(October 16, 2008) Today's fiercely competitive, cost-driven market environment can have a destabilising impact on business relations between press makers and users. But an association that has endured for decades may truthfully be termed a genuine partnership, and this is something that KBA and Italian book printer La Tipografica Varese (LTV) have enjoyed for the past thirty years. In May, shortly after celebrating its 80th anniversary, the family business founded by Pietro Giuseppe Redaelli in 1927 pushed the button on a new-generation Rapida 162a eight-colour perfector. 

Every few years throughout this longstanding association LTV has replaced ageing production kit with a new model, thus ensuring that performance and automation are always at the cutting edge.

Rapid innovation the corporate philosophy
The new Rapida 162a is the first press in its class to feature the full 1,200 x 1,620mm (47.24 x 63.77in) perfecting capability which KBA unveiled at Drupa. But for LTV board member Dr Jacopo del Pennino, this was not the sole investment criterion: "We use every opportunity and technological advance to boost productivity. This extends to print output, automation and, above all, quality control. The new perfector press has automated plate changing, online CIPLink, ACR automatic registration and DensiTronic Professional closed-loop colour control. Its bleeding-edge technology enables us to offer our highly discerning customers a quality guarantee for the entire production run." 

Extensive experience with giant perfectors
Dr del Pennino continues: "The new press represents a further advance on the Rapida 162a 2/2 perfector and Rapida 105 six-colour we installed in 2006. The Rapida 162a 4/4 perfector is now in two-shift operation following a flawless start-up. At present we are providing special training sessions for our press operators in order to boost output still further. KBA's longstanding experience in medium- and large-format perfecting technology has given them a major competitive advantage. Handling, makeready times and range of equipment are continually being enhanced, allowing us to maintain our outstanding position in the Italian book and publishing market." 

Products for top-class clientele
The 200 employees at La Tipografica Varese's two production plants in Varese generate sales of around €25 million ($34m) printing encyclopaedias, school textbooks, illustrated volumes, art, literary and scientific publications for Italian, French, English and German publishers.