Leading Philadelphia folding carton manufacturer posting 20% growth in 2014 provides highest quality, additional capabilities to its customers while emerging into higher-end carton production

Dee Paper Box Company, a leading folding carton design, printing, and manufacturing firm located in Chester, PA, is broadening its pressroom capabilities with the installation of a new KBA Rapida 145 57-inch seven-color double-coater UV press with a host of unique automated KBA technology. The firm took delivery in late December 2014 and will have the press in operation in March 2015.

“Our sterling reputation has been built upon our attentive service and delivery of high quality products,” says David Dee, sales manager of Dee Paper Box Company. “Our employees place a considerable amount of attention to detail on every client’s job. We’re seeing a trend toward more difficult work getting even more complex with shorter run lengths and faster turnarounds while everybody is running at the speed of light. It’s our job to take those complicated jobs and make it simpler for our customer. We’ve put a talented team together and we’ve seen continued growth. We’re proud to say that we’re up over 20% in sales this past year.”

Dee Paper Box management, sales, and press operators are eagerly awaiting the first production run on the new press. “Our new KBA Rapida brings us lots of opportunities,” says Steve Harrell, general manager of Dee Paper Box. “It gives us better graphics, improved color consistency, faster speed, and better control of the process. It provides us with more configurations. It will also help us enter new markets that we couldn’t serve before. This specially-configured press with unique automation and double coaters provides us with new capabilities and advantages.”

The new KBA Rapida 145 57-inch press, running at a blazingly-fast speed, will be equipped with the latest technology including new, automation such as the award-winning KBA SIS Sensoric sidelay-free infeed, the CleanTronic UV system with a pivoting washing beam for washing of blankets and impression cylinders sequenced with automatic plate changing, and additional parallel makeready processes that contribute to significantly higher net production output. Convenient operation is guaranteed at the new ErgoTronic console with wall screen, picture-in-picture function. Dee Paper’s press is also equipped with the KBA QualiTronic ColorControl inline color measurement and control camera system that monitors and maintains color consistency by taking a snapshot of every printed sheet thus guaranteeing optimum color fidelity. Dee Paper’s press combines its KBA density-based inline QualiTronic Color Control capability with the full-scale version of System Brunner’s Instrument Flight® inking unit control software, which prioritizes grey balance values, creates a closed-loop system for measuring and controlling color during impression. It even assesses the visual appearance of every printed sheet, thus promoting stable, uniform production from one day to the next.

“A significant advantage on our new KBA press is the added feature of UV ink and coating technology that brings this process inline rather than running the job twice,” says Harrell. “Once our new KBA is installed, we’ll be able to utilize the UV by offering a wider range of coating effects in addition to streamlining our workflow through our plant, resulting in improved lead times.”

To capture the excitement of installing the new KBA Rapida, Dee Paper has mounted a stop-motion camera in its pressroom to animate the entire step-by-step delivery-through-press installation. Harrell says that the company plans to offer an open house to current and potential customers later this year in which the video will provide an interesting highlight to view as well as seeing the new press in action.

“I’ve been at Dee for 30 years and this is the most excited I’ve ever been,” says Dee. “This KBA press will make a huge contribution to our company. Just recently, a customer came to us because we’re getting the new press. It’s a great way to start out the New Year and it can only get better. I’m super excited.”

Founded by Max Dee in 1919 as a specialty paper products company, Dee Paper Box Company has steadily evolved its business and capabilities to meet the changing dynamics of the marketplace and the folding carton industry. Today, the firm is exclusively devoted to folding carton design, printing, and manufacturing. It also offers finishing services such as foil stamping and embossing. The firm caters to predominantly East Coast customers across several industries and market segments, including food and confectionery, health and beauty, and specialty sectors such as pet supplies, automotive, dental, and baby products. Dee Paper Box Company is located in a beautifully-renovated 100,000 sq ft brick mill that overlooks the Delaware River, just outside of the city limits of Philadelphia, conveniently located near the Philadelphia International Airport.