Innovative German daily the Main-Post is updating its printing plant in Wurzburg, the home town of press manufacturer Koenig & Bauer.

Two highly automated Commander CL printing towers are part of a programme of gradual modernisation: "Piece by piece, we are upgrading our printing presses so that they represent the latest state of the art," says managing director David Brandstätter. "For us, the two new printing towers also indicate our clear commitment to printed newspapers."

Interestingly, although the Main-Post is located in Würzburg, its parent company, the Pressedruck media group is located in Augsburg, home to rival manroland web systems.

Main-Post installed a new folder in 2015, and the new 47,000 cph print towers are set to start production at the beginning of 2019.

President and chief executive of Koenig & Bauer Claus Bolza-Schünemann says the two companies are linked by a "very long and above all a very good partnership.

"In particular, the geographical proximity of the two companies allows a very strong exchange in terms of new developments, innovations or also practical tests."

A tangible result of this has been innovations such as zipper applications and large double-spread supplements.

Koenig & Bauer's relationship goes back 135 years to when it delivered a first printing press to the Würzburg General-Anzeiger, the precursor of today's Main-Post. The first edition of the Main-Post appeared in November 1945.

The publisher employs about 1000 people on the daily Main-Post, Schweinfurter Tagblatt, Schweinfurter Volkszeitung, Hassfurter Tagblatt, Bote vom Hassgau and Volksblatt and third-party print jobs.

With the two towers, two Pastomat reelstands and two Patras A reel loading systems are being installed. An automation package includes RollerTronic roller locks, CleanTronic cylinder washing systems, colour register and cut-off register controls, colour measuring and control systems and fully automatic plate changing systems. The Commander CL is controlled via a new ErgoTronic console with EasyTronic for optimised startup of the web press.

Pictured: The new line of six printing towers and three folders units, with provision for two older towers to be shut down

Signing the contracts (from the left): Christoph Müller, member of the board of directors of Koenig & Bauer; Adrian Alt-Steiner, head of printing at Main Post media group; David Brandstätter; Günter Noll, sales manager Koenig & Bauer, Claus Bolza-Schünemann (Photo: Daniel Peter)