Interesting Innovations in Carton Production

All medium- and large-format Rapidas for European customers will be shipped with a PressConsum starter kit complete with an order form to ensure a reliable supply. Initially this service will be limited to Germany, Austria and Belgium while KBA establishes the necessary logistics network. Other countries will be added in due course.

The theoretical talks were followed by practical demonstrations at KBA's customer centre, where members of the trade witnessed the smooth interaction of the three companies' products. A plinth-mounted Rapida 106 with automated pile logistics printed a commemorative poster on Twin Coat 350gsm GT carton (160lb Bristol). The press was then rapidly converted to print chocolate boxes in four scale colors plus gold, with an aqueous coating. In less than one hour 18,000 sheets were transported at high speed through the press from seven pallets, with the piles at both ends being changed automatically.

The sequence was subsequently repeated on a large-format Rapida 142, which first printed a poster and then applied Euroscale inks, a special green and aqueous coating to frozen food packaging made of Multiprint GD2 400gsm cartonboard (250lb tag). Here, too, nonstop components and a substrate logistics system were in operation. A total of twelve piles with 15,000 sheets apiece were provided for one hour's production. Both presses were run with migration-neutral SensPrint MU packaging inks. The day concluded with a tour of the factory and Dresden's historic city centre, followed by a social evening.