PrintWeekIndia - Latest Articles

Me & My: MGI Jetvarnish

Rahul Kumar — Mon, 24 Jun 2019 10:00:00

Please describe your company.
With 22 years of experience, Printonica is a photobook and commercial printing company known for its quality print services. It has been a winner of the HP Asia Pacific Awards for best photobook and best commercial printer for the last seven years. Printonica was also the winner of PrintWeek India Digital Photo Album Printer of the Year Awards in 2014 and 2015.

When did you start using the MGI Jetvarnish?
We have been using the print enhancement equipment from October 2018.

What are the properties of the MGI Jetvarnish you like?
The digital spot-UV coating/ hot-foiling for 2D/ 3D effects. Also, the machine produces wonderful emboss and foil effects in digital print output. Its effects make printed products attractive and eye-catching.

How are you benefiting?
The machine offers 100% digital solution, thus simplifying the spot-UV process. With the combination of emboss and foil, the machine offers quality emboss output with perfect sharpness. It has helped offer value-added services to our customers, thus increasing customer satisfaction for us.

Did you look at similar devices?
We did look at Korean machines, but preference was given to MGI because of its unique features and perfect quality output.

What are the features that tilted the favour?
There are several, including good production speed; perfect registration; combination of emboss effect and foil; limited wastage; print inline correction; facility to select degree of embossing according to design requirement; and clean technology.

How much have these features helped you in your print production?
These features have helped us significantly. In photobook, a variety of products can be produced with a combination of emboss and foil. Plus, the visual impact of spot-UV coating enhances beautification, as wide range of substrates can be used.

For what applications is the print enhancement equipment used?
We use the MGI Jetvarnish for photobooks and commercial jobs.

Is there anything that you do not like or can be improved about this?
The pre-print process time can be minimised. The rest is up to the mark.

If a critical print job comes your way, would you rely on this to see it through?
Certainly. MGI is a good machine to relay good output with different media to create unique products.

What’s the quality like?
Even after the emboss effect, the transparency of print remains clear. The emboss foil application is also excellent due to perfect sharpness. Both of these are possible thanks to the two-level dry print option of the machine.

How easy is it to use?
Due to print inline correction facility and many other good features, it is easy to use.

Would you say that it offers value for money?
As production cost is low on this machine, we can produce a range of products like photobooks, invitation cards and many other commercial print products with excellent quality. Therefore, it certainly offers value for money.

Were there any difficulties in operating the machine?
With its level of automation, print inline correction and other such features, we have faced no difficulties in operating the machine.

Who do you think the print enhancement equipment is right for?
The machine is for creating unique photobook products and for bringing newness to photobooks and commercial print products.

Conclusion

User’s verdict
Speed *****
Quality *****
Reliability *****
Value for money *****

Supplier’s response
Manish Gupta, national marketing manager, PP & IP, Konica Minolta Business Solutions India, says, “The MGI is a wonderful machine to produce unique print products and offer value-added services. The newness of a product can be experienced with the combination of emboss and foil effects with accurate registration in a variety of print products like photobooks, invitation cards, business cards, catalogues and various other commercial print products, creating a ‘wow’ feel in customers and making the customers feel privileged.”

Contact details
Manish Gupta
National Marketing Manager, PP & IP,
Konica Minolta Business Solutions India
Mobile +91-96540 99413
Email: manish.gupta@konicaminolta.com

Me & My: Zhongke rigid box kit

Rahul Kumar — Mon, 24 Jun 2019 10:00:00

Please describe your company.
Packmaax India is a partnership venture between Sumit Goel and Niketan Agarwal. I am responsible for business planning and development and Niketan is responsible for production. We are new to the packaging industry. Our plant, located in Noida, is equipped with two fully automatic rigid box manufacturing machines from Zhongke India, flute laminator and other post-press equipment. We are in the process of installing press and pre-press. We plan to have a full-fledged print production facility under one roof by the middle of this year.

When did you start using the Zhongke rigid box machines?
Our fully automatic Zhongke rigid box and grooving machines are in operation for the last six months.

What are the properties of the machine you like?
Its speed, consistent quality production, easy operations, quick job change, on site operator training and economical price were the points when we decided to invest in the machine.

Why rigid box?
Living standards in the country is improving and so is the demand for packaged products. We realised that end users want products to be packed not only in attractive but also in a clean and hygienic way. Rigid box offers a perfect solution to this. We offer quality rigid boxes to different segments, including Haldiram, with whom we are working closely.

Did you look at other such machines?
Yes, we did. It being capital equipment, it’s mandatory. I looked at other Chinese, Italian and Japanese machines, but found Zhongke to be more stable and value for money, with good after-sales services in India.

What are the features of the machine you like?
Most available rigid box machines work on the same principle and technologies but Mr Yu, the owner of Zhongke, is directly involved in R&D and production of the machines. So, the technology and metallurgy of the machines are better than other players. I also found Zhongke’s design to be very stable. The company has sold over 3,000 machines all over the world and holds more than 50% share of the rigid box industry. I visited Zhongke’s customers in China and found that high quality rigid boxes for most of major mobile brands, shoe brands and cosmetic packaging are being produced on Zhongke machines.

For what applications are the machine used?
It being a fully automatic rigid box machine, it is used to manufacture rigid boxes for multiple industries like sweets, electronics, cosmetics and others.

Is there anything that you do not like or can be improved about this?
I believe improvement is a continuous process. For the moment, we did not face any issue. Installation of the machine and training of the staff, all went well.

What’s the quality like?
The boxes produced on a Zhongke kit have been accepted by our customers.

How easy is it to use?
It’s an easy-to-use machine once the essential training is was provided by Zhongke team.

Would you say that it offers value for money?
Yes, it offers value for money. That’s why we are buying two more fully automatic machines and few semi-automatic machines to produce high quality short-run boxes.

Who do you think the rigid box machine is right for?
This is the right machine for your packaging needs, especially to produce quality rigid boxes at a speed of 30 boxes per minute.

Under what circumstances would you recommend it to others?
I would recommend Zhongke to anyone who wants to enter into rigid box manufacturing. I would recommend the fully automatic machines for fast and long production and semi-automatic machines for short-run and special boxes.

Conclusion

User verdict

Speed *****
Quality *****
Reliability *****
Value for money *****

Supplier response

Rohit Rajpal, CEO, Zhongke India, said, “The Indian market is full of opportunities and that’s the reason new entrepreneurs are investing in the industry. The demand now is for smart packaging. Packaging should be attractive yet functional and cost-effective. Zhongke has a full range of products to cater to the market demand, especially for rigid box manufacturing. We have installed 20 rigid box-making machines at Replika Packaging in Kundli. Such kind of investments and installations show the confidence of our customers about our products and services.”

Contact: Rohit Rajpal; Zhongke Indial; +91 9899093333; rohit@zhongkeindia.com

Made in India: Newslight 40 Compact

Rahul Kumar — Wed, 24 Apr 2019 13:03:00

With print runs of newspapers getting shorter, and customers looking for a flexible solution, which is easy and economical, Prakash Web Offset, one of the leading manufacturers of web offset printing presses in India, developed the new Newslight 40 Compact specifically for newspaper production houses. The machine was launched in February 2019.

The Newslight 40 Compact, a 2x1 (single width single circumference) press with full automation options, and with a web width of 700-mm, can print 40,000 copies per hour.
“The machine’s smaller footprint, high automation level, and print stability make it a suitable newspaper production printing press,” says Saurabh Gupta of Prakash Web Offset.

Gupta adds that the machine was launched considering the price – and quality sensitive market that the newspaper industry has become. “The Newslight 40 is reasonably priced and its unique design features allow it to stand out in the market. With this product, the customer will get 25% power saving and lowest maintenance/ running cost. Its 700-mm width is exactly what industry wanted but it was not available to the customer until now,” Gupta explains.

An established player in the web offset market, besides India, Prakash has installed its machines in countries such as USA, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Nigeria, Tanzania, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Egypt, and Sudan, among others.

In India, Prakash has over 2,000 print unit installations with all leading Indian dailies, including Dainik Bhaskar, Dainik Jagran, Rajasthan Patrika, Navabharat, Haribhoomi, Dabang Dunia, Nai Dunia, Amar Ujala, Sanmarg, among others.

Quality and affordability

Today, newspaper publishing houses want high-quality presses which are reasonably priced and can be serviced or maintained easily, sometimes without the engagement of the manufacturer. Also, high automation is very important as all printers want to save on labour cost and print wastage. Service support from OEM is another critical factor while choosing a web offset supplier.

Gupta says the new machine fulfils all the above requirements.

Prakash offers 24x7 remote assistance by connecting directly to the machine using its state-of-the-art software. “With this, we can easily diagnose and fix faults from offsite.

This has given us unparalleled advantage and value to the customer,” Gupta says.

Fast and easy

Newslight 40 Compact is the world’s first 700-mm wide 40,000-cph speed machine. These days, newspapers have to churn out several editions in an ever-shrinking printing time slot. Therefore, the speed of the press is very critical if a customer wants to print all its editions on time. Gupta says the distinct features of the machine, such as 700-mm width, bearer-to-bearer cylinders, helical gears, potentiometer-based registration system, shear key on drive shaft make it a high-quality printing press.

Typical applications include printing newspaper, textbooks, magazines, question papers with variable data, answers sheet with a bar code, pre-printed stationery, among others. “One of our customers printed gold (special colour) on coated paper on our four-colour web offset printing press. Online UV drying was used for curing during the production for quick drying,” Gupta says.

He adds that web offset printing in a Prakash machine is the simplest and cheapest form of printing in applications where voluminous printing is required in a short time. Also, Gupta says, web offset unique ability to fold and cut simultaneously, makes it the most attractive printing method.

Above all, Gupta says, Newslight 40 Compact is quite easy to use. As it has a width of only 700-mm, an operator can reach each roller and cylinder quite easily. All operations, such as plate loading, blanket fitting, roller cleaning can be done from the side of the machine, and there is no need to enter the machine by opening the covers. The complete gear train is oil bath and can be seen visibly from outside due to easy covers feature. This saves hours of opening gear side covers to perform routine maintenance.

Prakash also has an option of training customers’ operator in its factory during the machine assembly stage. “We have dedicated training modules, which equip machine operators and maintenance crew learn about the machine in depth. This helps the customer maintain machine uptime 100% at his site,” Gupta says.

Prakash pays close attention to its service network. All Prakash engineers are well trained and are available to the customer on call. “Plus, Newslight 40 comes with remote diagnostic features, wherein, our factory is always connected to the machine. All machine maintenance logs and production data can be viewed online. Newslight 40 comes with unique data logging feature and a customer is assigned unique IP address where the customer can also see machine critical parameters, stoppage times, production data and more,” Gupta says.

According to Gupta, the company received outstanding feedback for the Newslight 40 Compact during PrintPack 2019. “Our live demonstration of the machine was a show-stopper. We are already working on leads of over 40 towers. We hope in FY 19-20, we will be able to install 40-45 towers of Newslight 40 Compact,” Gupta concludes.

