Classic Application

-- graphic arts online, 12/1/2000

This month, one of the world's largest beverage carton converters, Riverwood International, will install a 56"-wide seven-color sheetfed press equipped with double tower coaters in its plant in Clinton, Miss.

Says plant manager Jamie Huller, "We're replacing two older 56" sheetfeds that ran between 4,000 and 6,000 sheets per hour [sph]. This new KBA Rapida 142 press [shown], which is rated at 14,000 sph, is fully automated, including plate changing, which will dramatically improve our makeready times. Also, its CIP3 compatibility will prepare us for computer-to-plate production when we're ready."

Riverwood specified the coaters because it produces beverage containers for beer and soft drinks, products that require two different types of coating. Furthermore, coating is applied to the top and bottom of the containers to facilitate palletizing and to the sides of the packaging to facilitate shrink wrapping.