A Speedmaster XL 106-6+LYYL from Heidelberg Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) has been up and running at packaging specialists Karl Knauer KG since the beginning of 2014. The investment is aimed at further increasing the profitability and productivity of printing high-quality folding cartons. "Heidelberg has been a valued partner of ours for a long time now. We work on an equal footing and have already implemented numerous projects together rolling out special developments. As such, it was a pretty clear-cut decision to opt for Heidelberg for this acquisition too," says Gerhard Kammerer, technical production manager at Karl Knauer. The pre-investment productivity calculations produced by the Business Consulting team from Heidelberg predicted a potential 40 percent productivity boost based on adaptations in logistics, job planning, and the machine's performance. "Thanks to the high productivity of the Speedmaster press - at 18,000 sph on many jobs - and improved in-house processes, it wasn't long before we saw a significant increase in overall productivity," Kammerer explains.

Karl Knauer operates two sites, in Biberach (Baden) and Pniewy (Poland). The company employs a 540-strong workforce to produce around a billion folding cartons each year for manufacturers of branded goods throughout Europe. The bulk of orders handled by the packaging and advertising specialist lie in the 200 - 600 gsm range. The Speedmaster XL 106 also makes it very easy to produce exceptional surface finishes in matt/gloss or UV applications for the gift packaging segment. 

In terms of makeready alone, the company is achieving around 50 percent savings using the automatic plate change and optimized washup cycles. The Speedmaster XL 106 is equipped with the Prinect Inspection Control inline sheet inspection system for continuous monitoring and documentation of the entire run. The Hycolor inking and dampening system in conjunction with the Color Package achieves optimum color stability, shortens makeready times, and reduces paper waste throughout. Its control panel concept with touchscreen at the feeder and the printing and coating units enables uniform operation of the entire machine. The non-stop logistics at the feeder and delivery also ensure maximum uptime on this printing press. The machine is integrated into the Prinect print shop workflow using Prinect Pressroom Manager and directly linked with the SAP system via a CIP4 Interface. 

Preventive service contracts such as Systemservice 36plus and the Heidelberg Partner Program cover repair costs, Remote Services, and other services, which play a key role in optimizing machine performance and value retention. "The services provided by Heidelberg ensure maximum machine availability, just as we require," says Kammerer.