Specifications
Maximum mechanical speed: 40,000 impressions/hour
Pages per web: 4 broadsheet, 8 tabloid
Cut-off range: 533-mm, 546-mm
Maximum web width: 700-mm
Printing unit modules: ‘H’ type, eight couple tower
Plate lock up: toolless, slot type
Blanket lock up: narrow gap spindle type
Reel splicer: fully automatic SG 50
Maximum reel diameter: 1067-mm, 1270-mm
Folder: 2:2:2 jaw type
Drive system: mechanical shaft, servo shaftless

Customer testimonial

We are a long-standing customer of web offset printing presses from Prakash and are using multiple 24-coloured pages machines. We are satisfied with the print quality and after-sales service.
Rakesh Bhandari, Rajasthan Patrika

Prakash Web Offset has been associated with Jagran Prakashan from the last several years. We are using Prakash presses, load-bearing autopaster SG50 at our printing centres. We have a good experience with the company.
SK Singh, Dainik Jagran

We work closely with Prakash Web Offset. We were the first one to trust its Newlight line of machines and placed orders for multiple 24-colour pages machines. We are happy with the product and its performance. Prakash’s inclination towards innovation and the technology is admirable.
Dinesh Sharma of Dainik Bhaskar

We are using Prakash’s machines at our multiple locations, not only the printing presses but also turner bars, autopaster and web cleaner. I can confidently say that Prakash has proven to be a strong player in the industry by offering, innovative products and by maintaining good quality standards.
Pradeep Unny, Amar Ujala

Made in India: Megabound Active Dual Plus case-maker

Rahul Kumar — Wed, 27 Feb 2019 10:56:00

The Active Dual Plus automatic case-maker is one of the star products of Megabound, the manufacturer of complete hard-case solutions for the books binding industry in India. Based in Bengaluru, the company was co-founded by N Srinivasa Reddy in 2001. Reddy says each month the company sells at least five Active Dual Plus kits.

The machine can be used to manufacture diaries, table-top calendars, boxes for packaging, book covers, exam pads and other products that need outer side hard. A printer can use this case-maker for window packaging boxes, especially for readymade garment and cloth industries.

Megabound developed the machine seven years back on the demand of its existing customers. Earlier, most of the processes would be manual, but now it is fully automatic and two operators can easily operate the machine.

The company has so far installed around 400 machines in India, and in the neighbouring countries. There are some installations in the US as well. Of these, 300 machines are installed in India.

“We install around 50 Active Dual Plus annually,” Reddy says. “We have observed that in the last two years, the demand for the case-maker has increased and so does the number of installations.”

Reddy insists that being an Indian manufacturer, the company has developed the machine for Indian circumstances, as Indian board does not work on all the machines. “We have developed this machine for board programme. We have changed the programme,” he says.

The machine can also be used for packaging boxes with a window to show the product. Reddy says in Mumbai, many printers are using the machine for window boxes. “We can say that we are the only manufacturer in India for such kind of machine,” he adds.

Making of the case-maker

Launched during Pamex 2011 held at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, the machine had a long and illustrious journey, along the way becoming Megabound’s best product on offer. The company first targeted books printers, diary manufacturers, exercise notebook manufacturers, table-top calendars manufacturers and so on. Now that it can manufacture boxes as well, the company has introduced the machine in the packaging segment as well.

Reddy says while board fixing and turning of the machine is automatic, gluing is usually manual. The company offers automatic gluing as well, but it does drive the price to the higher side. “Without automatic gluing, the price of the machine is half compared to a machine with the automatic gluing line,” he says.

This differentiation works as most converters opt for the machine for its competitive pricing.

Working with automation

Also, the setting time of the machine is only ten minutes. So, anyone can set the machine. Reddy says in other automatic machines, there is a need to set the dummy part too, but not in Megabound Active Dual Plus. There is no need for any setting. Thus, converters can use it for both short- and long-runs. “A printer can do 100 cases as easily as he can do a few thousand and more, without any skilled operator running this machine,” Reddy says.

The machine also works well with variable sizes. This is important because only a few printers in India use board cutters. So in most cases, boards come with size variations and the machine can handle them well.

So, Reddy says, the machine was designed to fulfil three requirements. One, it should be easy to operate without any skill requirement. Two, it should be cost-effective. Three, the production must be fast and precise.

Reddy insists it fulfils all the three requirements, producing 450 cases/ pieces per hour.

Better finishing

Reddy says customers need better finishing. For this, registration is a must. One millimetre of difference can change the shape of the final product. That’s why printers need automatic board registration. “Our automatic registration is precise up to the level of .01 mm +/-. On this machine, we can register inner sheet pasting as well,” he explains.

The machine is equipped with an infesto cylinder. These are magnetic rod censored cylinders for the accuracy of board fixing. The entire machine is manufactured with stainless steel and aluminium to avoid rust because water is being used in glue tank, and also, other liquids are used during the operation. That’s why even the old machines also look young and new, he says.

The machine can handle paper, cloth, rexine, velvet, coated paper, kraft paper and others, except PVC for covers. “In India, this is the only product of its kind and we can say that we are the only manufacturer for such kind of products,” Reddy says.

The company has also introduced screw rod adjustment given for the automatic adjustment. Thus, there is no need to remove any parts in the machine. “Earlier, we used to remove the parts and set it manually, but now, everything is automatic,” he says.

For customers

Reddy says the machine has been improved with customers’ suggestions. “We advise the use of gelatine glue and cold glue (optional), but we do not provide any kind of glue to our customers,” he says. The company also provides onsite training for two to three days.

For after-sale services, the company has a direct presence in the cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata and Ahmedabad. Services depend on customers’ locations. “In Delhi, sometimes we provide service within an hour. In any case, we offer a solution for the problem within 24 hours,” Reddy says.

This may be one of the reasons why the company gets more from its existing customers. Around 80% of its customers have more than three machines.

“When I visit a customer, I focus on how they use the material, how they prepare the material, how they start the machine, and so on. This is because just a machine cannot offer quality. Preparation before production is equally important,” he says.

Customer testimonial | Martin John, general manager, Shakthi Printech

Megabound machines produce quality products which have acceptability in the market. We do not have any issue and do preventive maintenance. We have never faced any breakdown and such. We work for all corporates and multinational companies. We are into commercial and packaging printing and are planning to diversify into the packaging printing business.

Working on the Active Dual Plus

All the operations are executed by the operator seated in front of the machine. The operator passes the cover material into the gluing unit where it receives an even coating of hot gelatin glue. Utilising foot switches, the operator controls the air suction plate for perfect registration of the cover material. By the use of suction bars, the Active Dual Plus automatically places the board pieces accurately on to the cover material.

Turning in of the cover material on all four edges takes place in only two passes of the case. This process is enhanced by the use of brushes and pressing rollers. An added benefit is that the Active Dual Plus model can also handle cases with a central window cut-out for photo albums production. At this point, the working process is completed and the final product is delivered to the rear of the machine on an inclined delivery table.

After gluing, only placing the board on the paper takes place. Boards come automatically as per the registration. It fixes automatically and the next process is turning unit. In turning unit, it has six varieties of programmes, to handle both lower grammage and higher grammage paper and board.

Specifications

Minimum case size: 100mmx160mm

Maximum case size: 450mmx800mm

Paper thickness: 60gsm-170gsm

Board thickness: 1.5mm-5.0mm

Turning-in width: 15mm-30mm

Production: 480 cases per hour

Glue: Hot/cold (optional)

Power: 5.5 HP, 3 phase, 415 V

Dimensions: H 1300mm x L 2500mm x W 1400mm

Weight: 800 kgs

Gluing System: Bottom

Manpower: Two

Product of the month: Edale FL5

Rushikesh Aravkar — Fri, 18 Jan 2019 16:56:00

What does it do?
The FL5 is a flexographic printing press with flatbed die-cutter that enables the user to produce highly embellished cartons in a single pass. This brings in many benefits for a packaging converter. One, the work-in-progress material lying on the shopfloor is minimal. Also, since it is a single-pass operation the manpower requirement, electricity requirement and capital investment is low.

How does it work?
The press takes all the principles of label production and gives this flexibility to carton makers. The FL5 can handle substrates from 12-micron to 600-micron. It is modular in design and can be configured to any customer requirements. The FL5 is designed for cartons so unlike many label presses that claim to be carton presses it has large diameter rollers, a 1.5-metre unwind and uniquely can have a flatbed die-cutter in line. This allows many processes such as reverse print, foiling, cast and cure, lamination, die-cutting and stripping to be carried out in a single pass.

When was it launched and what market is it aimed at?
The FL5 with flatbed die-cutter has been around for nearly 10 years, however with the advancements in plate technology it has been a serious alternative to the traditional offset carton printing process. It is aimed at the low- to medium-sized run length carton segment. This is an ideal machine for anyone who aims to make an entry into the carton production market and also for anyone looking at expansion to already established offset printing operations.

What’s the USP?
The range of substrates and level of automation allow complete flexibility. From thin film to carton board all products can be run, which makes it an ideal press for label producers looking at the carton market and vice-versa.

What support is available?
Every Edale press allows for remote connection from the Edale factory allowing for quick and efficient diagnostics of most problems. As all Edale presses are servo driven there is a real benefit to the customer. Also, earlier this year, Edale has recruited and deployed a service engineer for India.

How easy is it to use?
The FL5 comes with five motors on each print station and full register as standard. This allows for storage of all jobs so set-up time and waste are much reduced. Edale develops all electrical and mechanical parts and software in-house and has been at the forefront of automation for the past five years. The addition of the Edale AiiR (autonomous inking, impression and register) system makes it the easiest press to operate in the market today. Also, changeover times are fast and efficient allowing for many jobs to be run per day.

Who’s using it?
There are a number of installations all around the world and two of these in India at Itek Packz, Bengaluru and NAP Printers, Kolkata.

How much does it cost?
This depends on a number of considerations such as width, number of print stations etc. One thing is for sure it is very cost effective compared to traditional carton manufacture methods.

Specifications
Size range: Upto a maximum web width of 570mm and print width of 550mm

Substrates: 12-micron to 600-micron

Contact: darren.pickford@edale.com, amitabh@printersuppliers.com

Made in India: Jetsci Colornovo UV inkjet label press

Rahul Kumar — Fri, 07 Dec 2018 13:20:00

Over the years, Chennai-based Monotech Systems has consolidated its home-grown inkjet printing machinery business under the brand name Jetsci. One of the key products in the Jetsci brand is the Jetsci–Colornovo UV inkjet label production press. The machine is available in various configurations as per the requirements based on colours (CMYK/W), and with print width of 216mm and 324mm. It also comes with customised inline/offline finishing and converting options.

According to Jimit Mittal, vice-president, inkjet products and solutions, Monotech Systems, Colornovo is based on the drop-on-demand UV Inkjet printhead technology from Kyocera, Japan. Mittal says a 216mm Colornovo press can produce over 150,000 sqmt and a 324mm press can produce over 250,000 sqmt of jobs per month at a resolution of 600x600 dpi and speeds up to 70m/min with 10 hours shift per day for 25 days per month. “We have collaborated with Grafisk Maskinfabrik, Denmark, for the web control systems, which includes various inline finishing and converting options,” Mittal says.

