CRP Achieves Litho Goals with KBA
Litho Partner’s ‘Turnkey Solution’ for Packaging & Display Leader
The major press investment announced by CRP Print & Packaging Group in August this year has been commissioned with flying colours following a copybook installation by KBA at the Group’s Corby, Northamptonshire, site.
The six-colour Large Format (1,200 x 1,620 mm sheet size) RAPIDA 162a with two coating units, UV dryer and extended delivery is one of the UK’s biggest sheet fed press installations for several years and reflects the strength of CRP’s position within the shelf-ready packaging and decorative display sectors.
KBA was awarded the contract following a visit by CRP to Ipex, where the manufacturer’s commitment to customer support was considered an essential element alongside the superior quality control and performance parameters of the higher performance RAPIDA press:
“Making this investment was a natural step,” says CRP Operations Director, Tom Lindop. “We already had on-site high speed digital and flexo printing technologies but felt that this was the right time to add litho print so we could continue to develop our position as a major player within the European decorative packaging market.”
Support Success
From the outset KBA’s focus has not just been on the press installation alone explains Lindop: “KBA has helped us with the implementation of the whole litho process from prepress to MIS. They have introduced us to other key partners along the way – such as Kodak for ctp – and that has helped us to be confident in the choices we have made and ensured that everything works together to create the optimum operating conditions. We wanted a turnkey solution to ensure everything was right from the very beginning.”
KBA UK Director of Consumables Operations, Andy Pang, supported CRP throughout the commissioning of their new RAPIDA. He explains: “I have been involved from day one… from placing adverts to find the right people to run the press, addressing and matching the CTP and specifying and testing the press consumables to commissioning the press and helping achieve the highest performance capabilities possible. All the while we have been conscious of helping CRP work towards ISO 12647-2 and demonstrate sustainable improvements for its already achieved ISO14001 status.”
Consulting Change
The bespoke support programme also included the provision of a print consultant who will remain available for advice following commissioning.
Lindop adds: “The print consultant has provided support throughout the implementation process from repro to the support systems. Both he and Andy have played vital roles in helping us develop and demonstrate the benefits that this new technology can now offer our customers, creating a highly flexible service offering that allows our clients to respond quickly to their market demands.”
CRP’s KBA 162a nine unit (six-colour plus double coater), is housed in a dedicated BRC food contact press hall at the Group’s Corby, Northamptonshire site. It includes the UK’sfirst VariDryBLUE system of IR/hot air dryers. Launched at Ipex, VariDryBLUE was specifically engineered to dry high-gloss coatings to a superior quality while reducing power consumption by as much as 50% – even at high production speeds. The double coating and VariDryBLUE configuration was specified with the POS/POP and display sector in mind.
The press also features the QualiTronic inline detection system DensiTronic Professional, that measures ink densities and makes any subsequent adjustment recommendations for the individual inking units and KBA’s CX package for a smooth delivery on a varied range of substrate thicknesses.
The £20m turnover decorative products group’s counts Constellation, P&G, and Kraft Foods among its major clientele. Its pre-printing business was the first in Europe to attain FSC and PEFC accreditation and its production team, which already operates to ISO9001, will work with KBA and pre-press partner Kodak to achieve the ISO 12647-2 colour consistency standard. CRP is an industry award winner and has received coveted European and U.K POPAI awards this year along with U.K design team of the year. “We are proud to be associated with the CRP team,” explains Andy Pang.
Operational Optimum
Pang will remain on hand following the press’s commissioning: “I will continue to work with CRP over the coming months to help them utilise the press to its full capabilities. I will also guide them in how the press can help CRP better meet the diverse needs of its clients. For example the double coater allows for two processes to be added in one pass saving time and energy. It also enables brand owners to be more creative with their products.”
The customer support programme is offered to anyone installing a KBA press, particularly those introducing perfecting or moving to large format. In the latter’s case the programme can aid operations in their strategy to replace two B1 presses with one large format machine to maximise savings made on manning, waste and energy while enjoying better returns per employee on capital employed.
Pictured: Left To Right CRP Operations Director, Tom Lindop, with Andy Pang KBA KBA UK Director of Consumables Operations
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
Christian Knapp, Managing Director
Tel: +44 (0)1923 819922
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For CRP
Dev Brahmachari, CRP Sales & Marketing Director
Tel: +44 01536 200 333