RAPIDA

Kengraf Kertzyn is a graphic art and publishing company, producing leaflets, catalogues, posters, calendars and magazines. For many years now, a substantial part of the production has been printed on presses from the Czech Republic. Their good experience with these presses instigated the owner of the printshop to purchase another Dobruška product – the KBA Rapida 75.

The effect of this 18 year thoroughly implemented investment plan is that Kengraf became one of the regions leading printshops for low and medium production volumes.

“When I launched the graphic art production in Kertzyn in 1990, all I had was an older second hand Romayor from the seventies and an even older xerographic KS-2 desk machine,” said Miroslaw Kiapśnia, the owner of the printshop. He also bought two more Romayor presses, a cutting machine and reproduction equipment as a result of the funding provided by the employment office, for which he had to commit to employ ten people. The orders placed were mainly for catalogues, advertising and tourist leaflets and postcards.

“In terms of volumes, we were the second largest company in the region which implemented these types of orders," remembers the head of the printshop.

The company machine park was enhanced in 1991 with the purchase of another press. In twelve months time, Macintosh computers, scanners with 2600 dpi resolution as well as ECRM linear exposure unit, which was fundamental technology for their own prepress studio originally based in Olštyn, were purchased. We have also purchased one more Dominant, DotMate 7500P exposure unit and ScanMate 11000 dpi scanner.

“When we purchased the five-colour Polly 566 in 1998, the production areas, rented from RSW Prasa-Książka-Ruch were too cramped. Everything for the new premises was completed by the purchase of the buildings which were previously owned by the Communal Building Company (Kętrzyńskie Przedsiębiorstwo Budownictwa Komunalnego) with an area of 2000 m². The rebuilt premises where then able to accommodate the growing number of Kengraf employees and the modernized technology which included: Another five colour Polly Prestige 574 with CIP 4 and CtP Dainippon Screen 4100 exposure unit which arrived from Olštyn together with a prepress. “Further purchases made over the following years included a four colour KBA Performa of SRB2 format with CIP4 and inking unit tempering and densitometer for printing control as well as the Screen 4300 exposure unit which replaced the less efficient 4100 module”, continued the owner. The company was the first in Poland to purchase a Spekta – hybrid raster system.

These thorough investments made Kengraf one of the most modern printshops in the region. The well equipped CtP “exposure unit” with a digital proof, an efficient workflow built on the ACCHSH Group software (PuzzleFlow with vector trapping, PDF organizer and CIP3), modern printing due to the five colour printing presses of the half size format, book binding workshop providing seamed and seamless biding, UV varnishing allowing for refining of the printed matter as well as laminate coating are offered by the company which currently employs 45 staff working three shifts in a full working week. The company fully uses the current technological options to the full extent which enables the receipt of orders on its own ftp server following which the receipt is confirmed.

The decision regarding the last investment, the KBA Rapida 75 in the SRB2 format was the result of the Kengraf company analyses of needs focused on satisfying every customer requirement. “The high quality and short order delivery times are the basic customer requirements", said the head of the printshop who then continued: “At the beginning of this decade, we started to print a significant numbers of monthly and bi-monthly issues in low and medium volumes; the customers require high quality order completion and with the deadline: "yesterday was too late". In the meantime, our technology could no longer satisfy these requirements. When a customer left us and went to a competitor who offered shorter delivery times, I reached the conclusion that it is about time to make another investment.”

“The KBA Rapida 75 is a very good product for a reasonable price,” said Mirosław Kiapśnia

Our latest addition is modern equipment with the most expensive fittings; these include, besides others, the CIP4 system, which is used for automatic programming of the inking unit as well as the tempering system and the densitometer for printing process control. Due to this, the preparation of the press for order implementation requires shorter times than were needed for the older equipment. The printing speed of 10,000 sheets/hour persuaded the owner to purchase the Rapida 75. “In my opinion and according to the assessment of the press operational staff, the technological solution of the Rapida 75 represents a great stride in the development of the Dobruška sheet fed printing presses in comparison with the existing products” said Miroslaw Kiapśnia.

The excellent existing cooperation with Dobruška was also very significant; the Rapida 75 is the fourth press from the Grafitec company purchased by the printshop from Kertzyn. “We have not got the slightest objections in regard to the provided service; if there is a need for a replacement of a press part, we simply send an e-mail and the part is received with an express deadline" said the owner. Add to that a very competitive purchase price and the Kengraf choice could not be any different. “The KBA Rapida 75 is a very good product for a reasonable price,” said the owner to conclude his financial assessment.

Miroslaw Kiapśnia is already thinking about the future. He has revealed that he is already thinking of another investment – an eight colour press in the SRB2 format. Based on the existing excellent contacts with KBA Grafitec it can be expected that he will reach for the Dobruška offer one more time.