Centrum Printing is reinforcing its Sydney plant in preparation for the arrival of its new KBA Rapida 145 large format sheetfed offset press due in November.
Workers this week were laying giant concrete slabs with piles for extra stability to support the 50 tonnes-plus of machinery that will soon be humming along at great speed at the Chipping North factory in Sydney's south-west.
Centrum bought the six-colour KBA Rapida 145 with UV coater and extended delivery at the drupa show in June. It will sit alongside a large format KBA 162a installed four years ago as the company launched an expansion beyond commercial print into packaging and display.
The new press will be fed by Fujifilm thermal plates imaged on a Screen PlateRite Ultima 2400 VLF CtP installed when the KBA 162a went in.
CEO and co-owner Percy Vij says the company is eager to provide opportunity and growth for Australian manufacturing.
"We are here for the whole industry, not just Centrum," he said. "We only deal with resellers of print, packaging and POS displays. We welcome visits from anyone and have already welcomed TAFE students, agencies, fellow printers and designers. Our goal is to build Australian manufacturing, bring work back onshore and enable printers to extend their product offerings because of our extra large format KBA presses."
Centrum Printing, established 25 years ago, is a 100% Australian, family owned and operated company.