Simply Cartons buys 8-color KBA Rapida 106

The press will offer both conventional and UV production, and be equipped with two hybrid coating units with two hybrid drying units, 900mm plinth, pile logistics and thick stock capability. Featuring KBA’s patented sidelay-free fully-automated feeder, simultaneous plate changing system, synchronized roller wash, VariDry Blue super energy-efficient drying system, and QualiTronic Professional and LogoTronic Professional enabling in-press color control, sheet inspection with a number of reporting and workflow integration suites. The press has also been specified with the high-speed package of 20,000sph.

Simply Cartons operates a Shuttleworth MIS system and its key conversion processes include die-cutting, foiling, gluing, pick and place, window patching and nested cartons. Simply Cartons is ISO 12647-2 accredited, has ISO 14001, PS9000, FSC and PEFC, ISO 18001, OHSAS, BRC grade A and is a member of SEDEX.

The order for the new Rapida coincided with the end of Simply Cartons’ financial year in which it recorded some of its best figures since its incorporation in 2006.

Simply Cartons CEO Craig Mather and print manager Andrew Toms made the press investment decision following a series of intensive print trials with Heidelberg, Mitsubishi, Komori and KBA. ‘Each of the manufacturers was very professional and the machines all performed well but the Rapida was just exceptional,’ said Mather. ‘When we first started the buying process my priority was to select the right partner for Simply Cartons, one that shares our business ethos and values. We are a service-orientated business and work until the job is done. Above all, we are innovators – we create the packaging solutions that give our clients the edge – and in KBA we saw a perfect fit.

‘I have been in print all my life and I have learned that you can’t change history but you can change the future. KBA was very open about its plans and aspirations for its technologies and business and that convinced us of the company’s commitment to working in partnership to deliver excellence; that is what we saw in the systems demonstrated on the Rapida 106.’

Simply Cartons’ new Rapida 106 will work alongside a 6-color Mitsubishi double coater and a 6-color and double coater Heidelberg XL 105. As its first 8-color press, the KBA will be configured with a print unit before the last coating unit to enhance the quality of the special effect and added value finishes that have become increasingly important in high-end packaging design.

‘The packaging sector is tough at the best of times and my aim is to give our business the best opportunities I can, and to give our sales team the best chance to deliver a superior offering,’ added Mather. ‘Our new Rapida will give us more flexibility, enhance our product offering, and ultimately offer our customers potentially shorter lead times. It will strengthen our position in the market for quality and give our customers even greater confidence in our ability to deliver premium product, on time, in full.’