The Böttcher Systems Advantage stands for more service, more quality, more process-related reliability and increased profitability in printing. We are at your disposal - with fine-tuned products including rollers, printing blankets and pressroom chemistry, from a single source. A complete and compatible product system from our laboratories assures a consistent and controlled production process and superior print quality. That’s the Böttcher Systems Advantage!

Böttcher rollers arrive "press ready" and are made to OEM specifications, which means you can put them straight into your press. The award-winning compounds that cover the rollers are glaze-free, which means the thick, velvety nap will deliver the proper mix of ink and water and give great printing results. They shrink less, so you waste less time adjusting and resetting. And they print uniformly, with fewer fadeouts, stripes or bands, for millions of impressions, which saves you money in the long run. The Böttcher technical advantage was recognized with two GATF InterTech Technology Awards - the first one given in 1993 for our Steady Set-Glaze Free roller compound and the second in 2005 for our dual-purpose Chameleon roller compound.

Böttcher gives you other advantages. Böttcher’s Roller Recovering Program will restore your old rollers with the same imported rubber we put on all new Böttcher rollers. Our Roller Exchange Program gives another advantage: Böttcher will ship rollers to you overnight when you need them in a hurry. Böttcher’s ever expanding line of printing and specialty coating blankets, known as "BöttcherTop" will satisfy even the most demanding print shops. The use of Böttcher’s line of pressroom chemistry, including many OEM approved solvents, will help guarantee the proper cleaning of your rollers and blankets, which is essential in maintaining high productivity from your press in the long term.

Böttcher’s history is the story of constant technological advances. Now, in the 21st century, Böttcher’s research and development is still the heart of the company and the reason Böttcher products consistently outperform the competition. Our leadership in chemistry, materials science and the specialized field of rotational transfer technology gives us the competitive edge. We are always innovating and introducing new products to continue giving our customers the advantage.

The advantage we get from R&D is carried through with our manufacturing expertise derived from years of experience and innovation in the printing industry. All rubber used in Böttcher rollers is manufactured in Germany at our state-of-the-art mixing plant and shipped worldwide to Böttcher manufacturing plants.

Manufacturing Expertise

At the heart of the entire worldwide Böttcher operation is the rubber. Every Böttcher roller is made from this "gourmet" formula produced exclusively in Germany, for process control. This rubber is mixed to meet exacting technical standards according to recipes created by Böttcher's research.

The rubber is shipped to Böttcher manufacturing plants throughout the world. Years of industrial practice is applied to the mixing, casting, calendaring, vulcanizing, grinding, calibrating and testing of the roller components to yield THE Böttcher roller. Much of the equipment is computer controlled; lasers are used to ensure that every roller meets the demanding tolerances of the Original Equipment Manufacturer. Equipment in Böttcher plants are designed and built by Böttcher engineers. All Böttcher plants are ISO 9001 Certified.

The recovering process entails several steps. Every stage is manned by skilled operators and inspected by quality assurance specialists. This process is longer, and has more steps than others use. But it takes time and attention to detail to make a superior roller. Some of the steps, such as the curing of the rubber after vulcanization, are processes that cannot be rushed.

The grinding process is computer controlled to guarantee that every roller is a perfect cylinder. Lasers scan the final roller to check the dimensions. This is one reason why Böttcher rollers deliver consistent printing results, because the rollers are "true".

This process control philosophy is also applied to Böttcher's printing chemistry. With central control in Germany, the regional blending is supervised so that the mixing processes and formulations remain constant throughout the world. Exactly the same approach applies to our line of BöttcherTop printing blankets. With systematic tests and quality standards, we test the uniform and defined compressibility of each roll before it is distributed to one of our worldwide converting locations.

Böttcher Quality

Since the first years, Böttcher has worked to improve the technology of printer rollers. Research and development leads the way for everything that happens in the company.

