Koenig & Bauer Expands RRD Collaboration
The German press maker is deepening its decades-long partnership with RRD to support the printer's global SMART strategy.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Manufacturing
Koenig & Bauer has expanded its collaboration with RRD, integrating its sheetfed offset presses and post-press equipment into RRD's unified digital platform. The move supports RRD's global SMART strategy across select facilities worldwide.
Why it matters
The integration links Koenig & Bauer machinery to a standardized data foundation, aiming to give RRD a single connected view of production across its sites. It reflects how large printers are consolidating equipment and data systems under one digital framework.
The partnership spans more than 25 years, and RRD has deployed heavy-duty sheetfed offset presses along with multiple 57-inch die cutters. The companies did not disclose installation counts, financial terms, or a completion schedule.
The players
Koenig & Bauer
A German manufacturer of printing presses, long known for its Rapida sheetfed offset line, which supplies equipment to commercial printers worldwide.
RRD
RR Donnelley, a large global commercial printing and marketing company whose SMART strategy is driving the consolidation of its production platform.
The details
High-speed Koenig & Bauer Rapida presses and automated post-press die cutters are located in select RRD facilities across the globe. The machinery uses digital tooling, in-line sheet scanning, and automated plate changing, enabling real-time operational decisions, dynamic job routing, and automated quality controls.
Timeline
More than 25 years: the Koenig & Bauer and RRD partnership has been built on collaboration and trust.
Market Landscape
The expansion extends RRD's SMART strategy by bringing Koenig & Bauer presses onto one unified digital platform rather than running equipment as separate islands. It shows large printers pursuing connected, data-driven production as a way to compete on speed and consistency across their global footprint.
For customers of RRD, the integration is likely to show up in more consistent print quality and turnaround across participating facilities, though no pricing changes were announced. The move matters most to clients whose jobs run across multiple RRD sites, since a unified platform could simplify coordination.
The takeaway
Connected production systems are becoming a core competitive tool for large printers, so buyers and industry watchers should track whether integrations like this translate into measurable gains in speed and quality. Results will show up first in operational consistency rather than headline announcements.
Further reading
Explore more manufacturing coverage to see how printing and production equipment is being connected across global plants.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Printing Impressions.
