KBA (Koenig & Bauer): Complete History & All Models
The world's oldest printing press manufacturer, founded 1817. From Friedrich Koenig's steam-powered press that transformed The Times of London to today's Rapida 106 and VariJET hybrid. Every model, the security press speciality, and India guide.
Koenig & Bauer has operated continuously since 1817 — predating Heidelberg by 33 years. Friedrich Koenig built the world's first steam-powered printing press in 1811; his machine printed The Times of London in 1814, the first newspaper produced by machine power. The company he co-founded with Andreas Bauer became KBA and has remained at the frontier of print technology for over two centuries. Today KBA is the world's second-largest press group by revenue, with unique specialities in security/banknote printing, metal decorating, and super-large format packaging.
Friedrich Koenig (1774–1833) was a German inventor who, after years of development in London, built the world's first steam-powered cylinder printing press in 1814. On 28 November 1814, The Times of London was the first newspaper in history to be printed by machine power — 1,100 copies per hour versus 250 by hand press. Koenig returned to Germany, founded the company with Andreas Bauer in 1817 in Oberzell near Würzburg, and continued innovation. The factory at Oberzell has been in continuous operation since 1817 — making KBA the world's oldest printing machinery manufacturer and one of the oldest manufacturing companies of any kind in continuous operation. KBA History ↗
| Period / Product | Years | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Koenig Steam Cylinder Press | 1814 onward | World's first steam-powered press. Printed The Times of London 28 Nov 1814. Established KBA's foundational innovation — applying industrial power to printing. |
| Zwei-Touren Maschine (Two-Tour Machine) | 1816 onward | Improved two-revolution cylinder press. More efficient than the first steam press. Widely adopted by European newspapers and book printers. |
| Schnellpresse (Fast Press) variants | 1820s–1900s | Multiple generations of high-speed letterpress cylinders for newspaper and book printing. KBA was the dominant newspaper press supplier in Europe for most of the 19th century. |
| Rotary Web Press era | 1870s–1960s | KBA built large rotary web letterpress machines for major European and global newspaper publishers. Led to their later web offset expertise. |
| Transition to offset lithography | 1960s | Like all major press manufacturers, KBA moved from letterpress to offset. Their first sheet-fed offset press launched in the 1960s, leading to the Rapida name. |
The "Rapida" brand (from the Latin for "swift") was KBA's sheet-fed offset press line, introduced in the 1960s. KBA positioned Rapida presses as premium, high-speed alternatives to Heidelberg — competing particularly in the large-format B1 and above segment where KBA's engineering heritage in large-format newspaper presses gave them credibility. The early Rapida presses established KBA in the Indian market primarily through large commercial printers and government printing establishments.
| Model | Years | Format | Max Sheet | Max Speed | Notes & India significance | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rapida 72 | 1965 – 1985 | B2 | 52 × 72cm | 10,000–12,000 s/hr | KBA's first major B2 sheet-fed press. Competed with Heidelberg SM 72 and Komori Lithrone 40. Limited India presence — KBA was not yet a significant commercial press brand in India in this era. | Discontinued |
| Rapida 104 (first generation) | 1970 – 1990 | B1 | 72 × 104cm | 13,000 s/hr | First B1 Rapida. Found traction in larger European and American printers. Very limited India presence — early KBA India sales were primarily through European embassies and government printing offices. | Discontinued |
| Rapida 105 (first generation) | 1985 – 1995 | B1 | 74 × 105cm | 15,000 s/hr | Updated B1 press. Competed with Heidelberg SM 102 first generation. More presence in India than previous models — some large Indian commercial printers and government printing establishments specified KBA as an alternative to Heidelberg. | Superseded |
| Performa 66 / 74 | 1988 – 2000 | B2+ | 52 × 74cm | 13,000 s/hr | Mid-range sheet-fed press. Entry point to KBA quality below full Rapida. Limited India presence. | Discontinued |
| Rapida 162a (first large format) | 1990 – 2003 | B0+ | 120 × 162cm | 10,000 s/hr | KBA's first super-large format press. For poster, corrugated pre-print, large packaging. Very few in India in this era. | Superseded by Rapida 162 |
The modern Rapida series — numbered by maximum sheet width in centimetres — is KBA's primary commercial and packaging press range. The Rapida 106 (B1 format, introduced 2011) is KBA's flagship and the most significant KBA press in India. Current Rapida presses offer simultaneous plate changing, automatic washup, inline quality control, and UV/LED UV options.
