckHaus Rieck in Delmenhorst sees yet another German newspaper publisher opt to invest in the highly successful Commander CT web offset press. The Delmenhorst company has ordered a triple-width (6/2) version with two towers, two reelstands and two folders from Koenig & Bauer (KBA). Within the framework of a complete modernization of its printing press lines, the new web offset press will replace an aging KBA Colora newspaper press, which was originally supplied in 1994 and then extended in 1999. The highly automated compact Commander CT has proven particularly popular in Germany. To date, the Würzburg global market leader has sold 25 Commander CTs with 116 double and triple-width towers, ten of which have been destined for the domestic market.

Traditional family-run company with local roots
Established in 1822, DruckHaus Rieck is part of the Rieck Media Group, and is now owned and managed by the sixth generation of the family. The KBA Commander CT 6/2 will go on stream to print the Berliner format newspapers, the Delmenhorster Kreisblatt with a circulation of some 20,000 copies, and the Kreisblatt am Sonntag with 78,000 copies. First published in 1832, this regional newspaper has a distribution area that stretches from Delmenhorst, which is located just west of Bremen and is known as the “Industrial town in the country” and has a population of around 77,000, across to parts of the district of Oldenburg. As well as their own daily and Sunday newspaper, Rieck also publishes numerous supplements and weekly newspapers, such as dk-Markt and Elbe-Weser Aktuell, for its own media Group or in its capacity as contract printers. The company has a daily print run of up to 4 million copies.

Frank Dallmann, managing partner of the Rieck publishing house and publisher of the Delmenhorster Kreisblatt commented, “In order to accommodate the increasing demand of our readers, advertisers and print customers for greater efficiency and more cost-oriented production, we made a timely decision to plough next year's investment into modern printing technology. Having considered our many decades of successful collaboration and the widely acknowledged strengths of the flexible compact technology in terms of productivity, print quality and ROI, we decided to stay with our proven partner KBA and opted for the triple-width Commander CT.”

Flexible, highly automated technology for up to 96 tabloid pages
The floor-mounted press is engineered for a maximum hourly output of 90,000 four-colour newspapers in straight production. Using a maximum web width of 1,890mm (74.41in), the cylinder circumference is 940mm (37in). The two Pastomat reelstands are also designed to handle 7/12 and 11/12 webs and are embedded in an automated reel logistics system, along with two stripping stations. Towers that glide apart ensure easy access and maintenance when changing the blankets. The Commander CT offers an extensive module-based automation system and is equipped with KBA PlateTronic automatic plate changers, KBA RollerTronic automatic roller locks, NipTronic cylinder bearings, KBA FanoTronic fan-out compensation, automatic colour register control and CleanTronic automatic blanket washing. The press also delivers a raft of other features, such as two double turner decks, two folder superstructures with three formers, cut-off register controls and two KF 5 jaw folders in the cylinder system 2:5:5. A section stitcher, two variable Zip'n'Buy perforation units, a gluing and softening unit and a glued ploughfold for super-panorama production further enhance product flexibility. The two KBA ErgoTronic consoles are interfaced with the existing production planning and preset system and offer all the waste-minimising and time-saving functions of KBA EasyTronic.

Gerhard Tapken, managing director at DruckHaus Rieck, says: “We were totally won over by the practice-oriented and innovative solutions of the Commander CT. On completion of our investments, we will have one of the most cutting-edge newspaper presses in the region.”