Jumbo Rotogravure Lines Planned for German Plant

One of Europe's largest media companies has begun an investment program of nearly $65 million in rotogravure press technology and high-performance finishing for the production of magazines in Germany, to be completed by the end of 2003.

Axel Springer Verlag of Germany plans to replace part of the existing press fleet in its plant in Ahrensburg, where about 950 employees now produce a number of popular titles in the automobile, computer, family, fashion, sports, and women's categories, along with commercial printing jobs, periodicals, and catalogs. Last year, paper consumption there amounted to almost 200,000 tons.

Central to the capital expansion are two jumbo TR10B rotogravure presses from Koenig & Bauer AG, Würzburg. Engineered for a maximum web width of 143.3", each machine is capable of printing 168 pages per cylinder revolution, at a production speed of up to 57,000 revolutions per hour.

Comprising each press line is a reelstand with infeed unit, eight printing units, a superstructure designed for 14 ribbons, and two V7-1000 folders.

Says Rudolf Knepper, Axel Springer technical director, "The modernization of our rotogravure printing operations for magazine production will enable us to strengthen our market position, and, with greater production flexibility, provide clients with an even more attractive service.

"The investment program, which has top priority, will also secure the future autonomy of the printing division, our core business area, and ensure that we continue to deliver constantly high quality for our customers."