The machine had a soft launch about a year ago at a beta site in China. Based on the feedback, many upgrades and development have been done and now the machine is commercially available.

Mittal says the press is suitable for all label printers with short to medium-run jobs, short turnaround time, multiple SKUs, variable data printing and others, required to deliver their jobs, which are not possible or difficult with conventional printing processes.

“Digital solution complements all conventional workflows and gives the capabilities to the customer to decide their own process while printing and delivering jobs,” he adds.

The technology
The machine is based on the complete digital workflow minimising the conventional process like requirements of flexo plates/ pre-press. Customers can provide a digital file format like PDF, AI, EPS which can be directly printed on the machine with a user selective profile, ink limits, workflows based on the different substrate materials. In short, the complete workflow in production can be completed digitally.

The Colornovo is equipped to address all medium-run label jobs regardless of the substrate being used. It also comes with additional value-added features like variable data printing. It is equipped with colour management workflow.

“One of our to-be-customer has a job of more than 200 SKUs with varied repeat length and each set of job has 2,000- 10,000 labels, which could not be possible with any conventional press. Colornovo has delivered the solution,” Mittal says, adding that the company is seeing a major shift in these types of requirements in industries like cosmetics, liquor, pharma, health, and food products.

Configuration
In hybrid UV inkjet, the company provides complete workflow with the choice of print width and colours. It comes with fully integrated production and software. The user can create their own customised profiles, colour matching, colour replacement, and variable data printing. The machine is equipped with inter-colour LED pinning (after each colour), full curing by LED or mercury lamp, spectrophotometer and many other ancillaries needed for digital printing solution. The software also features the reduction of ink usage without affecting the overall quality thus reducing the ink usage and running cost.

In a standalone solution, the standard system is equipped with web cleaner, corona treatment, static eliminators, UV inkjet with all the above features and components with a choice to add finishing options like spot servo registered flexo, cold foil, lamination and converting options like semi/ full rotary die-cut, slitting and dual rewind. The web control system offered by Grafisk Maskinfabrik is completely modular and future upgradable.

The Jetsci Colornovo UV inkjet label production press

Mittal says the customers have the choice to configure their systems as per requirements based on print width of 216mm and 324mm and the colours CMYK (with or without white). The 216mm CMYK/W kit is on field upgradable to 324mm CMYK/W.

If a customer wants to start with low investment; based on volume increase upgrade can be offered. All UV inkjet configurations are available as a hybrid solution ready to be installed on conventional press like flexo or with a standalone web control system with finishing and converting options.

Thus, according to Mittal, the USP of the machine includes the lower total cost of ownership; substrate flexibility; opaque white; no job repeats length limitation; most substrates do not require the primer. “We offer customers the future-ready path with an easy on the field upgrade at minimum cost whenever there is a technology upgrade,” he adds.

Specifications:

Resolution	600X600 dpi / 600X1200 dpi
Print width	220 mm and 330 mm
Technology	UV Inkjet (Drop on demand)
Speed	Up to 70m/min
Colours	CMYK (optional white) (inter-color LED pinning)
Substrates	Standard flexo label materials

The market
Mittal says the configuration of the label press depends on the actual requirement of the customer and its current set up. “Many customers like to go with hybrid printing by installing a digital set up on the current conventional process which could save the initial investment and provide flexibility,” he says.

He adds that the standalone digital solutions are also very popular where customers can configure their system with the choice of finishing and converting options.
In recent years, UV inkjet technology has seen great advancements and has been accepted widely for most of the label printing requirements. “It is a flexible solution in terms of investment, flexibility on the substrates, no click cost, low running cost and high productivity,” says Mittal, adding that Monotech's Jetsci Colornovo is the only one developed in India meeting all the international standards.

Mittal adds that the Colornovo is customised to suit Indian and other global label printing requirements. “Label printers have options to choose from hybrid UV inkjet to inline full colour standalone digital label production press which generally is not being offered by most of the manufacturers globally,” he says.

The machine comes with a user-friendly interactive GUI/ workflow with step by step process of printing which is very easy to understand and use. “It can be adopted after a short training from our engineers,” Mittal says, adding, “We have a demo and training centre in Gurugram at our manufacturing facility where we are equipped with all training and testing equipment. We offer customers advanced training on operations of machine maintenance, colour management, colour matching and all necessary production workflow training. The same training is also offered at after-sales and installation at the site as well.”

Inkjet at Monotech
Monotech has a vast experience in integrating various inkjet printhead technologies with over 150+ installations in over 14 countries. “Colornovo is an adaptation of the same technology experience and continuous in-house research and development efforts keeping in mind the customised requirements of the label printer and converters,” he says, adding, “The Colornovo is has been successfully installed in China a few months ago. We will have four to five installations in India and overseas before the end of this financial year.”

On the recent trends in the industry, Mittal says that every customer has the requirement of digital, but factors like total cost of ownership, operational cost, productivity, turnaround time has proved to be a hindrance in their investing in digital. “The Colornovo has made this possible for the label printers to go ahead with digital printing with the best total cost of ownership, operational cost, productivity, and with the shortest turnaround time,” he adds.

Me & My: Kodak Sonora X process-free plates

PrintWeek India — Thu, 09 Aug 2018 16:16:00

Describe your company.
Started in 1968, Concord Printing Press is a second-generation print firm previously known as Pravin Printing Press and Concord Enterprise. Today, offset packaging forms more than 70% of our business. At Concord we believe in being ahead of the curve by investing in the latest technologies, be it implementing the first UV system from Air Motion Systems (AMS) in India or being early adopters of Heidelberg and RMGT printing presses in the region. This is one of the reasons why we started using the process-free printing plates Sonora X from Kodak along with the Kodak Trendsetter Q800 platesetter in April 2018.

What are the properties of the plates you like?
After spending almost 25 years in the industry, I believe in thermal technology because it provides unmatched quality, accurate reproduction of halftones and freshness of colours that can be brought to life. With Sonora X, we have achieved all this and more. Being completely process-free, Sonora X simplifies pre-press operations.

How are you benefiting?
We used to procure violet plates from a pre-press bureau for our printing needs. With an in-house process-free bundle of Kodak thermal CTP and Sonora X process-free plates, we now have complete control over quality, faster-to-market approach for quicker turnaround, increased productivity and huge savings on costs.

How much have these features helped you in your production?
It decreased steps in pre-press – it’s one single step on the CTP and then direct to press. This means no processing is needed, eliminating the requirement of any additional manpower. It’s cleaner, faster and economical.

For what applications are the plates used?
We use it for both packaging and commercial jobs.

Is there anything that you do not like in the product?Being the latest in process-free technology, it offers a greener pre-press environment. However, Sonora X has some limitations in repeatability. With the exception of that, it seems to surpass the performance of any processed plates for our printing needs.

What’s the quality like?
The quality of printing is top-notch, as is the norm with Kodak’s thermal plates. When using violet plates earlier, we used to discount 1% to 3% dots as we could never reproduce those in print. With the adoption of Sonora X, we can now achieve accurate reproduction of dots as fine as 1%. This has been a helpful revelation for us, especially when printing shadows and vignettes. With process-free technology, we can immediately eliminate the quality variations that come with processing such as chances of dot loss or any change in pre-press parameters.

How easy is it to use?
Sonora X process-free platemaking is easy and quick.

Would you say that it offers value for money?
Yes it is 100% value for money. We save on all parameters and costs of processing – cost of capex and maintenance for a processing equipment, cost of chemicals, water and electricity, time to process, variability from processing, manpower needed. Since we can completely eliminate all these costs unlike a processed or process less setup and make our pre-press fully process free and green in all ways, I would say it is a saviour not just in costs but also for the environment.

Who do you think the product is right for?
This is a great product for most of the printing environments, especially commercial and offset packaging printing.

Under what circumstances would you recommend it to others?
It is a superb product. It is bundled with the accuracy, reliability and robustness of the Kodak CTP system

Product of the month: Xerox Iridesse

Sriraam Selvam — Thu, 09 Aug 2018 15:19:00

Within a few weeks since Xerox made a global launch of the first toner-based digital printer that can print four-colour process plus two speciality dry colours in a single pass, the Iridesse production press, the company has achieved India’s first installation at Royal Offset in New Delhi.

The new printer enables users to print metallic gold or silver, CMYK and clear dry ink in a single pass, alongside newly developed technology for colour management and a range of automation.

Balaji Rajagopalan, executive director, technology, channels and international distributor operations, Xerox India, says, “Though there have been a few products which offered extra colour like our very own 1000i, the Iridesse platform is unique because it can print on all types of media over a wide range of grammage.”

Taking a maximum sheet size of 330x488mm, the Iridesse can print at speeds up to 120ppm for A4 and 60ppm for sizes A3-SRA3. It can take stock weighing anywhere between 52 and 400gsm and print at “ultra HD resolution” of 2,400dpi with 10-bit RIP rendering.

Rajagopalan explains, “It makes use of Xerox’s High Definition Emulsion Aggregate (HD EA) toner designed to have the “optimal particle size” for smooth tints and fine details. It runs using Xerox’s EX-P 6 Print server developed by EFI Fiery enabling the creation of customised workflows for metallic applications.”

Keep in mind that the speed of operations of most digital presses is affected when the grammage of the paper goes up, in this press, the speed remains unaffected at 120ppm irrespective of the factors like grammage or tray switching even when CMYK+ is used. The technology of flat paper pass used in the engine is the crucial factor for this feature.

(l-r) Vikas Arora of Royal Offset and Martyn Train, general manager and vice-president, graphic communications, developing markets operations at Xerox

“The new Xerox Iridesse Press gives us the ability to print clear coated metallic with CMYK in a single pass. This creates a paradigm shift from a basic four colour print to a unique offering with our creativity which sets the print apart providing our clients with an excellent value addition for an unmatched print output.”

Vikas Arora, director, Royal Offset.

The Iridesse comes with unique set of automation features in terms of makeready, says Rajagopalan, adding, “Several makeready steps like calibration, registration and colour management, which take more than thirty minutes in other CMYK presses, are taken care by a click of a button or two and that too in matters of five to ten minutes. At the end of the day, the press can consistently print within a page, between pages as well as between jobs to provide standardisation.”

Xerox has positioned the new product “between the Versant 3100 and the iGen press” in its portfolio. While the manufacturer has stopped selling the 1000i for a while now, the Iridesse fits into the platform of a 1000i but is seen as a massive upgrade to what 1000i was capable of.

Rajagopalan elaborates, “First, this is a single-pass press with six colours which can do both underpass, overpass and print gold, silver and dry inks. Second, technically, the toner is completely different in this press, with arguably the smallest particle size, so this ensures the output quality is far more superior.”

Customers can purchase only CMYK and then add on the two special colours for embellishment. Xerox plans to tap into the high-end commercial digital print segment wherein customers want to do any possible value addition to the regular CMYK print copy like foil, varnish, etc. The shine, the metallic effect and the other embellishments that one can create with the clear overlay and underlay ensure this press gives the user a plethora of options to go creative.

