CardPak Continues Company Transformation with New 10-Color Perfector

CardPak, Inc, a leading supplier of packaging products to consumer brand companies across the globe, is preparing for the installation of its new KBA Rapida 106 41-inch 10-color perfecting press with coating tower and 12-foot extended delivery. The press, currently being built, is slated for a  2010 mid-November installation at CardPak’s headquarters in Solon, OH.

“In the past three and a half years, we have completely transformed our company,” says Tony Petrelli, president of CardPak. “We’ve established a strategic plan that has improved our operations so that we can practice lean manufacturing and produce environmentally sustainable packaging products. This plan has taken us to our full manufacturing capabilities and the installation of the KBA Rapida 106 press to open up 20% to 25% more capacity in our facility.”

The Rapida 106, which made its debut at Drupa 08, features a press speed of 15,000 sph output, ultrafast makeready times, and expanded automation and productivity. It provides a wide choice of automation options, including the KBA DriveTronic dedicated drives and the DriveTronic feeder presetting capabilities. The press also features the GATF InterTech award–winning sidelay-free infeed, DriveTronic SIS. Its KBA Logotronic system allows for presetting of ink fountains. 

New technology on CardPak's Rapida 106 includes the KBA Densitronic Professional closed-loop color management scanning spectrophotometric system and Qualitronic In-Line Color Control. The substrate range runs from lightweight papers to heavy board, from plastic films to corrugated—all without adjusting any grippers.

Before CardPak chose to purchase its new KBA press, the firm performed diligent review of all of the press models on the market, led by Greg Tisone, CardPak’s vice president and general manager, and Mike McDonald, CardPak’s printing department manager.

 “All of the manufacturers had very good products. This made the decision even harder to make,” states Tisone. “We took our pressman to see the KBA press in action. We talked to field operators and observed actual manufacturing environments.  We could see and discuss the KBA Densitronic and Qualtronic inline quality control system at work.  All of the KBA customers that we visited gave high marks to KBA, its presses, the technology, and its service packages. It made us feel very comfortable purchasing the KBA Rapida 106.”