Sascha Fisher: The Koenig & Bauer update

Sascha Fisher introduced Koenig & Bauer’s developments. He reflected on a successful year for the group, mentioning the company’s presence at Drupa where they introduced MyKyana. He said, “We'll have a digital customer portal and we're looking at replacing our hotline with artificial intelligence.”

Fisher described Koenig & Bauer's solutions for printing and engineering, showcasing their capabilities in various sectors including packaging, digital web printing, and die-cutting. 

He said, “To give you a sense of our capabilities, we can print on a range of materials. This is paper and board, but metal too. We even achieved a remarkable feat at Drupa, with a machine running at 22,000 sheets per hour. It was a truly impressive sight, especially the smoothness of the operations.”

Koenig & Bauer’s Rapida 76 for small-format printing was introduced at Drupa. He said, “Today the key is, small runs with fast changeovers—particularly in sectors like pharma and luxury goods. That’s why we’ve introduced the new design with the Rapida, which offers the flexibility needed for small runs without any compromise on quality.”

He also discussed the VariJet 106, a hybrid press. Fisher said, “This means, a coating unit to apply a primer, followed by seven colours with an extended gamut, and a second coating unit for special varnishes. This technology is in its early stages, but we expect great things as it continues to evolve.”

Fisher said, “Another development from the K&B stable is the CutPro X, a rotary die-cutter running at 16,000 sheets per hour. Typically, you’d need multiple die-cutters to match the capacity of one printing press, but with CutPro X, all the ops can be handled in a single run — cutting, creasing, stamping, and even braille. This machine is based on our Rapida technology and is already in use, providing excellent results.”

He spoke about K&B’s partner in India, Indo Polygraph Machinery, and highlighted the strong order intake from the country, with over 300 installations supported by a team of certified engineers.