When a new highly specialized Koenig & Bauer Rapida 106 nine-color press is delivered to the Los Angeles metropolitan region, Advance Paper Box – Packaging Spectrum, a leading folding carton converter will be satisfying the growing demands of its premium packaging customers for complex special effects and designs while taking a significant step to elevate its own position and expand its capabilities. Installation of the new Rapida 106 is scheduled to begin in late April 2026.
“For us, this press represents more than just the latest in automation and system availability,” says Nick Silk, President, Advance Paper Box – Packaging Spectrum. “It embodies our forward-looking vision and reflects our ongoing commitment to serving our customers. This new showcase press enhances our flexibility, automation, and throughput for world-class packaging applications. We chose Koenig & Bauer because they met every requirement of our demanding customers and configured the perfect press to support our future growth. It was driven by a clear objective: to elevate our operations to the next level in automation, reliability, and capability.”
Left to right: Jurgen Gruber (Koenig & Bauer (US)), Nick Silk (President Advance Paper Box – Packaging Spectrum) and George Rodarte (Vice President Advance Paper Box – Packaging Spectrum).
Koenig & Bauer worked closely with Advance Paper Box – Packaging Spectrum to design a special configuration that supports long-term growth, expanded finishing capabilities, and higher production efficiency. After eight printing units, the press is equipped with a coating station capable of both aqueous and UV coating, followed by two dryer units, an additional printing unit, and a final coating unit before delivery. This layout creates a true special effects platform for various creative capabilities, allowing them to combine varnishes, soft-touch coatings, tactile finishes, and strike-through effects in a single pass, enabling efficient production of complex, premium cartons with exceptional visual impact and consistency. The configuration is designed to support single-pass folding carton production particularly for high-end packaging applications where visual appearance and surface effects are critical.
The press is also equipped with Visual Energy, providing real-time transparency into press energy consumption; and myKyana, an AI-driven performance platform that analyzes production data to optimize efficiency and uptime. The Rapida 106 is also fully automated, including integrated logistics that transport pallets from the feeder to the delivery with no operator intervention allowing press crews to focus on production output rather than material handling.
With the addition of the Rapida 106, Advance Paper Box – Packaging Spectrum can also load-balance production between its existing Koenig & Bauer Rapida 145 and the new Rapida 106, matching each job to the most efficient platform based on format, run length, substrate, and finishing requirements. This approach delivers tremendous gains in production capacity, scheduling flexibility, and overall throughput.
Both Advance Paper Box – Packaging Spectrum and Koenig & Bauer see this project as a continuation of their long-term partnership to support the company’s leading brands throughout North America and beyond. “We’re very excited about this new press and our strong relationship with Koenig & Bauer,” says George Rodarte, Vice President, Advance Paper Box – Packaging Spectrum.
