KBA VariJET 106 Sheetfed Inkjet Press Targets Vibrant Digital Folding Carton Market

DALLAS — September 13, 2016 — KBA Sheetfed Solutions, a business unit of the Koenig & Bauer Group (KBA), and Xerox have announced a partnership to develop an industrial digital sheetfed press for the folding carton market.

The KBA VariJET 106 Powered by Xerox integrates Xerox Impika inkjet technology into the KBA Rapida 106 press platform. The modular KBA VariJET will permit the combination of conventional printing and finishing technologies with digital inkjet printing in a hybrid press. It can be configured with up to seven inkjet colors and it offers print speeds of up to 4,500 sph in 29.5x41.7˝ at 1,400 dpi/hr. Its modular concept enables the combination of digital inkjet printing with optional in-line capabilities such as printing units, coating, cold foil application, rotary diecutting, creasing and perforating.

The modular KBA VariJET will permit the combination of conventional printing and finishing technologies with digital inkjet printing in a hybrid press.

Digitally printed packaging worldwide will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of roughly 16% between 2015 and 2020. Within that, digitally printed folding cartons will see a CAGR of 40 percent1. The KBA VariJET 106 Press brings the benefits of digital printing such as running multiple versions of the same carton as well as customized cartons, opening up new business opportunities for industrial production printers. Wide format cartons, for items like cosmetics, food and pharmaceutical products, until now has relied on traditional analog offset production printing.

“As a leader in package printing our customers are confirming that this is exactly the product they need for the market opportunity that exists,” says Ralf Sammeck, CEO of KBA-Sheetfed Solutions. “Xerox’s inkjet technology coupled with our packaging expertise combines proven technologies to bring the right product to market at the right time.”

“By combining digital capabilities like cross media marketing, digital storefronts, and automated workflows with those of classic offset printing, our customers will be able to offer new products not seen in the traditional packaging market to their customers,” shares Robert Stabler, GM, Graphic Communications Business Group, Xerox. “The KBA VariJET 106 Powered by Xerox will have the flexibility, format and speed to help print providers capture this growing market opportunity.”

KBA will be participating at Graph Expo 2016 in Orlando from September 25-28, 2016 at Booth 1435 and at the Digital Packaging Summit 2016 that will take place Oct. 31-Nov. 2, 2016, at the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

About KBA
KBA North America is located in Dallas, Texas and a member of the KBA Group. Established almost 200 years ago in Würzburg, Germany, Koenig & Bauer AG (KBA) is the oldest and second largest press manufacturer worldwide. KBA's banner, 'People & Print', reflects its dual focus as a leading innovator for print entrepreneurs. The group's product range is the broadest in the industry; its portfolio includes sheetfed offset presses in all format classes, inkjet presses and systems, flexographic presses, commercial and newspaper web presses, special presses for banknotes, securities, metal-decorating, smart cards, glass and plastic decorating.

Source: KBA.