El Safa Press Modernises Production with Rapida Investment
Egypt’s El Safa Press is upgrading its manufacturing capabilities to strengthen its position within the Middle East and Africa packaging sectors. The Alexandria-based company has invested in three highly automated Rapida sheetfed offset presses from Koenig & Bauer, covering both medium and large formats.
The procurement is part of a comprehensive modernisation strategy designed to address changing market requirements. By integrating this technology, the company aims to shorten delivery times and increase production flexibility to better serve its international client base.
The automation features of the new Rapida platforms are intended to mitigate regional industry challenges, including skilled labour shortages and rising cost pressures. El Safa expects the technology to lower waste and reduce setup times, optimising overall operational efficiency and production economics.
The investment includes two distinct configurations of press machinery to replace older equipment and expand operational capabilities. The first addition consists of two Rapida 106 models: a six-colour press with a coating unit and a seven-colour press featuring double-coating equipment. These machines operate at speeds of up to 18,000 sheets per hour during continuous runs, utilising fully automatic plate changing alongside end-to-end logistics connection and quality management technology. The second addition is a large-format Rapida 145 six-colour press with a coating unit, which shares the same automation and quality control framework to handle larger sheet dimensions. This technological transition allows El Safa to process both medium and high-volume large formats, balancing colour precision with reduced material waste. The integrated coating units implement a full range of market finishes inline, including glossy protective coatings and complex matte-gloss effects.
The investment comes as a direct response to the noticeable trend towards more complex packaging designs and tighter delivery windows. By executing these finishing techniques inline, the company aims to optimise production efficiency and align its capabilities with shifting commercial demands.
This technological leap in sheetfed offset printing is complemented by an integrated workflow extending right into the postpress segment. These include the Optima 106 flatbed die-cutter and Omega Allpro folder-gluers to transfer the throughput of the printing presses directly into the final processing stage without any bottlenecks.
Koenig & Bauer, along with local partner Sidhom, continue to support El Safa Press as advisors in overcoming industry hurdles.