According to Rajagopalan, this machine does both printing and embellishments like varnish, foiling, etc and is available at half the price of a regular CMYK press and a digital enhancement press together. In terms of cost per copy, it is cheaper than the 1000 when it comes to CMYK output.

The ink is developed with Ultraflex technology which is another differentiating factor. The crucial technology for Xerox is the research for the new toner built into Iridesse.

“I think we truly cracked the code with the toner and the particle size used. This ensures that it can produce the required CMYK output and the embellishments using gold, silver and/or clear dry ink. This is apart from the standard expectation in this class of presses like a full-width array, and BTR,” says Rajagopalan.

The press uses the brand-new EX-P 6 Print Server from EFI which processes over seven terabytes of data per hour. The server plays a big role in colour management apart from standard Fiery tools like Impose, Compose, and ImageViewer.

Additional options for customers include a high capacity feeder, a multi-sheet inserter tray, an offset catch tray with 500-sheet capacity and a high capacity stack. Finishing options include an interface module to connect the press to inline finishing units including crease and two-sided trimmer, bookletmakers and a Xerox SquareFold fold-trim module.

Talking about the first Indian installation of Iridesse at Royal Offset, Rajagopalan said, “We have seen Mr Arora and his facility grow by leaps and bounds and are extremely proud to say that Xerox has been a part of this incredible journey. We hope with the Xerox Versant 2100, Duplo DC 646 and the new Iridesse production press, they achieve even greater heights. We believe that their new investment is an extremely smart business decision since the Iridesse with its robust production capabilities, will allow them to take on complex jobs and deliver absolutely stunning results,” he concluded.

Specifications

Resolution 2400 x 2400 dpi

Speed A4: 120ppm; A3: 60ppm

Maximum Paper Size A3

Minimum Paper Size A6

Weight 52 to 400 gsm

Made in India: Checkmate 50

Rahul Kumar — Tue, 24 Jul 2018 14:16:00

In today’s quality-conscious market, to achieve flawless production, a carton inspection system is a must. And there are options to choose from. There are those from Europe, as well as from China. And then, there’s Checkmate 50, perhaps the most popular carton inspection machine manufactured in India.

So what does Checkmate 50 do? The machine, manufactured by Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu-based Autoprint, compares the cartons to be inspected with master cartons, which are selected as per the acceptance level of the customer. It then segregates good and rejected cartons based on results given by the inspection system. The machine can inspect cartons for pharma and FMCG applications at the speed of 250m/min.

Checkmate 50 is for packaging houses which manufacture pharma, FMCG, food or cigarette cartons. Beside regular cartons, the machine can also inspect registered holograms. According to KG Suresh, joint managing director, Autoprint Machinery, few of the company’s customers are also using the machine to inspect G and E-flute cartons.

Reliability and productivity
Listing the USP of the machine, Suresh says Checkmate 50 is a user-friendly system for quick job changeover. It contains a mistake-proof ejector, meaning that not a single rejected carton will pass into the accepted pile. “Also, the machine assures high productively as the inspection speed does not slow down for even complicated cartons. Plus, it has an excellent yield due to its ability to set up as close to human inspection as possible,” Suresh explains, adding that the company’s after-sales service is unmatched, given that it is an Indian product which uses Indian software.

The next question is the suitability of the machine vis-à-vis cost, with India being a price-sensitive market. Suresh argues that the machine helps customers save on cost. “The machine adds value to the converter’s shopfloor, as 100% inspection of cartons ensures perfect quality. Inspecting manually is an extremely skilled job, which this machine can avoid and save cost. We find that customers using our machine are able to ship out more quantities per day, increasing their top line. Customers with Checkmate 50 are also getting more jobs from their customers due to assured quality,” he says.

This may explain the machine’s popularity. In the last 30 months, the company has installed 28 Checkmate kits, including two in Malayasia. This includes four cases of repeat orders from the existing customers — Parksons Packaging (at Daman, Guwahati, Pune); Laxmi (at Vapi and Goa); Rich Offset (two at Siliguri and two at Baddi) and Award Packaging (at Mumbai and Silvassa).

Other customers include Any Graphics; Essentra; Kumar Printers; Meera Offset; Noble Printing Press; Param Packaging; Paramount Print Packaging; Pragati Pack; Pravesha Industries; Printmann Offset; Sapco (Shree Arun Packaging); TCPL and Yamir Packaging, among others.

Complete solution
The reason is simple, Suresh explains. Checkmate 50 offers what converters want in an inspection system, namely, reliability on inspection results, user-friendliness, productivity, after-sales service, and an affordable price. Checkmate 50, Suresh says, checks all the boxes. “We have designed the machine as standard, so every possible requirement is available in the machine,” he adds. This includes 100% carton tracking system, which tracks all cartons to ensure that all rejected cartons go to the rejected pile, and automatic brightness correction ensuring excellent repeatability of inspection.

Suresh argues that this feature to check that all rejected cartons are placed in the rejected pile is not available in the competitor machines. Another unique feature of Checkmate 50 is the mistake-proof ejector, which is very different from the options available in competing systems.

The machine uses software from Bengaluru-based Lucid Imaging, which enables the machine to process fast with intelligent algorithms for speciality print inspection. Since the software partner is based in India, Suresh says, it can help customers update or add new inspection algorithms at a moment's notice. This is important, as each pharma job comes with its own specific requirements.

Best of all, Suresh says, the machine is easy to use. “Operators with basic computer knowledge can use this machine,” he says, adding that the company organises extensive training sessions for operators both at the Autoprint factory and at the customer’s site.

About after-sale services, Suresh says, the company has exclusive service in-charge for Checkmate 50 region-wise. “We also have an exclusive dynamic team for backend support through Team Viewer (online support) and 24x7 support through WhatsApp for any technical guidance,” he adds.

Last but not the least, Suresh reiterates that following the installation of Checkmate 50, the customers’ on-time supply of cartons has significantly improved and not a single carton has been rejected by their clients against delivery. “The machine has helped increase top line due to more jobs that could be delivered. It has also improved customer confidence which results in more jobs for the user,” he concludes.

Customer testimonial
It's always been ‘no compromise with quality' for Paramount Art Prints. Our fully automated carton inspection machine ensures that our clients get 100% defect-free products. Plus, it’s a compact, user-friendly and cost-effective solution for checking and deliveries. We installed the Checkmate 50 around four years ago. I was seeking an inspection machine that could find defects at the end of the line. The Checkmate 50 turned out to be the perfect ‘Made in India’ product. We have found it to be more trustworthy than similar products available. With Checkmate 50, we are able to supply 100% defect-free cartons to our customers. Though it is our first Autoprint installation, the experience has been very good in all respects. Deliveries are moving faster because checking has become faster.

Surendra Tulsiyan,
Paramount Art Prints, Mumbai

Product of the Month: Esko CDI Crystal XPS

Rushikesh Aravkar — Fri, 20 Jul 2018 11:21:00

The flexo printing industry is standing at a crossroads where offset printers were a decade ago. Across labels as well as flexible packaging segments, the average run lengths for flexo are getting shorter. The experts are mulling over ways to produce those shorter runs faster, more effectively and still remain profitable.

While the new presses come with software and hardware developments to improve makeready times and turnaround jobs quicker than ever, the bottleneck also lies in the platemaking stage, which is a complex process consisting of five different hardware devices and six process steps, and lots of manual touch points.

Shorter print run lengths require flexo plates to be ready faster, within a reliable delivery window, so that printing operations are not jeopardised by press downtime waiting for plates.

Ganapathy Thillai, application sales manager, flexo sales for South Asia region at Esko, believes, “Therefore, it is pertinent to look at integration of process steps that will drive automation and thereby standardisation, which in turn will result in improving quality, consistency and ease of use, and enable customers to efficiently manage the digital flexo platemaking workflow.”

In that sense, Esko’s Drupa-launched CDI Crystal XPS is a significant development.

The CDI Crystal XPS is a flexo plate imaging system comprising of two parts. One is an updated version of the traditional CDI ablation imaging system. The other is a new plate exposure unit.

On the one hand, Esko has tried to improve ergonomics and user interface with the new CDI Crystal imaging system that consists of an arm that can automatically take a plate and move it from the top of the imager’s glass surface into the imager. When the plate is imaged, it is returned to the glass surface. On the other hand, the new LED UV exposure unit, XPS Crystal, which sits right next to the imager, combines both main and back exposure, supporting all ablative flexo plates. A series of popular plate types from the primary flexo plate vendors like DuPont, MacDermid, Asahi and Flint have already been certified for the Esko Crystal XPS to accommodate most of the flexible packaging print applications.

Ganapathy says, “The plates are placed onto the glass surface, where very accurate back and main exposures are conducted simultaneously by patented LED UV light technology that, unlike light bulbs, allows very precise control. Nothing else is required from the operator.”
The UV LEDs, which don’t need warm-up time and always emit consistent radiation, are a big advantage over the traditional exposing with fluorescent tubes. In traditional exposing with fluorescent tubes, one of the uncontrolled variables is the time between front and back exposure. This causes the so-called ‘dwell-effect’ or changes in the floor-shape of the individual dots.

Ganapathy adds, “As these dots become variable in shape and strength, the print result is negatively affected. The Crystal XPS exposure unit delivers consistent exposure after imaging. This is not possible with fluorescent light sources that are inconsistent throughout a plate, and also degrade over time.”
The Esko HD optics technology deploys high resolution 4000dpi imaging to produce high line flexo screens with smooth gradients to zero, solids, and flesh tones.

Compact footprint
When Noida-based Afflatus Gravures, one of the top gravure cylinder makers in India, decided to venture into flexo platemaking, they opted for Esko CDI Crystal 5080 XPS thereby becoming the first Indian company to invest in the complete line.

The new CDI Crystal 5080 XPS flexo platemaking system is Esko’s answer to the overriding market pressures driven by shorter run lengths and a growing number of SKUs.
Ganapathy says, “Today, when we talk to flexo pre-press bureaus as well as flexo converters, all they demand is fast plate turnaround to address the increasing demand for product versioning, and the CDI Crystal 5080 XPS delivers that.

Explaining the step-by-step operation, Ganapathy, says, “The continuous plate production line automatically loads a plate, images a plate, transfers the plate to the exposure unit and provides the correct front and back exposures, while the imager concurrently images the next flexo plate. The parallel imaging and exposures are critical to improved productivity in time-pressured environments. It cuts the number of manual handling steps in half. Making flexo plates finally becomes a coordinated, linear process.”

“The devices can be connected with each other to act as one single plate production line, the CDI Crystal 5080 XPS, thus combining plate imaging and exposing into a single operation.”

The USP is the compact footprint. “This results in 50 per cent fewer manual steps, 30 per cent faster access to plates and 73 per cent less required operator time,” says Ganapathy.

He adds, offset and gravure printing quality has always been the benchmark that flexo has been aspiring to achieve. “With HD Flexo and Full HD Flexo, the gap is bridged. And, with the introduction of the CDI Crystal XPS system, flexo can deliver extraordinary consistency, vibrant colours and increased print quality.”

“I believe, flexo printing can now compete with the offset for quality labels and with gravure printing for flexible packaging. In fact, with more efficient makereadies, it can challenge the upper limits of digital print for labels and folded cartons.”

