Los Angeles-based printer produces impactful brand marketing

D’Andrea Visual Communications scoops up the awards

Ever since it was established in 2005, D’Andrea Visual Communications (DVC) has positioned itself as one of Southern California’s premier printers. Leading the way with innovation, a sterling reputation for high-quality production and the most up-to-date technology, it serves some of the world’s most impressive Fortune 500 brands.



In early May of this year, DVC picked up the Best of Show prize of the Printing Industries Association of Southern California (PIASC) at its 15th Annual Print Excellence Awards.

The Mayans media kit received six top awards, including Best of Show, Best Media Kit, Best Industrial Printing, Best Special Finishing Technique, Best Binding and an Award of Excellence in the category “They said it could not be done”

“We are very proud of our team for winning five awards for Best of Category and another nine Awards of Excellence, including Best of Show for the Mayans media kit and Best Execution of Ink,” says David D’Andrea, CEO and founder of D’Andrea Visual Communications. “We are able to rely on our Koenig & Bauer Rapida 106 eight-colour press with coater and UV technology to produce these eye-catching, award-winning print pieces. It handles the majority of our litho sheetfed work, running two shifts per day here at our Cypress facility. It allows us to promise our customers fast throughput, with speeds at an exceptional 20,000sph, and incorporates the most advanced technology of any press on the market. We can count on our Rapida to deliver the incomparable print quality which maintains our competitive advantage and prompted the judges to honour us with the top awards.”

Denise Okata (l), DVC senior account executive, and David D’Andrea, CEO and founder of D’Andrea Visual Communications, present their PIASC Print Excellence Awards

Using its unique ErgoTronic and QualiTronic systems to provide precise quality and colour control for each sheet, DVC is able to guarantee high quality levels. D’Andrea thinks of these systems as proofreaders inside the press, elevating the product to market much faster and facilitating the consistent realisation of important projects for elite clients not only in Southern California, but across the national market, including large advertising and design agencies, entertainment companies, movie studios, record producers, DVD production and distribution firms, and major auto-

mobile marketers.

Eric Frank

Koenig & Bauer Flexotecnica expands sales network in Southeast Asia

In response to the ever-increasing demand for flexible packaging in Asia, Koenig & Bauer Flexotecnica has further expanded its sales capacities. Industrial solution provider, Rieckermann, will in future be assuming responsibility for sales activities in Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines.


“Through the cooperation with Rieckermann, we now have an experienced partner at our side on the Asian market,” says Dr. Peter Lechner, managing director of Koenig & Bauer Flexotecnica. “I am certain that the very good local network will help us to be even more successful in Southeast Asia.” Kristian Rieck, Rieckermann’s director of plastic and converting, is similarly confident: “Koenig & Bauer Flexotecnica offers precisely what more and more Asian customers are demanding – high quality, a broad product portfolio and environment-friendly technologies.” Flexible packaging is the fastest growing sector of the consumer and industrial packaging market.

Cooperation was finalised at Chinaplas 2019: Dr. Peter Lechner (left), managing director of Koenig & Bauer Flexotecnica, and Kristian Rieck, director of plastic and converting at Rieckermann

Highest award conferred by the Flexographic Technical Association

At the Flexographic Technical Association’s premier trade show InfoFlex 2019, held on 6th/7th May in New Orleans, Koenig & Bauer Flexotecnica received the FTA’s Technical Innovation Award for its Augmented Reality-DataGlass Remote Support. This award recognises the most innovative and impactful technologies for the ever-evolving packaging printing and converting industry.


“With Koenig & Bauer’s rich 200-year history of technical innovation, we have the ability to offer even more proactive and innovative support, ensuring that our customers achieve the maximum uptime and throughput in their facility and allowing them to remain ahead of their competitors,” says Jeff Dietz, VP Web & Speciality Press Division at Koenig & Bauer Flexotecnica. “Our new AR DataGlass stands out as part of our on-going innovation for new products.”


Koenig & Bauer (US) receives the Flexographic Technical Association’s highest award in 2019 (l-r):

Shelley Rubin, FTA educational services; Stefano Squarcina, sales and marketing director, Koenig & Bauer Flexotecnica; Dr. Peter Lechner, managing director, Koenig & Bauer Flexotecnica; Jeff Dietz, vice-president, web & speciality press division, Koenig & Bauer Flexotecnica; Joe Tuccitto, FTA director of education


The Augmented Reality-DataGlass Remote Support system is truly a revolutionary new product. The camera enables remote maintenance specialists from Koenig & Bauer to see and follow the actions of the technicians on site – live and in real time – while they work on the press. The specialist can then offer targeted support and step-by-step instructions on how to remedy the problem. Through this one-to-one conversation, the problem can be diagnosed immediately and the flexo production system is up and running without delay. An online connection using a virtual private network (VPN) offers maximum data security through special hardware encryption. The duration of service calls is considerably reduced and communication problems due to poor telephone lines are avoided. The system is absolutely free, no costs for hardware, software or licenses, no costs for upgrades or updates, and the app for smartphones and tablets is included.


As a recipient of this esteemed award, the AR-

DataGlass from Koenig & Bauer Flexotecnica was deemed by a panel of industry experts to have the potential to change flexography’s future for the better.

Move to new premises for Koenig & Bauer Kammann GmbH

Koenig & Bauer Kammann will in future be manufacturing its special machines for the decoration of hollow containers in materials such as glass, plastics and metals at a new 27,000m2 (290,000sq.ft) site in Löhne. The move has become necessary as a means to increase production capacities. A building complex with production and office floor space totalling 11,000m2 (118,000sq.ft) has been erected for the company’s 170 employees. In addition to two production halls and an innovative automated warehouse, the project includes a generous demonstration and training centre.


Managing directors Matthias Graf and Dr. Christian Maas: “The new building has been designed to optimise working conditions and offers fantastic opportunities for further development in the immediate vicinity of our current location. We are all looking forward with great anticipation to the opening in the autumn.”


Construction work on the new company premises began on 5th November 2018, and Koenig & Bauer Kammann was able to celebrate completion of the building shell on 5th July 2019. The whole Kammann team was present for the festivities and was joined by employees from the various companies involved in the construction. The move is to be expected to be completed by the end of the year.

The Kammann team at the topping-out ceremony for the new building

Robert Stadler appointed to lead the Durst joint venture

Robert Stabler is the new managing director of Koenig & Bauer Durst. He assumed his duties at the head of the joint venture for digital packaging printing systems with effect from 1st August. The joint venture was officially established in early May once the relevant authorities gave their clearance under anti-trust regulations.


Business operations are now under way on the joint development and marketing of single-pass digital printing systems for the folding carton and corrugated industry. Koenig & Bauer Durst will have its registered office in Würzburg and cooperates closely with the global networks of both parent companies. Initially, the joint venture portfolio will comprise the Koenig & Bauer CorruJET 170 and the Durst SPC 130 – including all associated services and ink business. A further key task of the new company is to advance development of the digital sheetfed press VariJET 106.


“I am really excited to take on this new challenge in the folding carton and corrugated packaging markets,” says Stabler. “Both are ripe for digital transformation with run lengths declining in both segments and brands crying out for cost-effective short-run and versioning solutions. We will be combining the competencies of Koenig & Bauer and Durst to leverage the best technologies: Durst with its expertise in digital imaging, production systems, inks and software integration, Koenig & Bauer with all its mechanical knowledge and capabilities relating to high-duty-cycle processes, engineering and paper transport, plus of course the great go-to-market expertise of both teams.”