Lithographic Industries, a privately-owned, third generation packaging printer near Chicago, Illinois, has added a new KBA-Iberica Optima 106 diecutter. The firm is known for its high-quality blister card printing in combination gang runs and is said to be the oldest combination blister card manufacturer in the U.S.
The Optima 106 has become an integral part of the firm’s production, providing Lithographic Industries with a competitive edge as the demand for blister packs has posted a sharp rise. It is paired with the firm’s 11-color Koenig & Bauer Rapida 41-inch sheetfed offset press, the only one of its type in the U.S., offering two sided printing for nine-over-two combination blister card and insert card printing.
One of the key features of the new flatbed diecutter, according to Louis A Ebert, President of Lithographic Industries, is its grip edge removal system. His operators have found that its pneumatic clamps fix the wooden templates for perfect and secure positioning and reduce makeready time. Having this new system in place allows the operation to effectively remove the gripper edge trim fully automatically so there are less downstream steps on each job, which saves approximately 25 percent in time and related labor expenses.
With capacity increasing and the growing need to more efficiently run jobs through the diecutter, Ebert has found that the Optima 106 is ruggedly built and matches his Koenig & Bauer 41” press and provides 6 percent in additional square inches on each sheet cut. This extra room allows the firm to be able to produce larger combos to help maximize its sheet size.
The team at Lithographic Industries, from left, Louis Ebert Jr., Vice President Sales; Roman Ebert, Vice President Manufacturing; Louis A. Ebert Sr., President & CEO; and Lalo Abarca, Diecutting Operator.
