Leading service-oriented Ohio packaging firm chooses KBA as its partner after extensive search

• New UV capability provides additional opportunities
• Maximum productivity and, at 20,000 sph, fastest press in its category
• Uniquely configured with System Brunner Instrument Flight technology

When you’re responding to the unrelenting demands of your pharmaceutical, food, and automobile packaging customers, speed, precision, and service are required to maintain a positive customer experience. That’s the reasoning behind the recent decision by Sandusky Packaging to choose a new KBA Rapida 106 41-inch seven-color press uniquely configured with System Brunner Instrument Flight---one of the first few presses in the country with this technology---as well as new UV capabilities and a cornucopia of automation. The new press will begin operation in late summer at the firm’s 50,000 sq ft facility set on its six acres of property in northeast Ohio near the shores of Lake Erie. 

“We’re dedicated to responding to fast-moving trends in our industry that will propel us ahead of our competition,” says Jim Longer, president of Sandusky Packaging. “These trends---speed, precision, and service---dictate the need to make internal changes to our facility, which include faster set-ups, spot-on color, faster press speeds, more intuitive software to work in tandem with our press operators, and a wide variety of substrates. After careful and extensive research, we concluded that the KBA Rapida 106 was the best choice for our customers and our future success.” 

Over the years Sandusky management has deftly guided the firm through the mountains of ever-changing requirements enacted upon its pharmaceutical and food-packaging customers, which evenly make up 50% of its current customer base. With an eye toward raising its print quality and color consistency to even higher levels, the firm specified that the new Rapida be equipped with the System Brunner’s Instrument Flight print quality measuring systems with KBA inline QualiTronic Color Control capability. The unique five-star appraisal system notifies the press operator of the print quality achieved under the selected standard and can ensure compliance with different standard specifications every day, which is especially important to the pharmaceutical and food packaging industries that demand high-quality color fidelity.

Plans to move into the highly competitive and highly demanding cosmetic packaging market will become fruitful with the new Rapida press. Its UV capability will provide faster drying and a variety of new high-end coating techniques and applications. The press also provides a new ability to print on foil board for the cosmetic market. “It’s a great selling point for us,” says Longer.

What sealed the deal to partner with KBA was the German press manufacturer’s enduring focus on the packaging market, its team of technological experts to work together and provide maximum efficiency for the printer’s new color systems and UV, and its overall business approach. 

“Our success is derived from our continued drive for innovation and enhanced productivity for our customers,” says Randy Johnson, vice president of operations at Sandusky, “as well as our initiation of lean manufacturing and a 5s workplace organization program. As a regional player with national reach, our key is efficient, quick set-ups using 10 to 34 pt substrates and now higher with ever-changing jobs. We’re projecting a 50% gain in productivity due to the speed and automation of the new press and that our turnaround will drop from weeks to days. Our reputation is built on service, quality, on-time delivery, and fair price; we’re proud to say that we have many long-term customers. This press---our new key workhorse---will be a game-changer for our firm and our customers.