Carlson Print Group Welcomes New Koenig & Bauer Rapida 106 Eight-Color Plus Coater

At its gleaming 74,000 sq ft specialty printing and packaging facility in Eden Prairie, MN, Carlson Print Group (CPG) is producing some of the most innovative, award-winning work for its well-known cadre of brands. Here in one of the most advanced modern pressrooms in North America, using the latest substrates, inks, coatings, and finishes, printed pieces are transformed into powerful marketing communications and collectible trading cards. Central to this extraordinary production are the firm’s modern Koenig & Bauer Rapida presses. Due to its strong growth and dedication to the needs of its customers, CPG has invested in a new Koenig & Bauer Rapida 106 eight-color plus coater press, which will be delivered by the end of this year.

“We heavily rely on high-end Koenig & Bauer Rapida printing presses as the core machinery for our premium packaging and specialty print operations,” says Darren Carlson, chief executive officer of Carlson Print Group. “We continue to invest to upgrade our production floor by adding advanced Rapida models to handle our complex, multi-treatment print jobs in a single pass. The new Rapida 106 press, which will replace our primary workhorse Koenig & Bauer Rapida 105 PRO six-color press, will complement our latest custom-configured Koenig & Bauer Rapida 106 eight-color press with double coater and full LED-UV drying technology. Both will be key to the continued expansion of our unique capabilities.” 

To address CPG’s need for color consistency, high speeds, and fast changeovers, the newest Rapida 106 will be equipped with the latest Koenig & Bauer automated technology. QualiTronic PrintCheck, an autonomous inline sheet inspection system by Koenig & Bauer, expands on its QualiTronic ColorControl setup to monitor production quality in real time. It requires zero operator intervention or complex setting adjustments during makeready and it integrates directly with QualiTronic ColorControl using a single camera setup to manage ink density while simultaneously performing image and content inspection. QualiTronic PrintCheck, an advanced inline quality control and sheet inspection system, automatically compares the reference sheet to the printed sheet inline at maximum speeds. It brings attention of any defects to the operators.

The press also features a new Koenig & Bauer chamber blade coating system, an advanced, automated metering solution designed for high-performance sheetfed offset coating via the dedicated coating unit. Built around a flexographic principle, the system provides automated setup, precise film thickness control, and automated changeovers. A tailor-made drying system with UV, LED-UV, IR, and hot air technology will be accessible and a strong feature from Koenig & Bauer as the dryer is designed specifically for the press, as well as both board and plastic stock packages to match CPG’s diverse work and very elaborate substrate range.

“We are proud to partner with the Carlson Print Group once again as they continue to invest in leading technology that elevates what they can deliver to their customers,” says Steve Korn, Director of National & Key Accounts at Koenig & Bauer (US/CA). “The Rapida 106 will take Carlson‘s productivity and print quality to the next level shortening makeready times, increasing throughput, and significantly reducing waste. This is an exceptional investment for greater efficiency and new capacity to continually deliver exceptional quality that their customers expect. We genuinely value our long-standing relationship with Carlson Print Group and look forward to being part of their ongoing success for many years to come.”

“We’re excited to add our latest Koenig & Bauer press to our arsenal,” says Carlson. “When we saw an opportunity to retool our pressroom, we took advantage of the opportunity. We have one of the most advanced modern pressrooms in North America. After installing the Rapida 106 with a double coater last year, we quickly realized the production benefits of the new machine and our corporate philosophy completely changed. Our business is strong, and this new press addition will augment that strength.”