Offset Printing
Los Angeles-based Superior Lithographics Adds Large-Format KBA Rapida 162a
Thursday 06. November 2008 - Speed to market practice fulfills customer demands with quick turnaround, fast response
KBA North America, a global press manufacturer based in Williston, Vermont, announces that Superior Lithographics, a premier supplier of high quality litho labels, top sheets, and folding cartons installed a fully-automated KBA Rapida 162a 64-inch six-color sheetfed press with UV coating in December 2007.
“Our entire firm is built around giving our customers an incredibly fast response to their printing needs,” explains Doug Rawson, Superior Lithographics CEO and President. “We feel that KBA is aligned with that same mind set. We needed a tailor-made press with all the latest technological advances to rapidly produce high-quality large-format work. KBA shares our vision of being super-responsive and has delivered every step of the way.”
New KBA press equipped with technologically-advanced features
With Superiors equipment filled with work 24/7, Rawson decided to add another large-format press to maintain his reputation for high quality, fast turnaround jobs, and allow the company to grow. “We continue to partner with our customers whose growth pushed our capacity,” he says. “The answer was to add more capacity incorporating the latest technology.” His new KBA Rapida 162a 64-inch sheetfed press is equipped with a long list of KBAs most prized technological and award-winning features. These include:
KBA Logotronic
Interdeck UV coating
KBA Densitronic S scanning densitometer
“We practice lean manufacturing at our facility,” says Rawson. “Our customers rarely inventory product. We typically have one weeks worth of backlog yet we run twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. That is how time-sensitive our customers work is. Since everything we print ends up in a Big Box retailer, we need to consistently provide lead-time of two or three days to meet our customers needs. Our presses have to have quick makeready and high running speeds in order to handle the volume of work we are printing. Key to choosing KBA was their fundamental understanding of our business and then their ability to match their equipment and technology to our needs. We are able to make-ready the press in 20 minutes and have seen run rates in excess of 12,000/sph.”
“The KBA Densitronic S scanning densitometer was another important feature for us,” says Rawson. “Much of our work is repeat orders where we need to match the prior run and have consistent color.” The KBA Densitronic S is a combined density and color measuring system for quality control both during and after printing. Unlike other systems, Densitronic S permits direct “X,Y” measurements within the image. Deviations from defined target densities, color values and other quality parameters (dot gain, trapping, etc.) are recognized and displayed not only reliably, but also very quickly in comparison to hand-held measuring devices. With integration for online control, the density and spectral deviations are converted into corrective adjustments for the individual ink keys. The Densitronic S controls the density and spectral parameters of each sheet by measuring along control strips or directly on the image.
Fast customer service response, advance training
Superior Lithographics has made fast customer response its number one priority. One of its unique offerings is to have all of its sales representatives equipped to do a quotation from where ever they are. The ability to quickly react to a customers needs starts with the ability to immediately provide a quote. Additionally, Superior has online proofing capabilities. This allows multiple people in various locations to view the proof online and approve the job without having to spend time transporting the proof or visit the plant. In addition, Superior sent its lead press crew teams to Germany for advance training on the Rapida 162a prior to installation. This factory training allowed the firm to give its press operators advanced technological education about the press and had them ready to start printing once the press was installed.
Founded in 1987, Superior Lithographics is located in an industrial center outside of Los Angeles in a 60,000 sq ft facility with 75 employees. The firm specializes in large format printing of litho sheets and top sheets for the corrugated box industry as well folding cartons.