Koenig & Bauer Group makes a big impression
- at the KASAD meeting in Istanbul
Carton converters from all over Turkey met recently at the KASAD conference in Istanbul, but this time they were greeted by the combined forces of the Koenig & Bauer Group, comprising Koenig & Bauer Sheetfed, Koenig & Bauer Iberica, and the newly created Koenig & Bauer Duran, formed by a partnership with the former Duran Machinery.
KASAD (Karton Ambalaj Sanayicileri Derneği) is the Turkish Cartonboard Packaging Manufacturers’ Association. Established in 1991 by 45 companies, currently it represents more than 70% of the market in Turkey with 64 master members from 44 of the largest carton converters, along with 34 honorary members from the industry’s leading technology suppliers.
Addressing more than 120 members of the Turkish carton packaging sector, Oktay Duran, Vice Chairman of Koenig & Bauer Duran said that, while the partnership was formalised only recently, the first discussions between the two companies began as long ago as 28th November 2014. This date is significant because it exactly marks the 200th anniversary of Koenig & Bauer manufacturing their first printing press. He said that the intention of the new partnership was to build on the success enjoyed by the Group and Duran Machinery in the carton packaging sector. The addition of Duran folder gluers expands and strengthens the portfolio of equipment available from a single source.
Taking to the podium, Dietmar Heyduck, Senior Vice President of Sales for Koenig & Bauer Sheetfed explained to the delegates: “We are not only the oldest manufacturer of printing presses in the world, we also have the largest installed base. The Group has production facilities in 11 different countries, and significantly all of them are in Europe. More than 2,500 carton converters use Koenig & Bauer technology, and we have over 3,000 large format presses in daily production in 74 countries worldwide, thanks to our 40 years of experience and expertise in this sector.” He went on to say that the company maintains an ongoing programme of research and development, and that in 2018 alone, it had introduced 12 innovations across its range of presses.
Falk Sparbert, Vice President Sales, said that the company had made a number of detailed changes to the product range, including easier job changeover, faster die changing, cylinder washing and easy anilox roll changing, all of which improve efficiency and up-time. One of the new developments was the introduction of a Koenig & Bauer UV drier, which he said will have a major impact in the carton market. He commented: “By manufacturing our own UV system in-house, we can offer maximum compatibility with our presses to the customers’ benefit. There remain one or two unresolved issues relating to the new LED UV technology being increasingly used in the packaging field, mostly to do with ink availability, especially on certain Pantone colours that carton converters need, but also with concerns over possible migration limits.” But, he said that Koenig & Bauer provides a modular drying system that offers fast and precise control for any application, and is typical of the innovative thinking that the company brings to the market for increased productivity.
Moving on to converting, Sparbert shared information on the Koenig & Bauer RDC 106 rotary die cutting machines. Introduced at Drupa 2016, the RDC 106 is based on the well-proven Rapida 106 offset press platform and uses the Feeder and Delivery units from the printing press. It is very quick to make-ready (less than 5 minutes) and is capable of cutting, creasing and embossing at up to 17,000 sheets/hour on a wide range of materials from in-mould labels to 0.7mm board, which makes it highly competitive with flat-bed die cutters including its capability to emboss Braille.
Concluding the presentation, Patrick Masson, Head of Post Press told delegates that the Koenig & Bauer Group now offers the most complete package of carton converting technology in the world from one manufacturer. Its sheetfed offset presses have long been the benchmark for carton printing, especially in large format, and these are now joined by the well-proven and highly popular range of flat-bed die cutters from Iberica and folder gluers from Duran.
Beginning with Iberica, he said that the company, which was established in 1940 in Barcelona, manufactures two ranges of machines, the Optima 106, available in two specifications, and the more advanced Ipress, which is available in 106 and 144 sizes and with varying degrees of automation, and blank stripping and separation. All Iberica models are designed for ease of use and are capable of coping with heavy-duty work environments. Standard specification is high across the range, and there is also a list of optional features available to enable converters to match each machine to their own specific requirements. They all use the VarioPlan system, which Iberica patented in 1988, that provides for a 20% increase in productivity.
Moving on to Duran, Masson said how pleased Koenig & Bauer is to have added the Turkish folder gluer manufacturer to its portfolio of products at the end of 2018. “Duran machines are used and well liked around the world and there is no doubt they give a significant boost to the package of box converting technology that our Group can now offer.” He explained that the range available, from entry-level Intro, to the perfect all-rounder Allpro, and more sophisticated Alius models means there is a folder gluer to meet any requirement, and that notwithstanding the fact that Duran is renowned for its ability to tailor-make a machine to suit any specific demand.
There was little doubt that the assembled members of KASAD were both interested and impressed with the presentations from Koenig & Bauer, with few having prior realisation of just how much technology is available from one manufacturer. Although Iberica and Duran are relatively recent additions to the Group, they both come with fine pedigrees and well-proven track records amongst their individual user bases. With such a firm foothold in the carton market, the benefits of the combined resources now available from Koenig & Bauer is certain to make a great impact in the industry.
Folding Carton Industry Magazine May - June 2019
