On the second day of Ipex a delegation from Turkish printer Egesan caused some surprise at KBA by snapping up the Rapida 105 exhibited on the stand. While KBA and its Turkish sales agency Dereli Graphic had been in contact with the company for some time prior to the show, Egesan's management team opted for this popular B1 (41in) workhorse only after inspecting a number of other presses at Ipex.

Egesan is a commercial printer with eight small- and medium-format litho presses. The five-colour Rapida 105 with coater and extended delivery will be the Izmir-based company's first KBA press. Features include a board-printing capability, automatic plate changing, a nonstop facility at the delivery, DensiTronic colour control and an array of automation modules to shorten makeready and boost productivity. The press will ship to Egesan directly from the show. This, and the high print quality it delivers, were what swung the decision in its favour.

The Turkish market has picked up pace again. The contract from Izmir was preceded by an order from Biltur in Istanbul for a Rapida 106 perfector press for 5 backing 5 and a seven-colour Rapida 106 with coater and UV capability. Biltur is currently installing a Rapida 142 perfector press for 4 backing 4. KBA is confident that its cutting-edge technology will attract further orders in this high-growth market over the next few months.