Nottingham’s Simply Cartons has chosen the Packaging Innovations trade show at the Birmingham NEC (15 – 16 February) to announce its latest press fleet upgrade from Koenig & Bauer.
Exhibiting on Stand J63 , the company will be highlighting the considerable capacity boost that will be delivered through two latest generation Rapida 106 press lines.
The investment comes during a strong period of growth and increased demand for the company’s products. Simply Cartons produces luxury packaging for some of the world’s biggest brands in markets as diverse as food, cosmetics, confectionery and beverages.
Scheduled for installation from February, the two new presses, in “stunning” new black livery, will join an existing Rapida 106 six-plus double coater. An existing Heidelberg XL 105 press will be removed once the installations are complete to make the company an all Koenig & Bauer press hall.
Speaking about the investment, Simply Cartons Chief Executive Craig Mather states:
“Having been through significant growth over the last couple of years, we needed to continue to look to the future and further potential growth with our existing and very loyal customer base. To ensure we can continue to provide the best service and support to our customers we must be at the forefront of technological advances, packaging trends and environmental change. Working towards this goal, we have invested heavily in the latest technology and sustainable practices within the business. In 2019 we installed solar panels on the roofs of all of our sites to aid our CO2 reduction targets. Alongside this, we have been working closely with the World Land Trust to offer carbon balanced products to our customer, which is aimed at having the same impact.
“The investment in the two new Koenig & Bauer 106 machines follows the trend in sustainability focussed objectives. Not only will they give us the technological advances we need to remain competitive and provide the innovation our industry feeds upon, but the new machines are also 30% more efficient than our current fleet. Sustainability, alongside innovation, is at the forefront of our objectives as a company. We understand the requirements of our customers, and this helps to drive key decisions within the business such as this investment. Working with Koenig & Bauer over the last few years has enabled us to push the boundaries of what is possible today, whilst ensuring our commitment to the environment for everyone’s tomorrow.”
The new presses will be supplied with the same configurations as the existing Rapida 106 presses. The six-plus double coater and eight-plus double coater will be in the “plus 1” format – meaning that a printing tower is positioned between the coaters – and will be raised to a new height of 925mm. Capable of handling a board thickness of up to 1.2mm, both machines will be installed with fully automatic logistics systems for continuous running on the thickest materials. The feeders will be equipped with Koenig & Bauer’s ground-breaking Sensoric Infeed System (SIS) which requires no setting and ensures mark free, reliable feeding with the most challenging materials.
For ultra-quick changeovers between the complex jobs Simply Cartons produces, the presses feature fully automatic plate changing and simultaneous roller washing. To meet the company’s sustainability targets the presses have the latest version of Koenig & Bauer’s inline colour control system QualiTronic ColorControl 2 designed to reduce waste and to also guarantee consistent quality on every run. The data from the colour control systems will be scored against the ISO 12647-2 print standard and placed into a report for every job. In addition, the specification Koenig & Bauer’s VariDry Blue system which greatly reduces energy consumption in the drying process by recycling the waste hot air.
Koenig & Bauer (UK) Sales Director, Chris Scully says: “We are thrilled that Simply Cartons has chosen to partner with us again for their new presses. We have built up a fantastic relationship since 2016 when the first press was installed and their business continues to grow. They constantly push boundaries in packaging and always stay a few steps ahead of their competition. The latest investments will enable them to continue this strategy. We are also delighted that all the presses in their fleet are going to be supplied by Koenig & Bauer.”
