KBA has a lot to offer in B2 as well

Eighteen months ago KBA's Malaysian sales and service agency, KBA Asia-Pacific, showcased the B2 (29in) Rapida 75 at a "Chili Padi" open house in Kuala Lumpur - and to some effect. The press is now demonstrating its performance and flexibility in both commercial and packaging printing at Globac Printing, Lian Yik and Percetakan Kencana.

KBA has already made its mark in Malaysia's major printing hubs - Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru and Penang - with new medium- and large-format press lines and second-hand kit. The fact that it is shipping more B2 presses to this region has attracted less attention. The Rapida 75E launched at the Ipex trade fair in May last year represented a big advance in KBA's half-format technology, and the quality of service provided by KBA Asia-Pacific's Singapore and Kuala Lumpur operations has also played a role among offset printers in all formats.

Globac Printing: flexible Rapida 75 impresses print buyers

Globac Printing (formerly Dragon Hitech Printing) was the first of three ambitious printers in Kuala Lumpur to install the space- and energy-saving Rapida 75, and is delighted with its performance. The 30-employee company prints commercial products on paper, film and lightweight board. They range from promos, magazines and books to CD box sets and high-grade packaging.

Sales and marketing director Tony Fong says: "We opted for a six-colour Rapida 75 with coater some months ahead of the open house in KL, after researching the market and visiting KBA in Germany. We were convinced that, for us, a Rapida 75 with this configuration would be the best guarantee of growth." Shortly after the press went live Globac added a UV package to maximise utilisation and profits.

Tony Fong explains: "The Rapida 75 joined a four-colour coater press from a Japanese vendor, and is far superior. This is evident during print runs and makeready. It can handle substrates from 0.04 to 0.6 millimetres thick, and thus our entire product range. Our customers are the ad agencies of prominent manufacturers in the food-processing and electronics industries, and with the Rapida 75 we have shown them that our technological capabilities have been hugely enhanced."

The Rapida 75 at Globac prints 15 to 20 jobs a day in runs from just 300 to several thousand copies. Longer runs of 30,000 or even 50,000 impressions are an exception. So fast job changes are more important than a high output.

Says Tony Fong: "We are happy to print 12,500 sheets per hour and are delighted with the press, job changes and KBA's service. We are already considering further investments."

Lian Yik: Rapida 75 the press of choice

A five-colour Rapida 75 with coater came on stream in March this year at Lian Yik, a family business with 14 employees and annual of sales of 6 million ringgits ($1.87m). A commercial enterprise serving the Kuala Lumpur metropolitan area, Lian Yik recently expanded into packaging and will use the Rapida for both business lines.

Proprietor Lim Soon Huat says: "We were at the KBA open house last year and found just what we were looking for to upgrade production. The Rapida 75's design, footprint, energy efficiency, output and flexibility ticked all the boxes. We kept a careful eye on the first installation, at Dragon Hitech, maintaining close contacts with the company."

Lim Soon Huat already runs various small-format presses and is glad to have found a reliable vendor in KBA: "This became obvious during commissioning, training and in the quality of the service provided. Our Rapida 75 is in action twelve hours a day printing a wide range of jobs in runs of 500 to 100,000 copies. It is fast, flexible and reliable."

Percetakan Kencana: Rapida 75E drives growth

The most recent of the three B2 installations in Kuala Lumpur is a four-colour Rapida 75E whose official inauguration at Percetakan Kencana on 12 November this year was attended by a large number of trade professionals. A 2012 calendar featuring Kuala Lumpur's many attractions demonstrated that, at Kencana, the future has already begun.

Located in the city centre, Kencana has been a successful one-stop commercial printer for more than 25 years, with design and pre-press services provided by subsidiary Matahari. Its customers hail from all over the country. The 20-employee firm can print a huge range of products including business forms, brochures, books, magazines, catalogues, calendars, annual reports and packaging. Quality and speed are Kencana's watchwords, and the new KBA Rapida 75E has enhanced both.

Joint general managers Thin Ten Lai and his son Mark Thin have ambitious plans for future growth. A move to larger premises will be accompanied by an increase in printing capacity with the addition of cutting-edge KBA technology.

Thin Ten Lai says: "We switched from another German vendor because we had kept a weather eye on advances in the Rapida 75 and knew that we could rely on KBA's innovative technology and outstanding service. The press offers real value for money and an array of features that have paid dividends. We have been able to enhance and expand our product range substantially while boosting productivity. The press runs for twelve hours a day and is always in top form thanks to the 24-hour service provided by KBA Asia-Pacific."