Retrofits & Upgrades for Sheetfed Printing Presses

Complex offline foil application using a letter press machine or dedicated flexo printing unit is no longer necessary, because the cold foil modules from Koenig & Bauer enable you to apply such special-effect foils via two normal printing units of your sheetfed offset press.

The first unit is used to apply an adhesive – via the ink duct and an offset plate in the same simple manner as an ink. The second unit then handles the actual foil application. To this end, the foil web is passed through the impression gap between blanket and impression cylinder, where it comes into contact with the substrate. Particles of aluminium from the metallised carrier are thereby transferred to the sheet in the areas to which adhesive was applied. Immediate inline overprinting with conventional or UV-reactive inks produces a dazzling array of metallic colours – all in perfect registration.

• All-over or partial foil finishing at up to 18,000 sheets/h
• Use of standard offset plates, rollers, solvents and blankets to apply the adhesive
• Fast and simple job changeovers

When printing on heavier substrates, pile changes are especially frequent. That means: Stop the press, switch the full and empty pallets, restart the press – and many minutes of valuable production time are lost each time.

Non-stop systems at the feeder and delivery allow for uninterrupted production and smooth pile changes at full production speed.

Non-stop operation at the feeder

• Non-stop system with individual rods, or
• Fully automatic non-stop system with sensor-monitored rake for pile transport and pile reunion

Non-stop operation at the delivery

• Lowerable roller rack extended automatically above the main pile
• Sensor monitoring for lifting/lowering of the main and auxiliary piles

PileTronic

• Networking of press control, non-stop systems and pallet supply for efficient print production
• Pallet-free paper supply is possible

The Koenig & Bauer system pallet is a flat pallet which has been designed specifically for use on your Rapida press. It is an effective means to avoid pallet-related production disturbances at the feeder and delivery.

The special form of the Koenig & Bauer non-stop pallet is also compatible with other printing presses, as well as post-press machines and logistics systems, irrespective of manufacturer. Your additional benefit: There is no need for time- and personnel-intensive pile transfers to other pallet systems, and you can further optimise your daily pressroom processes.

The pure LLDPE base material (linear lowdensity polyethylene) lends the pallet an extraordinarily high static and dynamic load-bearing strength and guarantees a long service life. It is furthermore 100% recyclable.

• Improved performance and elimination of pallet-related stoppages
• Suitable for use across the whole production process
• Extended service life and enhanced load capacity

With the Koenig & Bauer plate trolley lift, up to 60 printing and coating plates up to a width of 1,650 mm, as well as other consumables, are raised conveniently to the level of the press gallery. Especially in large formats and where presses are installed on foundation plinths, this significantly improves handling for the press operators.

The plate trolley lift is designed for a maximum load of 1,000 kg and is operated via two control boxes with an emergency-stop function. The power supply to the lift is by way of a connection in the main switch cabinet of the press. It goes without saving that the lift complies with all provisions of the applicable DIN and EN ISO standards on personnel safety.

• Simple and convenient transport of plates and consumables
• Improved personnel safety
• Time savings through faster handling of consumables

Would you like to be able to offer your customers more options, for example individual finishing or spot colours? Or perhaps your objective is to print more jobs as a single production run, in order to save valuable production time and costs? Expansion of your Rapida with additional printing units or coaters enables you to respond better and faster to the wishes expressed by your customers.

The integration of an additional printing unit or coater is a complex project. But you can depend on the expertise and know-how of our specialists. They realise your press expansion reliably and professionally – and you are back in production at the highest level as quickly as possible.

• Expanded product portfolio
• Improved competitiveness and market position
• Comprehensive expertise

QualiTronic ICR
The automatic inline register measuring system functions with a sensor which is integrated directly into the press to enable the fully automatic evaluation of register marks in the Koenig & Bauer colour bars.

QualiTronic ColorControl
Our QualiTronic ColorControl system measures and controls ink densities directly on the press. The camera system permits automatic measurements of optical density in the colour bars. The measured values serve as the basis for fast dynamic inline control of the ink key settings.

QualiTronic PrintCheck
QualiTronic PrintCheck expands the inline colour measuring system QualiTronic ColorControl to include inline sheet inspection. Production is monitored on the basis of the first good sheets. Image flaws are indicated and documented – with absolute reliability right up to the maximum production speed of the press.

QualiTronic PDFCheck
QualiTronic PDFCheck compares a freshly printed sheet with the PDF data from pre-press. After approval of a reference sheet, production is monitoring according to this virtual reference – as soon as the good sheet counter is started.

QualiTronic PDFCheck – High Res
This feature offers a significant increase in production reliability. The printer can react quickly to the smallest errors and reduce waste in the print run. The result is high quality printed matter in the stack. Certificates and logs prove the quality to the end customer.

• Constantly higher print quality
• Immediate correction of deviations
• Less waste during the production run

With a reel sheeter unit from Koenig & Bauer, reel stocks can be cut into sheets in a fast and efficient inline process. The use of substrates supplied as a reel offers numerous benefits in terms of cost savings, process stability and material utilisation.

It is possible to load and print substrates which are only available as reel stocks, as well as leftover reel stubs from a web press. The format length can be set to the nearest 0.1 mm at the touchscreen. This enables you to handle special formats without unnecessary waste and without needing to purchase expensive custom-cut sheets.

• Savings potential of 14 - 20 % when using reel stocks instead of pre-cut sheets
• Sheet travel is improved by avoiding double and skewed sheets
• Job-specific cut-off length avoids trimming waste
• Use of leftover reel stubs from web-fed production
• High running speeds with thin or coated papers and with other demanding substrates

A modified feeder head compensates deviations in the substrate or pile quality, and permits the handling of difficult substrates which in the past often resulted in repeated stoppages and additional waste. The optimised gate flap and new sheet guiding elements improve sheet transfer into the press. If your Rapida is configured with non-stop logistics at the feeder, the facility for lateral adjustment of the non-stop rake lends additional support.

The dynamic sheet brake in the delivery provides for controlled deceleration of the incoming sheets. This significantly improves pile quality, which is in turn a key to trouble-free further processing of the printed sheets. In the non-stop delivery, additional supporting fingers, optical sensors and pre-positioning of the non-stop rollers stabilise the pile changing process. Non-stop pile changes function safely and smoothly even at maximum production speed.

Optimised sheet travel is a proven means to further enhance the performance of your press. In practical tests, our users achieve speed increases of up to 1,500 sheets per hour. With this additional output, the investment in the upgrade is paid back in next to no time.

• Speed increases of up to 1,500 sheets per hour
• Greater flexibility and expansion of the range of substrates handled
• Less waste and fewer interruptions to production