Lithocraft Company Launches Into New Markets With KBA Rapida 106 Eight-Color UV Press

KBA North America, a global press manufacturer based in Dallas, Texas, announces that Lithocraft Company, an Anaheim, California high-quality commercial sheetfed printer, is expanding into new markets with the installation of a new KBA Rapida 106 41-inch eight-color UV press. Delivery is expected to take place in May 2011.

“2011 will be a year of change for Lithocraft,” says Robert Navarro, vice president of operations at Lithocraft. “The addition of the Rapida 106 with UV will be the spring board for this transformation. The new press will allow us to better service our existing customers and it will provide new capabilities thus allowing us to move into the high-end quality packaging market. We will be living up to our customers’ expectations, which are: being responsive, reliable, proactive, adaptable, and providing consistent value.”

World Makeready Champion

Since being launched at Drupa 2008, KBA’s high-tech Rapida 106 continues to be the world champion in makeready and the most productive press in its class. A key unique feature of Lithocraft’s press includes the DriveTronic SIS (Sensoric Infeed System), a totally makeready-free system that knows no setting or sidelay errors, nor does it mark sensitive substrates. Its mode of operation is ingeniously simple: a sensor determines the lateral position of the sheet on the feeder board, and as the sheet approaches the transfer point to the first printing unit the gripper on the transfer drum aligns the sheet with the side position specified at the console. Various automation modules, such as fully automatic plate changers, ErgoTronic ACR video register, DensiTronic Professional ink density control and the LogoTronic management system with CipLink software, ensure maximum productivity.

Lithocraft devoted a great deal of time researching various press manufacturers. However, based on its future plans, “The Rapida 106 is the best piece of equipment to fit the needs of our company,” explained Navarro. After extensive research, Lithocraft came to this conclusion for a variety of reasons. These included, says Navarro, the Rapida’s inherent speed and ease of makeready; reliability of KBA equipment; automated equipment service provided by KBA; and the solid reputation of both KBA and Air Motion UV system. Navarro also noted the KBA QualiTronic color-control system, which measures solid densities on each sheet at maximum production speed; this system eliminates time-consuming manual comparisons and reduces start-up waste. QualiTronic is a camera-based inline sheet-inspection system that scans each sheet as it enters the delivery or the perfecting unit, and compares it with a reference sheet.

Expanding into UV and high-end packaging market

Not only will this be the first press with this particular type of configuration but it will be Lithocraft’s first press from KBA. “Our customers expressed an interest in having us expand our capabilities into the UV market with added color capabilities and environmentally-friendly processes,” says Navarro. “The efficiencies that the Rapid 106 brings will allow us to eliminate most of our overtime and attract new customers. Having eight-color UV capabilities will give us the tools we need to compete in the high-end packaging market as well as providing added services for our existing clients.” Lithocraft will be replacing a six-color conventional sheetfed press from a different manufacturer with the new KBA Rapida 106 41-inch eight-color.