Acme Rolltech expands reach at labelexpo

For managing director Sandeep Sharma, Labelexpo Europe 2025 has been as much about building new partnerships as it has been about showing technology. He said that around 80% of visitors to the company’s stand came from outside India, with embellishment as the main discussion point. “Our idea was to create new agent partners in new regions, specifically in Europe. We have had very good discussions, and embellishment has been the key talking point,” he explained. 

The company is promoting inline embellishment solutions that replicate screen-type raised, texture and scent-touch effects, as well as glitter transfer, without the need for heavy offline machinery.

Acme is also preparing to install its third engraving machine in Ahmedabad in October, with production scheduled to begin by November. 

Sharma said the machine incorporates significant hardware and software upgrades, enabling the company to foray into embossing rollers for glass, leather and cigarette cartons, alongside speciality applications in security and registered printing. “On metal when you engrave there is always a challenge of durability. We already have an engineering division where we play with alloys. We can now provide a material you can scratch with a blade and it will not mark. That durability opens niche applications,” he said.

Sustainability is being positioned as central to Acme’s offering. Sharma claimed that the company was the first in India to promote refurbishment of anilox rolls under its Acme Refurbishment Anilox Programme (ARAP). Since its launch in 2019, the company has sold more than 15,000 anilox rolls, of which 7,000–8,000 have been refurbished. “By refurbishing, we have saved more than 10 tonnes of iron. We encourage customers to send us rolls in whichever boxes they have, so we avoid making new wooden boxes. That is the level of detail we go into,” Sharma explained.

The refurbishment process replaces the entire ceramic coating rather than simply re-engraving, allowing Acme to offer a one-year warranty on refurbished rolls. A new one offers two years warranty. Customers can also change specifications such as line screen or cell volume during refurbishment. “It is sustainable, it is faster and we give a warranty. That is why 98% of our customers in India now use both new and refurbished rolls,” Sharma said.

On the technical side, Sharma said Acme has developed special channel structures to achieve higher densities at faster speeds without compromising fineness. Rolls of up to 4.5 metres wide are now possible, and the company has moved sleeve production in-house in India over the last two and a half years. Partnerships with companies such as Actega are helping to develop new embellishment applications, particularly for wide-web and CI flexo.

Acme estimates it currently supplies 45–50% of India’s anilox requirements across narrow web, wide web, offset, corrugation and speciality coating. Sharma said the company has taken a conscious decision to defend this share and focus growth on international markets. “We intend to keep this 45–50% market share and grow with the 7–8% organic market growth. At the same time our exposure to international markets has been tremendous. We have grown strongly in Latin America, South Africa and the Middle East, and we are now targeting Europe and planning to enter the US,” he said.

The new machine was ordered during Drupa 2025 time, as part of this growth strategy. While 90% of its use will remain ceramic, it has been upgraded to enable trials in embossing. Sharma said demand in India for embossing applications is rising, particularly in folding cartons. “We see huge potential in this niche. Ceramic is always at the core, but the new alloys we are developing allow us to explore new segments where durability and precision are critical,” he noted.

Sharma added that Acme’s repeat business stands at around 90–95%, reflecting customer confidence in both new and refurbished products. With the expansion of infrastructure and diversification into embossing, he said the company is positioning itself to support converters as they move into shorter runs, wider webs, and higher-value applications.