Offset Printing

Lande-Langenbach Group reaffirms faith in innovative KBA technology

Smiling faces on the KBA stand at Drupa 2008 (l-r): Thomas Lüdi (sales manager, Print Assist), Christian Steiger (plant manager, Langenbach), Hansulrich Brauchli (managing director, Langenbach), Peter J Rickenmann (managing director, Print Assist), Ralf Sammeck (executive vice-president for sheetfed sales, KBA) and Roland Fritz (technical manager, Lande-Langenbach Group)

Monday 30. June 2008 - Second giant Rapida in less than a year

Swiss print provider Langenbach in Schafisheim, near Lenzburg, is one of the country’s leading producers of quality corrugated displays and packaging for the consumer goods industry. Predominantly an offset operation, alongside packaging blanks and display cartons Langenbach also makes beautifully finished folding cartons, counter stands and attractive presentation systems.

In autumn 2007 an exhaustive screening process culminated in Langenbach placing an order with KBA’s Swiss sales subsidiary Print Assist for a new size 7 (63¾in) Rapida 162 six-colour press with two coaters and an unparalleled level of automation that included nonstop pile feed, removal and logistics, plate changing, QualiTronic Professional inline colour measurement and control, and DensiTronic dynamic density control. The high-tech press went live in spring this year and was ceremoniously inaugurated on 11 June.

Now the Lande-Langenbach group has ordered a further KBA press for Langenbach, this time a size 6 (56in) Rapida 142, also for six colours but with one coater and a triple extended delivery. A veteran user of large-format KBA technology, Langenbach will take delivery of the new press in September. Like the 162 the Rapida 142 will boast cutting-edge quality measurement, monitoring and control, inline sheet inspection and will be fully embedded in the firm’s automated substrate logistics system. Langenbach is taking this powerful, high-automation press technology on board in order to grow market share by exploiting productivity, quality and capacity gains.

While Langenbach, which was founded 132 years ago and employs around 200 people, mainly produces premium-quality packaging and displays, the Lande-Langenbach group offers a much broader portfolio of services and products ranging from assistance in the development of customised products to sophisticated packaging and high-impact displays. At present the group is implementing a strategic investment policy aimed at raising its competitive profile in the global marketplace and fuelling future growth. In addition to technical innovation its primary focus is on addressing market needs, ie customers’ specific requirements and ambitions. In tandem with its sister company Lande, a specialist producer of flexo packaging and displays in Rupperswil, Langenbach offers a unique breadth of technological prowess spanning both flexo and offset. Recently the Lande-Langenbach group acquired Regia HighPack, Oensingen, a printer of paper, board and luxury packaging. The acquisition has created a major Swiss packaging group with 460 employees and an even broader spectrum of single-source products and services.