The Commander CT is Koenig & Bauer’s most compact four-high web press for conventional offset printing. With a production output of up to 90,000cph and extensive automation the Commander CT offers a raft of winning features as standard. One unique feature is its StepIn towers that split down the centre at the touch of a button for easy access and maintenance. Lifts on both sides of and inside the compact towers permit ergonomic operation by reducing walking distances during production and maintenance. Further highlights include our fast yet highly reliable automatic plate changers and automatic roller locks. The Commander CT has optimised spray dampeners and film inking units with three forme rollers. The press concept represents a major advance in ergonomics, cost efficiency, flexibility and quality to address shifts in a competitive media market, and it has won over a raft of prominent printing houses. The press is also available with PressNet, a tailor-made workflow package. The Commander CT is the world’s top-selling newspaper press in the high-end sector.

The high-tech Commander CT is available as a double-width (4/2) or triple-width (6/2) version engineered for 4/4 printing. Even the basic version features an extensive, module-based automation package that affords enormous flexibility and ease of operation in accommodating individual production specifications. Along with incorporating dedicated plate-cylinder drives throughout, automatic roller locks ensure optimal roller pressure and less maintenance input. Another key feature of the Commander CT, and one designed to enhance cost efficiency when printing frequent short runs or local editions, is the PlateTronic automatic plate-changing system. It changes individual plates, all plates in a four-high tower or plates in multiple towers in two minutes or less. CleanTronic automatically washes the blankets while the plates are being changed. This saves time and increases output. The press is designed to deliver a uniform print quality and minimise waste. User-friendly ErgoTronic consoles with concise data screens are a standard feature. The interfaces to the master systems for press preset, process control, production monitoring via PressNet and dedicated software are clearly defined. Where space is limited or where there is a need to extend conventional press lines, the extremely compact design even allows the configuration of eight-high towers with an overall press height of just 9m (32ft). Some users have also implemented hot-air dryers to print supplements in heatset or hybrid products as well as newspapers in coldset.