El Paso Paper Box Invests in KBA Rapida 106

From left, El Paso Paper Box's Printing Supervisor Manny Corral, President and CEO Paul Malooly, and Pressman Carlos Hernandez, with their new KBA Rapida 106.

With the flick of a switch, El Paso Paper Box put into operation its newest strategic investment — a new seven-color, 41˝ KBA Rapida 106 full in-line UV coating sheetfed perfector press — part of a $7 million capital expenditure at its 105,000-sq.-ft. facility in the far southwestern region of Texas. The new KBA Rapida 106 press was delivered in late summer and became fully operational in early October 2016.

"This new KBA Rapida 106 seven-color perfector press will be our firm's workhorse," Paul Malooly, El Paso Paper Box president and CEO, said. "We are switching all of our high-end packaging work from a variety of well-known consumer product customers across North America and the Caribbean to this new press because it brings so many clear advantages in terms of quality, efficiency and productivity."

The El Paso Paper Box management team is proud of its choice after investigating three sheetfed press manufacturers including KBA. The team selected the new KBA Rapida press for the unique capabilities that it brings to its customers and its pressroom. These include a full in-line UV system, KBA's unique QualiTronic color control system, a fully automatic plate changing system, higher press speeds and perfecting.

"Technology has become an even greater focus on today's modern printing presses to maximize potential productivity and we're relying a lot more on our presses for higher quality, faster turnaround and less waste," Manny Corral, El Paso’s printing supervisor, said.

Noting that the full in-line UV system is "a substantial improvement over our old off-line system," the new capability will provide EPPB with the ability to support its customers with faster turnaround, shorter-run packaging allowing for seasonal changes and provide additional high-end coating applications that it previously could not offer.

To provide the utmost highest quality, which EPPB characterizes as paramount to its customers, the new KBA Rapida offers a host of proven quality control systems. The KBA QualiTronic ColorControl in-line color measuring system uses an inter-deck camera system integrated directly into the press. The control strips can be positioned either at the front or in the center of the sheet. This type of unique color quality control ensures that EPPB's package printing maintains color integrity on its customers' logo and product.

“The fully-automatic plate changing system on the new KBA Rapida 106 press provides lightning fast plate changes," Corral says, as opposed to 15 to 30 minute makereadies on the current non-KBA presses. "We're seeing huge productivity gains with the new KBA," he adds.

Since KBA has long history of making high quality perfecting presses, EPPB will be able to offer a variety of solutions such as six-over-one positions to its customers. For example, its food customers require packaging in which a tempting coupon can be printed inside the box all in one run on the press. With the new KBA Rapida press, EPPB can provide that capability at a nominal cost in one day, whereas in the past that capability cost more and required two makereadies and two days to complete a perfecting job.

No other press manufacturer can match the high speeds attained on the KBA Rapida 106. With the newly-acquired speed and technology, EPPB expects a significant increase in productivity with its KBA Rapida 106.

"This KBA press purchase is a strategic investment for our company because it differentiates us from our competitors by having the newest, and greatest, sheetfed press in the Southwest with a host of prime features that benefits both our customers and ourselves," John R. Dowd, executive VP of El Paso Paper Box, said.

In its gleaming new 105,000-sq.-ft. plant surrounded by 6.5 acres of land for additional growth, El Paso Paper Box installed its new KBA Rapida 106 alongside a newly-purchased gluer with upcoming plans to invest in a new sheeter and diecutter to support the new KBA.

“We believe that this KBA press investment indicates to our customers and our employees that we’re solidly focusing on fast-moving events in consumer trends, helping our customers better market their products, as well as our determined dedication to the printing and packaging industry,” says Dowd.

Source: KBA.