Phased expansion: Toyo Ink's new plant in Dahej

Toyo Ink India inaugurated its second India plant in Dahej, Gujarat. Dahej Special Investment Region (SIR)is spread across 453 sq/kms is located 75-kms south of Vadodara. The region has seen investment made and committed to the tune of Rs 1,37,198-crore. Concentration of Petroleum, Chemical and Petrochemical estates surroundDahej SIR. Besides, Toyo, companies like DIC, BASF, Pidilite, ITW Signode and Heubach have set up plants.

Dignitaries from the Embassy of Japan, Japan External Trade Organisation, Toyo Ink as well as Toyo partners were present in large number to celebrate the opening of the plant in the second India plant in Dahej.

Toyo Ink SC Holdings president and Toyo Ink Group CEO Katsumi Kitagawa unveiled the plaque to commemorate the opening of the plant.

Katsumi Kitagawa, the president of Toyo Ink SC Holding is also the CEO of Toyo Ink. He obtained his Bachelor's degree in Engineering Mechanics from Keio University in March 1977. Kitagawa joined Toyo in April 1977 and since has functioned in various capacities including vice-president, executive officer, managing executive offers and deputy chief director among others.

Kitagawa planting one of the seven saplings. Did you know that there’s a significance attached to the number seven. Rabbi) Benjamin Blech, professor professor of Talmud at Yeshiva University, says, seven is the number of the natural world. There are seven days in the week, sevennotes on the musical scale and seven directions (left, right, up, down, forward, back and centre). And it’s also considered the world lucky number.

In his address, Kitagawa spelt out his company’s vision to meeting the demand for printing ink from the domestic as well as international market from the newly established Dahej plant.

The 21,100 sq/meter production plant in Dehaj plant is built on a one-lakh sq/meter site. It has three divisions, the varnish division, the ink production and storage divisions. In this picture you see the ink production building.

When you enter the one-lakh sq/meter site, the first building is the storage building, which can store 1,300 pallets, with capacity of the pallets varying from 500kgs to 1.2 tonnes. According to estimates, the total consumption of the offset, packaging, screen printing, special inks and coating in India is said to be in the region of 20,000 tonnes per month. The market, which was pegged at Rs 1,000-crore in 2002-03 has grown to an estimated Rs 3,500-crore in 2013-14.

The guests were given a plant visit. This is the second printing ink manufacturing facility that Toyo has set up after the first, which was founded in 2007. “India represents tremendous opportunities for us both as a market and a strategic hub to cover overseas demand, particularly Africa and Middle East, said Kitagawa.

Plant is divided in three main areas, ink making, utility area (varnish cooking + varnish storage) and lastly finished ink storage. On the left is the utility area which is equipped with varnish storage and varnish manufacturing equipment The plant is equipped with ETP unit with zero discharge outside the manufacturing facility. The treated water will be utilised for toilet flushing and gardening purpose.

There are total 10 storage tanks for Varnish. Four tanks for solvent with 30 kilo-litre and six tanks with 10 kilo-litre capacity. It is from these six storage tanks the ready varnish is pumped into the ink manufacturing line. The current target is to reach 400 tonnes of ink production per month in one shift and scale it up to 1300 tonnes by 2017 in three shifts.

Varnish manufacturing – 5000 litre capacity two furnace are used to cook the three different grades of Varnish , These three different grades of varnish are then used to produce various grades of ink. The varnish is cooked by mixing resin and solvent at high temperature obtained using steam boiler and hot oil boilers.

The high temperature required for cooking of varnish (resin + solvent) is generated through hot oil. There are two boilers, one is a steam boiler which is there for the pre-mix tanks for ink production, and the second is a hot oil boiler which is circulated in varnish mixing tanks for varnish production.

The Dahej plant has one kneader machine, which is used for flushing of the yellow press cake to flush out water from the paste pigment, which is then further grinded in three roll mill machines to achieve the required micron size.

The Dahej plant will start manufacturing and sales of offset inks with capacity to produce 10,000 tonnes per annum, which is three times larger than the Noida plant. There are a total of eight lines, two each for all the four colours. The yellow ink is made through flush pigment.

The CMYK ink manufacturing machines have been procured from Buhler and some have come from the company’s plant in Fuji region in Japan.

The produced ink is collected in the storage vessels, also called as ink pans in which ink is being stored temporarily up to the filling process.

The yellow ink manufacturing machine being started during the inaugural function. This plant will be a comprehensive hub for producing resins, adhesives, coating as part of Toyo’s second and third investment.

Pan press machines have been bought from China for filling of the ink in ink containers in sizes ranging from 1 kg to 2.5 kg. (Normal pack and Vacuum pack). While the machinery came from companies like Buhler, Toyo Engineering and Hitachi Plant Technology, designed the project and executed the construction of the plant, including vendors from local and overseas.

The filling and vacuum capping machines have been bought from Chinese makers who have been providing their machines in all Toyo factories worldwide.

An inside view of the storage building with pallets. The 3600 sq/meter storage building will house ink manufactured at the plant as well as utility, raw material and varnish.

Gujarat-based Heubach Colour (HCPL) and Toyo Ink signed an agreement in April to establish a JV Company 'Heubach Toyo Colour' for setting up an Azo Pigment manufacturing plant at Ankleshwar, which will cater to their individual needs as well as work towards new product development.

Ten months ago, Toyo performed Bhumi Puja ceremony at this site in Dahej before laying the foundation for the plant.