The new high-productivity R706 LTTLV sheetfed press will replace at least two older machines as one of the leading packaging printers continues to rationalize its extensive folding carton printing fleet. The manroland 700 double coater is the latest in a long line of presses from the German manufacturer bought by the company.
According to Alex Commins, managing director, Colorpak (pictured) has been a consistent investor in manroland presses. The latest acquisition is part of a continuing rationalisation that began with the takeover of Carter Holt Harvey in 2010.
“The new press is going to be commissioned around Christmas. It fits nicely with the rationalisation strategy we’re undergoing at the moment. It’ll give us greater productivity. We’ve been a long-term investor in world-class technologies for a long time,” he said.
“The Colorpak business, over many years, has been at the forefront of investment, over many years. There’s not too many others that can boast the modern suite of equipment that we have. “We have something like 27 presses in the group, and we’ve been consistently buying Roland 700s for six or seven years, and with CHH we inherited a lot of the technology. The great majority of presses in our group are manroland.”
He confirmed the new press has sufficient productivity to replace at least two machines that will be sold overseas. “There’s enough capacity in the local market as there is. A couple of items will be sold, a couple of printing presses and cutting machines surplus to the requirements,” he said.
Colorpak is one of the two largest packaging printers in the country [the other is Amcor]. Alex Commins reckons it services about 25% of the market. The company quit the old CCH Mount Waverly site this year and is concentrating on upgrading its production capacity at the consolidated Braeside factory.
The new press has a top speed of 17,000 sheet per hour, comes complete with the latest manroland Aupasys material logistics system for feeder & delivery. It is IPA free and has multiple quick-change options including automatic plate loading and an InlineSorter.
According to Steve Dunwell, managing director of manroland Australia, the investment by Colorpak is an affirmation of the ongoing success of the press brand. “The people at Colorpak know what they want in packaging sheetfed presses. They are very experienced printers and I believe the decision to go with the latest manroland 700 is a vindication of the high productivity technology now available for the packaging market,” he said.