Nilpeter maps flexo strategy and automation vision

Nilpeter is reinforcing its commitment to flexo as a core technology, while also pointing to the role of automation in redefining operator productivity at the show. Executives from India and Denmark underlined how the company is aligning global innovation with local realities.

Manish Kapoor, Manish Kapoor, sales head for Indian sub continent, Nilpeter India, said longevity and reliability remain the strongest differentiators in a cost-conscious market. “We build our presses for generations,” he explained. “The first press I sold in India is still running after two decades. Customers sometimes ask why they should pay more when cheaper alternatives exist. The answer is those alternatives will not last one-fourth of the time. That is the real value of Nilpeter presses.” He added that all steel used in the Chennai plant is inspected to global standards. “We do not make presses for India and presses for Europe. The FB line produced in Chennai is of the same specification as presses built elsewhere.”

Alan Barretto, also managing director of Nilpeter India, pointed to the strategic importance of local manufacturing. “The investment made in 2010 in a complete factory setup in India is paying back. After COVID, converters realised the importance of suppliers being close to them,” he said. Barretto noted that traction for the FB line remains strong and the open house hosted with ESAGraph in Spain drew significant interest. On demonstrations in Barcelona, he highlighted the FA26 running at 400 metres a minute. “The press sets impression and register automatically. We also showed on-the-fly job change with one label waste between a five-colour and four-colour job. The operator simply switches and the press keeps running.”

For Martin Teilberg, representing Nilpeter’s global management, the focus is on automation and the Dark Room vision. “Finding good flexo operators has been a challenge for years. Digital is also pushing boundaries. The dark room concept is our answer, where conventional flexo presses run like digital with minimal operator intervention. One person could monitor multiple presses in a dark press room,” he said. Teilberg also addressed hybrid technology, noting that while Nilpeter can partner with suppliers such as Screen or Domino, “hybrid is not part of our core plan. We believe flexo is the right path.”

In the Indian context, Kapoor said breakeven points continue to guide technology choices. “Below 500-sqm, digital makes sense. Above that, flexo is viable. With FA presses, job recall reduces waste further, so breakeven can be even lower,” he explained. He added that although converters sometimes stretch flexo into short runs, the market is likely to rebalance as digital matures. Kapoor also warned of market consolidation. “I see the Indian market at the precipice of a drastic change. For years converters hurt themselves by undercutting prices. Now I expect the next couple of years will bring consolidation, a survival of the fittest.”

Kapoor also drew boundaries around flexo’s application in cartons, saying it works only in specific conditions such as cigarette or toothpaste boxes on thin virgin board with repeat long runs. “Beyond that, offset remains the right process,” he stated.

The executives converged on one theme: while print volumes are shrinking, the number of jobs and SKUs is increasing. Barretto said Nilpeter’s digital shadow feature now captures carbon footprint and productivity data directly from the press, adding that “one US customer discovered that their most experienced operators were less efficient than their new recruits after installing the system.” Kapoor stressed that embellishment and value addition will help print maintain relevance, while Teilberg linked these factors to sustainability, warning that governments and brands will need to balance regulation with economic realities.

Nilpeter’s message in Barcelona was that flexo still has headroom for growth, provided it adapts through automation and value addition. By combining durability, local manufacturing and an automation-led roadmap, the company is signalling that its presses remain relevant even as digital reshapes the label landscape.