DC R105: New medium-format sheetfed rotary die-cutter
The Radebeul facility of Koenig & Bauer AG (KBA) has entered into a partnership with montex-print ost druck- und papierverarbeitungs-maschinen gmbh & co. kg in Lindlar near Cologne (montex-print) to develop, manufacture and market new, high-performance sheetfed rotary die-cutters.
A corresponding agreement was signed by Ralf Sammeck, executive vice-president for the KBA sheetfed offset product house, and montex-print managing director Eberhard Fuchs in December 2013. Under the product name DC R105, montex-print will in future be distributing single- and double-unit rotary die-cutters based on the technical platform of the medium-format sheetfed press KBA Rapida 105.
Upon receipt of an order from montex-print, KBA will be supplying all the modules required for a sheetfed rotary die-cutter (feeder, infeed and die-cutting unit, together with the associated drive systems, electrical equipment and air supply) as a ready-assembled machine, at the same time already incorporating montex-print's proven, high-precision magnetic cylinder into the die-cutting unit. Transport, installation, commissioning, training and customer service are to be handled by montex-print. The first DC R105 is expected to be ready for demonstrations at KBA in Radebeul at the end of May, and customers can look forward to the first deliveries from early autumn.
The DC R105 is designed for sheet formats from 360 x 520 mm to 740 x 1,050 mm, a maximum production speed of 12,000 sheets per hour, and a substrate range from 0.03 to 0.7 mm (setting range 0.0 – 1.2 mm). In terms of productivity, precision, makeready times and ergonomic operation, it will be far superior to the used offset and letterpress models otherwise re-equipped for such die-cutting work. The whole set-up is operated from a control panel at the delivery, as the console normally installed with an offset press is not necessary for a pure die-cutting machine.
montex-print has been repairing and overhauling used printing presses since 1978, and has built up a good reputation in the industry for the conversion of used sheetfed offset presses into rotary die-cutters over recent years. With the development of a new rotary die-cutter together with KBA, montex-print is now venturing the next step, but nevertheless without abandoning its current used-press business.
Managing director Eberhard Fuchs is convinced that the cooperation will bring benefits for everyone involved: "For all those customers who seek to generate additional revenue with flexible finishing of the most varied materials, formats and run lengths, we offer the best price-performance ratio thanks to the simple handling and extremely fast makeready. That applies, for example, to the fast-growing IML segment, but at the same time also for short-run packaging, self-adhesive labels and other special materials. The DC R105 is the perfect machine for such jobs!"
Print finishing has been an important topic at KBA for many years. In the past, this usually meant diverse coating technologies, cold foil transfer and the like. The cooperation with montex-print in the field of rotary die-cutting, however, is now set to further extend the already broad spectrum of finishing options – initially as an stand-alone offline solution after printing, but with the medium-term perspective of inline integration into a Rapida press in suitable cases.
