Page 62 - Print21 November-December 2021

People in Print
the OVERflow
Platypus orders first Rapida 106 X in Aus
Queensland packaging and commercial printer Platypus
Print Packaging has ordered Australia’s first Koenig & Bauer Rapida 106 X, as part of a major modernisation drive at the Geebung factory.
The major new press investment will see the new six-colour plus single coater B1 press replace an 11 year
old Koenig & Bauer, and join another six-colour with double coater from the German manufacturer. The new Rapida 106 X will ship in January and be installed in March.
Tom Lusch, CEO of the family-owned business, which has around 100 staff, said, “We are investing strongly, with new plant and equipment
throughout the business, as we automate and upgrade. The new press will ensure our customers receive all the benefits of the latest technology.”
Platypus is now mainly a packaging printer, although it does some commercial work. Its customer base comes from the length of the eastern seaboard,
Investing strongly: Tom Lusch, Platypus Print Packaging
and it also services the Pacific islands.
It has had Koenig & Bauer presses as the core of its production power for the past decade. Tom Lusch said, “We did analyse the press market, and for our needs it was apparent the new Koenig & Bauer Rapida 106 X was the standout, it is a highly advanced machine, and clearly robust for industrial scale printing. The engineering quality is well known.”
The new Koenig & Bauer Rapida 106 X is a highly automated 20,000sph press with simultaneous plate changing, automated pile
logistics, and a host of software upgrades.
The modernisation programme has also seen a new folder gluer installed in July, and a new laminating system that Lusch says is “five times faster” than the previous machine. The company is also now a hot foiling specialist thanks to a recent investment.
Dave Lewis, managing director of Koenig & Bauer Australasia said, “Platypus Print Packaging is a business with real vision, and which
is backing itself strongly. Its investment in the new Koenig & Bauer Rapida 106 X will enable it to more than meet the needs of a demanding market for quality, consistency and rapid turnaround.” 21
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Sagamore acquires Icehouse, installs new kit
Promotional solutions company Sagamore Industries is making
major investments, acquiring Icehouse Sampling, and installing new equipment, which MD Chris Bristow says will enable it to service the broader print industry.
With the acquisition of Icehouse Sampling, Sagamore now employs 40 full time staff across Melbourne and Western Sydney. It will continue to operate from the two locations.
Investment in new equipment has included a WM 1200A automatic grooving machine
with gluing component, from Wellmark Packaging, a Datien 137cm guillotine, and an Eykon 2513FB flatbed printer from Agfa.
Managing director Chris Bristow says the investment and acquisition will ramp up Sagamore’s existing offerings, and provide new ones to the broader printing industry.
“We identified an opportunity in the market for larger format semi-automatic casemaking machines, above the 600mm width, that would both benefit the production of our larger ring binders, folders
Able to service the print industry: Chris Bristow, Sagamore
Alongside the new WM 1200A sits a new Datien 137cm guillotine, which enables fast and accurate guillotining of the company’s board blanks prior to grooving.
The company has also upgraded its flatbed printing capacity. “We acquired an Eykon 2513FB flatbed printer from Agfa that delivers a faster and cleaner print offering
a higher resolution output, making smaller CMYK print runs efficient and economical,” added Bristow.
He explained that the flatbed’s ability to print
white on opaque substrates and produce clearer images
is perfect for printing diary covers, a niche service offered by custom diary manufacturer Product Dynamics, also owned by Sagamore.
The Icehouse Sampling business will remain a stand- alone operation, Bristow said, “We are able to do a lot more of Icehouse’s specialised sampling work down here. What we are doing as part of the integration is to ensure that both sides
can expand capability to their fullest potential.” 21
and sample books for existing customers – particularly with the recent business acquisition of Icehouse Sampling – and to service the broader printing industry for larger, automated case making solutions,” he said.
The Melbourne based company is replacing its “very old” Kolbus casemaker with the new auto groover and gluer, which was self-installed. Bristow says it will deliver clean, sharp folds for casemade boards.
Bristow pointed out that the decision to purchase leading
sample manufacturer Icehouse Sampling, which operates within Australia and New Zealand, was a logical one. Sagamore was particularly interested in working with Icehouse Sampling as the crossover between the two company was impressive.
It already has a lot of the machinery – and know how – to produce Icehouse Sampling’s specialist samples on textiles and PVC, furnishing, paint and decorative finishes, carpets
and vinyls, paper and boards, metals and even grout.
62 Print21 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021