The highly-automated compact Commander CT web press from Koenig & Bauer (KBA) will form the heart of this new printing centre. In summer 2014 this new 48pp press from the Würzburg-based world market leader will go live at the company’s newly-founded subsidiary, Badisches Druckhaus Baden-Baden, located in the Oos-West industrial park.

Flourishing media house in southwest Germany

Wolfgang Hoffarth, managing director of Badisches Tagblatts, says: “We are very successful in the news and advertising sector in our region in southwest Germany. Based on more than 200 years of company history we continually adapt to changes in the market. We are thoroughly convinced that printed regional newspapers with qualitative journalism and an appealing layout have a sound future even in an ever more manifold multimedia world. With this in mind the publishing house’s owners opted to strengthen our core business by broadening our footing with a new own printing plant situated near the publishing company. The KBA Commander CT will allow us to produce our newspapers and weeklies efficiently, economically, independently and in a higher quality.”

Until now the Badisches Tagblatts’ print products have been produced by co-partner, Greiserdruck in Rastatt, which prints on a KBA anilox Colora in operation since 1999. However, building and site requirements here for the new investment were not met. “With their historical decision, our proprietors have laid the foundations for the future of Badisches Tagblatts as an independent, family-run business,” Wolfgang Hoffarth explains.

The KBA Commander CT will predominantly print the Badisches Tagblatt and its four local editions for Baden-Baden, Rastatt, Murgtal and Bühl. The Badisches Tagblatt has a daily circulation of approx. 34,000 newspapers from Monday to Saturday and has over 85,000 readers. The Commander CT will also produce the publishing house’s two freesheets and further periodicals. The Wochenjournal WO which is published every Wednesday has a circulation of approx. 164,000 copies and the Sunday freesheet WO has a circulation of 129,000 copies. The publishing house also has an extensive online regional news website offering a range of services.

Investment increases efficiency and flexibility

Christoph Greiser, managing director of the newly-founded Badisches Druckhaus Baden-Baden says: “After carefully examining all the technical options currently on the market, we decided on future-orientated production requirements in newspaper printing with the KBA Commander CT. This compact press with its high degree of automation, which has proven very popular in the market, will bring us forward in terms of efficiency and flexibility. This is in particular due to automatic plate changes which ensure fast job changes. Amongst other things, we can use these time gains to enhance our print products’ topicality. In addition, the cutting-edge technology reduces the number of personnel needed and cuts waste. Plus, our advertisers and readers will appreciate the outstanding print quality delivered by the Commander CT.”

Extensive automation

The double-width KBA Commander CT engineered for the Berliner format will have three printing towers and a KF 5 folder, and can print up to 90,000 newspapers per hour. Three Pastomat reelstands are embedded in an automatic reel-handling system. The only 4.5m-high printing towers feature automatic roller locks and can be accessed conveniently on both sides via lifts. They can also be split down the middle allowing for maximum access during maintenance tasks. The press is controlled by KBA ErgoTronic consoles with the EasyStart and EasyClean-up modules for automatic press start-up and run-down as well as job preparation, presetting and process control. Other highly automated features include colour and cut-off register controls, inking unit and blanket washing systems, and pre-former web guiding systems. Three turner bars, a folder superstructure with two formers, a half-cover guide and a variable Zip’n’Buy perforation unit all ensure maximum production flexibility. Retrofittable options include a unit enabling super-panorama production, skip slitter, section and ribbon stitcher.