As a next step, together with its partner Vianord, Esko is further innovating and automating the flexo platemaking process. The next step towards a fully automated flexo platemaking process without manual touchpoints will consist of a bridge between the CDI Crystal 5080 XPS and a plate processing installation. Flexo plates will be imaged, exposed simultaneously from the back and through the mask, and processed in a single streamlined production line, eliminating a few more manual steps out of the process.

Product of the Month: Heidelberg Speedmaster CS 92

Rushikesh Aravkar — Wed, 23 May 2018 11:42:00

Talk to any small-sized commercial print firm and he will explain how the print potential is changing – even though there are more products, print runs shrinking and margins falling. In order to cope with the situation, these firms need to re-look at shopfloor operations so as to keep costs under control and maximise the printing machine utilisation because time is money and every wasted sheet is impacting the bottomline.

When Heidelberg launched Speedmaster CS 92 at China Print in 2015, it was addressing this situation. This 37-inch format machine is a cost-effective buy for printers looking to consolidate multiple older machines or wanting to upgrade from a half-size press to widen their market offering.

The new press is available in standard four- and five-colour configurations with or without coater, or as a six-colour plus coater model.

Since the launch, Heidelberg has installed three CS 92 presses in India. Peter Rego, general manager for Heidelberg India, says, “The CS 92 is well suited for small commercial printers needing to print 1.5-crore impressions and upwards per year on one machine. Based on its productivity versus price performance, the new press offers the lowest cost per sheet against any other competitive press in its class.”

Size matters

The format size of 25x37-inch is a big advantage. It can print nine A4 repeats on one sheet or as many as three A4 flyers with fold-outs.

Elaborating on flexibility that the press offers, Rego says, “The press is apt for the Indian market, as most commercial printers here use a double-demi size format. They can greatly benefit by utilising power of the additional one cm (0.39 in) in the circumferential direction resulting in unique imposition layouts like 18 and 36 pages.”

Consider a book of 144 pages. With traditional 16-page layout, one needs nine printing sections whereas with 18 page layout only eight printing sections suffice. “As a result, not only printing but also subsequent post-press operations will be reduced thus improving the profit in double digits,” adds Rego.

The Speedmaster CS 92 is based on the Heidelberg’s legacy Speedmaster CD 102 platform, which according to the company, makes it a “future-proof” investment.

“Most of the 36-inch (92cm) presses available on the market are scaled-up 29-inch presses and thus the sideframes, gripper bars, bearer, and cylinder among others are not capable of handling higher mechanical forces resulting in quality issues and reduced reliability,” adds Rego.

The CS 92 prints up to 15,000 sheets per hour and comes standard with preset plus feeder and delivery thereby allowing for using a diverse range of substrates. Additionally, Heidelberg’s Intellistart technology shortens the makeready times on the CS 92.

Rego claims that the Speedmaster CS 92 offers the lowest cost per sheet in its class on the basis of its productivity versus price performance. He attributes this to the four USPs of the machine.

First, a patented Roller Check Assistant software that helps checking roller settings in “just five minutes”. Two, the print free area is completely used and a combination of freely positionable sheet brakes and Venturi sheet guidance system ensures rapid work-and-turn printing. Three, there’s an automatic sheet arrival control. “It ensures non-stop production resulting in higher net production of 1,000 sheets per hour.”

Finally, the feeder and delivery are designed for piles up to 1.3 metres (50.98 in). Rego explains, “This helps in reducing print interruptions as a result of lesser pile changes. The 50% higher piles reduce pile changes by about 33% in case of long run jobs. Plus 33% less storage space is required.”

Additionally, for printers looking to diversify their print mix, the CS 92 is also available with UV curing.

Ideal for book work

Bhubaneshwar-based Print-Tech Offset is a Heidelberg loyalist. Besides four web-offset presses, the book printing company is equipped with two Heidelberg SM 74 presses, a Heidelberg SX 52, and a Heidelberg CS 92 four-colour press that was installed in April 2015.

Brundaban Behera, director at Print-Tech, says, “When one of our clients, the publisher of a leading Odia language magazine Kadambini hinted at improving the print quality, we decided that we wanted a new press. A detailed analysis of our business made it clear that the 65x92cm format was much better suited to our product range. And this has shown to be correct thus far. As it perfectly accomodates eight-up A4 size pages, there is minimum paper wastage and we are able to achieve 20% plate savings over traditional 40-inch presses. Also, the eight-up imposition enables ease of folding and gathering. It also reduces the number of sections for certain jobs, resulting in the reduction in time taken for binding.”

The Prinect Easy Control measurement and control system and its integrated spectrophotometer make colour management easier. “Our profitability has improved significantly. We spend very fewer minutes on makeready. With Prinect, once the file is uploaded to the system, the data generated is automatically passed on to the Heidelberg Suprasetter A-75 CTP and to the machine, which ensures that the first printed sheet is a saleable copy.”

“The machine fully meets our expectations in terms of value for money. We run the machine at full speed of 15,000 sph. With this installation, our productivity has bolstered by 35%. It has been three years since the installation. As we see an increase in volume for books, we are contemplating on investing in another CS 92 press,” concluded Behera.

Made in India: Uflexo Elisa 1409

Rahul Kumar — Fri, 13 Apr 2018 12:07:38

The engineering business of Noida-headquartered Uflex showcased its first CI flexo printing press to the public on 8 March 2018. The gearless flexographic printing press has been developed in collaboration with Italy-based Comiflex. The two companies signed a technology transfer agreement at Drupa 2016.

Marketed under the brand name Uflexo, the machine comes in two variants — Elisa and Valle. The major difference between the two is its operating speed of 400m/min and 300 m/min, respectively. The first machine to be launched was Uflexo Elisa 1409.

Flexographic printing uses a flexible relief plate to print onto a substrate, which may be wood-pulp-based, synthetic, or laminated. Such substrates may also include films, such as polyester, OPP, nylon, and polyethylene; papers; paperboard; non-woven textiles; and coated or un-coated liner board. The raised areas on the plate have ink applied to them by an anilox roller and then transferred it onto the substrate.

The technology

In the case of central impression (CI) printing press, the decks are arranged around a single, large diameter impression cylinder.

According to Ajay Tandon, president and CEO, engineering and new product development at Uflex, Uflexo Elisa 1409 is ideal for flexible packaging on thin substrates like PE, BOPP, BOPET, CPP and paper. “Unlike a rotogravure printing press, where the printing stations are arranged in line one after the other, in a CI flexo machine, the printing stations are arranged around the periphery of a single, large diameter impression cylinder,” he says.

Tandon says the machine is for convertors across the globe. “We are manufacturing the machines at our engineering plant in Noida under a technology transfer agreement with the Italian firm Comiflex. Gianfranco Nespoli, head of Comiflex, who is a technocrat, played an instrumental role in helping us manufacture these state-of-the-art printing presses in India. We can market these machines anywhere across the globe,” he adds.

The selling point of the Uflexo is that it can print on thinner substrates, which, according to Tandon, is not possible in gravure printing. “We can print on PE as thin as 25-30 microns. The changeover time of this machine is very short in comparison to other printing processes, making it further suitable for shorter runs,” Tandon says.

Also, the machine is low on ink-consumption, thereby making the entire proposition further cost-effective. Again in places like Europe and US, cost of procuring plates for flexographic printing is significantly less than that of gravure cylinders.

The machine is equipped with the inline station for special purpose coating, and sleeve and anilox have an automated changeover process. It is very operator friendly and consumes very little solvent for cleaning the anilox and doctor blade chamber.

Additionally, the Uflexo Elisa 1409 has an inline station for special purpose coating.

“We manufacture bespoke converting and packaging machines. The engineering business of Uflex proposes a series of additional features over and above the base model to the customers to select from,” Tandon says.

In short, Uflexo Elisa 1409 is very efficient. The changeover times are short. Registration matching time is less without much wastage. “These are some of the factors that enhance productivity,” he adds.

The market

The Uflexo Elisa 1409 is the first gearless CI flexo machine that Uflex has manufactured in India. The first machine is being installed within the group at its converting business’ precinct.

“We already have three orders at hand and expect to manufacture around four to five machines over the next 12-15 months. These are very sophisticated and customised machines that are made to order,” Tandon says.

Talking about sophistication, what is it that customers look for in a CI flexo press? Tandon answers: “A customer usually selects CI flexo press if the substrate is polyethylene or stretchable film. For shorter runs, CI flexo machines are certainly desirable. The cost of procuring plates for CI flexo is less than the cost of procuring gravure cylinders. Therefore, when the operational costs have to be optimised, a customer would prefer CI flexo printing machine.”

While CI flexo is seen as an alternative to rotogravure printing, Tandon says gravure is more viable for longer runs. He adds, for narrow-web and printing of labels, digital technology is also becoming increasingly popular for some high-end applications.

Again, compared to a gravure printing machine, CI flexo printing machine requires almost 50% less space for the same quantum of output. This works as a big advantage in favour of CI flexo.

Software/consumables

The Uflexo Elisa 1409 is equipped with a complete drive system of Bosch Rexroth and is programmed suitably for efficient running making it operator-friendly with many safety built-in features.

The machine, by and large, use alcohol-based inks. Water-based inks can also be used with a change in the inking and drying systems as per customers’ requirements. “Our chemicals business manufactures various types of inks, adhesives, coatings and polyols required by flexible packaging convertors,” Tandon says.

Support and best practices

“We have in place trained and agile installation; commissioning and support teams. Our customer support, in particular, can offer real-time assistance through remote monitoring with the help of ethernet or optical fibre. For capital equipment that we manufacture, customer support is an extremely critical component of our product and service offering,” Tandon says.

He adds that the central impression drum and printing deck parts are very precise in nature. Therefore, the machine preferably should be operated in a dust-free environment. Temperature and humidity should also be properly controlled for optimum results.

Tandon says the use of flexo printing technology is on a rise as single polymer flexible packaging is becoming popular by the days from the point of view of recyclability. With increasing varieties of SKUs and products, the job runs are becoming shorter, again building up a case for flexo printing machines.

Technical specifications

Number of colours: Eight

Printing possibilities: 8 + 0

Printing width: 1300mm

Web width: 1350mm

Printing repeat: 340-800

Printing speed: Up to 400m/min depending on type and quality of materials to be printed, inks, cylinder repeat, plates, ink coverage with colour overlay

Plate thickness: 1.14mm (0.0045-inches) plus adhesive 0,5mm (0,0020-inches)(any plate thickness depending to sleeve/repeat)

Anilox sleeves: Diameter 172mm ceramic coated sleeves

Ink: Solvent and water-based

Material: HD-LDPE / 14-100um / PP, 10-50um / PET 10-50um /, Paper 40-80gsm

Product of the month: M-Cure Retrofit sheetfed UV system

Rahul Kumar — Wed, 07 Mar 2018 10:09:51

As demand for print enhancement or print beautification has increased at an accelerated rate, the demand for UV curing system is also increasing. In-built UV curing systems with new printing presses are expensive and they do not fit in the Indian environment to a large extent. On the other hand, according to Vijay Kumar Aggarwal of Alpna Visual Packaging Aids, M-Cure Retrofit UV system from Alpna helps printers get their desired jobs done with less investment.

