On 6 May the International Co-operation for the Integration of Processes in Pre-press, Press and Post-press (CIP4) announced the winners of the CIP4 International Print Production Innovation (CIPPI) Awards. As in previous years KBA was among those who carried off one of these coveted awards - this time for the “Best cost/benefit realisation and improvement in efficiency as a result of process automation implementation” at Imprimerie Rochelaise in La Rochelle, France.

Established over 50 years ago, this owner-managed company prints a wide array of typical commercial products including brochures, catalogues, posters and flyers. In 2006 Imprimerie Rochelaise started implementing a JDF/JMF workflow between pre-press and its two existing presses. In 2009 it installed an eight-colour Rapida 106 with DriveTronic SIS no-sidelay infeed and DriveTronic SPC dedicated drives for simultaneous plate changing during four-backing-four production. The Rapida 106 was integrated in the printshop workflow and linked to Agfa pre-press via KBA LogoTronic software and a Graphisoft Print2B web portal.

The benefits of this networking initiative are impressive: sales and profits have increased substantially while costs have plunged. And all with no additional personnel. The company has also cut production time and waste. The ROI (based on a five-year period) is 666 per cent. The project paid for itself in just nine months.