Koenig & Bauer ‘Sprinting Ahead’ at Drupa with Offset and Digital Print Innovations
New Rapida 145 defines new benchmarks for large format
As the established market leader, KBA has chosen drupa as a fitting occasion to redefine the benchmarks for offset printing in large formats. The latest generation of large-format Rapidas is to celebrate its official market premiere in the form of a plinth-mounted six-color Rapida 145 with new coater, triple-length extended delivery and automated pile logistics. The maximum production speed of the 41.34x57˝ Rapida 145 is 17,000sph in straight printing with the high-speed package and 15,000 sph in perfecting mode with the new three-drum perfecting unit.
Many of the automation modules of the makeready world champion press Rapida 106 are now also available to large-format users. The press to be seen at drupa, for example, features the sidelay-free infeed DriveTronic SIS and DriveTronic SPC direct drives for fast, simultaneous plate changing. The CleanTronic Synchro system (two washing beams) for simultaneous washing of ink rollers, blankets and impression cylinders parallel to plate changing, a new program for extremely fast inking unit washing (CleanTronic ReInk) and further parallel makeready processes contribute to significantly higher net production output compared to the predecessor series and presses from other manufacturers.
The same can be said of the new coater with simultaneous coating form changing (DriveTronic SFC) and of the fast, one-man replacement of the exchangeable anilox roller sleeves (AniSleeve). The high production speed of 17,000 sph is made possible not least by the new AirTronic delivery with high-level Venturi sheet guiding, dynamic sheet brake and console-based preset capabilities, and by a new blade chamber for the coating system (HighFlow Chamber). Convenient operation is guaranteed at the new ErgoTronic console with wall screen, picture-in-picture function and integrated colour measurement and control system (QualiTronic ColorControl) for quality monitoring. In addition, the new large-format Rapida presses feature inline register control (QualiTronic ICR), and with QualiTronic PDF it is possible to perform an inline comparison between the print result and the original PDF file. The energy-saving KBA VariDryBLUE dryers which were already offered to large format users are to be made available also for medium-format presses in the future.
Digital joins offset: Rapida 105 with inkjet printing system
