Following a string of installations in various parts of the world, the B2 (29in) KBA Rapida 75 launched at Drupa 2008 made its successful Thailand debut in February this year at Thammasat Printing House, a production facility attached to Bangkok's Thammasat University. KBA engineers and service technicians from Intergraphics, KBA's Thai agency, took just three days to install and commission the four-colour press. For Thammasat Printing House's production head Pitsanu Napakorn it was the fulfilment of a longstanding ambition. Print work can now be handled with much greater flexibility and to even higher quality standards.

Thammasat University is one of the finest in Thailand and famed for the key role it played in establishing democracy. Founded in 1934 as the University of Moral and Political Sciences, it is often called the "University of the People" because of its efforts to make higher education accessible to all classes of society.

An opportunity for progress
Thammasat Printing House, which was established in 1940 by the founder of this university Pridi Banomyong, started off printing textbooks and exam papers. Initially this was done using lead composition, but later monochrome German offset presses were installed. While the number of presses steadily increased, colour capacity remained unchanged. The purchase of a four-colour press, which the investment committee had been advocating since 2000, was shelved for lack of funds and colour print jobs contracted out. When the budget allocation was finally approved in 2009, things moved fast.

Pitsanu Napakorn recalls: "We scrutinised offers from several manufacturers, but in the end we were unanimous in choosing the KBA Rapida 75. KBA has an outstanding image among Thai printers, and there are any number of reference installations. The new Rapida 75 is compact, fast and economical. Its practical level of automation and short makeready times have enabled us to expand production substantially and streamline the workflow. Also, KBA agency Intergraphics provides an excellent service."

Custom-configured for university printshop  
The Rapida 75 was custom-configured to meet the demands of a university printing plant. A digital press handles ultra-short print runs of up to 100 sheets; the new 15,000cph Rapida is reserved for runs of 500 to 2,000 copies and prints up to ten jobs per day in one-shift operation. Products range from brochures, pamphlets, magazines and catalogues to degree certificates and admission tickets for the Royal Palace.

Pitsanu Napakorn says: "We print for all the faculties, the Campus hospital and, increasingly, for ministries. Our new Rapida 75 was well worth the investment – it is outstanding value for money, easy to operate, compact and energy-efficient. Personnel training was held at another KBA customer, Thai Watana Panich Press in Bangkok, and quickly delivered the desired results."