KBA Drives Record CRP Expansion

Europe’s leading independent print and packaging group, CRP Print & Packaging, has become the latest sector-leading operation to choose KBA Rapida presses. The six-colour large format Rapida 162a with two coating units, UV dryer and extended delivery will be KBA’s biggest sheetfed press installation in the UK for several years and reflects the strength of CRP’s position within the buoyant packaging and display sector.  The new press is expected to be in production in a dedicated press hall at the Group’s Corby, Northamptonshire, site before the end of the year.
  
One of the performance innovations that helped sway the decision to the Rapida was KBA’s unique 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.
 
CRP sales and marketing director, Dev Brahmachari, explained: ‘Brands are in constant competition for retailer and consumer attention. Print is not just visual, it is also tactile, and the quality of the medium impacts on the message in the same way that body language influences conversation. Our experience and expertise means we can help brand owners make the right decisions about their print and packaging while the performance and integrity innovations of the Rapida will allow us to offer the ultimate in print quality in an ecologically responsible way. This latest investment demonstrates CRP’s commitment to offering leading brand owners a meaningful and exciting alternative to the conventional packaging groups.’ 
 
The £18 million turnover CRP Group already counts high profile blue chip brands such as Heineken, Fosters, Constellation, Kingsland, Carlsberg, Coke, Tulip and Nestlé among its clientele and has received the coveted POPAI awards in each of the last two years. Its pre-printing division 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 color standard when the new press and accompanying CtP systems are in production. 
 
Christian Knapp, KBA UK managing director explained: ‘We will work with CRP and Kodak to ensure the ISO criteria are met. We are committed to doing everything we can to enable our customers to achieve the standards and accreditations that will enable them to stand out in an increasingly competitive market.’
  
It is this close collaboration that has been central to the relationship created between KBA and CRP. Knapp added: ‘From day one we have been working with CRP to ensure every element of the introduction of the press is as smooth as possible from staff training and knowledge right down to the recommended consumables. Through this turnkey approach we have established a very strong foundation for CRP to continue to address the needs of their current customer base while equipping them with the essential tools to win new business.’  
 
With consistency and accuracy vital in the packaging sector, peace of mind is assured via KBA’s tried and tested QualiTronic. The inline detection system features a camera capable of scanning each sheet at over three million pixels of resolution and matching it for content and print quality against a master sheet. The system can also identify any minute colour changes and automatically adjust the press in a closed-loop sequence, without the need for operator intervention. 
 
CRP’s Rapida 162 will be equipped with DensiTronic Professional, too. It measures ink densities and makes any subsequent adjustment recommendations for the individual inking units – irrelevant of whether the measuring point lies in an area with one, two, four or even more colours printed together.  
 
Ensuring smooth delivery on a varied range of substrate thicknesses is KBA’s CX package. Capable of printing on sheets up to 1.2mm or 800gsm, CX also features double sheet and misfeed detection for improve product integrity. 
 
For Dev Brahmachari, the new RAPIDA represents CRP’s determination to stay ahead of the field through investment in the most advanced technologies: ‘This is the largest spend in the company’s history and it underpins our position among the market leaders in litho packaging in the UK,’ he concluded.