KBA's Rapidas Bigger, Faster And More Powerful.

At Drupa KBA will be exhibiting a five-colour coater version of its revamped Rapida 74 with delivery extension.

At Drupa KBA will be exhibiting a five-colour coater version of its revamped Rapida 74 with delivery extension.

There will also be a new-generation B1 (411/2") Rapida 105 six colour with coater and plinth for printing packaging.

Representing KBA's large-format presses, a six-colour version of the size 7 (633/4") Rapida 162, also with coater and delivery extension, will be put through its paces printing on a variety of substrates.

Carrying the flag for the current generation of B1 KBA presses, the first of which came on the market in 1998, will be a six-colour coater press with a hybrid inking/coating capability.

During Drupa KBA is also arranging for prospective buyers to see a production run on the world's first 14-unit Rapida 105 press line for five-colour perfecting and coating at Meinke Druck in Neuss, near Dusseldorf.

All the presses on the stand will be highly automated (including plate changing and press preset) and integrated in a JDF workflow with Creo CTP (Lotem 800V, Brisque) via Hiflex and Rogler software.

The presses will feed to a Bauerle folding machine and Perfecta guillotine.

Although KBA is only displaying a single printing unit of its new size 9 (803/4") Rapida 205, which is the biggest sheetfed offset press on the market, trade visitors to Drupa can attend a production run on a four-unit version with perforator and automatic plate changers at teNeues in Kempen, 60km (38 miles) from Dusseldorf.

The Rapida 205 and its smaller sister, the size 8 (723/4") Rapida 185 have a maximum output of 9,000 and 11,000 sheets respectively and a standard of automation comparable to that of the most advanced medium-format presses - capabilities that are said to open up new options for printers of posters, point-of-sale displays, packaging and books.

Features of the Rapida range that have proven their value have been retained.

A standard feature on all KBA's new medium and large-format Rapidas is a shaftless feeder.

Apart from ensuring a smoother pile movement it makes handling much easier in a number of ways, by retrieving the sheet from the suction-belt table after a press stop and returning it to the feed pile, for instance.

KBA claims that no other feeder on the market offers such capabilities.

The upgraded Ergotronic control console for the new Rapida 105 and Rapida 205 is based on Windows, which is rapidly becoming the norm for both technical and administrative applications.

All unit-type Rapidas can be embedded in a universal JDF workflow embracing pre-press and post-press via Logotronic Professional production management system and dedicated software.

Optional equipment includes a Densitronic S desk for closed-loop colour control, Densitronic Basic electronic colour-control system built into the Colortronic desk and Qualitronic 2 inline sheet-scanning system.

The maximum output of the new Rapida 74 has been increased to 18,000sph for straight printing and 15,000sph for perfecting.

Optional extras include an automatic plate changer (semi-automatic is already standard) and an automatic washing system for the impression cylinders.

All the press configurations offered for the previous model (10-unit perfector, dual coater for hybrid/UV, perforator, numbering unit, Corona static eliminator) are available with the new one.

KBA's new Rapida 105 has a high-line delivery extension which, coupled with a new cylinder geometry, supports an even flatter sheet run and an output of 18,000sph in straight printing or 15,000sph in perfecting.

The press incorporates a number of new features.

These include electrically operated front lay adjustment at the infeed, with optional sidelay-free infeed - claimed to be a world first.

The printing units now boast two-phase roller throw-on/off, faster automatic plate changing (standard), contact-free airborne sheet travel for stock weighing up to 450gsm (205lb), a multiple washing system for the blanket and impression cylinders, a differential dampening unit drive that can be engaged on demand to clean the plate, three-point ink train separation with profile retention during production stoppages and the ability to disconnect ink ducts that are surplus to run requirements.

The coater has been fitted with lightweight aluminium screen rollers and an automatic plate changing system, while the delivery incorporates a non-stop roller with automatic height adjustment as a standard feature, a pile lift with a much smoother action, a powder sprayer actuated from the console and suction rollers that adjust automatically to sheet size.

The high-line delivery extension affords easy access to the dryers.

KBA believes that the Rapida 105 will be the most advanced, powerful, flexible and the most user-friendly B1 press at the show.

Since KBA launched its large-format Rapidas at Drupa 1995 it has installed 600 presses with more than 3,000 printing units, some configured as multi-unit press lines with one or more types of coater, UV capabilities and perfecting facilities for up to four over four.

At Drupa 2004 it will show even bigger, more powerful presses.

It has raised the speed of its size 6 (56") Rapida 142 to 15,000 sheets per hour (sph), the same as the size 5 (51") Rapida 130, and that of its size 7 (633/4") Rapida 162 to 14,000sph.

The new Rapida 162 for a sheet size of 1,200 x 1,620mm (471/4" x 633/4") now runs at 13,000sph, making it more productive than any other press of this size, claimed KBA.

Optional extras, such as a package for printing on lightweight stock, simultaneous blanket and roller washing, an ICS pre-delivery sheet slitter etc, expand the range of applications and ease operator workload.

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