- Rapida 75: koenig-bauer.com → Rapida 75 ↗
- Rapida 106: koenig-bauer.com → Rapida 106 ↗
- Rapida 145: koenig-bauer.com → Rapida 145 ↗
- Rapida 164: koenig-bauer.com → Rapida 164 ↗
- All Rapida: koenig-bauer.com → All sheetfed ↗
| Model | Introduced | Format | Max Sheet | Max Speed | Colour configs | Notes & India significance | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rapida 74 / 74 G | 1997 – 2015 | B2+ | 53 × 74cm | 15,000 s/hr | 2C–8C, UV option, coater | KBA's B2+ press. Competed with Heidelberg SM/CD 74 and Komori LS-40. Moderate India presence — used by mid-size commercial and packaging printers who appreciated KBA's build quality. Good used market value. Used Rapida 74 4C: ₹40–100 lakh. | Superseded by Rapida 75 |
| Rapida 75 ★ Current B2+ | 2015 | B2+ | 53 × 75cm | 16,000 s/hr | 4C–10C, UV, LED UV, coater, perfecting | Current KBA B2+ press. Faster makeready, LED UV option, improved automation over Rapida 74. In India: specified by packaging converters and commercial printers who want KBA quality in B2+ format. New: ₹1.5–3.5 crore. Official ↗ | Current |
| Rapida 105 (modern generation) | 1996 – 2011 | B1 | 74 × 105cm | 16,500 s/hr | 4C–14C, UV, perfecting, coater | KBA's B1 flagship for 15 years. Competed directly with Heidelberg SM/CD 102. Strong print quality reputation — KBA's inking system is often cited as superior to Heidelberg for difficult ink colours and metallic substrates. Moderate India installed base in large commercial and packaging printers. Used Rapida 105 4C: ₹80–200 lakh. | Superseded by Rapida 106 |
| Rapida 106 ★★★ KBA India flagship | 2011 | B1 | 75 × 106cm | 18,000 s/hr (20,000 High Speed) | 4C–14C, UV, LED UV, LE-UV, perfecting, coater, inline quality control | KBA's current B1 flagship and the most significant KBA press in India. The Rapida 106 is a direct competitor to the Heidelberg XL 106 — comparable speed (18,000 s/hr), comparable automation, and KBA's renowned inking system. Available with DriveTronic SPC simultaneous plate changing (all plates change in under 2 minutes). In India: installed in premium commercial printers, large packaging converters, and folding carton manufacturers who want an alternative to Heidelberg at B1. New: ₹4–12 crore depending on configuration. Official Rapida 106 page ↗ | Current flagship |
| Rapida 106 Perfecting | 2013 | B1 | 75 × 106cm | 18,000 s/hr | 6/6, 8/8 simultaneous perfecting | Perfecting version of Rapida 106 — simultaneous front and back at B1. For high-volume book printing and catalogues. India: limited installations at major book printing plants. Official ↗ | Current |
KBA is the world leader in super-large format sheet-fed offset — presses larger than B1. Their Rapida 145 through 205 series are unique products with no direct equivalent from Heidelberg or Komori at the largest formats. These presses are used for corrugated board pre-print (printing liner paper before it is corrugated), large-format folding cartons, display boards, and poster printing.
