Streamline to install KBA first press

Streamline Cartons is bringing printing inhouse with its first ever press, a new KBA Rapida 105 six-colour with coater. The company previously sent out all its print to the local trade.

Operations manager and son of the founder, Josh Harris says, ”Whilst the local print industry has been of great assistance, we needed access to inline UV ink and varnish as well as aqueous coatings. We came to the conclusion that the optimum option was to put in a press ourselves that was specified exactly how we wanted it, to be able to meet the evolving needs of the carton market.”

With all this in mind Streamline Cartons has just made its biggest ever investment, in a new KBA Rapida 105 six-colour with coater for UV or aqueous coating. The press comes with UV interdeck drying, will be lifted onto a plinth for extra pallet height, and has the KBA Qualitronic closed loop camera quality control system for colour control.

Harris says, “KBA is renowned as the world’s leading packaging press producer. The presses have a solid reputation for quality, for being robust, and for performing to the highest standards. KBA and its Australian director Dave Lewis have been more than helpful to us in assisting us as we have taken these steps towards implementing inhouse print production. They have shown they understand where we are coming from and what we want to achieve. After we met the international director and the KBA team at drupa we were convinced that the KBA Rapida was the press for us, and signed a letter of intent at the show.”

The new press will arrive in January 2017 and be up and running by the end of February. Harris says, “It is a big step for us, but one that we know will benefit the company and its customers. Having control over print quality and turnaround times will be really beneficial for us.”

The ability of the Rapida to print onto thicker stocks also proved appealing to Streamline Cartons, Harris says, “We have informed our customers we will be able to print on up to 1.6mm microflute which has piqued their interest to say the least. In the past we have not been able to offer this and we have had to do litho-laminated cartons”.

Streamline Cartons has moved some 160 pallet spaces skywards to free up space for the new press by bringing in more pallet racking, and is already looking at additional finishing options.

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