Koenig & Bauer has launched its newest 2020 generation Rapida 106X at its Koenig & Bauer LIVE digital presentation.

The new press is a medium-sized unit that performs complex print jobs in short make ready times, with automation at its core.

Some of its features include high levels of finishings including cold foil applications and coating, higher production speeds, and less maintenance in a newly designed unit.

According to Koenig & Bauer, the company has optimised the curve of the press’ separation suction head, motorised the rake of the auxiliary in-feed, motorised its Tec trollers and upper sheet guiding, performed in-feed upgrades, added indexing, and a new cold-foil module, amongst other upgrades like a newly designed control console.

The company has also reduced the need for calibration within the printing unit of the press, included a simultaneous plate changing system using a motor, and included a new measurement and controller system for the extended seven-colour functionality.

“Over the past five years, we have listened to our customers and added new functionalities to the Rapida. We have focused on bringing its concept to the next level and the result is the new Rapida 106X – the fastest packaging sheetfed press in the market,” Koenig & Bauer head of sheetfed print packaging Dirk Winkler said.

“It offers a whole new dimension for sheedfed printing presses.”

According to Winkler, the company has focused on its packaging presses as the world has, especially in the times of COVID-19, more deeply understood the importance of packaging and its new-world requirements.

“In the past few weeks, we have learnt how important it is that our customers are able to supply sustainable raw materials and folding boxes especially for the food and pharmaceutical industries,” he said.

“At Koenig & Bauer, regardless of the industry, we have a responsibility to enable our customers to provide the right packaging at the right time.”

Koenig & Bauer has also launched its Rapida 76 in B2 format, targeted at the pharmaceutical industry, luxury labels and cosmetics industry.

“It’s a new machine that fulfils every demand and request in terms of productivity, quality and effectiveness for these industries,” he said.

“It is our masterpiece in B2 format. The machine has high levels of automation for the manufacture of packaging, mainly for the luxury labelling industry, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics industries. It fulfils the highest demands of the packaging industry.”

At Koenig & Bauer LIVE, the company’s CEO Klaus Bolza-Schünemann recently mentioned that digitisation will be at the core of the business’ offerings.

The company has also announced a joint venture with Durst to launch their new VariJET technology.

The Koenig & Bauer LIVE event will run weekdays from June 16 to 25 and will include daily 20-minute information sessions with updates from senior company executives. To register for the event, please visit koenig-bauer.com/en/live.

The sessions are scheduled for 6pm and midnight (AEST).