IRISH PRINTER | News
Chesapeake ‘Future-Proofs’ Business with KBA
KBA’s Mark Chatur (left), Mark Wilson (centre) of Chesapeake/MPS Greenford, and KBA UK Managing Director Andrew Pang at the delivery of the new Rapida 106, with the first Rapida 106 in the background.
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hesapeake/MPS Greenford has chosen the latest KBA Rapida 106 four-colour B1 press as part of a £3m investment programme. “The Rapida 106 will future-proof our print capability for the next phase of our development,” says Mark Wilson, General Manager of Chesapeake/MPS’s Leaflets UK and Ireland business. “We aim to take the lead in everything we do and this investment will help us to remain at the forefront of the industry.” In addition to the production of specialist patient information leaflets, the Greenford site is considered to be an innovation centre for leaflet development, serving niche markets and trialling new offerings. “There is a lot of development at this site that then cascades to other locations, as and when appropriate,” he says. “KBA presses are technically advanced and that is something our customers can benefit from.” The four-colour B1 perfecting press - claimed by KBA to be the ‘world makeready champion’ - replaces two B2 presses. “With the flexibility and capacity the new Rapida provides we are much better placed to meet the
production needs of the market as it is evolving,” says Mark Wilson. Crucial to the choice was the Rapida’s proficiency with lightweight stocks. “Much of our work is on 40gsm and we wanted to work with a specialist in lightweight papers,” says Mark. KBA’s patented DriveTronic SIS sidelay-free in-feed system allows the sheet more time to arrive at the front lays and brings more stability to the sheet travel without operator intervention. “We have a similar system in operation on the Rapida 106 at our Tewkesbury plant so we know just how effective it can be in aiding speed and productivity,” says Mark. The investment was also prompted by other changes in customer requirements. “We are seeing market demand move towards larger leaflet sizes to meet EU regulations for the inclusion of more information,” says Mark. “That means an increase in the amount of work we are producing. The new B1 Rapida will help us efficiently meet that market shift. I first started at Chesapeake Greenford 13 years ago. Then we had eight presses - now we have two. The number of leaflet styles
we produce has reduced but the overall volume of work remains broadly similar.” Chesapeake Greenford’s 18,000sph Rapida 106 also features KBA’s DriveTronic Simultaneous Plate Change, DriveTronic Plate Ident, the CleanTronic Synchro multi-purpose washing system, ErgoTronic ColorDrive ink density measurement, LogoTronic CIPLinkX to transfer presetting data, antistatic equipment, and an extended video system for sheet travel monitoring. The £3m spend includes the retrofitting of a Maybeg ReelSheeter system for the printing of reels on the operation’s existing six colour KBA Rapida 106, as well as new investment in the pre- and post-press departments. “The benefits of the roll-to-sheet solution include increased productivity and smoother delivery to the pallet,” says Mark. Chesapeake/Multi Packaging Solutions merged in February. The combined business supplies folding cartons, leaflets and labels, as well as rigid boxes and tubes, to the healthcare, consumer and multimedia markets.
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