California packaging printer boosts capacity with further KBA

K-1 Packaging Group, a designer and manufacturer of high-end graphic packaging materials including pressure-sensitive labels, folding cartons and flexible packaging for retail items located in City of Industry, California, is to install the Rapida 105 this spring alongside two existing KBA Rapida 105 presses on its pressroom floor.

The purchase and installation of its new KBA press represents only a portion of a larger investment plan for K-1 Packaging Group, which includes upgrades to its facility as well as additional equipment. Last winter, K-1 began preparation on its facility before the scheduled arrival date of the new press. To accommodate the new press the company had to reposition many pieces of existing equipment.

Mike Tsai, president and chief executive officer of K-1 Packaging Group, said: ‘To keep up with our dramatic sales growth, increase our capacity, and have the latest in offset printing technology, we made the decision to purchase a new KBA Rapida 105 press.

‘The new press is scheduled to become operational as we ramp up for our busy season which typically starts in May. The addition of this third press will increase the output of our pressroom. This means that processes upstream and downstream of the pressroom will also need to increase its respective output. As a result, new equipment is being added in these areas as well. We look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have on our throughput, as well as on our quality efforts.’

The Rapida 105 being supplied to K-1 Packaging Group by KBA North America also features coating and UV capabilities, as well as the QualiTronic ColorControl system.

K-1 Packaging Group specifically configured its new KBA press based entirely on the type of work it encounters on a regular basis and its customer’s needs. UV capabilities were added to offer it maximum flexibility in terms of the wide range substrates which it can print on. ‘Most customers do not know what UV printing is,’ said Tsai, ‘however, the kind of result they seek frequently requires UV printing. The addition of this new press will certainly facilitate our effort to grow market share. We plan to aggressively target the kind of work that the press is most capable of producing--high-end carton work.’

Tsai added: ‘While there are many new features that come with the press, the technology that we look forward to the most is the KBA QualiTronic ColorControl system. This is an in-line color measurement and control camera system that monitors and maintains color consistency by taking a snapshot of every printed sheet.

‘We intend to direct the most color critical jobs to the new press where the QualiTronic ColorControl could really help us to monitor and maintain color consistency.’ 

Pictured: Mike Tsai (left), K-1 Packaging Group president and chief executive officer and Marcus Schoen, KBA North America sales manager