The two Rapida 106 presses in new black livery, and due for installation from this month, will join an existing Rapida 106 six-colour plus double coater press and will help the Nottingham-based business to boost its capacity and achieve its sustainability targets.
An existing Heidelberg Speedmaster XL 105 will be removed once the installations are complete to make the company an all Koenig & Bauer press hall.
Simply Cartons is using its presence at Packaging Innovations today (15 February) and tomorrow on stand J63 at the Birmingham NEC show to highlight the advantages of the investment.
The business, which produces luxury packaging for major brands in markets including food, cosmetics, confectionery, and beverages, said the spend comes during a strong period of growth and increased demand for its products.
Simply Cartons chief executive Craig Mather said: “Having been through significant growth over the last couple of years, we needed to continue to look to the future and further potential growth with our existing and very loyal customer base.
“To ensure we can continue to provide the best service and support to our customers we must be at the forefront of technological advances, packaging trends and environmental change.
“Working towards this goal, we have invested heavily in the latest technology and sustainable practices within the business. In 2019 we installed solar panels on the roofs of all of our sites to aid our CO2 reduction targets.
“Alongside this, we have been working closely with the World Land Trust to offer carbon balanced products to our customer, which is aimed at having the same impact.”
He added: “The investment in the two new Koenig & Bauer 106 machines follows the trend in sustainability focused objectives. Not only will they give us the technological advances we need to remain competitive and provide the innovation our industry feeds upon, but the new machines are also 30% more efficient than our current fleet.
“Sustainability, alongside innovation, is at the forefront of our objectives as a company. We understand the requirements of our customers, and this helps to drive key decisions within the business such as this investment.
“Working with Koenig & Bauer over the last few years has enabled us to push the boundaries of what is possible today, whilst ensuring our commitment to the environment for everyone’s tomorrow.”
The new presses will be supplied with the same configuration as the company’s existing Rapida 106. The six-colour plus double coater and eight-colour plus double coater will be in the ‘plus 1’ format, meaning that a printing tower is positioned between the coaters, and will be raised to a new height of 925mm.
Capable of handling a board thickness of up to 1.2mm, both machines will be installed with fully automatic logistics systems for continuous running on the thickest materials.
The feeders will be equipped with Koenig & Bauer’s Sensoric Infeed System (SIS) which requires no setting and is said to ensure mark free, reliable feeding, even with challenging materials.
To help meet Simply Cartons’ sustainability targets, the presses also have the latest version of Koenig & Bauer’s inline colour control system QualiTronic ColorControl 2.
Fully automatic plate changing and simultaneous roller washing are among the other features of the presses.
“We are thrilled that Simply Cartons has chosen to partner with us again for their new presses. We have built up a fantastic relationship since 2016 when the first press was installed and their business continues to grow,” said Koenig & Bauer UK sales director Chris Scully.
“They constantly push boundaries in packaging and always stay a few steps ahead of their competition. The latest investments will enable them to continue this strategy. We are also delighted that all the presses in their fleet are going to be supplied by Koenig & Bauer.”
