The Manroland Sheetfed Evolution is equipped with four inter deck and three end-of-press UV dryers. The press accepts a maximum sheet size of 750 x 1050 millimeters and has a maximum printing area of 730 x 1030 millimeters with pile heights of 1400 mm and 1225 mm in feeder and delivery respectively , which are the largest in the industry and suitable for short and long run jobs.
“When we receive a sample from a customer and print it on the Manroland press, there is a huge difference in quality. Noticing the quality enhancement, customers are forced to shift all their packaging orders to us,” he says.
“The 7-color machine gives texture and UV enhancements, all in a single pass on the press. From the first sheet, we know what the result is going to look like”, he asserts. “The machine has the latest advanced technology, and superior print quality. We have revised our marketing strategy with new samples printed on the Manroland press , which has fetched us positive results from new and old customers alike. The new press reduces wastage and has quick set up, make ready times and ink changes. There is consistency of color and inking from gripper to tail and sheet to sheet.”
Sain Packaging has also acquired a Kongsberg plotter cutter and Esko’s Automation Engine, Artpro+, and ArtiosCad prepress software since Packaging South Asia’s previous visit to the plant last September. Gupta says the Esko software has helped move their proofreading operations to the digital mode, which has, in turn, reduced the chances of errors to practically nil.
“It has become very easy for our designers now, even though they did face a few hiccups in the initial phase. The Esko software has made the preparation of files for print completely effortless. We are saving precious time – what used to take 20-25 minutes earlier is now done in a jiffy ,” adds Gupta.
The Kongsberg plotter has had an equally magical effect on the preparation of samples and for cutting blankets for UV textures. “We used to prepare samples manually, which has now switched to computerized cutting. This digital enhancement has given us an edge as customers can now view how the final finished products will look like before the actual printing and converting process takes over.”
Earlier, the cutting of blankets for spot UV coating was done manually, taking at least 1.5 hours for each blanket. The automated cutting on the Kongsberg sample maker takes just five minutes, and that too with accurate precision, he says.
Getting ahead of the competition
Sain Packaging began by producing monocartons for the pharma industry and eventually branched out to lingerie, food, and electrical consumer product packaging. It has recently added new focus areas by getting clients from the cookery, masala, and cutlery segments.
Leeford Healthcare from Ludhiana, Amritsar-based Quality Pharmaceuticals, and Sonepat-based Combitic Global Caplet are among the leading pharmaceutical companies that rely on Sain Packaging for monocartons, pharma inserts, and corrugated packaging for their products.
Sain Packaging has an adjoining plot of land measuring 1,500 square yards which is now being used for storage of stocks. “We will be staying at our current location spread over 2,500 square yards for the next two years. Once everything gets streamlined, we will shift to a new place,” Gupta reveals.
Speaking of the competitive environment, Gupta says, “Today, competition is there in every field. We are not affected due to competition – we focus on our quality, our commitment to customers, our buying power, and our customer’s faith in us. It all depends on how you present yourself and how you improve going forward. We keep on upgrading ourselves to provide customers with the latest in technology and this is what makes us a success. We also make it a point to train our employees regularly as they are the backbone of our organization.”
Packaging South Asia had earlier reported that Gupta’s son Sanchit, although still a college student, had been an anchor of support during the pandemic and in the past two years. While he is currently handling all his accounts remotely from London along with his studies, he is expected to return next month to join the business on a full-time basis.
Apart from acquiring new local customers, Sain Packaging has begun exporting to Nepal and a few other countries. It has made significant investments in the past two years, including the adjacent land, a Bobst Expertfold folder gluer with a Baumer HHS gluing gun and online inspection, the Manroland 700 Evolution 7-color with coater offset press, Esko software, the Kongsberg plotter cutter machine, and a micro-fluting machine from China, which is yet to arrive.
“We want to fully utilize our existing capacity, and then think about other investments. With our existing setup, we plan to cross the Rs 200-crore mark in the next financial year. Despite the new investments and the current drop in the packaging industry, we are planning to achieve and exceed last year’s turnover,” Gupta concludes.