Launched in 2011, M-Cure Retrofit UV system has more than 150 installations in India. Some of M-Cure customers are Apple Print Pack and Crown Art Printers in Sonipat, Cirrus Graphics in Noida, Daffodils Printers in Patiala, Dream Print Pack in Rajkot, Girnar Packaging in Indore, Kalapi Printers in Surat, Lustra Print Process in Bahadurgarh, Miraj Multicolor in Udaipur, NS Printopack in Paontasahib, Naveen Graphics in Jammu, Parth offset in Ahmedabad, Ransan Packaging in Chennai and VK Box Industries in Delhi.

The M-Cure Retrofit UV system is suitable for the sheetfed offset printing press of any make. This includes Heidelberg, Komori, KBA, Manroland, RMGT as well as Mitsubishi and Planeta.

The technology

At the centre of it is the electronic power pack which controls the lamp intensity precisely with 10% - 100% in synchronisation with press speed.

Power levels offered are up to 200 watts/ cm, while adhering to all stringent testing parameters like tape test, nail test and others.

Liquid cooling keeps the shuttered lamp-heads cool and safe even at full blast and it can run 24x7 non-stop, catering to strict and demanding production schedules of today’s printing presses. The M-Cure lamp-heads are equipped with six-channel liquid cooling technology all managed within the smallest possible physical reflector for easy fitment in restricted places inside press units. The highlight is, it ensures minimum heat built-up and rugged performance.

Safety is paramount and special care is taken with all safety switches. Alarms are tested before final running of the system. Impression and shutter interlocks are provided for precise shutter and power intensity control.

The system is equipped with advanced diagnostics and if any problem is reported, an alarm on the touchscreen goes off along with data backup so that corrective action can be taken immediately.

Sheetfed printing presses equipped with M-Cure UV allow unimaginable possibilities which otherwise will not be impossible, like MetPET, lenticular and plastic printing, among others. The magic lies with instant drying technology which only UV curing can provide.

The customers

Aggarwal says printers who use sheetfed offset printing presses for packaging and commercial jobs are its target customers. “We provide them the equipment at half of the price of a European brand while matching the performance levels. We make indigenised cassettes which are reasonably priced, suited to the Indian environment and we can offer the best after-sales support which is unaffordable in European brands for Indian printers,” he says.

Along with unique features like remote server connectivity for fast service backup, six water channels for keeping UV lamp-head cool and safe, and data logging for any backup history, the system also offers Di-Chroic filters which helps in printing on heat sensitive substrates. LED UV Systems are also in the pipeline to cater to future UV printing needs.

“Rugged performance, safety and energy saving during operation, after-sales support and product training at customers’ site are some of our strengths,” Aggarwal reiterates. “We keep complete range of consumables in our stock to provide instant service backup pan-India.”

The team at Alpna stresses on perfection and attention to detail to ensure safety and dependability of performance. “We have a team of qualified application engineers who advise customers on application related issues,” Aggarwal signs off.

Customer testimonial

We installed Alpna’s M-Cure Retrofit UV system on our KBA 104 around a year ago. Alpna’s after-sales service is round-the-clock available and the company gives a good backup to us. Earlier, we had UV curing system from another company but service was an issue with them. So we installed Alpna’s system. The M-Cure Retrofit UV system helps us produce MetPET jobs and UV drip-off jobs.

Vinay Bansal, Apple Print Pack

The alternatives

IST-M LAMPcure
The new UV sheet-fed-drying system has only two individual plug-in modules with an output of 200 W/cm each, normally used for sheet-fed end-of-press drying. The UV output generated is comparable with a common three-lamp system and is capable of processing thinner substrates at minimum energy input and low machine speeds. The UV system is prepared for UV measurement by default. The company provides a warranty for 10,000 operating hours on URS type reflectors and 2,500 operating hours on UV lamps. The Hot Swap Technology give users the opportunity to run a LAMPcure (UV sheetfed-drying system), as well as a LEDcure (LED-UV) system in the same press with only one electrical cabinet. A similar design of the housing helps remove the UV cassettes from LED to lamp or the other way around.

Contact:
Thomas Gohl
+49 7022 6002-776 / Thomas.Gohl@ist-uv.com
www.ist-uv.com

AMS P3 UV

The advanced modular system, AMS claims, is flexible, reliable and easy. The components can be changed, checked, or cleaned quickly and easily, and without tools. UV lamps slide into position with a guaranteed plug-and-play locking mechanism. Each module in the P3 UV system tracks the lamp hours automatically. Another edition, the all-new P3 Titanium allows hybrid compatibility with both traditional UV inks and coatings, as well as with a new generation of High Wavelength UV (HUV) products, that reduce the amount of energy required for curing and eliminate the need for multiple UV units.

Contact:
Abhishek Paul
+91 9971346600 / abhishek@aplmachinery.com
www.aplmachinery.com

Ultracure UV

UV Graphic Technologies manufactures this are internally water cooled UV systems. to keep the press temperature to the bare minimum. This is essential for good UV ink printing. The water-cooled cassettes are compact and equipped with quick connectors for air, water and electrical connections. As an option, all blowers are integrated in a single cabinet. The UV Systems run on intelligent temperature management. Each lamp head is independently monitored and cooled with microprocessor-based closed loop cooling with inverter technology. A large user-friendly 128 colour touchscreen control interface keeps the operator fully informed of all the functions, lamp power and cooling system. The unique human interface stores data for up to 25 lamp changes and lifetime use giving the user complete information and statistics of the lamps.

Contact:

UV Graphic Technologies

+91 98 101 14365 / bhay@gtigti.com

www.gtigti.com

Me & My: Sakurai Maestro MF80VII

Priya Raju — Tue, 20 Feb 2018 12:28:00

Describe your company

Established in the year 1996, Bengaluru-based Image Labels is a manufacturer of self-adhesive and in-mould labels for industries like electronics, electrical and automobiles. The firm offers in-house design, pre-press to the final products for its client which include L&T, Pricol, HP, Wipro, Apollo Tyres, GE, Godrej and TVS.

When did you invest in the Sakurai machine?

We invested in the Sakurai Maestro MF80VII machine more than a year ago. The machine is a flatbed automatic screen printing machine for high-end as well as precision industrial applications.

What does the machine do?

The flatbed automatic press is designed for fine line printing applications. We use the machine for jobs which require high precision and accurate printing like membrane overlays and fascia panel printing for the electrical and electronics industries.

Why did you choose this particular machine?

We invested in our first Sakurai machine in 2005 and since then we have been a Sakurai loyalist. Today, all the six machines deployed on our shopfloor is a Sakurai. We have been very comfortable using the machine and were satisfied with the performance and the quality of the output produced by the machine. Plus the Maestro MF80VII was an apt choice for us to cater to the electrical and electronics applications that we were looking for.

Did you look at any other similar machine?

There are few German, Taiwan-make machines available in the market, but we have not explored them. We are satisfied with Sakurai’s performance and the first machine that we invested in 2005 is still as good as a new one.

What features of the machine do you particularly like?

The ability of the machine to print fine lines with precision, which is a critical aspect for printing membranes and overlays, has impressed me. This has resulted in reduction of print rejections.

Is there anything you wish it had that it doesn’t?

Not really. Each machine that we have invested in comes with its unique benefits and applications.

How fast is it?

The maximum printing speed is up to 1,000 impressions per hour, but the speed of the machine totally depends on the substrates and applications it is being used for. For POP applications, the machine can be run at high speed, but for jobs which require accuracy like decals and printed electronics, the speed may vary.

How much time or money has it saved?

The automation of the machine helps reduce the time taken for a job to be produced and saves a lot of time. Plus this has reduced the use of manpower and helped decrease the rejections in print. All this has resulted in a lot of indirect cost savings.

Would you say that it offers value for money?

I would say it is the best machine for the kind of jobs produced by us. The screen printing machines from Sakurai are a workhorse, and we are still happily using the first machine which was installed 14 years ago. Hence it definitely offers a return on investment.

What about the pre- and after-sales service?

The pre- and after-sales service have always been smooth. The service engineers from Kunal Enterprise are just a call away and they ensure timely service. Having said that, there haven’t been any major breakdowns yet.

Who do you think is the machine right for?

The Maestro MF80VII is great for someone who creates niche applications which requires precision printing.

Under what circumstances would you invest in another such machine?

It depends on the future growth. We will invest if there is an increase in volumes. And if we invest in the future, it will definitely be in a Sakurai machine.

Conclusion

User’s verdict
Speed *****
Quality *****
Reliability ****
Value for money ****

Suppliers Response
Ajay Gandhi, president, Kunal Enterprise, says, “The team at Image Labels, have been using the machines from Sakurai for more than a decade. Currently, the firm has six Sakurai machines including flatbed and cylinder presses which speak volumes about the built quality and niche output that the machines are built for. Its niche applications are successfully delivered by a fleet of Sakurai machines on their shopfloor while maintaining rigorous standards of precision and quality.
Contact Ajay Gandhi
+91 9820220063 / ajaygandhi@kunalenterprise.com

Me & My - Scodix UltraPro with Foil

Priya Raju — Thu, 18 Jan 2018 15:15:00

Describe your company

Ankita Communications is a New Delhi-based film and CTP plate service bureau. We have been servicing the offset print industry for more than 15 years. The shopfloor is equipped with two Basysprint and one Topaz CTCP.

When did you invest in the Scodix machine?

We installed the Scodix UltraPro with Foil in October 2017. Its the first Scodix Ultra Pro machine in North India.

What does the machine do?

It is a digital enhancement press that brings in flexibility, quality and productivity for the commercial PSPs and folding carton converters. The machine enables us to produce tangible enhancements for a wide variety of applications, ranging from marketing collateral, premium packages, photo albums along with variable data printing (VDP) capabilities based on barcode systems.

Why did you choose this particular machine?

We were looking for expansion with diversification in the industry. We found that digital enhancement was a solution, which will helps us to be a step ahead of others. We will now be a service bureau for digital enhancement, wherein print firms can get their jobs enhanced from us with full security of the jobs. A win-win situation for both.

How has this machine benefitted you?

Scodix gives us a distinct advantage over other suppliers. We can now deliver luxury enhancements on personalised and short-run jobs, along with the cost savings by eliminating the outsourcing of foiling/tooling costs and set-up time. We are now looking to enter new markets in commercial and high-end packaging, by providing added value for the brands.

Did you look at any other similar machine?

Yes, we did look at all the options available in the market. But we felt that the value addition offered by Scodix is unbeatable and best suited for us.

What features of the machine do you particularly like?

The machine is equipped with RSP (Rotate Scale Position) for optimal image-to-image registration, PAS (Pin Activate Secure) a patented foil process which enables us to create ultra-fine details with a variety of foils on a wide range of substrates. Also, the machine has the capability to print VDP (Variable Data Printing) along with foil and can be managed in-house which proves to be cost-effective.

Is there anything you wish it had that it doesn’t?

