Continuation of a longstanding partnership between both companies

Shortly before doors opened at this year’s World Publishing Expo (WPE) Swiss firm Tamedia and KBA-Digital & Web Solutions concluded a comprehensive four-year service framework agreement for the KBA web presses in operation at Tamedia’s sites in Zürich, Bern and Lausanne.

The contract which is worth several million euros is expected to secure the long-term availability of the press lines with preventative maintenance and will contribute to the optimisation of the planning and budgeting of necessary measures. It includes the planning and implementation of essential service work, inspections, repairs and retrofits in the mechanic, electric and electronic fields, crucial integration and modification work, the delivery of spare parts and consultancy and support of Tamedia with audits, training and project management by KBA experts. Swiss KBA subsidiary Print Assist will ensure the coordination and handling of the business processes on-site as well as support the different plants. A close collaboration between the two traditional companies spanning almost 40 years is thus continued with this long-term service partnership.

Multi-unit Commander press lines in Zürich and Bern, Cortina in Bussigny

In 1980 Koenig & Bauer delivered one of the first multi-unit Commander press lines to Tamedia and the Swiss were also the first users worldwide of the then up and coming triple-wide web presses with stacked nine-cylinder satellite printing units in 2003. The multi-unit KBA Commander 6/2 installed in Zürich twelve years ago has 16 printing towers, 16 reelstands and five folders. Along with the Tages-Anzeiger and other titles, it now also prints the Neue Zürcher Zeitung. Another large Commander 6/2 line with nine printing towers, nine reelstands and three folders went to DZB Druckzentrum in Bern, a member of the Tamedia group, in 2004 for the production of the BZ Berner Zeitung, the Bund and a raft of other titles. In addition, at its site in Bussigny Tamedia also operates a Cortina (four four-high towers, four reelstands and a folder) which was delivered to Centre d‘ Impression Lausanne SA in 2006 and is Switzerland’s only waterless offset web press. Together with a wet offset press it produces the newspapers Le Matin, 24 heures and Tribune de Genève among others.

There is a lot to do in terms of servicing and maintenance in the next few years. Matthias Kobel, manager responsible for Life Cycle Management, Andreas Schaffner, head of publishing services and member of the management board (both Tamedia), Thomas Potzkai, head of service at KBA-Digital &Web Solutions, and Peter Rickenmann, CEO of Print Assist, are all pleased that the upcoming service tasks can be managed as partners within a multi-year framework contract.