Conimar Group Invests in New Koenig & Bauer Ipress 106 K PRO DieCutter with Blanker

When the Conimar Group was formed in 1976, its forward-thinking owner and CEO, Terry Crawford, could see the need for a US-based manufacturer and marketer of quality tabletop, gift, and housewares products. Today, the family-owned business is the leader in its field with state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities located in Ocala, FL — its corporate headquarters — and Springfield, TN. To maintain its fast growth and production, the firm chose to update its operation with a new Koenig & Bauer (Booth N2443) Ipress 106 K PRO diecutter with blanker arriving in early fall.

“We were seeking a machine that could keep up with our high levels of production,” says Crawford. “The Ipress 106 K PRO diecutter has high speed production perfectly combined with exceptional registration, high quality standards, and easy handling and fast preparation — everything that we required. Its blanker is one of the few that we found to seamlessly and efficiently remove scrap from the cutter. As we retire older equipment, we’ll be gaining extremely high speeds of 8,500 sph production output on our new Ipress 106 K PRO.” 

Koenig & Bauer designed the new Ipress 106 K PRO with a combination between the high production quality of its diecutters and the robust design of its Rapida sheetfed press technology. Conimar’s Ipress 106 K PRO offers two types of sheet monitoring: either conventional, or with the optional OPMR system (Optical Printed Mark Register), which uses sensors and cameras to detect a printed mark. Conimar’s operators can easily switch between the two systems using a touchscreen monitor. If Conimar’s team needs to reach Koenig & Bauer’s service department, the new Ipress 106 K PRO is equipped with an IP remote connection system to allow remote maintenance with its Florida-based crew and the installation of updates and upgrades at any time.

One of its most dynamic features is its fully automatic, shaftless DriveTronic feeder, which ensures optimum sheet travel and short makeready times. Four servo motors control all movement functions. The machine’s other key features include a continuous, infinitely-adjustable pile lift; automatic skew sheet correction at the feeder head during production; automatic pile-edge control for exact alignment at the feeder; and ability to produce repeat jobs at the touch of a button.

At its facility north of Orlando, the manufacturing floor buzzes with activity as popular tabletop and houseware products are being printed on two Koenig & Bauer Rapida 105 presses — five- and six-color models — and ultimately shipped to leading retailers around the country.

Crawford foresees the new Ipress 106 K PRO making a substantial impact on Conimar’s production floor. He estimates a 25% increase in production due to the installation. As the most technologically advanced diecutter on the market, it offers enough versatility to diecut several types of substrates from 64#, to 0.11" thick corrugated board, and solid board up to 0.59" thick. 

“We’re always investing in new equipment to make our facility more efficient to benefit our customers,” says Crawford. “The new Ipress 106 K PRO is part of a $2 million purchase of new leading-edge technology to better position the company to meet future needs.”