From a wholly newspaper-focussed centre ten years ago, Druckzentrum Nordsee has evolved to a busy service unit delivering anything from a hybrid flyer to calendars and a 1000-page spares catalogue.

Lars Cordes, production manager at the Bremerhaven site which hosted this year's Cortina Users Workshop, says they are constantly finding new applications for the waterless print process.

Rather than semicommercials, where they would be competing with classic heatset, they have found previously untapped market potential for products using new papers and folding options, in addition to newspaper-like and hybrid print products.

"That could mean anything from a 1000-page spare parts catalogue to calendars - all examples which are far more profitable than even the highest circulations of standard supplements," he says. "Through the optimisation of production infrastructure and materials, we are opening up whole new markets."

The German publisher of the Nordsee-Zeitung was the host of the 12th get-together for users of KBA's waterless Cortina press last month, attended by user and supplier representatives.

Druckzentrum Nordsee installed their Cortina ten years ago, a decision managing director Matthias Ditzen-Blanke described as "one of his best ever".

The atmosphere of positivity was shared by almost 90 participants - from Europe, Korea and the USA - who toured night production at the print centre ahead of the workshop.

In the morning, Ditzen-Blanke explained his decision and reflected on experiences since: "The number of jobs handled has risen significantly since we installed the Cortina in 2008," he says. "Today, we are no longer just the print centre for the Nordsee-Zeitung, but also service provider to an extremely broad spectrum of customers."

A 30 per cent increase in paper consumption was mostly attributed to the production of greater volumes of supplements. It had been a challenge to invest in a shrinking market segment, "but I have nothing to regret whatsoever."

User working groups reported back on strategies for continued development of the press technology and consumables, and on ways to further promote the resource-sparing process.

Cortina project manager at KBA Peter Benz says waterless offset remains a process with a promising future even 12 years after the initial market launch: "Compared to conventional wet coldset, the waterless process raises the bar in terms of quality, flexibility and productivity, and thus offers significant competitive advantages," he said.

Participants confirmed the freedoms to develop qualitatively outstanding newspaper and commercial products, but also called on the press manufacturer and consumables suppliers to continue further development of the process - not as a criticism, but as a way of continuing the evolution from the original newspaper press of 2004.

Cortina printers are today working with significantly improved inks, papers, plates and other consumables, and some are even using integrated coating units for further inline refinement of the print products.

Consumables suppliers also gave insights into their product strategies, among them Flint Group - which has acquired Siegwerk's news ink business - with an unequivocal commitment to continue the development and production of Cortina inks.

Presstek announced that it would soon be unveiling a water-based and completely chemistry-free plate system, while Apex International introduced its anilox roller engraving technology and recently-agreed cooperation with KBA.

The next KBA Cortina Workshop is scheduled for September 2017 at Apex International's base in the Netherlands.

Pictured: Cortina project manager at KBA Peter Benz, and (below) participants assemble for a group photo