High-quality retrofit secures long-term production reliability for Parzeller print & media in Fulda

• Retrofit secures long-term production reliability
• Software brought up to date
• More than 40 million book products per year

The retrofit comprised new drive and control technology for the Compacta S80 currently installed at Parzeller print & media in Fulda. The Compacta S80 is a short-grain heatset press for commercial web offset production of up to 32 A4 pages. Over the course of the retrofit, the overall press control system, the unit-level controls and the quality control systems, including a soft-proofing facility, were brought into line with the latest standards. At the same time, the mechanical drives of various press components were replaced with dedicated AC electric drives. The downtime necessary to complete the retrofit was used to perform a thorough mechanical overhaul of the printing units, the superstructure and the folder. Both the new drives and the new control systems are fully compatible with Koenig & Bauer’s remote maintenance service. Remote maintenance access enables Koenig & Bauer to provide comprehensive diagnostics and support for the new control system at any time if any irregularities should arise during operation.

Markus Thiel, print centre manager at Parzeller print & media (front right), and Patrick Schneppe, head of print technology at Koenig & Bauer (rear left), are agreed that the retrofit secures the long-term quality and production reliability of the press.

Markus Thiel, print centre manager at Parzeller print & media, explains the background: “The Compacta S80 stands out with its mechanical robustness, dependability, and a level of print quality which is still as outstanding as ever. This knowledge gave us the confidence to perform a comprehensive electronic retrofit. Modernisation of the press enables Parzeller print & media to look forward to many more years of reliable production.”

Thomas Potzkai, head of after-sales service at Koenig & Bauer, adds: “The mechanical and electronic measures safeguard not only the high printing and folding quality, but also maximum availability of the Compacta for production, which is an especially important factor today. The automation package and modern operating concept make life significantly easier for the press crew and permit them to concentrate on their core tasks. Service support for the press is also guaranteed for the coming years thanks to the modernisation measures.”

More than 40 million book products every year

With its web offset production of more than 40 million book products every year, Parzeller print & media is an established specialist for full-colour books, brochures, catalogues and magazines in compact format. Parzeller print & media belongs to the Parzeller Media Group, with more than 600 employees. Alongside the Compacta heatset press, the group also operates a Koenig & Bauer Commander press in Berliner format for coldset newspaper production, and Rapida 106 presses in 4-, 5- and 8-colour configurations for sheetfed offset.