Sydney's Centrum Printing has bought the first KBA Rapida large format sheetfed offset press sold at drupa.
The Rapida 145, with a sheet size of 106cm x 145cm, will be installed in December 2016 at Centrum's Chipping Norton plant, in Sydney's south-west. The deal comes three years after Centrum bought a large format KBA Rapida 162a six-colour press as the company moved to expand beyond commercial print into packaging and display.
"We are very excited to announce that we have added another large format KBA 145 press to our capacity," said Centrum MD Sandra Mascaro, who was in Düsseldorf to sign the deal. "It will sit alongside our current large format KBA 162a and will provide a unique opportunity for the Australian printing and packaging industry.
"We are proud to continue our ongoing support partnership with KBA and this new press will make us extremely competitive for all display and packaging work as we continue to deliver innovative products.
"Our CEO Percy [Vig] has a vision to support and grow manufacturing in Australia and this press will allow us to compete with international suppliers and provide opportunity and growth for future generations in Australian manufacturing.
In a statement, KBA said the new press would be equipped with the same features as the Centrum’s existing press:
It is a six-colour Rapida with coater and extended delivery. It is equipped for UV hybrid operation so it can cover the biggest range of finishing options. The press’ automated features include fully-automatic plate changing, CleanTronic Multi washing systems and lowerable non-stop rollers in the delivery.
Centrum Printing, established 25 years ago, is a 100% Australian, family owned and operated commercial printing company.