Offset Printing
Emibra and KBA rekindle an old flame
Monday 31. January 2011 - KBA Rapida 105 six-colour coater press at packaging printer Emibra
An old flame never dies – or so it would seem with Brazilian packaging printer Emibra Industria e Comercio de Embalagens and Koenig & Bauer AG. After switching to another German press brand a while ago following the installation of three KBA Rapidas, in August last year the Suzano (São Paulo) based enterprise fired up a KBA Rapida 105 six-colour coater press. Alongside the durability and high output with which the medium-format Rapidas have made their mark both in Brazil and worldwide, what prompted the return to KBA was confidence in the support provided by its new agency, Deltagraf.
Longstanding KBA customer Emibra Industria e Comercio de Embalagens in Suzano, near São Paulo, is one of the leading packaging printers in Brazil (2)
Innovative and green
Founded in 1974 by two brothers, Walter and Joao Braghiroli, Emibra soon became a market leader in Brazil’s fast-growing packaging market by delivering innovative products and uncompromising quality. Its customer base includes global brands in the drugs, cosmetics, perfume, hygiene and soap industries, plus chemical, food and automotive manufacturers from nearer home, all of whom demand exceptionally high standards in terms of quality and ecology. The Suzano plant pumps out some 600 tonnes (660 US tons) of top-quality packaging every month. Emibra’s management and workforce are proud of being only the second printing plant in Brazil to achieve ISO 9001/14001 and FSC accreditation.
Production upgrade
The new KBA Rapida 105 is part of a comprehensive production upgrade. Technical director Danilo Braghiroli says: “The 16,500 sheets-per-hour press went live bang on schedule in August and has delivered some key benefits. It has a raft of quality- and productivity-enhancing features that were lacking in its predecessors, for example DensiTronic Professional. It has cut makeready times and waste levels enormously, which is good for both our business and our environmental goals. Thanks to the professional training provided by KBA and Deltagraf our press operators were soon exploiting its full potential.”
Complete package boosts productivity
The new six-colour press, which stands on a 600mm (23.5in) plinth, has a 2.6m (102in) delivery extension and can handle a format length of 740mm (29in), boasts a high-speed package, CX board-printing capability and a coater with semi-automatic plate clamping. Alongside DensiTronic Professional quality management other features include automatic plate changers, automated washing units for the blankets, rollers and impression cylinders, VaryDry IR/thermal dryers and ErgoTronic ACR autoregistration.
Says Danilo Braghiroli: “Press start-up went without a hitch and evoked a lot of interest among our customers. The Rapida has enabled us to enhance product quality, expand our product range and turn jobs around much faster. The improvement in service promised by KBA’s executive vice-president Ralf Sammeck at a customer event organised in late 2009 by its new sheetfed agency, Deltagraf, has really been delivered. Our renewed alliance with KBA is on a sound footing.”