Rand Graphics to Install an 81" KBA Rapida 205 Sheetfed Press

DALLAS—Feb. 28, 2011—KBA North America, a global press manufacturer, announces that Rand Graphics, a specialist in point-of-purchase print applications based in Wichita, KS, has purchased a KBA Rapida 205 five-color 81" sheetfed press with coater. The Rapida 205, the largest press model in the world, is due to be delivered to Rand’s facility in June 2011.

“Not only are we excited to install this amazing press but our customers are excited too,” says Randy Vautravers, president of Rand Graphics. “It’s an opportunity for them to create new work and an opportunity for us to gain in efficiency, faster throughput, and flexibility while being one of the few printers in the country with this award-winning press.”

The KBA Rapida 205, which is custom-built in Germany, prints sheets up to 81x59″. The press produces extra-large format, high-quality products in a highly cost efficient manner. This is the first press of this size to offer a wide range of automated technologies that provide for extremely high print quality and low make-ready times. This press is significant because with its “one-of-a-kind” configuration and its high degree of automation, it brings massive efficiencies to the production of printed sheets, and with its UV drying capabilities, it will print on any substrate.

Purchasing the new Rapida 205 press maintains Rand’s customer commitment and mission to continue to make substantial investments in equipment, resulting in exceptional quality and comprehensive capabilities in offset, screen, and digital. After the Rapida 205 is installed and running, Rand will be retiring an older Harris 78" five-color UV press.

“For the past 12 years, we’ve been operating the Harris press and it produced really nice work,” said Vautravers. “However, it was the only choice in the market. When KBA introduced the Rapida 205, we took a look at one of the cylinders on display at a Chicago trade show and it piqued our interest. This past summer, we began to talk to KBA about purchasing a 40″ press, but our discussion led into the Rapida 205 and the significant benefits it could bring us. There’s no question it will make us much more efficient. It will significantly reduce our makeready, increase our speed, reduce our spoilage, and allow us produce and output more jobs.”

Over the years, Rand Graphics has garnered a reputation as a pioneer in printing on unique substrates. “We print on poly banner, vinyl, and pressure sensitive,” noted Vautravers. “You name it, we print on it. This ability has set us apart from other P-O-P printers. Our Harris press prints on materials ranging from poly to plastics to paper with thicknesses up to .025. It was important to us that the Rapida 205 could accomplish the same type of work.”

The installation of the Rapida 205 will mark the first press to be purchased from KBA by Rand Graphics. “We’ve always had presses from another manufacturer and they’ve been good to us. But our needs changed and we needed a large format press that they couldn’t offer us. KBA, on the other hand, has a distinguished reputation for its presses including the Rapida 205. KBA took us to England and Germany to see their factory and our press being built. We’re excited to build a partnership with them.”

About Rand Graphics
Rand Graphics was founded in 1965 by Ralph Vautravers, who remains the current chairman. The Wichita, KS-based firm with 190 employees caters to major retailers, corporations, and ad agencies all across the country. Today the firm operates a litho division and a large format facility measuring 300,000 sq ft in total where it specializes in point-of-purchase applications, including brochures, catalogs, books, postcards, door hangers, and static-cling work. www.randgraphics.com

About KBA North America
KBA North America is located in Dallas, and a member of the KBA Group. KBA is one of the largest press manufacturers worldwide, with the broadest product range in the industry, and a key supplier to the global media industry. KBA’s core competence is the development and manufacture of technologically innovative printing systems and peripherals. The parent company is Koenig & Bauer AG (KBA) with facilities in Würzburg and Radebeul, Germany. www.kba.com

Source: Company press release.