| Model | Introduced | Max Sheet | Max Speed | India significance | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rapida 130 | 2000 – 2015 | 96 × 130cm | 15,000 s/hr | Between B1 and B0. Some India installations at large packaging converters who needed a format larger than B1 but more manageable than B0. Good value in the used market. | Discontinued |
| Rapida 145 ★ India large format | 2005 | 105 × 145cm | 15,000 s/hr | A small number installed in India at large integrated packaging converters (ITC Packaging, corrugated specialist plants). Used for large folding cartons and corrugated pre-print. High floor space requirement. Official ↗ | Current |
| Rapida 164 | 2008 | 120 × 164cm (B0+) | 15,000 s/hr | Competes with Heidelberg XL 162 at B0 format. Very few in India — specialist corrugated pre-print and large-format packaging applications only. Official ↗ | Current |
| Rapida 185 | 2012 | 132 × 185cm | 12,000 s/hr | The world's largest commercially available sheet-fed offset press until the Rapida 205 was announced. Extremely rare globally. No confirmed India installations. | Current |
| Rapida 205 | 2018 | 150 × 205cm | 10,500 s/hr | The world's largest sheet-fed offset press — sheets up to 1.5 × 2.05 metres. For the world's largest corrugated packaging converters. No India installation confirmed. Official ↗ | Current |
| Model | Introduced | Technology | Notes | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VariJET 106 | 2016 (announced) / 2019 (commercial) | B1 offset + B1 inkjet hybrid | The VariJET 106 is a Rapida 106 press with an integrated inkjet printing unit — the world's first B1 format hybrid offset+inkjet press. Offset units handle base colours, white, and metallics from plates; the inkjet unit adds personalised variable content at full press speed. Designed for personalized packaging (different brand messages on each carton, serialisation, anti-counterfeiting). In India: very limited — only the most innovative packaging converters with specific requirements for mass customisation. Official VariJET 106 ↗ | Current |
KBA's security division (operating as KBA-NotaSys SA from their Geneva, Switzerland base) is the world's dominant manufacturer of banknote printing presses — their Simultan and Super Simultan intaglio press series are used in over 90% of the world's central bank printing works. In India, the Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India (SPMCIL) at Nasik Road, Dewas, Mysore, and Salboni, and the Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran Private Limited (BRBNMPL) at Mysore and Salboni both use KBA-NotaSys equipment for Indian Rupee note production. When you handle an Indian currency note, it was almost certainly printed on a KBA press. KBA Security division ↗
| Product / Series | Application | India significance |
|---|---|---|
| KBA Simultan / Super Simultan (Intaglio press) | Banknote intaglio printing — the raised-ink security printing that gives currency notes their distinctive tactile feel | Used at SPMCIL and BRBNMPL facilities for Indian Rupee note production. The Simultan presses simultaneously print both sides of the note sheet. |
| KBA Optima (Offset banknote press) | Banknote sheet-fed offset for background colour and guilloche patterns | Used alongside intaglio presses in India's currency printing workflow. |
| KBA NotaScreen (Screen printing for banknotes) | Screen printing unit for banknote security features (metallic ink, colour-shifting ink) | Used in Indian banknote production for high-security elements. |
| KBA Passport and ID document presses | Passport booklet printing, identity document production | Used at Indian government security printing establishments for passport and identity document production. |
KBA is the world leader in metal decorating offset presses — machines that print directly onto flat tinplate or aluminium sheet before it is formed into food cans, beverage cans, aerosol cans, and metal packaging. This is a highly specialised market with only a handful of competitors globally (Crabtree/Stoneleigh, Comexi for film). In India, metal decorating presses are used by producers of tin containers for foods, ghee, paint, and beverages.
| Product | Application | India significance | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| KBA MetalMan (various generations) | Sheet-fed offset on flat tinplate — direct printing on metal sheets before can forming | Used by Indian metal packaging manufacturers producing ghee tins, paint tins, food cans, aerosol containers. The KBA MetalMan is the standard for premium metal packaging print in India. KBA MetalPrint ↗ | Current |
| KBA Rapida (adapted for metal) | Some Rapida configurations used for thick metal sheet printing | Limited — specialist applications | Current |
| Model | Type | Notes | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| KBA Commander CT / CL | Heatset web offset (commercial) | Commercial heatset web press for catalogues, magazines, and commercial print. Some India installations at large publication printers. Web range ↗ | Current |
| KBA Cortina | Waterless coldset newspaper web press | Revolutionary waterless newspaper press — no dampening system, less ink consumption, better quality than conventional coldset. Some India newspaper installations. The Cortina significantly influenced Indian newspaper printing quality standards when introduced. | Current |
| KBA Compacta (various) | Commercial heatset web | Mid-size commercial web press. Some India installations in the 2000s. Superseded by Commander series. | Superseded |
Koenig & Bauer India Pvt Ltd
Mumbai (primary), Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Chennai
• Commercial/packaging: Koenig & Bauer India handles Rapida press sales for commercial and packaging printing.
• Security/currency: KBA-NotaSys AG (Geneva) handles all government security printing relationships directly — the SPMCIL and BRBNMPL relationships are managed at the highest corporate level, not through the India commercial office.
• Metal decorating: KBA MetalPrint division handles tin can and metal packaging press sales through the India office.
• Web: KBA web press sales through India office and specialist representatives.
KBA's India position: KBA is not Heidelberg or Komori in terms of commercial press installed base in India. Their strength is in three specific areas: premium B1 commercial print (Rapida 106), super-large format packaging (Rapida 145/164), and government security printing (currency, passports). Indian printers who specify KBA typically do so because they want specific KBA advantages: the inking system quality, the large format capability, or the single-vendor relationship for security print. New buyers considering KBA should request the Rapida 106 demonstration at their India facility and compare directly against Heidelberg XL 106 and Komori GX equivalent.