Efficient half-format printing for the pharmaceuticals industry

A KBA Rapida 75 went into production at Eberle Druck, a subsidiary of the Rattpack group, back in 2011. And it served the company well over the years. From lightweight paper through to cartonboard, substrates of all kinds were printed in excellent quality, often around the clock in up to four shifts. For work on the short-run pharmaceuticals market, however, the job changeover times of the sparingly automated Rapida 75 were proving too long. But given the otherwise very positive experience with the press, it seemed only logical to invest in a Rapida again. In this situation, the highly automated successor model Rapida 75 PRO was launched at just the right moment at drupa 2016.

The new Rapida 75 PRO, a six-colour coater press with extended delivery, was commissioned in mid-June 2016. It is ideally equipped for the printing of pharmaceuticals packaging in short runs. The decisive features include 225 mm raised foundations to enable higher piles, an enlarged sheet format of 605 x 750 mm, central format setting, fully automatic FAPC plate changers, CleanTronic Synchro for parallel washing processes, QualiTronic ColorControl for inline colour measurement, and extensive preset capabilities.   

Rapida 75 PRO replaces two presses 

After just eight months on stream, figures prove that the investment in the Rapida 75 PRO has certainly paid off: The dramatically shortened makeready times – now just five minutes compared to 15-20 minutes with the predecessor press – have boosted productivity by around 30 per cent. Thanks to the larger sheet format, furthermore, almost twice as many blanks can be accommodated on each sheet. QualiTronic ColorControl has also achieved significant reductions in waste. Especially where repeat jobs are the order of the day, inline colour control is a direct money earner. In addition to the original Rapida 75, Eberle Druck has in the meantime been able to decommission a second press – the Rapida 75 PRO sails through the jobs which used to run on both presses.    

Peak production speeds play a subordinate role. Rattpack plant manager Marco Resch, who is responsible for both the Dornbirn and Vienna locations, explains: “For print jobs with an average of 250 to 500 sheets, fast makeready is much more valuable than a high production speed.” The facility to disengage unused inking units, on the other hand, is one of the most frequently exploited strengths of the press. In pharmaceuticals packaging, up to 60 per cent of the inks used are spot colours. Where others rely on Euroscale colours, the Rapida 75 PRO at Eberle Druck is often set up to use several or even exclusively spot colours.   

Delighted operators 

The new press has delighted not only plant manager Marco Resch and commercial manager Simon Spiegel, but also the operators in the printshop. The ErgoTronic console with TouchTronic control and a generous wallscreen, in combination with touchpanels at the feeder and delivery, ensures that all important information is made available instantly and in a readily understandable form. In addition, LogoTronic Professional provides a link between the Rapida 75 PRO and the company's production planning system: A mouse click is all it takes to load the next job from the list presented on the console.   

Within the Rattpack Group, Eberle is responsible for the production of folding cartons for pharmaceuticals packaging, patient information leaflets and other special products for the pharmaceuticals industry (medical device sets, ampoule packs, mini-booklets, etc.). As an express service centre, furthermore, the company takes pride in its exceptional flexibility and fast delivery times. With around 500 employees at eight locations in Austria and Germany, the group generates an annual turnover of approx. €90 million.