On 5 June 2015, MPS, the Netherlands-based label press manufacturer announced the sale of a new MPS EB 370 8-color press to Pragati Pack in Hyderabad. At a press meet in Delhi, Vijay Pareek, director, Genius Flexo Machinery, the Indian representative of MPS Systems, Erik Blomjous, regional director of MPS Systems and Hemanth Paruchuri of Pragati Pack were at hand to discuss the latest purchase. Pragati is MPS’s first Indian customer with its
two MPS presses installed in 2006 and 2012. Scheduled for installation by September 2015 at its packaging plant on the out skirts of Hyderabad Pragati’s third MPS will be dedicated
for printing PS labels according to Paruchuri.
Newly designed, the MPSEB flexo units were first shown at Labelexpo Brussels in September 2013. It is currently the most cost-effective label press for both short and long label printing runs from MPS at the moment. Available with a 370 mm web width, the EB series is essentially a simplified version of the hugely successful EF range with which it shares much of the operational technology. This includes a short web path and a pre-register system, which combine to reduce substrate waste on job changeovers, and iStop, which allows the operator to pull the press to a complete halt, with the print and anilox rolls remaining in position, and then ramp up to production speed with no loss of register and no waste. With a print repeat length 6 to18 inches and 10 to18 inches for diecutting, the EB series presses handle a variety of substrates including paper, PE, PP, PET, BOPP, and PVC on reels up to a maximum diameter of 1,000 mm.
essentially a simplified version of the successful EF range with which it shares much of the operational technology
Pareek says since there is no gear connection between the impression cylinder and print cylinder on the EB press, one of its premium features is the MPS Crisp Dot Lighttechnology. As a result, substrate thickness and print cylinder pressure settings are not affected by gear profiles. Crisp Dot Light guarantees predictable high-quality label printing, including the printing of vignettes and solids. “This will be our eleventh installation of an MPSpress in the Indian subcontinent with six in India and four in Bangladesh already running success- fully,” says Pareek. Blomjous adds, “MP Shas around 450 installations at the moment, worldwide.”
Pragati Pack is already well equipped in the label printing division as it runs two MPS presses, an Omet Variflex, a Nilpeter and an HP Indigo digital label press along with a Codimag for finishing. However, with increasing pressure on its jobs, Paruchuri says the logical way forward was to investin another new press. He says, “Our customers do not come to us because we are cheaper. They come to us because we deliver quality jobs on time.” With its employees being comfortable and well trained on MPS presses, another press would not be too difficult to integrate in its ongoing processes, he feels.
Talking about quick turnaround and faster makeready, Paruchuri says the company produces around 110 jobs a week on its two existing MPS presses. The new press will be used to meet label demand for the domestic market. Pragati supplies labels mainly to the pharma, cosmetics, beverages and spirits product sectors. Paruchuri adds, “We are trying to push value added labels in these sectors, because that is where we can add our expertise.”
