The B1 six-colour press, which includes one perfecting unit, was chosen for its ability to handle the lightweight paper stocks used to produce pharmaceutical labels and leaflets, as well as its fast makeready times.

General manager Roy Brindle said: "We conducted extensive trials and set demanding targets to achieve specific makeready and turnaround times. After rigorous assessment, the KBA press was the most impressive.

"It was imperative that we could offer the assurance to our customers that any reverse print would be in perfect registration. The KBA press did everything we wanted it to, including the ability to run lightweight sheets, often 40gsm or below."

Chesapeake Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Packaging is the biggest supplier in the UK and part of the largest independent network in Europe. The Rapida 106 will boost its capacity to around 550m items a year.

"The new press will provide a significant uplift in capacity and improve production efficiency," Brindle said. "It will also enable us to respond to a growing market demand for larger leaflet formats, allowing us to offer more options to our customers.

"It will also allow us to meet the high-quality specifications and further develop our position in the pharmaceutical and healthcare market."

The KBA will be installed in April and will join a Muller Martini reel-to-sheet press, as well as Roland 300 presses at the site.

In addition, the investment programme will include a guillotine system, a large-format folder and a Horizon StitchLiner and bookletmaker. 

Chesapeake Greenford has a turnover of £9m and employs 110 staff.