The company generated €253.3m (£222.4m) in sales, up more than a fifth year-on-year, with the sheetfed segment accounting for more than half at €126m, up 46.9%. Lower orders for web and special presses saw an incremental rise of 2.7% in sales for the quarter.

Cost-savings and operational efficiencies derived from its restructuring created a more profitable company, helping reduce pretax losses to €3.9m from €21.3m and operating losses to €1.8m from €19.4m the prior year.

Orders too were up 37.4% to €432.1m, driven largely by niche products. KBA warned that commercial and newspaper presses continued to lag, although sales of its large format Rapida presses into the packaging market were gaining momentum, contributing to a 27.6% jump in sheetfed orders. KBA's backlog rose too sequentially by 40%.

Regionally, international sales remained unchanged at 86.5%, although domestic sales in Germany rose 20.4% and the company cited Scandinavia and China as showing growth while Southern Europe remained in a slump and North America's share halved from 15% to 7.6%.

However, UK managing director Christian Knapp said that things were moving in the right direction in the US, and that he often looked to the US as an indication of the future direction for the UK, which he described as "still flat".

"It remains a very challenging environment," he said.

However he said there were positive signs in certain areas, citing the B2 sector as an example of where KBA was focusing efforts such as a recent open house earlier this year.

He said that Northern & Shell's massive order won't be recognised in KBA figures until Q3 and Q4, and that DMGT's decision whether or not to move out of London will factor in the fortunes of KBA UK.

Back on a group-wide level, the company said it had shed over 200 additional jobs, but warned that continued sluggish demand for newspaper and magazine web presses meant there remained considerable capacity "overhang", which is currently hobbled by failed talks with employee representatives that has led to a strike at its Frankenthal plant since last week.

The company added that it will exhibit its first digital press - the fruits of its joint project with RR Donnelley - at next year's Drupa, using the latter's technology, although machines will be manufactured and sold exclusively by KBA.