➤ Not quite the ‘tiny twins’ of DRUPA, KBA’s compact Cortina and Commander CT towers stood out as one of the production powerhouses of the show. Together, the triple-wide waterless Cortina – 60 towers of which have now been ordered – and the new Commander CT epitomise KBA’s technological leadership and innovation in newspaper production. The pioneering tradition goes back to nine-cylinder satellite presses, the first triple-wide presses, minigaps for commercial webs, robotic plate-changers and more. Now KBA’s compact platform is becoming the de facto standard for the newspaper industry in terms of cost efficiency, ergonomics, ecology and flexibility. The Cortina and Commander CT were among the stars of the Düsseldorf show, with newspaper printers and publishers keen to learn how the revolutionary pair could help them raise their profile in a fiercely-contested media market. Visitors from all over the world also took the opportunity to see one of the latest Cortina installations, at de Persgroep’s Eco Print Centre in Lokeren near Brussels. Here a waterless 12-tower Cortina – running coldset and heatset products with the same inks – is the centrepiece of a showplace plant. This was recently honoured by the Belgian Green (Groen) party with a rare Ecotech award for its use of environmentally friendly technologies. The fourteenth Cortina order – a two-tower triple-wide press for German regional newspaper ‘Südkurier’ near Lake Constance – was announced just before DRUPA. Of the 60 Cortina towers which have now been ordered in both in 4/2 and 6/2 formats, 39 are in operation. At ‘Le Figaro’ in Paris, a Berliner-sized Cortina 6/2 with ten towers and two folders has provision for two dryers, additional towers and a third complete press line. The enthusiasm for innovation is not however, restricted to the Cortina. Launched at IfraExpo in 2007, the compact KBA Commander CT is already in operation at the ‘Main-Post’ in Würzburg, Germany, and the ‘Heraldo de Aragón’ in Saragossa, Spain. The first two towers at ‘Heraldo’ were commissioned last month, in time to print the official newspaper for a world exhibition on water and sustainable development, while another tower destined for the site was on show at DRUPA. Further orders have included three triple-wide presses totalling 15 towers, for the New York ‘Daily News’. The 90-year-old tabloid is the largest and most widely read newspaper in the New York metropolitan market and the fifth-largest in the country. Live production is scheduled for the second half of next year. The Commander CT responds to requests for a wet-offset press using the compact format and advanced automation features of the Cortina, bringing ergonomic and economic advantages previously found only in the waterless press. These include the slide-apart design of the oil-free StepIn towers which split down the middle to allow easy access for changing blankets and washcloths. Lifts on either side make handling easier and reduce legwork. The press has improved roller-type inking units, ink keys and spray dampeners, while its compact design minimises process-specific drawbacks such as fan-out. Automation systems common to both compact designs are based on well-proven technology, and simplify makeready, control and maintenance tasks. PlateTronic automatic plate changing is a popular option delivering ultra-short edition changes ... just two minutes to change all the plates on the press. RollerTronic automatic roller locks ensure optimum printing conditions with settings performed at the control consoles, avoiding the need for manual adjustment. KBA’s NipTronic bearing units allow remote adjustment of printing pressure between the plate and blanket cylinders – a big advantage when printing newspapers and semicommercials on different stocks. With dedicated cylinder drives and minimal oil lubrication, gear trains are eliminated and maintenance reduced. Additionally, the compact design can offer savings in building and also utilities/service costs: At just 3.9 metres, the compact tower is about half of the height of a conventional one, substantially reducing the cost of a new press hall – or allowing installation in an existing industrial building – as well as bringing savings in air conditioning, lighting and other services. In Australia and New Zealand, KBA has major newspaper installations at West Australian Newspapers and the ‘Gold Coast Bulletin’ – as well as in heatset and commercial print sites – and is installing a second Comet single-width press for News Limited at ‘The Mercury’ in Hobart. The company has strengthened its presence in the local marketplace with the appointment of N.L. Chin as Sydney-based web sales director and the opening of two new offices. Chin – who has moved from KBA’s office in Kuala Lumpur – is supported by Dave Lewis in Melbourne and a new web service specialist from the company’s Würzburg base. KBA Australasia Sydney: Ph: (02) 4626 4400 Melbourne: (03) 9548 7277 New Zealand: +64 (0) 7 386 5980 Email: nlchin@kbaaustralasia.com.au www.kba-print.de