Unique KBA sheetfed technology helps printers gain efficiency
KBA is proud to announce that it has been awarded the prestigious 2011 Printing Industries of America InterTech Technology Award for its unique Flying JobChange technology. Their 2011 InterTech Technology Award will be presented to KBA at the 2011 Premier Print Awards and InterTech Technology Awards Gala on Sunday, 11 September at the Marriott Chicago Downtown during Graph Expo. During the past six years, KBA has captured four InterTech Awards; in 2005 for the 9B (81in) Rapida 205; in 2006 for the Genius 52 UV offset press; and in 2007 for the Rapida 105's unique SIS sidelay-free infeed feature.

"We are very proud to receive the highly-acclaimed 2011 Printing Industries of America InterTech Technology Award," says Mark Hischar, president and CEO of KBA North America. "KBA's Flying JobChange makes a significant technological impact in the market; it allows offset's quality, offset's wide substrates range, and offset's speed, all within digital press technology changeover times. It is the optimum production technology. No other sheetfed press manufacturer offers this technology – it is a technological breakthrough."

Flying JobChange makes the pressroom faster and more efficient. Plates for each new job can be changed on the fly at an impressive speed of 10,000 sheets per hour; then the press can be accelerated back to its production speed of 18,000 sheets per hour (depending on the configuration). This means there is no makeready downtime and the production can be completed without interruptions.

Flying JobChange:

• drastically reduces production times and machine downtime thus enabling the printer to prepare the press for the next makeready while it is still running;
• offers practically zero make ready time;
• is perfect for ultra short runs;
• allows multiple processes to take place at the same time without stopping
• press production; the press is continually running during the process.

"Flying JobChange is so productive that it can potentially allow a printing company to replace three presses with only two Rapida 106 41-inch presses due to its significant production gains," says Chris Travis, KBA director of technology. "This yields major savings with utilities, floor space, consumables, manpower and more."

Flying JobChange technology includes automation modules eg for simultaneous plate change, in which the system mounts all plates at the same time in between jobs. It is also equipped with KBA Plate-Ident, a dot matrix code on the lead edge of the plate which identifies that the correct plate is in the correct unit and also sends job data to the press for presetting functions. All of these functions lead to higher output, better print quality and greater substrate and format flexibility.

Printing Industries of America is the world's largest graphic arts trade association representing an industry with approximately one million employees. It serves the interests of more than 10,000 member companies. Printing Industries of America, along with its affiliates, delivers products and services that enhance the growth, efficiency and profitability of its members and the industry through advocacy, education, research and technical information.