History of Koenig & Bauer MetalPrint

Founding of Druckmaschinenfabrik Mailänder.

Mailänder presents one of the first printing machines in Germany  designed to print on metal sheets. The Mailänder printing machine, which has seen constant further development through to the present day, stands for reliability, a robust construction and repeatable printing results.

Founding of “Cärrier Lufttechnische Gesellschaft”, later renamed LTG Lufttechnische GmbH, as a manufacturer of air conditioning systems for various branches of industry in Stuttgart.

Mailänder develops its first coating machine for metal sheets.

LTG enters the metal decorating market with a drying oven for metal sheets, used to produce the famous blue Nivea Creme tin for the skin care company Beiersdorf from Hamburg. The photo shows a Mailänder metal decorating machine with the LTG drying oven.

Founding of Bauer + Kunzi as a supplier of metal decorating machines in Ditzingen near Stuttgart.

LTG Lufttechnische GmbH and Mailänder merge to form LTG Mailänder, becoming a single-source system supplier for complete metal decorating lines with integrated air purification – a technology LTG has supplied since 1965. 

Bauer + Kunzi launches the MetalStar 1, the first metal decorating machine in modular unit design. Developed in cooperation with KBA-Planeta, a recognised leader in large-format sheetfed offset printing presses, it heralded a new era of high-speed multi-colour printing with production outputs up to 10,000 sheets per hour.

Bauer + Kunzi is acquired  by Würzburg-based KBA, a leading manufacturer of paper printing presses, enabling KBA to enter the metal decorating market and expand its portfolio.

LTG Mailänder is acquired by KBA subsidiary Bauer + Kunzi, which is subsequently renamed KBA-MetalPrint.

With the development of the Mailänder 280, KBA-MetalPrint brings together the proven Mailänder technology combined with high-performance printing units of the MetalStar series.

KBA-MetalPrint launches the HighEcon drying oven, the first drying oven capable of handling sheets down to a thickness of just 0.100 mm. At the same time, the technology enables gas consumption to be reduced by up to 70% compared to conventional systems. This development earned KBA-MetalPrint a Silver Metpack Innovation Award.

In line with the Koenig & Bauer Group's brand relaunch, the company name “KBA-MetalPrint” is replaced by “Koenig & Bauer MetalPrint”.

Equipped with modern features and an exclusive design, the MetalStar 4 continues to define new standards in production speed and make-ready times in metal printing. It remains a leading, highly innovative high-performance machine in metal decorating.

Koenig & Bauer MetalPrint successfully develops the MetJET ONE, the first digital printing line for the metal decorating industry. The machine combines proven components like MetalPrint's sheet handling and a multi-pass inkjet printing unit from Durst, one of the leading players in digital inkjet printing.