The 4th PackPrint International trade fair was held at the BITEC Exhibition Centre in Bangkok from 28th to 31st August. This was also the first event attended by KBA together with new cooperation partner MBO.

A five-colour KBA Rapida 75 coater press and the ultramodern M80 folder from MBO attracted a constant stream of visitors to the 200 m2 joint stand.

In a series of live production demonstrations, the Rapida 75 could be seen printing a variety of high-quality posters and packaging jobs at a maximum speed of 15,000sph. It goes almost without saying that the print samples were snapped up as avidly as ever by the fair visitors. Particular features of the press on show were the raised foundations (225mm) and dedicated board-handling accessories to accommodate packaging production with higher piles. MBO delighted the trade public with the recently unveiled M80 folder, which is characterised not least by its modular design and the facilities for later expansion and automation. These and other features confirmed the M80's reputation as the most modern and most prolific folder of its kind currently on the market.

The well-attended regional fair was an opportunity for print experts from Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam, as well as from countries such as Myanmar and Cambodia, to gather information on the latest innovations and practical solutions. The atmosphere on the KBA stand at PackPrint International was in keeping with the continuous growth in the Asia-Pacific region recorded by the world's second-largest press manufacturer. A number of contracts were signed for presses of different format classes, and KBA is also looking forward to some brisk follow-up business in the weeks to come.

“We are very satisfied with both the fair and the general development of our business in the region,” said Stefan Segger, managing director of KBA Asia Pacific, when asked to sum up the four-day event. KBA sales director Dietmar Heyduck added that KBA plays an important role on the Asian press market after opening new sales subsidiaries in Korea and Japan and with its very strong local organisations in China, Singapore and Malaysia. Frank Bahmer, international sales director for MBO, was equally enthusiastic about the response from the trade public: “It was our first trade fair in Bangkok and I was really impressed by the quality of our discussions with customers. Through our partnership with KBA, we have acquired some very good contacts.”

Four presses have already been delivered to Thailand since the beginning of the year: Two Rapida 105 models to KMP, another Rapida 105 to Printing Solutions and a Rapida 75 to Matichon. A Rapida 105 was supplied to Tiong Tat in Malaysia, a Rapida 106 to Teckwah and a Rapida 105 each to Image and Ngai Heng in Singapore.