Welcome cooling for high-volume printing

Radical changes in media consumption have exerted constant pressure on printing to become cheaper – while increasing in technical sophistication. If printing is to remain relevant in the age of digitalisation, it must be as cost-effective as possible. As web-fed offset printing presses become more powerful and complex, costs incurred during production-related downtime can increasingly spiral out of control. Against this challenging background, KSB was charged with finding an energy-efficient solution ensuring reliable operation.

Kraft Schlötes GmbH in Wassenberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, is a web-fed offset printing company that produces large volumes of brochures and newspaper supplements. It belongs to the WKS Group – which with 660 employees is one of Europe’s leading web-fed offset companies.

In addition to achieving energy savings of almost 50%, KSB had another challenge to face: Web-fed offset printing plants of this size work in multi-shift operation around the clock, seven days a week. Under these conditions it was clear that modification of the cooling system had to minimise downtime for the printing press and ensure that production losses remained marginal.

In collaboration with ENGIE, the specialist for heat dissipation systems in the printing industry, KSB began by evaluating data from the old pumps. The pump manufacturer then developed an energy cost calculation and determined which technology could be used to achieve the desired energy savings in the future. KSB was able to submit an offer for the new i.Cool cooling system from ENGIE which listed the total outlay for the new cooling system including all energy costs.

In terms of technology, the engineers opted for energy-optimised Etabloc pumps from KSB offering super premium efficiency to IE 4. Furthermore, the PumpDrive 2 variable speed system in combination with the PumpMeter pump monitoring unit ensured demand-driven operation and maximum energy savings.

The next stage saw specialists from KSB and ENGIE develop a strategy for replacing the cooling complex without creating long downtimes. It was agreed that large sections should be prefabricated and kept ready during ongoing operations before being installed in comparatively short breaks.

ENGIE’s employees were trained by KSB to commission the Etabloc pumps after delivery without KSB supervision. Once again, the kind of well thought-out product package which KSB offers its customers and project partners proved its worth: KSB’s pumps can be configured and commissioned after only a short training period.

After the new cooling system had been in operation for one year, ENGIE collaborated with WKS Kraft Schlötes to verify the consumption figures. The energy savings predicted in the previously prepared extrapolation were indeed confirmed and – at more than 50% – were even higher than the projected forecast. For WKS, ENGIE and KSB, this was confirmation that their cooperation had got everything right, all the way from analysis to planning and implementation.

Plant: Cooling water system for web-fed offset printing plant

End user: WKS Kraft Schlötes

Project data: 

13 x Etabloc pumps with PumpDrive 2 and PumpMeter

Commissioning training of ENGIE employees by KSB