Report 36 d,e,f,s,i.qxd:Report - KBA

The KBA LogoTronic production management system supports data transfer from pre-press to press and also the creation of a detailed environmental balance sheet by furnishing
production and consumption data
delivery time-frames and enhance
our customer service.” In 2009 the
50-employee company posted sales
of €7.7m ($11m). Annual profit for
the past two years has averaged 3%.
“This proves that sustainability and
profitability are not mutually exclusive,”
he says.
Productivity and fast turnaround
were key criteria in the
choice of press. The LogoTronic
software not only allows ink and
paper consumption to be calculated
but in conjunction with the high
level of automation also boosts net
output and cost efficiency. Drive-
Tronic SPC supports fast, simultaneous
changes of all eight plates
while the blankets and cylinders are
being washed, which saves a lot of
time.
Shared values
Imprimerie Rochelaise’s focus on
sustainability and craftsmanship
may be attributed to its family tradition.
It was founded by René
Chevalier, grandfather of the current
president Pascal Sabourin, who
took over in 1989. René Chevalier
was a charismatic man with strong
humanistic principles. However, a
printing plant is no “long quiet
river”, and in the 1980s and 1990s
Imprimerie Rochelaise experienced
two structural crises, resulting in
the closure of its web offset division
in 2000. Thanks to Pascal Sabourin’s
pugnacity and his young
team’s fighting spirit, the company
was brought back on course again.
“The new logo, ‘R’, stands for renaissance,
reinvestment, reorganisa-
A video system (upper screen) monitors sheet travel through the perfecting unit
in the Rapida 106
All the inks consumed at Impression Rochelaise are based on vegetable oils, and the quick response
inking units are connected to a central pumping system
tion, reactivation and return to profitability,”
the president explains.
Corporate philosophy and culture
also played a role in the choice of
press manufacturer. Says Sabourin:
“Imprimerie Rochelaise shares
many values with KBA. The founding
family still plays a significant
role and, like us, KBA operates according
to the maxim ‘we say what
we do and we do what we say.’”
Tests prove the Rapida 106 is
the most productive of all
“The decision in favour of KBA was
a no-brainer: tests conducted on a
number of eight-colour presses
using our own data and paper
proved that the Rapida 106’s performance
was way ahead of the
rest,” declares Dominique Boucard.
“When we gradually increased
stock weight, the other presses
were already producing deep
scratches and buckling while the
KBA press had barely started leaving
fine streaks.” Says Sabourin: “What
most impressed me was the perfecting
unit.” Boucard agrees,
adding: “We were also pleasantly
surprised to find that the Rapida
consumes less ink and is much quieter.”
Luc Emeriau
ecadeau@kba-france.fr
Report 36 | 2010 17