For us, the machine offers everything that we can think of. The single machine offers the compatibility to do nine different applications and effects such as Scodix Sense, foil, foil on foil, spot, cast and cure, crystals, metallic, glitter, VDP, and Braille.

How fast is it?

The press is capable of producing up to 1,250 B2 plus size (21.5x31-inch) sheets in an hour.

How much time or money has it saved?

The fact that this machine has eliminated all the conventional process of die and mould-making for the foiling process and hybrid UV has resulted in cost savings. Since all the process is digitally done, it gives us an edge over others and helps us provide better quality to our customers.

Would you say that it offers value for money?

It has added value to the print produces and enabled us to produce various applications, differentiate ourselves and our customers in their offerings.

What about the pre- and after-sales service?

Monotech has been our preferred partner since we entered our platemaking business. Whether it is technical, operational or other services, the team has always been with us and extended best of their service.

Who do you think is the machine right for?

This is a digital enhancement press and is useful for those who want to differentiate their print offerings and enhance their products to have a competitive edge over others.

Under what circumstances would you invest in another such machine?

We have always looked forward to innovating, produce more and grow our clientele base. When we will see a need for another Scodix we will surely do so.

Conclusion

User’s verdict

Speed *****

Quality *****

Reliability *****

Value for money *****

Suppliers Response

We are delighted to see that Scodix is such an integral part of Ankita Communications. They have a keen sense of awareness about the benefits Scodix enhancement can bring to a business. They realise that the time is now to invest in the technology before everyone can. The Scodix Ultra Pro digital enhancement press offers a unique range of applications, some of which cannot be replicated by any other process. So, we have no doubt that Ankita’s customers will be thrilled.

Contact Ajeet Pareek, GM – Scodix Sales
Email: ajeet@monotech.in / manojtaneja@monotech.in

Product of the month - Jemflex solvent wash flexo plate

Rushikesh Aravkar — Fri, 05 Jan 2018 09:48:00

When it comes to colour consistency, job after job, label after label the on-press controls can only achieve so much. Once all the base parameters are set to the same as last time, several variables still need to be manages. This is especially important when you are supplying to food and pharma markets as a “good manufacturing practice” – all variables impacting the final print need to be under constant monitoring.

But the plate performance should never vary – and once you are on press, the plate has to deliver the exact dot, one after the other. As flexography becomes more and more demanding, and its application basket broadens, choosing a right plate for a job is critical. With an exhaustive range of eleven different photopolymer plates, Japan’s Nihon Denshi Seiki has a tailored plate for every flexo application.

Mumbai-based Lucky Graphics, a known name in the graphic arts and flexo circles, has recently inked a deal with Japan-based Nihon Denshi Seiki, the manufacturer of Jemflex to supply the plates in India.

To begin, Jemflex is a portfolio of solvent-washable photopolymer plates for both analogue and digital platemaking workflows.

Rohit Sachdev, chairman, Lucky Graphics, says, “We offer three types of digital plates and eight analogue plates.”

Sachdev describes Jemflex plate as “a high-quality flexographic plate providing excellent ink transfer, smooth solids, uniform lay down and robust on-press performance.”

“The plates are flexible, highly resilient, dimensionally stable and uniform in thickness.”

Sachdev points to the plate’s versatility as a key attribute. He says, “Jemflex plates are designed to print on a wide variety of substrates, including flexible packaging, foil, film, paper, plastic bags, labels and envelopes.”

Plates have also become a factor of differentiation for printers to stand out among the competition.

Sachdev says, “They are looking for ways to increase their resolution capabilities as well as improve image consistency in order to match, or surpass, labels and other products produced by offset and digital printing. Label printers also seek to increase their plate life,” he says.

Sachdev underscores that it’s difficult to determine one type of plate being better than others. “It’s a tough question as there are so many plates for so many different applications,” he says. “The most popular plate in India is Jemflex GX plate with caliper of 1.14mm, 1.7mm, 2.84mm and 4.7mm. Printers like the dot gain control of this plate and it’s durability.”

Of course, selecting the right plate depends on the situation. “The various qualities are desirable depending on the print conditions, and the job specifications,” Sachdev points out. “Harder plates tend to be better for high line screens and fine detail, softer plates for applications where solid coverage is paramount.”

The basics

The Jemflex analogue plate consists of five layers – PET base film, adhesive layer, photo-sensitive polymer layer, slip-coat layer and top cover film.

Sachdev explains the process. “For the analogue system, the matte film is imaged separately and then applied to the surface of an analogue plate, covered with a vacuum sheet, and, with vacuum applied, exposed to the UV light. The final dots and lines on the plate are enlarged to some extent compared to dots and lines on the film, due to the deflection and refraction of light passing through the cover sheet, the imaged film, and the plate slip cover that stops the film sticking to the photopolymer. An analogue plate has a flat top dot structure with good support structure, for excellent on-press performance.”

In Jemflex digital plates, there’s a laser ablation layer in place of the slip coat layer. Sachdev says, “The black layer is then ablated using a high power laser imaging device, removing the black layer where image areas are required, and leaving the rest to be the mask for the non-image areas. The plate is then exposed in a normal exposure unit.”

This is followed by solvent-wash, drying and post-exposure to achieve complete photo curing by hardening the remaining polymer.

“The digital dot is sharper than the analogue dot and has lesser dot gain,” says Sachdev.

Sachdev emphasises that printers want their plates to last and also deliver print consistently.

He adds, “The printing plate is one of the most important tools in the entire print production workflow because it’s the only element that translates the information from pre-press to the printed substrate. So, Jemflex plates ensure very fine imaging, consistency in print production, and high resiliency.”

Specifications

Min size 600x840mm

Max size 1200x2032mm

Halftone dot 1~95% / 3~90%

Contact Rohit Sachdev, Lucky Graphics, vaishnav@bom5.vsnl.net.in

The alternatives

Asahi AFP
Asahi offers three variants of AFP analogue flexo plates and five variants of digital flexo plates. These plates boast of improved mechanical stability and excellent ink transfer behavior in combination with low highlight dot gain.
Contact Sunil Kokane, sunilk@technovaindia.com , www.technovaworld.com

DuPont Cyrel
DuPont Cyrel range of analogue solvent plates include four variants, namely, NOWS, UXL, DRC and TDR and eight variants of digital solvent plates, with low, medium and high durometer options.
Contact Prasenjit Das, Prasenjit.Das@dupont.com, www.dupont.com

Flint Nyloflex
Whether printing on film, foil, coated paper or self adhesive substrates, the Nyloflex printing plates provide consistent fine screens and vignettes and smooth solids on all commonly used substrates.
Contact Upal Roy, Upal.Roy@flintgrp.com, www.flintgrp.com

Macdermid MVP
MVP (Most Valuable Plate) is a medium durometer, analog sheet plate from MacDermid. This 50 durometer plate allows for faster press speeds and reduced bounce.
Contact Gary Lam (Hongkong), glam@macdermidga.com, www.graphics.macdermid.com

Me and My - Xerox Versant 3100 Press

Priya Raju — Fri, 15 Dec 2017 11:46:00

Describe your company.

Established in 2006, Kochi-based Drisya Creations, a sister concern of Drisya Communications, is an advertising agency. It’s a partnership firm with Mahesh Thanayath as the partner. The three branches of Drisya are equipped with essential digital printing machines. It began it’s digital journey with the Xerox C70. Since then it has grown from strength to strength.

When did you invest in the press?

We installed the press in April 2017. It was also the first Xerox’s Versant 3100 installation in India.

What does the machine do?

The CMYK digital production printing machine can print on coated and uncoated papers, bright papers, labels, business cards, glossy brochures, window decals, durable/synthetic papers, greeting cards, tabs, embossed, polyesters and custom solutions.

Why did you choose this particular press?

Considering the growing print volume, we were looking to upgrade our production equipment to achieve higher productivity at economical operating cost. The Versant 3100 was a perfect fit.

Did you look at any other similar press?

We were initially contemplating between the KM 1100, the Canon 10000 and the Xerox Versant 3100. However, post the evaluation, the Versant 3100 was a clear winner for us.

What features of the machine do you particularly like?

The machine is feature rich, from 10-bit RIP processing to a full width array that allows online calibration, profiling and image to media alignment. Also, the compact belt fuser enables the machine to handle a wide variety of substrates that expand our client list from offset printers to corporates and advertising agencies.

How fast is it?

The press is capable of printing at a speed of 100ppm with a duty cyle of 12.5 lakhs A4 impressions per month.

How reliable is it?

The fact that it has enabled us to dabble with a variety of applications from polyesters, linens to specialty/textured media, shows that it’s a versatile press.

What’s the quality like?

For us, it’s not just about getting great quality prints, it’s more about getting these prints in quick time and that is where the automation features of the Xerox Versant 3100 helps us.

How easy is it to use?

A touch of the button, and it prints.

Would you say that it offers value for money?

It allowed us to offer our customers the value of quality and convenience.

Has it won you any new work?

It’s only eight months now, but I am sure with the quality and speed we produce prints, we hope to add a few more.

What about the pre- and after-sales service?

Whether it is technical or operational, Xerox has extended all support.

Were there any difficulties experienced during the installation or after?

Not really.

Who do you think is the machine right for?

It’s a heavy-duty machine, and will be useful to those who have short-run printing jobs with bigger SKUs.

Under what circumstances would you invest in another such press?

We have always looked to reduce our overall costs, produce more and grow our clientele base across the industry segment. When we reach a stage where we see a need for another digital kit, either at our existing locations or any new one we plan, we will surely do.

Conclusion

Supplier’s response

Balaji Rajagopalan, executive director - technology, channels and international distributor operations, Xerox India, says, “The Versant series has set a new benchmark for the mid-production presses and has been very well received in the Indian market. We are happy to have further strengthened our relationship with Drisya Creations, our first Versant 3100 customer. In a very short span, they have flourished and we hope that the Xerox presses, Colour C70 and Versant 3100, will help them grow leaps and bounds. Considering their huge growth in print volume, the Versant 3100 is an ideal choice to turn jobs faster, boost productivity, and improve margins through automation.”

Contact Xerox India, Priyatosh Kumar, priyatosh.kumar@xerox.com

Made in India - Pressone Chemicals UV CTP plate developer

Rahul Kumar — Wed, 29 Nov 2017 10:45:04

UV CTP Plate Developer is one of the essential chemicals for image development on printing plates, especially in UV CTP/CTCP. In this, Ludhiana-based Pressone Chemicals is an up and coming supplier, manufacturing more than 18,000 litres of UV CTP Plate Developer per month to serve more than 100 customers.

Established in 2012, the chemical manufacturing business launched its UV CTP Plate Developer in July 2015. “Right now, we manufacture more than 18,000 litres of chemicals per month,” says Mukesh Chauhan of Pressone Chemicals. Now, the company is planning to increase production as we found the chemicals to be one of the fastest growing segments.

Chauhan has around two decades of experience in the chemical business, primarily as an employee of a Delhi-based pre-press equipment manufacturing company, before setting up his own company.

Pressone Chemicals manufacturers a range of pre-press and pressroom chemicals.

The pre-press segment range includes a PS Developer, PS Thermal Developer and Plate Processor Gum.

