McCowat-Mercer Packaging, Inc., a high-quality packaging printer based in Jackson, TN, has dramatically increased its throughput by connecting its new computer-to-plate system to its new highly-automated KBA Rapida 130a sheetfed-offset press (Williston, VT).

"The driving force behind purchasing the new KBA 51-in., 6-color press was the installation of our Creo digital prepress system," says Jon Butler, vice president and plant manager of McCowat-Mercer. "We wanted to take full advantage of the faster throughput from prepress to press. The new KBA Rapida is a very sophisticated, automated machine that allows us to take a 5,000- to 50,000-run job and get it back to the customer quickly."

Working since mid-January, the 130a (left) runs in tandem with a Rapida 105 41-in., 6-color, double-coater, sheetfed press. The 130a is equipped with KBA's Logotronic management system and Densitronic S color-management system. The Logotronic guarantees multi-system digital data communication. The company-wide data exchange between the printer's MIS software and prepress is carried out by means of a JDF interface. Once plates have been made, the CIP3 data are automatically assigned to the job via a hot folder. CIP3 files are also converted into preset data for the press. When a job is rescheduled to another press, the preset data are automatically recalculated for that press. This ensures that the latest job data, including preset data, is always available at the control console.

The Densitronic S is a combined density- and color-measuring system for QC during printing, permitting direct measurements within the image. Deviations from defined target densities, color values and other quality parameters (dot gain, trapping, etc.) are recognized and displayed immediately. With integration for online control, the deviations are converted into corrective adjustments for the individual ink keys, KBA says.