Koenig & Bauer Speeds Up Digital Transformation in Printing Press Industry with Siemens Xcelerator

April 23, 2025 - Together with Koenig & Bauer, a global printing press manufacturer, technology company Siemens will accelerate development and commissioning processes for printing presses with a new machine automation platform. The standardized and modular automation platform enables machine building customers to create predictive maintenance models and performance dashboards for individual machine components. The companies are working together to help machine builders find their optimal machine configuration using a digital twin with Siemens’ Teamcenter software for Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and Siemens NX™ software for product design and engineering. This helps them to create and maintain an accurate and synchronized virtual representation of their machine.

Simatic AX software capabilities are also available to customers for programming and maintaining Siemens PLCs (programmable logic controllers)–which reduces time-to-market, increases product quality, and enhances the maintainability of the control software. The offerings will be available on the Siemens Xcelerator Marketplace.

“The partnership with Koenig & Bauer is proof of Siemens’ dedication to spearheading the digital transformation in the machine industry,” said Rainer Brehm, CEO of Factory Automation at Siemens. “By combining Koenig & Bauer’s expertise in high-tech printing technology with the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio, we’ll deliver comprehensive, flexible, and future-oriented solutions that meet the evolving demands of our customers.”

“This partnership is an important step in sustainably strengthening our innovative capacity and market position,” added Dr Andreas Pleßke, CEO of Koenig & Bauer. “By combining our expertise with the technological know-how of Siemens, we’re creating synergies that will allow groundbreaking developments in mechanical engineering.”

Siemens and Koenig & Bauer are reshaping the future of mechanical engineering with modular automation: Florian Stappenbeck, COO of Koenig & Bauer Sheetfed, Michael Thomas, senior vice president Factory Automation at Siemens, Marten van Rossum, Head of Machine Builder Systems at Siemens, und Christian Steinmaßl, Member of the Group Management of Koenig & Bauer, seal the collaboration (Source: Koenig & Bauer).

The collaboration between Siemens and Koenig & Bauer is enabling the development of a seamless combination of hardware and software functionalities and the collection and evaluation of detailed machine data on the condition of machine components. This will ultimately increase flexibility, efficiency, and competitiveness for the printing press industry.

About Siemens Digital Industries

Siemens Digital Industries (DI) empowers companies of all sizes within the process and discrete manufacturing industries to accelerate their digital and sustainability transformation across the entire value chain. Siemens’ cutting-edge automation and software portfolio revolutionizes the design, realization and optimization of products and production. And with Siemens Xcelerator–the open digital business platform–this process is made even easier, faster, and scalable. Together with our partners and ecosystem, Siemens Digital Industries enables customers to become a sustainable Digital Enterprise. Siemens Digital Industries has a workforce of around 70,000 people worldwide.

About Siemens AG

Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a leading technology company focused on industry, infrastructure, mobility, and healthcare. The company’s purpose is to create technology to transform the everyday, for everyone. By combining the real and the digital worlds, Siemens empowers customers to accelerate their digital and sustainability transformations, making factories more efficient, cities more livable and transportation more sustainable. Siemens also owns a majority stake in the publicly listed company Siemens Healthineers, a leading global medical technology provider pioneering breakthroughs in healthcare. For everyone. Everywhere. Sustainably.