Delhi’s Chandni strengths its post-press with Robus

The machine is equipped with a stripping option and can convert cutsheet sizes of 28x40-inches at the speed of 7,500 sheets an hour. The company is also planning to convert E-flute cartons.

Vipul Jain of Chandni Industries said, “We diversified into packaging business in November 2021, and are gradually establishing the setup. We selected the Dayuan die-cutter because of its micro embossing feature. It will help us to offer more options to our customers. Micro embossing is not only for mono cartons, it is also required for some high-end playing cards. Another reason to choose the die-cutter was its cutting pressure of 600 tonnes.”

As the company is now targeting the toy manufacturing industry, the die-cutter will help the company cut plastic boxes as well. It has a hot bed, which is helpful for creasing.

To complete its packaging production line, Chandni has also added an automatic dry lamination machine from Zhongke India; a flute pasting machine from Sodhisons Mechanical Works and an India-made window patching machine. “In the coming months, we will go for a multicolour printing press. With this, our production line will be complete,” Jain said.

Jain ordered most of the machines during PrintPack 2022. “We purchased multiple equipment during PrintPack,” he said, adding, “Right now, we are converting 70-80 tonnes per month in packaging. Being a new player, we have witnessed 30-35% growth, and there is a scope for more.”

Chandni’s journey began as a candle manufacturer, thanks to the late Chandra Prakash Jain in 1961. In the 1970s, the company diversified into playing cards and became a dedicated playing cards manufacturer in 1984. Right now, Chandni Industries manufactures one lakh playing cards packs per day and the installed capacity is to manufacture 1,25,000 playing cards packs per day. Jain joined the family-owned business in 1994.

“We are familiar with the paper and board packaging due to our existing business. So, we could start the packaging business with our existing setup. It is one of the fastest-growing industries. So, we decided to enter packaging printing,” he said.

Besides the new investments, the existing set-up at Chandni includes two Heidelberg SM 74s, one with a coater, a Heidelberg Suprasetter CTP and workflow from Heidelberg, along with India-made and manual machines.

Today, the company is targeting customers from pharma, cosmetics and FMCG. “We found that packaging is competitive and margins lie with innovation. We are ready for the same, and have invested a good amount in pre-press. We also maintain a QC lab. We are now preparing for an ink kitchen,” Jain said.

Chandni boasts of a 16-hour operation, 150-200 tons is for playing cards and our total consumption is around 250 ton per month, with a team of more than 100 people at its plant located in Barhi Industrial Area, Sonipat, Haryana.

The factory area is 1,800-sqm of which 30,000-sqft is the constructed area. “In the future, we will go for greenfield expansion and more equipment,” Jain concluded.