All aspects of this machine, from its inception and design to manufacturing, installation and service, will be handled by KBA North America´s facility in York, Pennsylvania. Sales outside America will be handled by our global network of dealers. KBA says the new press, which incorporates an inline die-cutter, underscores its ongoing aim to move up the ranks in the sheetfed packaging market by expanding the range of substrates which can be run on our presses. The company says it builds on its existing developments; in early 1999 it was the first press manufacturer to promote direct offset on corrugated. Today Rapida presses can print and coat microflute (half-format), G- and F-flute (B1) and G-, F- and E-flute (size 5+) up to a maximum thickness of 1.7mm (67pt).

The first Corrugraph to roll off the production line – a six-colour version of the 1,676 x 3,000mm (66″ x 118″) machine – will be shipped this autumn to Canadian boxmaker Central Graphics & Container Group Ltd in Mississauga, Ontario.

Central Graphics & Container Group, whose in-house operations extend beyond printing and converting, includes a structural and graphic design team which creates packaging tailored to suit the product. Among North American packaging printers Central has established a reputation as a pioneer of printing technologies.

“We´ve gotten better and better as printers, but the KBA press will bring us to a new level,” Rich Eastwood, Central´s CEO, says. “It will improve our quality by 20 per cent and double our efficiencies.” Alan Culbert, Central´s vice president and general manager, adds, “We combined the expertise of both companies to put the best of everything into the machine.”

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