The Ouest-France media group based in Rennes, France, invested in a flexibly automatable Commander CL 4/1 from Koenig & Bauer (KBA)

Opting for this new web press line from the Würzburg-based global market leader in newspaper presses will not only modernise the market leader’s printing centre located at the company’s headquarters but at the same time increase its four-colour capability, efficiency and profitability. The tailor-made 4/1 configuration is the result of intensive evaluation and project work, which was developed in close co-operation between KBA experts and a professional team from Ouest-France. Out of the eight Commander CL presses with a total of 242 printing units which have been sold so far, the press ordered recently is the first compact tower press with H-type units configured for four plates across the cylinder and one around. It is planned to go live in Rennes in autumn 2014.

No.1 in France and in the top 10 in Europe

France’s largest daily newspaper, Ouest-France, was founded on 4 August 1944 by Paul Hutin-Desgrées and today it has a daily circulation of approx. 800,000 copies and 50 editions. Based in Rennes, the media enterprise focuses on the regions Brittany, Pays de Loire and Lower Normandy. All shares in Ouest-France have been owned by “Association loi 1901”, a non-profit organisation, since 1990 to safeguard corporate independence. SIPA, a civil law company, represents this association which is unique to the newspaper industry. The Sunday newspaper, Dimanche Ouest-France, was first launched in 1997. At the end of 2005 SIPA, which already owned Presse de la Manche, took over the titles Le Courrier de l’Ouest, Presse-Océan and Le Maine Libre, which appear in the Pays de la Loire region. The SIPA - Ouest-France group has a total circulation of about 1 million copies, including all regional dailies. Furthermore, the media house’s division, Publihebdos, publishes 76 weeklies with a circulation of 490,000 copies mainly in western and northern France as well as in the Paris area. Via Spir Communication (consumer and special-interest magazines, websites, distribution of promotional literature etc.) which is controlled by SIPA’s subsidiary, Sofiouest, the SIPA - Ouest-France group holds shares in the free newspaper 20 Minutes France. The Norwegian Schibsted group is the joint venture partner

Along with its core business in print media which also encompasses magazines and books, the prominent media company is also active in advertising, marketing, consulting and radio. The group is also innovative in the multimedia sector with online news, subscriptions as well as portals for cars, property and a job market, which are very popular.

Modular design supports flexible retrofits

The Commander CL ordered can print 84,000 broadsheet newspapers of up to 48 pages per hour (40 of which in four colours) in up to three sections. Tabloid products can encompass up to 96 pages, of which a maximum of 80 in four colours.

The 350 x 500mm format (13.8 x 19.7in) press comprises five four-high towers for 4/4 printing, a 1/1 printing unit, a KF 5 jaw folder with a ribbon stitcher and six Pastomat reelstands. Automated pagination change, automatic RollerTronic roller locks, ink feed and ink unit washing systems, automatic colour and cut-off register controls, and semi-automatic plate changing systems cut makeready times, waste and operation and maintenance efforts considerably. The Commander CL 4/1 is controlled by cutting-edge ErgoTronic consoles incorporating the automation modules KBA EasyStart for automatic press start-up and EasyClean-up for automatic press run-down. A PRIME interface will allow the integration into the existing job scheduling and press preset system.

The KBA Commander CL’s consistent modular design supports flexible extensions and expansions at a later date as well as adapting the level of automation to meet changing market demands.