New KBA Rapida 105 for a new production hall
In mid-February, a new Rapida 105 went into production at Granpak in Andrychów in the south of Poland. The six-colour press with inline coater, extended delivery and a full range of measurement and control systems is part of a comprehensive programme of investments which also includes a new production hall in the special economic zone Andrychów. In this way, Granpak plans to continue its dynamic growth on the market for high-quality packaging.
Granpak was founded in 2001, and focussed on the processing of solid and laminated board from the very beginning. Its customers are to be found mainly in industry and the food sector, and to a lesser extent also in the pharmaceuticals branch. Mariusz Korczak, co-proprietor of Granpak: "We have invested regularly over the years and continue to adapt our technology base to the needs of our customers. Our broad spectrum of services, ultimate production quality and compliance with important international standards (e.g. ISO 22000:2005 as the globally applicable management system for food safety) have helped us to build up new sales markets. The dynamic growth of our print business, and with that the necessity to expand our capacities, influenced the investment decision. Our new production and office building, with a total floor space of 4,500 m2, was tailored precisely to the needs of primary food packaging." In addition to the new Rapida 105, a Trendsetter 1600 CTP system from Kodak and two Bobst die-cutters were installed.
Ryszard Marczak, the second co-proprietor at Granpak: "The configuration and equipment specification of the Rapida 105 permit us to offer packaging with Pantone colours and UV coatings, for example." The press has been raised by 450 mm and incorporates the CX accessory package for board handling up to a thickness of 1.2 mm. Further key features are FAPC fully automatic plate changers, ErgoTronic ColorControl and ErgoTronic Lab for colour measurement and control on the basis of Lab values, the register measuring system ErgoTronic ACR, and QualiTronic ColorControl for inline colour measurement.
"The Rapida 105 offers us stable production even for runs in excess of 100,000 sheets. We are already noticing the benefits of inline quality control, which guarantees absolute and reproducible print quality right up to the maximum production speed of 16,000 sheets per hour. At the same time, the existing die-cutting formes also fit perfectly for repeat jobs. We have not had to renew any of our more than 1,000 formes," says a delighted Ryszard Marczak.
The decision in favour of the Rapida 105 was preceded by several print tests at the KBA customer centre in Radebeul. "The results were positive without exception. On the basis of our very good impression of the Rapida 105 and the excellent technical advice provided by Adam Ślażyński from KBA CEE, it was an easy decision to make", Ryszard Marczak explains. The expectations of the company proprietors have not been disappointed. Mariusz Korczak: "The press outperforms all the other presses we have used to date. We use the various automation features, for example the non-stop feeder system, to achieve greater continuity in production, and are confident that the Rapida 105 will help us to win new customers, also from abroad."
"In the meantime, we have gained our first experience with after-sales support, and we can also give the team at KBA CEE full marks. Their response is both fast and constructive," Ryszard Marczak adds.
