KBA North America announces that Specialty Finishing, an Omaha, Nebraska full service folding carton manufacturer, has purchased two large format presses from KBA North America at Chicago’s Graph Expo 2011 in early September. The new presses are a six-color and a seven-color equipped with KBA’s unique automation and inline quality control features and coaters. These are the first KBA presses purchased by Specialty Finishing.
 
“We chose to purchase two large-format presses from KBA because they could offer the highest level of automation and productivity as well as a custom-configured press for our particular needs,” says Mark Wright, Specialty Finishing president. “These presses will allow our company to continue its rapid growth and offer our customers the highest level of productivity and quality that they expect. We needed the added capacity because we’ve been experiencing 25% growth year-over-year for the past several years.”
 
The two new KBA Rapida large-format presses will incorporate many inline quality control systems as well as the latest automation to ensure efficiency in large format printing. They will join two additional six-color 40-inch presses from a different press manufacturer. An existing 56-inch sheetfed press will be replaced with the two new KBA models.
 
Key to Specialty Finishing’s decision to purchase KBA presses were its highly-automated features and sleek press design. Both presses will be equipped with the KBA Logotronic management system, Densitronic Pro density and color measuring system as well as the KBA Qualitronic Pro inline sheet inspection system. Additionally, Specialty Finishing’s two new KBA Rapida large-format presses will be equipped with fully automatic plate changing, which changes all the plates on the press simultaneously, thus saving critical time, as well as a top running speed of 15,000 sph and CIP 3/4 systems that will greatly reduce makeready.
 
“The full sheet inspection system was a key feature on the press,” says Wright. “Sixty percent of waste is due to defective sheet production. The KBA Qualitronic inline sheet inspection system will allow us to greatly reduce our waste and therefore help our customers with faster production and improve our bottom line.”
 
Another important component is the KBA Densitronic Pro, a combined density and color measuring system for quality control both during and after printing. Unlike other systems, Densitronic Pro also permits direct measurements within the image. Deviations from defined target densities, color values and other quality parameters (dot gain, trapping, etc.) are recognized and displayed not only reliably, but also very quickly in comparison to hand-held measuring devices. With integration for online control, the density and spectral deviations are converted into corrective adjustments for the individual ink keys. The Densitronic Pro controls the density and spectral parameters of each sheet by measuring along control strips or directly on the image.
 
Versatility, flexibility, and automation
 
“During our four month intensive investigative process, we looked at all of the press manufacturers with large format models,” says Don Coggswell, an independent consultant who was hired by Specialty Finishing to assist in the purchase and accompany them during their press evaluations. “KBA invited us to visit their factory in Dresden, Germany to see how their presses are built and took us on tours of other KBA printers who had similar presses. The decision to purchase a KBA press was a combination of KBA’s versatility to build a press with the exact specifications for Specialty Finishing suitable for their customer base and high-quality, highly-automated presses that could maximize their profits.”
 
Once the new presses have been delivered, Specialty Finishing will be collaborating with KBA on employee press training. A group of Specialty Finishing press operators will be flown to Germany for factory training and on-site training will take place in Nebraska. This training will maximize the full benefits of the two presses, says Coggswell.
 
“We are pleased that Specialty Finishing chose KBA and our Rapida large-format models over other press manufacturers,” says Mark Hischar, president and CEO of KBA North America. “We believe that our dedication to new highly-automated technology, our flexibility in building a custom press, and our service and knowledge will build a strong partnership between KBA and Specialty Finishing for many years to come.”
 
Specialty Finishing began as a small family-owned print shop in 1927. Its dedication to customer needs has enabled the firm to expand and maintain successful relationships over the years. Commitment to customer goals and leading-edge technology has driven Specialty Finishing's growth to a multimillion dollar operation employing more than 140 people.
 
In 2007, the firm opened a second facility with 400,000 sq ft of cutting-edge, in-house capabilities. The firm strives to be a first-choice carton supplier and work to achieve this through continual investments in people and technology. Its mandate is to provide real solutions to the opportunities created by today's high-speed, competitive markets. Its diligence and determination drives the company to greater efficiency, competitiveness, and most importantly, responsiveness to customer needs.