New print equipment, plant for Rajkot’s Printwell Offset

Packager and commercial print specialist, Printwell Offset in Rajkot has put into service the newly installed Heidelberg CD 102 five-colour inline coating press with LE-UV, which the firm claims is the first in India, and a Heidelberg Suprasetter A74 four-up CTP system at its new 66,000 sq/ft plant in Aji GIDC Main Road in Rajkot

22 Apr 2013 | By PrintWeek India & Rushikesh Aravkar

Speaking to PrintWeek India team during its visit to the plant, Jitubhai Patel, director of Printwell, said, “The new equipment has enabled us to cater to premium packaging applications especially those requiring UV.”

Patel also said that the automation on the press like auto plate loading, auto registration and quick ink setting has cut makeready time and wastages. “We have saved time to the tune of 75% and because of the quick registration and ink setting, the second or third copy itself has become saleable,” said Patel.

The Heidelberg CD 102 runs at the speed of 15,000 sph and is capable of printing on plastics, metpet, metallised paper, foil laminated boards and lenticular sheets among others. The Suprasetter A74 at the plant produces 1,000 plates per month, which according to Patel is his present requirement, but is capable of much more. “We will utilise it to the full capacity in coming months.”

The firm also has three e-flute corrugation lines, polar cutting machine, ten manual die-cutters and three lamination machines among other post-press kit. The firm also boasts of a testing lab for its packaging requirements.

The Rs 10-crore firm's product portfolio consists of printed box, cartons, POS, wrappers, stickers, labels and tags in packaging; and brochures catalogues, pamphlets, diaries, calendars in the commercial segment. The firm consumes 200 tonnes of paper and paperboard per month, 80% duplex board and remaining is art paper. It uses Toyo, DIC and Sakata inks.

Printwell began its print journey in 1994 with a single-colour Mudrika press, gradually upgrading to Heidelberg single-, two, five-colour presses from 2000 to 2005. Over the years the firm also acquired new site at Bhaktinagar and the present plant at Aji GIDC, since its establishment at Mira Udyog.

Patel plans to replace some of the old presses with new ones. When PrintWeek India team visited the plant, the site was under development for further expansion. Patel said, “In the next two to three months, we plan to install a new Heidelberg press and post-press line which includes lamination machine from Suba Solutions, a couple of die-cutters from Bobst and Excel and a PUR binding system.”

Patel is assisted by his brother Hitesh, in management of the three plants.