Koenig & Bauer: Energy efficiency in print and packaging production

Global climate change, resource scarcity and high energy prices are sending a clear message: sustainable action is not only a question of social responsibility, but also a highly relevant economic factor. Accordingly, Koenig & Bauer is placing a scalable digital tool in the hands of its worldwide customers to help them save energy and thereby reduce costs in future: an optimised energy management system developed specifically for the print and packaging industry.

Sustainability as a social challenge
Together with the active print industry, Koenig & Bauer has significant leverage when it comes to shaping sustainable print production. “Sustainability is the greatest challenge of our time,” says Koenig & Bauer CEO Dr Andreas Pleßke. “And as a company whose history extends back more than 200 years, we do, of course, also bear responsibility for future generations.” Alongside the development of energy-efficient machines, Koenig & Bauer has been championing the use of ecological process consumables and biodegradable print substrates for many years. When seeking to reduce carbon footprints, however, it is expedient to view the energy requirements of the entire production facility – from the shop-floor equipment to the building services and installations.

Energy savings using digital solutions
Today’s digital technologies facilitate the recording and visualisation of energy consumption data, and subsequently the realisation of savings potential. Koenig & Bauer’s new energy management solution optimises these functions to address the specific requirements of the print and packaging industry, but is equally suitable for use in many other fields. The core element is the energy management system VisuEnergy X, which automatically processes incoming meter data for presentation in clearly structured and individually customisable dashboards. VisuEnergy X records the consumption of all equipment connected to the machine, analyses this consumption in relation to the production output, and can then calculate job-specific parameters such as the energy consumption per 1,000 sheets. It is possible to upgrade the system beyond energy data to include production-relevant parameters such as temperature and humidity.

The three elements of the Koenig & Bauer energy management solution – the automated recording of meter data, visualisation of the analysis results and the derivation of appropriate measures in response, accompanied by professional energy consulting – enable production to be made more efficient. “VisuEnergy X allows our customers to achieve sustainable energy savings of 7 to 10 per cent on average – and that usually from the very first year,” says Michael Billa, product owner for digitalisation at Koenig & Bauer.

Product launch with immediate effect
Koenig & Bauer offers the energy management system on a subscription basis as an SaaS solution (software as a service). It is available with immediate effect, initially for customers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The global roll-out is to follow at the beginning of 2023. The system is certified in accordance with DIN ISO 50001 and is eligible for energy efficiency grants from the Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control (BAFA) in Germany.

The energy management system is the first product to be developed and brought to the market by a new digital unit at Koenig & Bauer. This underlines the press manufacturer’s commitment to providing digital solutions that support customers on the road to more sustainability and efficiency. Everything follows a clear plan: sustainability and digitalisation are two of the three key goals that Koenig & Bauer has placed at the focus of corporate activities under the group-wide ‘Exceeding Print’ strategy – thereby bringing together the greatest challenge and the prime mover of our times.