Offset Printing

KBA Commander satellite press for Fulda

The stacked nine-cylinder satellites allow straightforward 4/4 production and deliver a top-quality print

Monday 28. September 2009 - Parzeller picks high-powered KBA newspaper technology

Parzeller Druck- und Mediendienstleistungen in Fulda has signed up for a double-wide KBA Commander satellite press. The 32pp press for high-quality full-colour production is slated to go live next summer in a new, conveniently located printing plant on the Eichenzell industrial estate.

Alongside the Fuldaer Zeitung and diverse local editions with a total daily circulation of some 50,000 copies the Commander will print external and in-house freesheets, such as Marktkorb, with a weekly circulation of 250,000 copies plus other publications including address directories.
Commenting on the choice of a further KBA press Armin Alt, Parzeller’s print production manager, says: “We have worked successfully with KBA for decades and are happy with the performance of the presses from Würzburg. After running a rule over all the possible alternatives we opted for the high productivity, acknowledged superior quality and persuasive price/performance ratio of a Commander satellite press.” Publisher Michael Schmitt agrees: “The innovative newspaper press technology will allow us to meet our challenging production targets. This in turn will furnish the foundation for safeguarding the future of our regional title, and the many other titles we print, in a media arena where competition is becoming increasingly fierce. We are firmly convinced that print will continue to play a major role in a multimedia environment.”

Innovative printer and publisher with a long tradition
Founded in 1873 in Fulda, St. Boniface’s stamping ground, the Parzeller media group now comprises eight companies. Its flagship title, the Fuldaer Zeitung, has evolved strongly in recent years as the result of a consistent market focus and skilled expansion. Says Schmitt: “A media analysis in 2008 revealed that the Fuldaer Zeitung’s modern layout and the targeted structure adopted last year has enabled it to attract a much higher proportion of young readers than any other daily.” In addition to newspapers Parzeller prints mono- and polychrome books, catalogues, dictionaries, telephone directories and similar publications, complete with post-press and distribution. The group’s portfolio also embraces media-neutral data handling services and website design. “Today Parzeller is a major European player in the market for compact colour books, and from the payroll perspective we are the biggest commercial printer in Hesse,” says Armin Alt.

High performance, enormous flexibility

The double-wide KBA Commander press can pump out 90,000 copies per hour in straight production and handle a range of infinitely variable web widths to accommodate multiple print formats. On top of this the press has been configured to accept 7/8 and 3/8 webs and a broad choice of stock weights for printing unusual ad formats such as half covers and spadias.
The highly automated press will comprise two Pastomat reelstands with Patras A automatic reel handling and stripping, two towers of stacked nine-cylinder satellites, two double turner bars, a folder superstructure with two formers, a KF 5 jaw folder and diverse auxiliaries such as a cross perforator and section stitcher. Provision has been made for the optional addition of a skip slitter, Zip’n’Buy variable length perforator, card-gluer and ribbon stitcher. The press will have automatic washing systems for the blanket and impression cylinders plus the inking and dampening units. Other productivity- and quality-enhancing automation modules will include ink pumping, colour density control, RollerTronic roller bearings, cut-off register, web-guidance and web-travel controls plus pre-former web guides. The press line will be controlled from two EAE consoles with PRINT job-scheduling and press-presetting software, a VIP statistics system and a logistics and maintenance system (LMS). The digitally downloaded pages will be checked visually via a proofing system.
For Christoph Müller, KBA executive vice-president for web press sales, the decision by such a prominent German print specialist and innovative media house to install a Commander satellite press with cutting-edge technology is further confirmation that KBA’s two-pronged policy of advancing conventional newspaper press technology while pursuing innovations such as the compact KBA Competence platform is the right way to go.