Packaging Competition Prompts Press Purchases

When KBA unveiled a new Rapida 105 at Drupa, a similar press had already been put through its paces for several months at the pharmaceutical centre run by the Rob Leunis and Chapman Group (RLC).

When KBA unveiled a new Rapida 105 at this year's Drupa, a similar press had already been put through its paces for several months at the pharmaceutical centre run by the Rob Leunis and Chapman Group (RLC) in Berlin.

"We needed the most advanced and efficient technology on the market, because competition in the packaging industry is so fierce that only the fittest survive," said Hans-Christian Bestehorn, managing director of the family-run German enterprise that dates back to 1861.

A clear-cut product delineation, a high degree of specialisation and international alliances are the tools RLC has used to offer its clientele the agility of a family-run, mid-size enterprise on the one hand and the firepower, outreach and other advantages of an international player on the other.

The factory in Hanover (Germany), called Leunisman, prints premium packaging.

Of the Berlin locations, Colorpack handles general packaging, Centerpack offers contract work and services and Pharmacenter, a new addition to the group, specialises in folding cartons for the drug industry.

Medium-format and large-format Rapida presses had been in operation at Colorpack for many years before the new 18,000 sheets per hour (sph) B1 (411/2") Rapida 105 was installed The six-colour coater press with delivery extension is said to be the ideal piece of equipment for Pharmacenter.

Being mounted on a 45cm (171/2") plinth affords much greater flexibility in handling materials, which can range from lightweight paper to heavy board.

"We have even run 80-gram jobs on it," explained Bestehorn.

With run lengths rapidly diminishing, partly as a result of recent health reforms in Germany, such flexibility is crucial.

Make-ready with the new press has proved to be 20 per cent faster than with its predecessor, while its production output is 20 per cent higher.

With automatic plate changing as a standard feature and additional console functions, it has substantially enhanced efficiency.

Colorpack will soon be doubling its Rapida 142 capacity when it takes delivery of a second press, this time a six-colour with two coaters, extended delivery and automated pile logistics.

It will feed to one of the first 1,000mm x 1,450mm (391/2" x 57") Sprintera die-cutters to roll off the Bobst production line.

The new equipment will enable the company to deliver value added in general packaging via the option of end-of-press UV coating, which dramatically increases the gloss levels possible in inline processing.

That is just what the food industry is looking for in large format - non-stop automatic features at the feeder and delivery, in conjunction with the pile logistics, will enhance efficiency even further.

The group has garnered international awards for some of its product designs.

In 2002, for example, its automatic system for packaging baked goods using a blank won the company a Pro Carton/ECMA Award.

That qualified it for the World Star award sponsored by the World Packaging Organisation, which it won the same year with packaging for a dome-shaped cake ('Kuppelkuchen') sold by Bahlsen.

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