Koenig & Bauer Delivers Two Rapida 145 Presses to Schur Pack Germany

Schur Pack Germany has ordered two large-format sheetfed offset presses from the Rapida 145 series (max. sheet format 1,060 × 1,450 mm) from Koenig & Bauer. The two six-colour coater presses are scheduled to start production next year and will lend a significant boost to sustainability and climate protection at the company’s Gallin plant in Northern Germany.

With this latest order, Schur Pack Germany has also reaffirmed its decades-long, trust-based partnership with Koenig & Bauer, one of the high points of which was the installation of three new sheetfed offset presses in 2015.

Both Rapida 145 presses once again with double-pile deliveries
The two new large-format Rapidas can be considered flagship installations in terms of automation and sustainability. Both high-speed presses (production speed up to 18,000 sheets/h) were once again configured with double-pile deliveries and integrated into a fully automatic AGV-based logistics system for substrate transport to and from the presses. Production with a double-pile delivery has already proved highly effective on the previously installed presses. Waste sheets are separated as they arrive at the delivery, so that the main pile contains only good sheets. AGVs then transport this pile fully automatically from the press to the post-press department.

Corporate goal: climate protection and reduced energy consumption
During the evaluation phase, Schur Pack Germany had placed particular importance on the aspects of technical innovation, ecology and highly automated integration into the existing production environment. To this end, a comprehensive package of measures to reduce energy consumption is being implemented. These include, among other measures:

• Incorporation of energy-saving VariDry+ large format dryer systems as a pilot project – presented for the first time at drupa, the new concept promises energy savings of approx. 30% compared to current VariDryBlue IR/hot-air systems
• Air cabinets with heat exchangers, which likewise achieve considerable energy savings
• Intelligent networking of the presses, peripheral equipment and heating energy generation (wood chip biomass boiler) for maximum energy efficiency and optimum heat distribution
• Full integration of the process heat that was previously discharged unused into the surroundings in order to reduce power requirements
• AC main drives, which are more energy efficient to operate compared to DC drives
• VisuEnergy X for company-wide logging of energy data, including monitoring and reporting, with the aim of increasing energy efficiency and lowering production costs

What’s more, the Rapida presses boast numerous features for significantly higher energy efficiency in packaging printing. This starts with established technologies such as inking units that can be disengaged when not in use, highly efficient CleanTronic washing systems, and functions to reduce job changeover waste. These are joined by systems from the QualiTronic family for inline quality inspection, including colour control based on grey balance and PDFCheck. Printshop networking, integrated workflows and digitalisation solutions also contribute to waste savings, production at the highest quality levels and maximum substrate utilisation, and define new standards for sustainable packaging production.

High performance and maximum automation
Schur Pack continues to play a pioneering role in the industry when it comes to digitalisation: alongside the Rapida apps for press control and inventory management, which have already been used intensively for a number of years and will now also be used for the two new Rapida 145 presses, the company is, for the first time, adopting navigated printing (AutoGuide). This system gives printers and helpers recommendations for action in plain text via the console wallscreen, or as short voice messages. Along with this information for the press crews, the system also features a special notification panel for the supervisor’s office and for the company’s maintenance employees.

Schur Pack can look forward to significant added value in two respects: firstly, the two new presses incorporate many new automation tools, and secondly, the installations will implement new (industry) standards in terms of climate protection, sustainability and energy efficiency.

Schur Pack Germany met up with Koenig & Bauer at the drupa trade fair to pay tribute to the results of a project that has been more than two years in the making – with the two partners also pledging to work together to define further new benchmarks in future.