August 30, 2004 -- KBA North America, a leading sheetfed offset press manufacturer based inWilliston,VT, has sold the very first Drupa-version large format sheetfed press to Allied Printing Services Inc., a large sheetfed and web commercial and financial printer serving customers nationwide and located in Manchester, Connecticut. Allied Printing will be taking delivery of a new KBA Rapida 142 56” six-color large format press with aqueous coating in early September with plans to have the press up and running by late September/early October. Commercial printing + Large format = $ Profit “There is a three-pronged reason that we need this press,” explains John Sommers, president and CEO of Allied Printing, who operates the family-owned business along with his brother Gerry Sommers, executive vice president. “First, we produce many long-run sheetfed jobs and this press will help us in that area. Second, this is a niche machine that will differentiate and separate us from our competition. Third, we have been buying out large format printing for some time now. By installing our own large format press, we’ll be able to control our production schedules better and it will give us control over our own large format jobs. We feel that the press is another arrow in our quiver.” Cutting-edge Rapida 142 has innovative technology and fast make readies Sommers is impressed with the innovative technology on the new KBA Rapida 142 press. “The feed table on the Rapida 142 accommodates large sheets of paper and automatically transports sheets to the front lays with only two wide suction belts,” he explains. “We were also impressed with the Rapida’s ability to transfer medium and heavy sheets through the press without marking the sheet.”The Rapida 142 is equipped with three different double-sheet sensors. The ultrasonic double-sheet detector is an ideal choice for practically the whole range of substrates from paper to board, metallized stocks and even plastic materials. A capacitive sensor is preferred for thicker substrates. The third alternative, an optical system, handles a wide spectrum of substrates from paper to corrugated board. Simple switching via the press console activates the most favorable system for the present substrate. “We were also impressed with the speed of the Rapida’s automated plate hanging abilities,” says Sommers. The Rapida 142 press is equipped with single holders rather than plate cassettes, so as not to place unnecessary limitations on flexibility. The new plates can already be placed in the holders in advance. When the process is then activated from the control console, the press changes the plates in just three cycles, taking less than four minutes to do so - irrespective of the number of printing units involved. Huge impression on company “When we saw the press at Drupa, it was being run with only two operators,” relates Sommers. “The press is equipped with so much automation that it will make a huge impression for our company.” This is Allied Printing’s first press from KBA North America. “We invited KBA to do a presentation for us and we were pleasantly surprised to learn about their technology, their diverse press line, and their strengths,” says Sommers. “During the presentation we found out an interesting fact that KBA presses print 95% of the world’s currency. Then we went to Drupa to see their presses in action. We were quite impressed. We also did not know that KBA presses are built by a team that follows the press to the printer’s installation site. That’s very unusual and we like that approach. This helps installing the press in a minimum of time. Allied’s employees and sales force have been anxiously awaiting the KBA Rapida 142 press’ arrival. The firm has laid a large slab of cement measuring 84 feet long by eight feet wide by 20-inches deep where the new press will be installed. Allied Printing Services is a progressive, family-owned and operated printing company serving customers nationwide that has been in business since 1949. The firm is located in a 262,000 sq ft facility inManchester,Connecticut, five miles east ofHartford. The firm operates sales offices inBostonandNew York. All Allied customers have a dedicated production team to handle their print jobs.Allied's sheetfed and web pressrooms operate three shifts a day, seven days a week, producing high-quality impressions to meet tight deadlines. Allied's bindery offers folding, trimming, saddle stitching, perfect binding, tabbing, collating, punching, die-cutting, kitting, and hand fulfillment. “Allied Printing is one of the premier printers in theU.S.,” says Ralf Sammeck, president and CEO of KBA North America. “It is renowned for its quality and service. Our Rapida 142 six-color press will put Allied into a new league, allowing it to compete effectively as a large format printer in a growing market. We are proud to be one of their partners. We see this as the beginning of a long term relationship.” Please find a downloadable version of this PR including photos at: http://www.kba-print.de/vt/headlines/sheetfed3/2004-08-27-01.html