Waterless coldset offset demonstrates its maturity

摘要

After several years of development work by printing press manufacturer KBA and its numerous Cortina project partners (ink, plate, paper suppliers, etc.) as well as a six-month beta test phase at reiff zeitungsdruck, KBA announced the market launch of the waterless web offset press for the coldset printing process at an open house event held in Offenburg in April. Walter Schumacher, member of the board with responsibility for web press sales at Koenig & Bauer AG (www.kba-print.de), said the lengthy period between the presentation of the prototype KBA-Cortina at drupa 2000 and its recent market launch was due to the fact that the company did not want to deliver "green bananas that would mature in the customer's press hall, but instead a printing system whose maturity and efficiency we have tested beforehand under production conditions." Peter Benz, KBA project manager for the Cortina, informed about the status of the developments, and Manfred Knopf, business manager at reiff zeitungsdruck, explained how the Cortina came to Offenburg. After it became known in early 2002 that the beta press would not be delivered to Kassel as originally planned, reiff lobbied strongly for the role of first-time user, as the company had recognised the economic and qualitative advantages of this innovative equipment. After discussions with KBA, a contract was signed and the Cortina left the KBA plant in Wuerzburg for Offenburg.