When CPI decided to modernize its sheetfed pressroom in Pohořelice, the answer was not another incremental addition. A Heidelberg SM 102-2-P and Heidelberg XL 105-4+L were replaced by a single KBA Rapida 106-8+L — with perfecting and inline coating for matte, gloss, and silk-matte finishes — delivering the combined capacity of both predecessors in a single, more capable machine.
Part of CPI Group, one of the largest book manufacturing groups in Europe with operations across more than 20 sites, CPI Moravia produces high volumes of sheetfed work for publishers across the DACH region and beyond. Book manufacturing at this scale runs on fixed publication schedules — late delivery is not an option — which makes pressroom capacity a structural concern, not just an operational one.
Two machines, one bottleneck
For years, the site in Pohořelice operated two separate lines: a Heidelberg SM 102-2-P for black-and-white work and a Heidelberg XL 105-4+L. Together they covered production — but not at the volumes CPI Moravia needed. Jobs that exceeded the capacity of the two-machine setup had to be outsourced to external suppliers, adding transport time, lead time, and production complexity. As print volumes grew and turnaround demands tightened, the two-machine configuration had reached its limit.
Eight colors and inline coating
The KBA Rapida 106-8+L sourced by allaoui carried only 80 million impressions — a press with substantial productive life ahead. With perfecting after the fourth unit and inline coating, the machine consolidates what had previously required two press runs and two separate workflows into a single pass. Faster makeready, fewer handoffs, and significantly higher throughput capacity mean jobs that were previously outsourced due to capacity constraints can now be handled entirely in-house — reducing transport and dwell times and improving delivery reliability across CPI Moravia's customer base. The two Heidelberg presses were traded in as the Rapida arrived; one machine now carries the volume that two could not.
"With this expansion, we offer even greater process reliability in Moravia." — Joachim Kühn, COO CPI Deutschland
From installation to first sheet
After sourcing the right machine for the site in Pohořelice, a full IPM print-out was carried out to CPI's specifications, setting a documented baseline. The machine was then dismantled and shipped to allaoui's workshop for professional hand-cleaning. Following transportation to Pohořelice it was reinstalled and fitted with new rollers throughout, new perfecting jackets, and fresh hoses. A second IPM print-out verified color accuracy, registration, and coating performance across the full press width. allaoui's team stayed on site for ten days, completing the handover with hands-on operator training so CPI Moravia's crew was ready from day one. With both trade-ins cleared and production running, CPI Moravia entered a more consolidated configuration — more capacity, fewer dependencies, and full control over the production chain.
