KBA is optimistic about its prospects for the full year, although it has a way to go to hit its $1.128bn annual sales target. The German press manufacturer posted a 33.2% rise in order intake in the six months to 30 June, to $689.6m. Order backlog was also significantly higher, up 43% to $678.7m.

During the period, KBA’s shareholders also officially ratified its new structure, which involves three autonomous business units: Sheetfed Solutions, Digital & Web Solutions, and Special Solutions.

“Greater transparency and market focus on the basis of clear targets expected from the new business units is already noticeable,” said president and chief executive Claus Bolza-Schünemann. The group’s biggest business unit, Sheetfed Solutions, was back in the black. It turned around last year’s loss of $9.5m to post EBIT (earning before interest and taxes) of $4.3m on sales up 1.8% to $271.3m, while sheetfed order intake jumped 40.3% to $417.86m on the back of increased demand from packaging printers. KBA has introduced “special measures” at its manufacturing facility in Radebeul as a result. “Completing the raft of existing orders on time poses a substantial challenge,” the firm said. “As demand remains strong in this segment special measures have been introduced to increase production output.”

The special measures include additional shifts, overtime working, the use of extra temporary staff, and the external manufacturing of some parts.

Order intake for Digital & Web Solutions was up 51.7% at $78.5m, but revenues almost halved, at $41.66m (2014: $80.9m) due to previously low order backlog. The unit trimmed its losses from $13m to $10.1m. KBA said it had “sustainably adjusted” capacity at its Würzburg facility as a result of the “severely shrunken” web offset market. KBA also celebrated 50 years of unit press production. The unit press design was launched by Planeta in 1965, and was a sensation in its day.