28.07.2026

Intelligent Assistance Systems on Koenig & Bauer Rapida Presses Minimise Set-up Times and Secure Margins in Packaging Printing

Seamless interplay of AutoRun, AutoSet, and JobGuide standardises shift workflows

Fully automatic job changes using AutoRun and AutoSet eliminate manual set-up steps and significantly increase the machine's net production time
JobGuide proactively guides personnel through all accompanying processes, ensuring consistent printing performance regardless of shift staffing
Integrated touch panels and visual projector systems simplify operation and counteract the severe shortage of skilled workers in the industry

The touch panels on the printing units provide information on the machine status and offer intuitive operating aids

Koenig & Bauer presents a comprehensive package of new automation and communication solutions for all Rapida sheetfed offset presses. With systems such as AutoSet, AutoRun, and the innovative JobGuide, the company addresses the urgent shortage of skilled personnel and cost pressure in the packaging industry. The networked assistance systems perform set-up processes autonomously and standardise pressroom workflows. Customers can thus make maximum use of their production capacity while reducing waste paper and unproductive downtime.

From operator to process manager

As print jobs become increasingly smaller, set-up times dictate profitability in printing. New and in part unique automation solutions support this process:

AutoSet calculates all necessary set-up steps in advance – from ink changes to format adjustments.
AutoRun then takes over and executes these processes fully automatically. The press operator no longer intervenes manually in these workflows. This frees up valuable time to prepare consumables or new pallets in parallel. The press runs continuously, producing without avoidable idle periods.

Rapida sheetfed offset presses, such as this Rapida 145, feature assistance systems like AutoRun, AutoSet, and JobGuide that execute set-up processes autonomously and standardise pressroom operations

Consistent performance across all shifts

Technical features alone do not solve staffing bottlenecks. Individual process steps must still be performed manually or semi-automatically by the operator. JobGuide therefore completely re-orchestrates communication at the press.

The system sends proactive step-by-step instructions during the set-up process or production directly to the operator or to a separate panel for the assistant. If a coating plate needs to be changed or ink needs to be prepared, JobGuide provides precise guidance to staff.

Thanks to its multilingual capabilities, JobGuide can also overcome language barriers. Combined with intuitive touch panels or automated checking of coating knock-outs via FormCheck, error rates are reduced even further. Printing companies standardise their process workflows and achieve consistently high quality, completely independent of the experience level of the operating staff.

“Our customers are under immense pressure to produce complex packaging and high-quality commercial jobs even more profitably,” explains Sebastian Stange, Head of Product Management at Koenig & Bauer Paper & Packaging Sheetfed Systems. “The new assistance systems on our Rapida presses are our concrete response to this market trend. We are delivering an intelligent tool that supports the operator just like a modern driver assistance system in a car. In doing so, we turn the press operator into a supervisor of the machine and safeguard our partners' competitiveness.”

Live in a real production environment

Koenig & Bauer invites printing companies to test this networked automation live during individual press demonstrations and tailored specialist events at the Customer Experience Center in Radebeul. Regional Koenig & Bauer sales contacts are available for further information and appointments.

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Martin Dänhardt

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