PrintPack: Bobst announces sale of India's first corrugated box flexo post print converting kit at Liberty Packtech's greenfield project in Baddi

The deal for the equipment was signed on the penultimate day of the PrintPack show at the Bobst stall. The firm has also placed an order for a sheetfed die-cutter and a Bobst Lila 170 folder-gluer.

The five-colour Flexo Vision 160, upgradable to seven-colours is capable of printing corrugated board from 0.75mm to 9mm for print size of up to 1.7x1.1mtr at a speed of up to 5,500sph.

The sheetfed die-cutter and folder-gluer will complement the flexo press. The commissioning and installation of the equipment is expected to commence by middle of this year.

"For the first time in India, a packager will be able to print and produce high graphics on corrugated boxes, giving Liberty Packtech a first mover advantage," said Subhasis Roy, business director for SEA, India Mid-east and Africa at Bobst.

Liberty Packtech is promoted by a 27-year old packaging company, which will pump an investment of Rs 45-crore in setting up this first of its kind Greenfield packaging plant on a two-lakh sq/ft site in the industrial area of Baddi in Nalagarh, Himachal Pradesh.

Sumit Jain of Liberty Packtech, said: "The North Indian states are flushed with a number of industries, which require extremely high quality graphics for its products not just for packaging purposes but one which will also be a part of its point-of-displays. This market has a huge potentiality and will be the talk of the future."

Liberty Packtech, which has also ordered a Champion five-ply corrugating line, opted for an offline Bobst flexo press, sheetfed die-cutter and Lila folder-gluer to allow flexibility. Anil Kashyap of Liberty Packtech, said: "The corrugation industry converts four-million tons of board material per annum. We plan to target the unprinted cartons segment too, using the offline equipment."

The company expects the plant to be fully operational by July, 2011.