In April 2020, at the height of covid, Koenig & Bauer opened a 3,000 m2 demonstration hall in Radebeul, Germany, dedicated to the production of carton packs. Five years later, the Packaging Competence Center has established itself as a technical meeting place for printers and converters from all over the world, combining field trials, process development and pre-investment support.
The center, integrated into the manufacturer's Customer Experience Center, hosts all stages of the packaging production chain: from prepress to printing, from die-cutting to folding-gluing. It also offers digital workflow and data-driven solutions, in line with the life cycles of printed products.
Five years of new machines
As the company approaches its fifth anniversary, the machine fleet has been renewed. A Rapida 76 press is now available for demonstrations in high-end packaging sectors such as luxury goods and pharmaceuticals. A new Ipress 106 SB flat-bed die-cutter is currently being installed, while a CutPRO Q 106 model is already in production. The original Rapida 145 press has left the site, to be replaced by a new machine from the same series, scheduled for May.
The center will feature three packaging production lines representing as many different formats. Visitors will be able to discover sheet-fed offset printing with the Rapida 76, Rapida 106 X and Rapida 145 presses, digital printing with the VariJET 106, flat-bed die-cutting with the CutPRO Q 106 and Ipress 106 SB, rotary die-cutting with the CutPro X 106 and fold-gluing with the Omega Allpro 70 and Omega Allpro 110.
Several software solutions are also on show, including the Kyana suite (Data, Assist, Connect, VisuEnergy X), geared towards energy monitoring, data analysis and remote assistance, and PrintFusion, developed with Hybrid Software, which ensures continuity between prepress and printing.
Daily demonstrations and international coverage
Over the past five years, the Packaging Competence Center has welcomed over 5,000 visitors. Up to three parallel demonstrations can be organized. These demonstrations are also broadcast remotely, as was the case at the virtual Drupa 2021.
The site also plays a role in supporting printers during the investment phase. Customized application tests are carried out here, with the possibility of simulating real production flows.
Open house planned for May
Koenig & Bauer announces an upcoming open day in May. During this event, under the theme Expand Your Business Model, all the center's machines will be in production.
