Left to right: Claire Anstey and David Braun, Joint Directors of R Howard Carton-Pro, in front of their new Rapida 105 from Koenig & Bauer.
Peterborough-based packaging printer R Howard Carton-Pro is reporting significant production efficiency and print quality benefits following a major investment in both press and postpress technology from Koenig & Bauer. A new Rapida 105 press is now in production, complementing the recent installation of an Allpro 110 folder gluer. As a result, the company reports a double-digit uplift in capacity and widespread efficiency gains.
David Braun, Managing Director, estimates that R Howard’s overall production capacity has been increased by as much as 45%. “Work that previously required an 80-hour week is now comfortably completed in less than 50 hours,” says Braun. “We tend to run the Rapida 105 at a steady 15,000 sheets per hour, rather than at full speed, so clearly there’s still more room to grow throughput in the future.”
Ergotronic colour control and inline colour density measurement enable the new Rapida 105 at R Howard Carton-Pro to adjust and hold colour, so that sheets remain identical throughout the run.
The seven-colour plus coater combi press is configured for both UV and conventional inking, with UV lamps positioned between the units. R Howard Carton-Pro predominantly uses UV inks, often in combination with conventional coatings, but requirements change frequently for its top-brand customers. The Rapida 105 also features a non-stop pile logistics system and pile turner to support continuous feeding, while fully automatic plate-changing ensures that job changes are quick.
“We run a massive variety of jobs,” Braun says. “In a 12-hour shift we could be running 15 short-run jobs, or 150,000 sheets of a single job. Run lengths are routinely anything from 500 sheets up to 100,000 sheets and beyond.”
The seven-colour plus coater combi press at R Howard Carton-Pro is configured for both UV and conventional inking.
This is where the make-ready efficiency of the press has really paid off for the company. Braun adds, “I hadn’t anticipated how well the Ergotronic colour control and inline colour density camera would adjust and hold colour,” he continues. “I’m not exaggerating when I say that I can take a sheet out at the start of the job and compare it to any sheet during the run and they’re spot-on.”
In practical terms, this quality consistency has helped R Howard Carton-Pro achieve a sharp reduction in make-ready waste. Good copy is now achieved within 150 sheets, and the non-stop feeder and logistics system has eliminated waste incurred at pallet changeover, which was previously around 40 sheets per pallet.
Braun says that the results bear out the reasons for choosing Koenig & Bauer. He says, “The size, reputation and on-the-ground support of the organisation were all key factors,” he comments. “But we also judged that Koenig & Bauer is more proven for handling a wide variety of substrates and for its commitment to packaging innovation across the entire production process.”
The new Rapida 105 also features a non-stop logistics system and pile turner to support continuous feeding.
This dedication to packaging had already led to discussions with Koenig & Bauer UK on a new folder gluer. Sam Ward, Postpress Sales Manager, introduced R Howard management to the Allpro 110 as a replacement for an ageing folder gluer. The speed, automation and flexibility on offer with the Allpro 110 impressed the company; its servo backfold system for four- and six-corner production clinched the deal. With job parameters stored via the main user interface, this enables push-button setup for safe and easy operation at speeds up to 25,000 pieces-per-hour.
“We’re doing six-cornered carton work, day in, day out – possibly the most difficult work to do in terms of folding and gluing,” says Braun. “Our Allpro 110 was built for us; it has been consistently brilliant.”
Chris Scully, Managing Director, Koenig & Bauer (UK), acknowledges that this project has truly benefitted from the blend of individual experience and shared skills of the UK and international team. He concludes, “At Koenig & Bauer, we put a lot of effort into getting a holistic understanding of our customer’s situation so that we can create a tailored proposition with long-term leverage. In the case of R Howard, Sam’s long acquaintance with the company was the ideal springboard for developing a truly singular solution. Together with colleagues in Germany and Turkey, we were able to meet the immediate needs of the company, while positioning them perfectly to create added-value opportunities in the future.”
