Superlarge Rapida Presses Maintain Large B1 Growth

Visitors to KBA's assembly hall in Radebeul (Germany) have been greeted by an awesome sight - row upon row of superlong Rapida 105 press lines alongside a phalanx of superlarge Rapida 205s.

Visitors to KBA's assembly hall in Radebeul (Germany) have been greeted by an awesome sight - row upon row of superlong Rapida 105 press lines alongside a phalanx of superlarge Rapida 205s.

Three of the B1 (40") Rapida 105s, two 10-colour perfectors plus a five-colour coater press with perforator and delivery extension, were earmarked for a south German printing house near Munich.

A north German printer, Schur Pack in Buchen, had signed the acceptance protocol just the previous week for a 10-unit, six-colour dual coater version, also with delivery extension.

Standing opposite it was the first 15-unit Rapida to pass through the production line.

Extending almost 30 metres (98 feet), it is part of a major contract for the biggest printing house in Africa, Tonic Emballage near Algiers.

The six post-feeder units are followed by a coater, two inter-unit dryers, an autoconvertible perfector, five more printing units, a second coater and a double delivery extension with additional dryers to support perfect coating.

In the number of units, though not in length, the Rapida 105 surpasses the record held by its predecessor, the Rapida 105 universal, 13-unit and 14-unit versions of which went to printing houses in South Africa and Germany.

According to KBA, a few years ago B1 presses of such length and diversity were the exception, now Rapidas with 10 or more printing units plus coater are fast becoming the rule.

That applies not just to B1 but also in large format as well, as market demand becomes more sophisticated in-line with continuing advances in KBA technology and processes.

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