With a strong focus on conventional and digital packaging printing, KBA has announced its return to the sheetfed flexo market for corrugated. “We were active in this market around 10 years ago with a KBA Corrugraph Flexo Press built at our U.S. plant,” said KBA CEO and President Claus Bolza-Schünemann. “Users of the first Corrugraph series are extremely satisfied with their presses and we have the know-how to build a cutting-edge version of our sheetfed flexo press. We see good prospects to return successfully to this large market with a new generation of Corrugraph Flexo Presses.” The new presses are expected to be built at KBA’s headquarters in Würzburg, Germany. KBA North America is also actively seeking beta sites for this newest version of its Corrugraph Press. If interested, please e-mail NA-marketing@kba.com.
The KBA Corrugraph Sheetfed Flexo Press is a “high-performance press for large-format corrugated board printing. It unites robust press engineering, cutting-edge electronics and intelligent automation, making it a top-performance production tool. The focus when developing a new press from this proven series was on maximum flexibility, print quality, user-friendliness and ease of maintenance,” said the OEM.
The KBA Corrugraph, with an inline rotary die-cutter, has a maximum rated output of 12,000 sheets per hour and can print and die-cut multi-colour graphics inline on corrugated board up to 3,400 mm (134 inches) wide and 10 mm (0.39 inches) thick. Other features include:
- Infeed system with a larger distance between the feed system and first print cylinder group for greater ease of operation, productivity and reliability.
- Precise colour register through shaftless, lead-edge feeder with variable control of the feed table for various sheet lengths.
- Integrated dust extractor before the first printing unit enhances the print quality by cleaning dust from the sheet surface.
- Corrugated sheets are transported in register by a continuous, overhead vacuum transport system from the feeder to the rotary die-cutter.
- The KBA Chamber Doctor System, made of corrosion-resistant material, can be swung down for cleaning purposes. Its small size minimizes ink loss during washing.
- The large diameter of the impression cylinders and anilox rollers guarantees a stable printing platform during continuous production.
- The anilox roller can be changed in approximately 15 minutes.
- Lateral and diagonal adjustment of the plate cylinder is motorized.
- Gearless, oil-free printing units.
- Dedicated drives for impression cylinders, plate cylinders and anilox rollers reduce operating and maintenance efforts.
- Dedicated drive technology also permits various plate thicknesses and fast print-length corrections.
- Printing units are fitted as standard with an ink management and doctor blade chamber wash-up system designed to reduce wash water.
- Improved drying and register by a distance of at least 1,727 mm (68 inches) between the single units ensures that the sheets are never in a feed and print nip, two print nips, or a print and die-cut nip at the same time.
- Integrated rotary die-cutter with dedicated drives permits separation of printing and die-cutting as well as efficient sheet control for securing quality production.
- Space for optional additional drying units (UV/IR) between the last printing unit and the rotary die-cutter.