KBA Rapidas score points in the Land of the Rising Sun
Without much prior notice representatives from five Japanese printing companies visited KBA in Radebeul on 18 January to learn more about Rapida sheetfed offset technology. Interest in the high-tech Rapidas has grown enormously in the Land of the Rising Sun two years after the founding of KBA's Japanese sales agency and the inauguration of a raft of medium and large-format presses from Saxony.
Many new customers in Japan who have received their first KBA Rapida sent their press operators to be schooled at the training centre in Radebeul to ensure that they are informed on all technical details and know how to exploit the press' potential from the beginning. Along with inline systems, such as colour measurement and control with QualiTronic ColorControl, demand for space-, time- and cost-saving innovations, such as LED-UV technology, is high.
In 2014 total of 35 printing tests took place for potential Japanese customers and KBA Japan was able to book ten orders for Rapida presses in its second year. Some of these orders have already been delivered. This is a remarkable success for a newcomer in a market that has been dominated by domestic suppliers and other German manufacturers for over a decade. This success is down to a motivated international team from Japan, Korea and Germany, plus many other specialists in the demo centre and on the service hotline in Radebeul.
High-tech is snapped up in Japan
Only presses from the high-tech Rapida 106 and Rapida 145 series have gone to Japan. The presses' high level of automation and corresponding above-average productivity and flexibility are particularly valued by the Japanese. Unique features, such as DriveTronic SIS sidelay-free infeed, DriveTronic SPC individual shaftless drives for the plate cylinders, inline colour control with QualiTronic ColorControl or QualiTronic Professional, are very popular. The first orders for presses with LED-UV curing have already been placed as well as the first press featuring DriveTronic SFC coater. This press will predominantly be used for packaging and catalogues for a leading manufacturer of bicycle parts and kit, as well as for products for fishing and snowboarding.
This positive development is supported by the bundling of resources in Japan, Korea and Germany ensuring first-class customer service
