One of the last Rapida 142 presses to roll off the production line following the launch of the Rapida 145 at Drupa 2012 will ship to South Africa. Packaging and security printer Shave & Gibson in Mobeni, on the east coast, has placed an order at Drupa for a six-colour coater version which is scheduled for installation in October.

The big Rapida will expand Shave & Gibson's production capacity and furnish reserves for the company's future growth. Configured with a board-handling capability, automatic plate changers and DensiTronic Professional, the Rapida is the second litho press the company has bought in two years. At present there are five presses - three from KBA and two from another vendor - in the press room. The print experts from Shave & Gibson are delighted with KBA technology. “In all the years they've been in operation we've had no mechanical problems and the operators can switch easily from one press to the other ,” says plant manager Martin Conway. General manager Dave King also applauds the outstanding customer support provided by Thunderbolt Solutions, KBA's South African sales and service agency.

Shave & Gibson's 260 employees do not make it the largest folding-carton manufacturer in the country: it is, however, one of the best. It was established 30 years ago and primarily prints food packaging, laminated products and non-food cartons for the big national markets. The company also operates two corrugators. Its security products include cheques, visa documents and stamps etc.