The press range includes fountain solutions, washes, alcohols, plate cleaners and corrections fluids, tack reducers, printing ink dyers, printing press care products and anti-set-off spray powders.

According to Chauhan, any pre-press bureau and offset printer with UV CTP/CTCP can use its UV CTP Plate Developer. “Today, we serve 100 customers. Of these, 75 are pre-press service bureaus and 25 are offset printers,” he says.

The market

Pressone Chemicals has a strong distribution network in all the major cities of Punjab, including Baddi, Mohali, Chandigarh, Ponta Saheb, besides in Bareilly, Lucknow, Allahabad, Varanasi, Patna, Ahmedabad and Delhi-NCR.

“Our existing distribution set up is serving customers in the North and Delhi-NCR. We are working to increase the network and serve more cities in other parts of the country. Being a north-based manufacturer, we have our own advantages,” says Chauhan.

Chauhan is optimistic about growth and he has reasons for it. The segment has grown fast in the last five years and will grow well in future. One reason being the cost of UV CTP/CTCP printing plate is more economical compared to other technologies available in the market. Most UV CTP/CTCP developers provide 2,400dpi printing plates and to some extent in quality, it competes with thermal plates.

According to Chauhan, films have now become obsolete. Image development directly on printing plates is the norm now. This is another reason why there will be a rise in the demand. However, according to Chauhan, the most import factor is that the plates are economical.

Chauhan says as per his estimation, around 1,500 CTCPs are running in India and per CTCP device consumes an average of 150 litres of the chemical. Thus, it is a 200,000 litre per month market. “We are catering to less than 20% of the market. So opportunities are huge,” he says.

The chemical

UV CTP Plate Developer comes in liquid concentrate form in a 25-litre pack. It develops images on printing plates. “We recommend using the developer with RO water and ratio between developer and water must be around 1:8/7. Some use it with normal water as well but for better result RO water is necessary,” Chauhan says.

As it is an alkaline product, users are advised to wear hand gloves while using the chemical; without hand gloves, it can be harmful. “And especially, cover your eyes while using the chemical because naked eyes are easy targets for any chemical mishap. Ideally, don’t let it touch your skin,” he cautions.

Benefits

The benefits of Pressone’s UV CTP Plate Developer? Chauhan says, “Our developer helps cleaning of plate processor. Otherwise, it can block the entire process. It does not create a layer on the tank of developer and brush of processor. A brush is an expensive part of the processor. Our UV CTP Plate developer is universal. It means it is suitable for each and every plate available in the market. Our developer ensures that the first plate is printable and saleable, thus clients can save their money on printing plates cost.”

Ahmedabad-based N-VIR Process; Noida-based Anupama Printing Solutions; New Delhi-based Japan Art Press and SS Graphics; Chandigarh-based Gagandeep Photo Lith; Mohali-based Ishan Print Services; Jalandhar-based Lucky Processors; Ludhiana-based Unique Process; Bareilly-based Anoopam Press; Lucknow-based Fine Graphics; Kanpur-based Perfect Chem & Technology and Jaipur-based Raj Block are a few key customers of Pressone Chemicals.

Around 25 people work in the 11,000-sq/ft chemical production facility in Ludhiana.

Customer testimonial

We are using the UV CTP Plate Developer manufactured by Ludhiana-based Pressone Chemicals for the last two years and we found it to be very friendly in our operation. Our consumption is around 400 litres per month. The best part of the developer is that there is minimum sludge, or shall we say no sludge. Plus the does not go down. We use the developer on multiple printing plates and found it to be smooth. It truly is a universal developer. Pressone Chemicals’ Developer helps in functioning and keeps the process clean. People must use it. Working in a price-sensitive industry and market, the chemical manufacturing company provides the Developer on economic rate.

Arun Gupta, Japan Art Press, New Delhi

Me and My: NBG Star 30

Priya Raju — Mon, 27 Nov 2017 16:10:00

Describe your company.

The Deshdoot Group of Newspapers has been producing Deshdoot, a Marathi daily, since 1970. Deshdoot is one of the oldest newspapers in the region started by Devkisan Sarda. Today it is printed simultaneously from Nashik, Jalgaon and Ahmednagar. Presently, Vikram Sarda looks after the newspaper. In Nashik, besides Deshdoot in Marathi, the group also publishes Deshdoot Times in English. Our total print run is 110,000 copies.

When did you invest in the web offset press?

We have three NBG Star 30 presses. The latest was installed last year.We have a 14-year relationship with NBG. We bought our first NBG web offset press in 2003. It was an add-on to our existing Orient web offset printing press. Since then, we have continued to buy add-ons and complete lines from NBG which now includes complete new lines at Nashik, Jalgaon and Ahmednagar. Our printing press at Nashik is a Star 30 and is capable of printing a 16-page broadsheet newspaper in a single pass with 12 colour pages.

What does the machine do?

The web offset printing press from NBG Printographic Machinery prints our respective newspapers on daily basis.

Why did you choose this particular press?

Initially, we were uncertain to go with a new manufacturer but we liked the built of the machine. Besides, it was economic. With its speed of 30,000 impressions, Star 30 has worked well for us over the years. Thus, our confidence has grown in the web offset presses offered by NBG.

Did you look at any other similar press?

Yes, of course. We looked at presses available from other Indian manufacturers. However, we found Star 30 to be a good balance of price and performance.

What features of the machine do you particularly like?

The machine has similar design to the Goss Community presses, which is an ideal web offset printing solution from the beginning for Indian requirement.

Is there anything you wish it had that it doesn’t?

We carefully evaluated and opted for the features we wanted. So we don’t feel there is anything missing in terms of features.

How fast is it?

The NBG 30 web offset printing press can reach up to a maximum speed of 30,000 impressions per hour.

How much time or money has it saved?

The fact that we are able to print most of our newspapers in one pass, including the inserts helps us deliver our newspaper to the market on time and also reduce print waste.

What about the pre- and after-sales service?

Engineers came and visited our site before installation. The technical team from NBG guided us and we prepared the layout and foundation according to their guidelines. In our relationship spanning more than a decade, whenever we needed any assistance, NBG has provided it, whether it is technical or operational.

Were there any difficulties experienced during the installation or after?

There isn’t anything major that needs to be pointed out. They have been always very supportive.

Who do you think is the machine right for?

As we are using the machine for the production of our daily newspapers, we can say that the machine is well-suited for newspaper production.

Under what circumstances would you invest in another such press?

In case there is a demand for more colours or as and when we decide to expand our printing centres.

Star Product: Stelda AR500 CGT

Priya Raju — Tue, 14 Nov 2017 12:05:00

What does it do?

Stelda AR500 CGT is a fully automatic random case sealing machine for corrugated shipper cartons. Stelda is an acronym for security, tamper evidence, low damages in the application of tertiary packaging. The product is designed and developed with indigenous expertise in order to address the various challenges in the supply chain as the name suggests. The machine can handle boxes ranging from 200x200x200mm to a maximum size of 650x500x500mm. The Stelda range of case forming and sealing machines offer multiple sealing options such as hotmelt adhesive, BOPP tapes, cold glue and a hybrid sealing with a combination of glue and tapes. The ‘Made in India’ Stelda AR500 CGT model uses cold-glue to seal the shipper flaps, perhaps first in the world to use this medium to seal corrugated boxes. Impel Services works with OEMs partners like Nordson, Henkel, and Econocorp.

When was it launched, and what is the background for its development?

The upgraded version of Stelda AR500 CGT was launched at Interpack 2017, in Düsseldorf Germany. P Sajith, director, Impel Services, says, “We see a lot of damages and pilferage happens because of poor sealing of boxes. This is then offset by over-engineering of boxes with reinforcements like stretch wrapping and strapping. The transit time between shipping to shelf is often neglected in India which results in a compromise on the security and integrity of the product packed. Traditionally, shipper cartons or boxes are sealed using self-adhesive tapes or water activated tapes (WAT) or hotmelts in some cases. “It is seen that hybrid methods of sealing using more than one medium of sealing provide the best benefits, however, this increases the cost of production. The Stelda AR500 CGT is equipped with CG sealing technology which can deliver most robust method of sealing, in a cost-effective manner.”

What were these challenges?

“In India, packaging automation starts and ends with primary packaging. Generally, the brand owners’ focus is mainly on the ability of packaging to communicate with the consumer. What is often neglected is the fact that this communication cannot be only through attractive designs and colours. The product has to be delivered to the consumer without affecting the package integrity,” says Sajith.

Primary packaging in India is predominantly flexible, supply chain logistics are pretty demanding and brands are faced with serious problems of damages and pilferage in transit. Brand owners need to focus on ensuring product security by reinforcing the secondary and tertiary packaging.

An effective packaging needs to sell and protect the merchandise while being cost-efficient at the same time. Sajith says, “Automation in end-of-the-line packaging and introduction of better packaging materials are the only way to achieve this objective. To address these issues, Stelda range of machines was introduced with an aim to help the brand owner introduce systems and methods of secondary packaging that reduce or eliminate damages and pilferage in transit.”

Who is this machine aimed at?

The machine is an effective solution for all the brands in segments such as food, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, consumer durable segment to mitigate the problem discussed above. Also, 60-65% of the demand for corrugated boxes is emerging from FMCG companies. This is growing at 8-10% per year. Sajith explains, “One trend that we see is most FMCG companies are shifting from five-ply construction to a three-ply. The catchword is corrugate-reduction. They are looking at components that go into box manufacturing, the process of manufacturing boxes and the method of sealing with more focus than ever before.

What is the USP of the machine?

The unique selling point of this machine is that it offers sealing of cases using cold glue. The speed of the machine can be calibrated as per the packaging line speed. Sajith says, “Our aim was to provide solutions for product security during transit. That’s what Stelda aspires to achieve. We come from the huge experience in using adhesives in bookbinding with our Welbound brand of perfect binding machines– and know for sure that cold-glue is the best medium for securing paper in a most cost-effective manner.”

How easy is it to use?

The case sealer is a fully automated machine with no manual intervention and can be integrated with the existing packaging lines. Boxes of different sizes, coming in from multiple production lines can be channelised into the case sealer. The box dimensions are automatically measured, the machine is configured on the fly and the box is sealed. “All these features help in saving space, cost and labour. Plus the machines are built as per international safety standards,” adds Sajith.

How many machines have been installed and what is your future plan?

Since its launch, Stelda has garnered positive feedback from the end-user brands. “We have introduced a method of case sealing that was not locally available. We have also introduced automation that will help form the cases, fill them and secure seal them. The trials were done and the conversions of these installations have shown that there are significant benefits in switching to a Stelda case packing process. Customers have seen the significant reduction in transit damages,” says Sajith.

He adds, “We have successful installations in snack food, edible oil, masala, engineering, lubricant and graphic arts industry. Supply chain logistics teams of these brands have fewer complaints and shrinkage claims to deal with. The overall productivity of their case packaging operations too has gone up. In order to take the line integration to the next level we now offer pick and place technology using robotic arms that will automate the operations leading to case sealing and thereby making it a comprehensive solution for the end of the line packaging.”