(January 08, 2009) Tradition and innovation – these are the twin planks in the corporate philosophy of Austrian printer Gutenberg Werbering in Linz. The company first came into contact with KBA twenty years ago and has since become a staunch Rapida user. The latest in a string of KBA press lines at this dynamic print enterprise is a Rapida 105 five-colour coater press.

Today Gutenberg Werbering and its 90 employees are among Austria's many success stories. Alongside the printing plant the firm maintains two Czech subsidiaries, Werbering and WIP Reklama in Budweis, which specialise in outdoor advertising and agency work respectively. According to managing director Bruno Pimminger, the corporate philosophy "is to deliver quality, not quantity: elaborately finished products with a strong communicative impact rather than standard, high-volume fare. For us and our customers the emphasis is on sound, reliable advice and service. To this end we provide regular staff training, which promotes customer satisfaction and a good working environment."

The company was founded in 1910 primarily as a printer and publisher of daily newspapers. Until 1933, in its original incarnation as Druck- und Verlagsanstalt Gutenberg, it printed Die Wahrheit along with various types of business stationery. After the second World War it started printing newspapers again, initially in letterpress and then, in the late 1960s, in offset. In 1982 an eight-page web offset press was installed, and this was later followed by two more. Today, most of the company's output is generated with sheetfed offset. The newspaper was discontinued in 1987 as part of a realignment, and Gutenberg switched to bidding for contracts in the open market. 

From its very beginnings, this long-established company has adopted the most advanced technology on the market. In the late 1980s it added a pre-press department complete with scanners, film imaging and platemaking, and expanded the finishing department. Renamed Gutenberg Werbering, the company kept abreast of every technological development. Film imaging, assembly and repro were followed by DTP systems and full-page film imaging via CTF. In 2002 it adopted CTP, initially with a Screen system and later with a Kodak 800 Quantum and a Prinergy workflow. Pre-press equipment includes all the standard PC and Mac systems, publishing software plus diverse large-format and proofing plotters. 

Hiflex proprietary software with a JDF interface has been in place for some time and Gutenberg Werbering is also collaborating with KBA Complete on process analysis and optimisation. On top of this the all production processes are embedded in a universal PDF workflow, which after ripping allows CIP4 data to be uploaded at the press console for colour preset while the plates are still being exposed. By 2010 a complete JDF workflow will network every process from order reception to pre-press, press, post-press and mailing. 

Management has opted for cutting-edge technology in the press room, too. It is interesting to note that Gutenberg used to be a Heidelberg operation until the decision was made in 1995 to install a KBA Rapida 72 five-colour coater press. Management and press crews were soon agreed that this new technology was the way forward, and a second Rapida 72, this time a four-colour version, quickly followed in 1996.

In 1999 the company decided to expand the range of coated products it could offer. Once again, KBA technology won the day. Says Bruno Pimminger: "We were looking for a press with a perfecting capability for two-backing-two as well as a coater. And at that time, KBA was the only supplier able to offer the type of extended delivery we had in mind, so that's how we came to buy a Rapida 105 with these specific features. Since then we have found that KBA is the ideal partner for customised configurations."

This is why Gutenberg has opted for KBA presses again and again. At present it has three, all with coaters: a five-colour Rapida 74, a four-colour Rapida 105 and (the most recent addition) a five-colour Rapida 105 with delivery extension. Says Bruno Pimminger: "Right from the start we found the double-size impression cylinder a huge advantage in B2, and our press crews are delighted with the superior quality delivered and the smooth machine run. The new Rapida 105 features yet another innovation – DriveTronic drives – that deliver a lot of benefits. For us, KBA is currently the most technologically innovative and customer-friendly press manufacturer in the business." 

Gutenberg Werbering works intensively with agencies, which represent some 70% of its customers, the rest being industrial enterprises, retailers, wholesalers and private individuals. The result is a hugely diverse portfolio produced to the highest quality standards. It includes a large volume of jobs entailing ever decreasing run lengths but ever increasing variety. The new KBA Rapida 105, with its direct plate cylinder drives to support simultaneous plate changing, addresses this trend. Says Bruno Pimminger: "Some shifts entail as many as 120 plate changes. So fast makeready, plate change and cleaning were key criteria when choosing the press. The DriveTronic technology offers us the best of all worlds."

But innovation is not confined to the printing units: the anilox coater for a uniform application of coating has a quick-action lock-up to support high-speed changes of coating plates. The drying system houses infrared and thermal air units for fast, uniform drying. Other features include ACR control, a video register system with monitor control, DensiTronic Professional, a lightweight stock package, no-sidelay SIS infeed and a 'reverse sheet collection' feeder function – a unique feature made possible by the dedicated feeder drive. This, too, delivers substantial time gains. 

The print finishing department also works with the most advanced technology on the market. Two Polar guillotines, one of which is automated, three Stahl folding machines with electric nip roller adjustment, two Müller-Martini gang stitchers, a Bograma die-cutter also capable of handling ultra-small formats, a Microjet labelling machine and diverse other gadgets and devices support a wide choice of finishing options. So it is not surprising that Gutenberg Werbering has ambitious plans for the future, focused on an ongoing upgrade of production technology, regular further training for staff and exquisite customer care. Says Bruno Pimminger: "The sheer quality of our products is a constant source of delight. And KBA contributes to this in no small measure."