Baroda-based Ravi Printers has recently installed a RMGT 9 series press. The two-and-a-half decade old print house which started by offering commercial printing jobs gradually diversified to cartons and labels. It operates from a 4,500 square foot facility located in the Gorwa Industrial Estate.
Talking about the reason for installing the 5-color RMGT 920 ST press with coater, Anil Patel, director of the firm says, “Most of our jobs cater to pharma companies, and over the period they have switched from lamination to online coating of packaging products. Thus, we needed a machine with an online coater.”
Patel did a lot of research before opting for the RMGT press. He visited drupa last year where he witnessed a number of presses in action, including the RMGT. The RMGT not only fit his needs, but the brand was also very popular in the Gujarat region, which helped Patel seal the deal.
The press showcased at PrintPack 2017 is the same one installed at the unit. According to Patel, operating an RMGT 920 press is easy, as it is equipped with autoplate, autowash and auto blanket features. Running the press is easy and the changeover is quick. For packaging, 28 x 40 inch is considered the ideal size in the industry. The RMGT press has the size of 25 x 36 inch, which Patel believes is suitable for packaging jobs and there is no need to go for a larger size.
In a 12-hour shift, the company produces around 65,000 sheets in the long run and in short run, the company provides around 12 to 13 jobs comprising of 500 to 10,000 units. The press prints at a maximum speed of 16,000 sheets per hour but at the unit, it is being run at a speed of 11,000 sheets per hour.
Commenting on the trends in the pharma packaging segment, Patel says that pharma companies have reduced their inventory and nowadays opt for more short-run jobs. “Earlier, they used to keep stocks for two-three months, which is not the case now due to the change in rules and regulations. At the same time, they demand high-quality products and fast delivery. The lamination job is getting replaced with UV and aqueous coating.”
Apart from RMGT, the unit is equipped with a single-color Heidelberg SM-74 press. In postpress, the unit is equipped with a Bobst SP 900 diecutter, Paktek long bottom pasting machine and other finishing machines. Further, Patel plans to equip the RMGT press with UV coater in order work on substrate such as metpet. Also, the plan is to diversify beyond pharma industry and cater to other segments as well.
