Flexo printing

Innovative newspaper printing with water-based inks

KBA also plays a leading technical role in flexo newspaper printing. The biggest newspaper flexo press in the world is currently in action at Harmsworth Quays Printing (HQP) in London. This KBA Flexo-Courier installation, which has been extended on several occasions and in the meantime counts 220 printing couples, including two sections with practically gearless drive technology, prints well over two million newspapers every night, demonstrating its high quality and efficiency.

KBA Flexo-Courier: user friendly

The KBA Flexo-Courier is a high-performance new-generation tower press for printing colour newspapers and semi-commercials. Its waterless flexo inks are rub-resistant, environmentally friendly and deliver sharp, brilliant colours. The absence of ink keys and the complex presetting electronics associated with them cuts investment costs, eases handling and guarantees a consistently high image quality. This, in conjunction with a high production output, makes for an exceptionally cost-effective press.

Biggest newspaper flexo press in the world

Flexo-Courier-Großanlage at HQP in London

Full spectrum of innovative technology for efficient newspaper printing

Beltless reelstand KBA PASTOMAT CL

KBA PASTOMAT CL, an automatic reelstand of the newest generation, with beltless AC drive

KBA PATRAS, a flexible and high-performance system for reel handling and transfer to the reelstands, in a variety of modular configurations from manual to fully automatic versions

Proven superstructure design for double-width presses with a full range of options, such as balloon former, bay-window web guides, etc., to suit individual production requirements

KBA KF 5 and KBA RF 3 folders with cutting-edge technology, tailored to individual demands as to folding type (jaw or gear fold), output and number of pages

Customised automation with the latest control console technology, ink supply system for black and process inks, etc.

KBA KF 5 to deliver up to 120 broadsheet pages

Brilliant colour on different paper types

The latest generation of Flexo-Courier presses are tower-configuration newspaper web presses for 4/1 or 4/4 production with keyless inking units, and possess both shaftless drives with an AC motor for each cylinder and innovative imprinter technology without additional printing couples. In the flexo inking unit a chambered doctor blade feeds the ink to the screen roller, which transfers its ink film to the soft printing plate. The back pressure is provided by a hard impression cylinder. The cells in the anilox roller are filled with fresh ink and topped off by the doctor blade on each single revolution, which means that the plate cylinder always receives a new film of ink.

Multicolour newspaper printing with flying plate changes

Without ink keys and the corresponding setting electronics, providing for uncomplicated operation

Minimised start-up wastage - especially important with many regional part editions

High net production output for long runs

Outstanding ease of operation through excellent access to the printing units, with pneumatic switching of the plate cylinders

Proven technology of dedicated drives for each cylinder simplifies operation

Oil-free and gearless printing units make significant contributions to environment-friendly printing

Innovative imprinter technology with optional second plate cylinder in the printing unit

Flying plate changes with minimum wastage and without additional printing couples, even up to 4/4 production

Wear-resistant ceramic screen rollers ensure constant inking, even over long runs

Supplements on coated stock can be printed together with newspapers on uncoated stock, without the need for a dryer

A dedicated AC motor for each cylinder

Max. web width
	1,200 - 2,200 mm
Cylinder circumference
	900 - 1,200 mm
Max. output
	40,000 cyl. rph (80,000 cph in straight production)
Printing units
	Flexo printing unit with screen roller
	Individual dedicated drive on each cylinder
Option
	Imprinter function up to 4:4 production with optional second plate cylinder
Reelstand KBA PASTOMAT CL
Max. reel diameter	1,524 mm
Max. web width	2,520 mm
Max. splicing speed	17.2 m/s
Folder KBA KF 3
Cylinder ratio	2:3:3
Max. output collect	80 broadsheet pages
Folder KBA KF 5
Cylinder ratio	2:5:5
Max. output collect	120 broadsheet pages
Folder KBA KF 7
Cylinder ratio	2:7:7
Max. output collect	144 broadsheet pages
Folder KBA RF 3
Cylinder ratio	3:2
Max. output collect	160 broadsheet pages