Koenig & Bauer opens up its digital ecosystem to machines from other manufacturers. The recent integration of a competing offset press into the Koenig & Bauer digital ecosystem at Grafika Printing, an American printer based in Pennsylvania specializing in carton packaging, is the first concrete example of this strategy.
Koenig & Bauer Kyana, the German manufacturer's digital solutions subsidiary, has made this connection possible via the Kyana Connect gateway. This device establishes a secure connection, regardless of the machine manufacturer, to the Koenig & Bauer cloud.
Kyana Connect gives users access to all the German automaker's digital tools, including the myKyana dashboard, the Kyana Data analysis tool and the Kyana Assist intelligent assistant.
From now on, centralized control of all offset machines
Thanks to this configuration, Grafika Printing now has, for the first time, a single platform for aggregating, visualizing and analyzing data from its heterogeneous fleet of machines.
Felix Oberdorf, Digital Project Manager at Koenig & Bauer Kyana, says that this interoperability is an essential lever for improving overall performance: "Intelligent data aggregation, whatever the brand, is a prerequisite for optimizing production workflows."
First results at Grafika Printing
For cardboard packaging printer Grafika Printing, this integration quickly translated into productivity gains. Its CEO, Bernie Elzer III, points out that the centralization of data has made it possible to identify concrete areas for improvement throughout the production chain. The Kyana Data solution was used to carry out comparative analyses, notably on actual production rates, downtime and quality deviations.
With its graphical data visualization, Grafika Printing is now able to carry out continuous internal benchmarking, using this data regardless of machine origin.
Koenig & Bauer completes its offer with AI and energy modules
Koenig & Bauer Kyana continues to expand its digital portfolio. In addition to Kyana Data and Kyana Connect, the offering also includes the artificial intelligence analysis assistant Kyana Assist, as well as the VisuEnergy X energy management system. Koenig & Bauer Kyana aims to offer services covering the entire print production lifecycle.
