Best Drupa since 2000KBA: Print makes a strong comeback

Claus Bolza-Schünemann, CEO and president of Koenig & Bauer (KBA) and Drupa president 2016, announced a decidedly positive closing verdict on this year’s industry’s leading trade show which closed its doors on 10 June after eleven days and some 260,000 visitors. “Print in all its diversity made a strong comeback at Drupa 2016 following structural shifts over the past eight years. You could feel it in the halls that most companies had done their homework and adapted to new market realities. We were very positively surprised by the quantity, quality and internationality of the visitors. Many came very well prepared with clear requirements which made consulting easier. The atmosphere and willingness to invest on the busy KBA stand were exceptional. Many visitors praised us for the open and practical presentations of our products and services. This is particularly nice to hear,” Bolza-Schünemann concluded.  

Flood of sheetfed offset orders

The press manufacturer with an exceptionally broad portfolio and the leader in folding carton printing announced orders totalling a figure in the triple-digit million euro range in its largest segment, sheetfed offset. Ralf Sammeck, CEO of KBA-Sheetfed Solutions: “We clearly surpassed the sales target we set ourselves and received many orders in all format classes from over 40 countries on all six continents. The focus of our trade show presence on growing markets, such as digital, LED-UV and packaging printing, proved highly successful. The expansion of our offerings to post-press with an own rotary die-cutter and the planned takeover of Spanish die-cutter manufacturer Iberica AG S.A. were extremely well-received by our customers. The same is true of the conceptual presentation of the KBA VariJET 106 Powered by XEROX digital sheetfed press, whose development will be completed in a few months’ time, and of our new services towards Industry 4.0.”  

Digital, flexo and offset under one roof

The innovative solutions in digital, flexo and offset printing and thus also the process alternatives for various market segments presented on the KBA stand had a positive effect on the numbers of visitors. Practical demonstrations of the NEO XD hybrid press from KBA-Flexotecnica, the only flexo press at Drupa to print film for food packaging with water-based inks in an outstanding quality, was the subject of great interest amongst the visiting experts.  

The live presentations of the RotaJET L digital press whose high print quality and enormous performance on various substrates, even coated offset stock, attracted big crowds and amazed many visitors, including publisher Dr Hubert Burda. Web press orders placed at a trade show is somewhat unusual. Nevertheless, Christoph Müller, CEO of KBA-Digital & Web Solutions, announced the sale of a Commander CL to Germany and a waterless Cortina to the island of La Réunion in the India ocean. Oliver Volland, managing director of KBA-Metronic, was also pleased with the substantial interest shown in his company’s coding and marking solutions. Given the raft of new projects, KBA expects brisk post-Drupa business. Bolza-Schünemann: “I agree with statements that this was ‘the best Drupa since 2000’.”