KBA Rapida 75 showing worth in Malaysia

A trio of printers in Malaysia are using the KBA Rapida 75 press to make gains in the world of package printing.
 
Lian Yik , Globac Printing and Percetakan Kencana have all installed a Rapida 75 press since it was introduced last year and showcased by KBA Asia-Pacific at an open house in Kuala Lumpur.
 
Commercial printer Lian Yik installed a five-color Rapida 75 with coater in March this year. A family-run commercial printing business with 14 employees and annual of sales of US$1.87 million, Lian Yik recently expanded into packaging and will use the Rapida for both business lines.
 
Proprietor Lim Soon Huat said: ‘The Rapida 75’s design, footprint, energy efficiency, output and flexibility ticked all the boxes. Our Rapida 75 is in action 12 hours a day printing a wide range of jobs in runs of 500 to 100,000 copies. It is fast, flexible and reliable.’
 
Globac Printing, formerly Dragon Hitech Printing, was the first of the three Malaysian printers in Kuala Lumpur to install one of the presses, taking a Rapida 75-6+C model. A UV package has been retrofitted since installation. The 30-employee company prints commercial products on paper, film and lightweight board, ranging from promos, magazines and books to CD box sets and high-grade packaging.
 
The Rapida 75 at Globac Printing prints 15 to 20 jobs a day in runs from just 300 to several thousand copies. Longer runs of 30,000 or even 50,000 impressions are an exception, with fast job changes a more pressing concern than high output.
 
Globac Printing sales and marketing director Tony Fong said: ‘We opted for a six-color Rapida 75 with coater some months ahead of the open house in Kuala Lumpur after researching the market and visiting KBA in Germany. We were convinced that, for us, a Rapida 75 with this configuration would be the best guarantee of growth.
 
‘The Rapida 75 joined a four-color coater press from a Japanese vendor, and is far superior. This is evident during print runs and make-ready. It can handle substrates from 0.04 to 0.6 millimeters thick, and thus our entire product range. Our customers are the ad agencies of prominent manufacturers in the food processing and electronics industries, and with the Rapida 75 we have shown them that our technological capabilities have been hugely enhanced.’
 
The most recent of the three installations in Kuala Lumpur is a four-color Rapida 75E whose official inauguration at Percetakan Kencana on November 12 was attended by a large number of trade professionals. Percetakan Kencana has been a successful one-stop commercial printer for more than 25 years, with design and pre-press services provided by subsidiary Matahari. The 20-employee business prints a large range of products including business forms, brochures, books, magazines, catalogues, calendars, annual reports and packaging.
 
Joint general managers Thin Ten Lai and his son Mark Thin have ambitious plans for future growth. A move to larger premises will be accompanied by an increase in printing capacity with the addition of further KBA technology.
 
Thin Ten Lai said: ‘We switched from another German vendor because we had kept a weather eye on advances in the Rapida 75 and knew that we could rely on KBA’s innovative technology and outstanding service. The press offers real value for money and an array of features that have paid dividends. We have been able to enhance and expand our product range substantially while boosting productivity. The press runs for 12 hours a day and is always in top form thanks to the 24-hour service provided by KBA Asia-Pacific.’

Pictured: Lian Yik is expanding from commercial into packaging printing

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