Koenig & Bauer Rapida 105 PRO 41-Inch Six Color Press Arrives at Wausau Container

Wausau Container Corporation is adding a new Koenig & Bauer Rapida 105 Pro.

The Wisconsin-based folding carton manufacturer – which is celebrating its 25^th anniversary – recently expanded its facility by 30,000-square-feet to 100,000-square-feet and added a 28-inch 10-color flexo press/cutter line, a six-color waterless digital offset press, and additional automation in its finishing department with two auto packers and a folder/gluer.

The Rapida, a 41-inch sheetfed press, is set to arrive at WCC this fall.

“We chose the Rapida 105 PRO over its competitors to provide us with greater throughput, better print quality, and a larger format (31.72″ x 41.34”) than we have at present,” said WCC’s President Chuck Plier. “We were thrilled that Koenig & Bauer could build this special size for us. It is a special larger maximum sheet size and larger maximum image size than is normal for a standard Rapida 105 PRO press-a Koenig & Bauer exclusive. Another important consideration was the ability of the new press to provide precise press documentation to support our customers. The automation on the Rapida 105 PRO distinguishes itself with its inline inspection system by capturing each and every sheet, even while running at top speeds, to ensure that the job matches what the customer has sent to us. It provides us with a high level of reporting for credibility that we can share with our clients.”

“We applaud Wausau’s extraordinary growth and its customer-focused approach. It’s clear that’s why an avalanche of additional business is coming its way,” said Steve Korn, Koenig & Bauer director of National and Key Accounts. “We are confident that its new Koenig & Bauer press will increase Wausau Container’s capacity and help continue Wausau’s high-quality production and on-time leadership position with its existing and future clients for many years to come.”

 Currently, Wausau Container offers a mix of 90% flexo and 10% offset. Plier’s goal is to reduce the flexo output to 60% and increase the offset production to 40%.

“We seized the opportunity to offer vibrant, shiny, eye-catching colorful packaging,” Plier said. “Our containers help our customers to sell their products. There’s no need to build complicated combinations of multiple items. In today’s fast-changing marketplace, our customers want to order what they want when they want it. To remain competitive, they have to quickly adjust to changing product demand. We’ve partnered with our customers giving them the ability to bring on new customers rapidly, shorten their lead times that eliminate long-range forecasting, and reduce their inventory and reduce exposure to copy obsolescence

“The culture of our company and manufacturing process is specifically geared toward meeting a wide range of needs,” Plier added. “We’re printing up to nine color plus coating in a single pass using aqueous, UV-cured, and tactile coatings. We convert SBS, SUS, and CRB. Mostly we print onto paperboard. Customers can request inside printing, embossing, blister coating, and a wide range of finishing options to include straight line gluing, auto-bottom, envelopes, and set-up trays. We have a dedicated department for CAD/CAM structural development and sample making, in which we can produce ultra-small quantity sales samples and market test orders. Our new Rapida 105 PRO will support our continued significant growth and win new job opportunities.”