Ninety scientists and chemists - most of them Ph.D.'s - work in the Böttcher lab in Cologne, Germany. In the lab, a four-story building dedicated only to research, these scientists advance both the theoretical and applied body of knowledge in chemistry, materials science and "rotational transfer technology", a field in its own right. They develop improved roller and blanket technology and manufacturing processes for the printing industry, but also for textiles, plastics, steel and other markets of the future.

Böttcher scientists are experts on the geometry of the roller system. They work to improve their understanding of the physics of rollers in operation, including factors such as pressure distribution, screw-down forces and torques. They conduct performance tests on new rollers, testing for tearing and hardness, rebound resilience, measurements of specific weight and swelling and abrasion. They conduct and evaluate field tests and simulations to measure the performance of rollers in service.

Böttcher scientists and chemists work closely with press OEMs to develop products to keep up with the advances in press technology. They work jointly and share findings with chemists and materials specialists from all over the world, often traveling to other major research centers and universities.

Böttcher research is driven by a long-term commitment. Some of the compounds they are experimenting with today will not be ready for commercial production for five to ten years. At the same time, they spend time listening to pressmen to help solve their current problems and to improve current products.

Overall, the goal is to develop rubber and polyurethane compounds with ever greater performance characteristics to make Böttcher rollers run longer, cooler, with less distortion, and greater resistance to heat and harsh solvents. They also explore high-tech compounds of silicone.

The formulations for our printing chemicals are developed by Böttcher chemists in close coordination with the press manufacturers and FOGRA, the Graphic Technology Research Association. BöttcherTop printing blankets are built to our own exacting specifications and are brought to the market after sophisticated testing procedures are completed.

The tremendous resources that Böttcher invests in research and development is what makes Böttcher the leader in roller technology and an undisputed choice for printing blankets and pressroom chemistry. Results speak for themselves. Böttcher is always bringing out new products that solve problems in the pressroom, and developing rollers that run longer, truer and that withstand the beating they go through during millions of impressions. This is the secret of the Böttcher advantage.

Global Reach

Böttcher is truly an international company, active in more than 80 countries around the world. Our global distribution network delivers rollers, blankets and printing chemicals to existing and emerging markets anyplace on the globe.

Böttcher has sixteen production sites, with our latest manufacturing facility located in China. In addition to the manufacturing sites, customer service centers and distribution warehouses are located throughout the world.

Böttcher is a leader in the manufacture of rollers for the steel, aluminum, plastic, paper, textile and wood industries. We are focusing our R&D, marketing, manufacturing and distribution resources to be a major supplier to the digital reproduction industries as well.

History of Böttcher

Böttcher's history is the story of a continuous effort to improve and perfect printing technology. In 1878, the company began to manufacture gelatin printing rollers in Leipzig, Germany.

In the 1930's, Böttcher's abandoned the gelatin coverings and began to produce rubber coverings, first with natural rubber and then with synthetic rubber. During the 1940's, Böttcher's factories were destroyed by war and the Leipzig properties were confiscated by East Germany. The company constructed new facilities in Cologne, West Germany in 1948.

In the 1950's and 1960's, Böttcher's scientists made many technological breakthroughs with the invention of new compounds or rubber and polyurethane. Their discoveries led to the use of elastomer roller coverings in printing and other industries. Böttcher's began to supply rollers to the steel, aluminum, plastic, paper, textile and wood industries, and expanded research on photocopying and reprographic technologies.

In 1974, Böttcher's went international, expanding to Italy, France and the United Kingdom. In 1983, Böttcher's established Böttcher's America, headquartered near Baltimore, Maryland. At about the same time, KB Roller Tech, a joint venture formed between Böttcher's and Kinyosha, was formed to manufacture rollers for copiers.

The decade of the 90's and the new millennium have marked a time of aggressive expansion, beginning with the return of the Leipzig plant after the unification of Germany. Through growth and acquisitions, Böttcher's expanded into Canada, Spain, France, Austria, Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia and South America. In 1997, Böttcher's America added a second manufacturing facility in Tipton, Indiana. Böttcher's also expanded its product line to include escalator handrails, printing blankets and cleaning agents.