Bobst Expertfold

Kumar Printers’ executive director, Sandeep Bhargava says that Expertfold’s Accubraille module has boosted orders from pharma majors in Europe

13 Sep 2012 | By PrintWeek India

Describe your company?
Established in 1976, the Manesar-based Kumar Printers is a family-owned packaging print firm. The company is also a regional partner of the Global Packaging Alliance, a consortium of independent packaging manufacturers from eight countries around the globe.

What does the machine do?
The Bobst Expertfold is a folder-gluer with an Accubraille module which does Braille embossing for pharmaceutical packaging jobs. It is a modular machine. Since the installation of the Expertfold’s Accubraille, we have received a substantial order from one of our Europeans clients. Braille embossing has become more stable since we bought this machine.
 
What were the reasons to choose the machine?
Accubraille module was the main reason to opt for this machine.  
 
Did you look at any other similar machines?
No, we did not. We have a 15-year-long relationship with Bobst. Presently, we are running six Bobst machines under one roof.
 
Why did you make the purchase?
We wanted to have better control over online embossing and we also wanted to exempt the die-cutters from the Braille embossing operation.  
 
What features do you particularly like?
Accubraille and aligning module.
 
Is there anything that you dislike?
I don’t dislike any of its features. 
 
How was fast is it?
This folder-gluer is pretty fast; it converts 450 metres/min. 
 
What’s the quality like?
The machine has reasonably good quality. We trust Bobst’s quality; after all, we bought the first machine from the Swiss manufacturers around 15 years ago.
 
How reliable is it?
Bobst folder-gluer is a very reliable machine, and we haven’t faced any issues yet.  
 
How easy is it to use?
Our operators are familiar with the technology, so it is easy to operate. 
How much time or money has it saved?
It has saved a lot of our time which we earlier used to spend on the die-cutters. 
 
Has it won you any new work?
We procured this machine to fulfill the job requirements of an existing order from one of our European customer.
 
Would you say that it offers value for money?
Yes, it offers value for money. If you ask me to put a number on it, I would say – around  80%.
 
Were there any difficulties experienced during the installation or after?
There were some minor issues during the installations, which were solved by Bobst within a month. Having said that, the product quality was never compromised. 
 
Who do you think the machine is right for?
This folder gluing machine is right for the pharmaceutical cartons manufacturers, who require Braille embossing; especially, when you send it to the European Union. 
 
Under what circumstances would you buy another?
When there is a need for additional headroom in our capacity. However, the configuration of the that will depend on the requirement at that time.

Conclusion
User’s verdict
Speed 4/5
Quality 4/5
Reliability 5/5
Value for money 4/5
Supplier’s Response
Venugopal Menon, vice president, business unit – sheetfed for the Indian sub-continent at Bobst, says, “Kumar Printers is right when he says that the Bobst Expertfold is the most perfect equipment for someone in the print packaging segment who is looking to take quality and performance to a higher level with module options. Also the Expertfold has capabilities to process complex jobs as a retrofit in the future due to its blank aligning module and longer machine sections. Thus we call it a future-ready machine. Also the Bobst patented ‘’Accubraille’’ for in-line braille embossing and ‘’Accucheck’’ for inline quality inspection modules can go on Expertfold.”  
Contact Venugopal Menon
+91 20 3987 8080/
+91 98225 04359
venugopal.menon@
bobst.com