Increasing costs and stricter sustainability regulations are making structured energy management (EnMS) increasingly important. For this reason, since last year, VisuEnergy X, Koenig & Bauer Kyana’s energy management system, has been integrated into the Koenig & Bauer Industrial plants in Würzburg and Radebeul to record and visualise energy consumption in production. This article explains how the plant integration has progressed so far, what insights have been gained, and what results have been achieved.
In November 2023, the new EU Directive 2012/27/EU came into force, obliging companies to regularly monitor their energy consumption and take measures to reduce energy waste. These requirements have been transposed into national law through the Energy Efficiency Act and are particularly relevant for companies with high energy consumption, as they are required to implement an energy management system. This has far-reaching implications for production processes at Koenig & Bauer Industrial, as it demands precise recording and sustainable management of energy data. For this reason, the company started using Koenig & Bauer’s in-house energy management system, VisuEnergy X, to assess energy usage at its Würzburg and Radebeul plants last year.
VisuEnergy X is a holistic energy management system specifically developed for the printing and packaging industry. As a complete solution, it can record all energy consumers via measurement sensors – from lighting and coffee machines in the staff kitchen to the entire machine park. By precisely recording consumption data, the programme helps identify major consumers, known as ‘Significant Energy Users (SEU)’, as well as potential saving. This makes it easier for companies to meet legal requirements in the long run. However, fulfilling official guidelines is not the only objective. VisuEnergy X makes it possible to design production more sustainably and resource-efficiently, which is associated with direct cost savings. Through the accurate recording of energy consumption, it is possible to break down and record the carbon footprint of specific production processes down to individual orders.
A central step in integrating VisuEnergy X into Koenig & Bauer Industrial’s plants was establishing clear structures. Various buildings, machines, and energy consumers were set up in the energy management system and structurally subdivided correctly, depending on their location or consumer group. This well-thought-out structure enables Koenig & Bauer to calculate energy consumption for the entire group in the future and seamlessly integrate new consumer groups into this existing structure. During the integration of measuring devices into VisuEnergy X, existing meters were successfully connected. Thanks to a developed interface, data previously recorded only manually are now automatically captured, enabling effective analysis and KPI generation. The measurement sensors already integrated into the machines in large-parts manufacturing were also successfully automated. It is particularly noteworthy that the foundry has been successfully operating with an EnMS since 2015. Data from this system was also integrated into VisuEnergy X to obtain a complete picture of the company’s energy consumption.
Not every project needs to be fully implemented from the outset – especially in energy management, gradual progress is possible and often sensible. The integration of VisuEnergy X is not yet complete, on the contrary, it is entering its next phase. In the future, heating, air conditioning, and compressed air systems, among others, are also to be fully integrated into VisuEnergy X. Currently, their consumption data are still recorded in separate systems, meaning they have to be manually entered into the energy management system. The goal is automatic data capture. Furthermore, additional machine tools are on the list: the aim here is to break down energy consumption to individual production orders – for example, for the manufacture of an ink fountain or a sub-base box. Since electricity and natural gas consumption are already being recorded, other media such as district heating or hydrogen are to be added in the medium term.
The path is clear: step by step, a holistic energy management system is being created – flexible, scalable, and future-proof.
VisuEnergy X enables Koenig & Bauer Industrial to compare ‘apples with apples and pears with pears’. By defining consumer groups, such as series machines operating in a three-shift system, the main consumption has been clearly identified. VisuEnergy X particularly impresses with its high flexibility, which allows for effortless structuring of consumer groups, seamless integration of manual meters, and reliable forecasting.
The implementation of VisuEnergy X significantly optimises energy management. The new VALERI feature, which allows for profitability calculations according to DIN EN 17463, was particularly well received. Koenig & Bauer Industrial’s energy management system has now been successfully certified according to DIN EN ISO 50001.
Conclusion:
Energy management is no longer just a ‘nice to have’ but a real competitive factor. VisuEnergy X is not only the central system for Koenig & Bauer but also the first complete solution for the entire printing and packaging industry. With the successful integration at Koenig & Bauer Industrial, we demonstrate that our product is not only technically convincing but also successfully implemented in our own plants.
Find out more about VisuEnergy X and other digital solutions here on our website.
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With PrintFusion, the interface between Koenig & Bauer Rapida presses and the prepress software from HYBRID Software, your workflow becomes even more efficient. PrintFusion enables a bidirectional exchange of information that ensures seamless integration and automation of production processes. Thanks to the jointly developed PrintFusion interface, data such as setting parameters and positions of measuring elements are automatically exchanged between prepress and the printing presses. The automated data exchange leads to significant increases in efficiency and error prevention, as manual intervention and repetitive tasks are eliminated.
For the development of PrintFusion, HYBRID Software and Koenig & Bauer have combined their expertise to create a highly automated and efficient production environment that meets the requirements of the modern printing industry. This collaboration will continue on an ongoing basis in order to constantly optimise the interface and integrate new functions. One example of this is the automatic feedback to compensate for process-related substrate stretching, which is already being introduced as part of a pilot customer programme.
PrintFusion has been presented to the public for the first time at this year’s leading trade fair for printing technologies. Visitors will have the opportunity to gain an exclusive insight into the first results of the close partnership between HYBRID Software and Koenig & Bauer. Through automation and the intelligent exchange of data between prepress and press, PrintFusion will set new standards in print production and pave the way for a sustainable and high-performance future in the printing industry.
With FOLLOW, Koenig & Bauer is building a bridge between analogue packaging and the digital world. Discover the universe of new possibilities that the cloud-based platform and the associated app have in store for printing businesses, brand owners and consumers.
Under the project title “Printing Goes Metaverse”, Koenig & Bauer is building a bridge from classic printing to the metaverse in collaboration with NABA (Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti, Milan) and epda (european brand & packaging design association). With the support of Italian design students, a project was realised that uses NFT technology to authenticate luxury goods such as limited edition handbags, jewellery or valuable trading cards. The luxury jewellery brand “Gemme” was created as an exemplary visualisation.
Digital proof of ownership is used instead of conventional paper certificates of authenticity. The forgery-proof blockchain technology is impressively demonstrated using special printing technologies and a digital app. This innovative combination of digital proof of authenticity and the traditional art of printing shows how the printing industry is connecting with the new digital reality of the Metaverse.
An NFT is a blockchain-based token that represents digital or physical assets such as artworks, digital content or media. Unlike other cryptocurrencies, each NFT is unique and non-exchangeable. It serves as a digital certificate of ownership and authenticity and enables owners to trade and sell their assets.
Brands from the luxury goods segment in particular are using NFT technology to enable customers to connect the digital and physical worlds. The main focus here is on the experience of being able to use the purchased product in the digital world. In addition, forgery-proof authentication can be guaranteed by NFT’s unique verifications with a complete history and absolute security.
Using a special printing process, functional structures that react to the touch of smartphone sensors can be applied to almost any printed product, creating a link between the physical product and the digital application. In combination with QR codes, this creates a forgery-proof proof of ownership. Customers receive both an origin-verified, printed NFT-Twin and the physical original.
With ten revolutionary products and technologies, Koenig & Bauer set a strong signal for the future of the printing industry at drupa 2024. Here you will find an overview of all product novelties and exclusive video highlights!
