A KBA Rapida 75 went into production at Eberle Druck, a subsidiary of the Austrian Rattpack Group, back in 2011. It served the company well over the years, handling lightweight paper through to cartonboard, often around the clock in up to four shifts. For work on the short-run pharmaceuticals market, however, the job changeover times of the sparingly automated Rapida 75 were proving too long. But given the otherwise very positive experience with the press, it seemed only logical to invest in a Rapida again. In this regard, the highly automated successor, model Rapida 75 PRO, was launched at just the right moment at drupa 2016.
A new Rapida 75 PRO, a six-colour coater press with extended delivery, was commissioned last year. It is ideally equipped for the printing of pharmaceuticals packaging in short runs. Features include 225 mm raised foundations to enable higher piles, an enlarged sheet format of 605 x 750 mm, central format setting, fully automatic FAPC plate changers, CleanTronic Synchro for parallel washing processes, QualiTronic ColorControl for inline colour measurement and extensive preset capabilities.
Result of the investment has certainly paid off. The dramatically shortened makeready times – now just five minutes compared to 15-20 minutes with the previous press – have boosted productivity by around 30 per cent. Thanks to the larger sheet format almost twice as many blanks can be accommodated on each sheet. QualiTronic ColorControl has also achieved significant reductions in waste.
Peak production speeds play a subordinate role. Rattpack Plant Manager Marco Resch, who is responsible for both the Dornbirn and Vienna locations, explains, “For print jobs with an average of 250 to 500 sheets, fast makeready is much more valuable than a high production speed.” The facility to disengage unused inking units is one of the most frequently exploited strengths of the press. In pharmaceuticals packaging, up to 60 per cent of the inks used are spot colours. Where others rely on Euroscale colours, the Rapida 75 PRO at Eberle Druck is often set up to use several or even exclusively spot colours.
Within the Rattpack Group, Eberle is responsible for the production of folding cartons for pharmaceuticals packaging, patient information leaflets and other special products for the pharmaceuticals industry. As an express service centre, the company takes pride in its exceptional flexibility and fast delivery times. With around 500 employees at eight locations in Austria and Germany, the group generates an annual turnover of approx. €90 million.
