KBA has sold a single-colour digital inkjet press to a Finnish book printer.

The L series RotaJET 130 for Bookwell Digital Oy is capable of being expanded flexibly as needs change.

"With this new press, we will be able to print small job runs in a highly efficient digital process, and react quickly and with outstanding print quality to short-term market needs," says managing director Juha Manninen.

The press will be able to more than 500 million single-colour A4 pages every month, equivalent to several million books. It will enter full production in Juva/Finland in mid-2017.

Bookwell was founded in the small town of Porvoo in the south of Finland more than 150 years ago, and now has Scandinavia, the UK and Russia as its most important export markets. Up to 13 million books are printed each year by a total of 208 employees at locations in Porvoo and Juva.

Last year, Harri Nyman and Juha Manninen purchased Bookwell and founded the new company Bookwell Digital Oy in Juva. Their next objective is thorough restructuring of the book production activities. Manninen says it will continue to print hardcover and softcover books, but production will be much more flexible and supply chain orientated, avoiding warehousing. "We are convinced that the RotaJET will help us to develop new market opportunities, and that it will change the landscape for book production in Finland and Scandinavia."

The press has the L series maximum web width of 1,380 mm, and can be upgraded to 4/4 printing. It will run with a web speed of 300 m/min using KBA RotaColor polymer inks for 1200 dpi print quality. Paper is supplied by an automatic Pastomat reelstand with Patras M reel transport system. Matched IR/hot-air dryers and intelligent web guiding over two central impression cylinders avoid the need for turner bars, delivering crease-free production even on thin stocks. The RotaJET at Bookwell is to be linked directly to an automated finishing line to produce ready-for-sale books.

Pictured: A 3D schematic of the RotaJET 130 for Bookwell Digital in Finland