KBA equipment enables First Print expansion

To advance its market share, Egyptian packaging print provider First Print has installed three large-format and medium-format sheetfed presses from KBA.

The company now has two large-format KBA Rapida 162a presses, one with five colours, the other with six, alongside a medium-format six-colour Rapida 105 press.

The first Rapida 162a, which was delivered in March 2009, followed an initial six-colour Rapida 105.

The second large-format press was put into operation in February 2010.

First Print currently operates a two-shift system, though plans are in place to step up to three shifts in the coming year as the company is looking to double its turnover.

A six-month project with market studies and numerous visits to Europe preceded First Print's final decisions on the machinery and equipment to be installed in the new print centre.

Louai Ali Abdel-Wahid, general director at First Print, said: 'The Rapidas are all configured with a raised foundation, double-length delivery extensions, coating facilities, IR and hot-air or IR and UV dryers, non-stop pile changing for the feeder and delivery, plus special accessories for corrugated and heavy board on the Rapida 162a.

'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.

'The second Rapida 162a was also ordered with inking unit temperature control to permit waterless offset production, and special roller coatings for low-alcohol printing,' he added.

First Print is a division of the Egyptian group First Co For Industrial Development and it supplies board and packaging products.

The new presses from KBA are expected to advance the company's market share.

Three storeys and a total area of 20,000m2 are devoted to First Print's print, cutting, punching and lamination departments, which are arranged in dedicated production centres with a digital workflow control.

Alongside First Print, the First Co group also comprises the board and paper divisions, First Corrugated and First Paper, with a total area of 180,000m2.

Two further divisions - First Metal and First Service - are to be added later in 2010.

Abdel-Wahid said: 'We print medium to long runs for top-flight customers covering the food, household, medical, pharmaceutical and cosmetics sectors.

'For that we need to be optimally equipped and organised in every aspect of our production operations.

'We are certified to the ISO standards governing, not only quality and environmental management, but also occupational health and safety standards.

'KBA offers tailored systems for medium-format print that offer quality, performance, waste savings and simple handling.

'It also has a very good network of local staff and service technicians,' he added.

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