Alpna Visual Packaging Aids — a Delhi-based provider of UV curing systems for sheetfed offset, flexible packaging, and narrow-to-medium web printing presses — aspires to be one of the most reliable and innovative solution provider for UV and LED equipment in print finish and print protection as well as aims to make LEDs a popular option for radiation-curing technology.
UV curing technology is a process via which high-intensity ultraviolet light is used to cure or dry inks, coatings, and adhesives. This technology is widely used in various industries due to its efficiency, speed, and environmental benefits.
UV curing relies on the photochemical reaction initiated by ultraviolet light. The process involves the use of UV-curable formulations, which contain photoinitiators that react when exposed to UV light. Traditional UV curing systems use mercury vapor lamps. However, UV LED technology has gained popularity due to lower energy consumption, longer lifespan, and reduced heat generation.
According to Debashish Dutta, general manager of Alpna Visual Packaging Aids, the two-decade-old company has a rich experience in serving the printing industry with innovative solutions, “Alpna is a pioneer in off-line drip-off systems in the world. Our values are quality, reliability, and farsightedness, and we care for the environment. We are a believer in sustainability and hence all our equipment is highly energy-efficient and loaded with safety features,” he said.
Dutta claims Alpna is making it tough for Chinese suppliers to get a foothold in the Indian market. “Most of Alpna’s competitors offer copycat Alpna products. We offer customized solutions for various applications and different offset presses with efficient performance, high productivity, and energy-efficient systems.”
Some of Alpna’s existing customers include Parksons Packaging, ITC, Noble Print n Pack, Temple Packaging, HBD Packaging, LYNX, Replika, Param Packaging, KCL, Sai Packaging, Printmann, Sneh Comprint, N K Gossain, ST Raddiar, Rajhans, RT Graphics, Fortuner Packaging-Baddi, Niyogi Offset, Manohar Filament, and Afaraz Healthcare in India.
Overseas, the company supplies to Silverpoint in Sharjah, Constanta in Moscow, Inter pack Bangladesh, GTC Converters Sri Lanka, Padma Lamitube Dhaka, Prepaid Solution in Ghana, Sama Printers in Nepal, Sarl Img-Montanari, France, Afra Asianray Printing Equipment Trading LLC, UAE, Archie Offset Printer, Kathmandu, Atlas Axillia, Sri Lanka, Jerusalem Digital Printing Co, Jordan, and Shokoh Noor Khorasan Food Ind, Tehran.
Being predominantly associated with the packaging industry, which is witnessing decent year-on-year growth, Dutta is confident of harnessing good growth in business this year and in the years to come. Apart from its domestic business, Alpna is expanding its footprint in Asia, Africa, and Europe. The company is closely working in GCC countries, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Thailand with its business partners. The growth will come from both domestic and export business, he says.
The UV/LED curing industry, widely applied in the folded carton and label segment, will continue to grow in the next 20 years, Dutta says, elaborating that the key drivers will be faster and higher quality productivity, vibrant print design, and ample room for printing and finishing work such as spot coating, drip-off coating, and more. “With customized solutions to upgrade the existing conventional printing presses to UV/LED presses, we have had more than 2,500 installations in retrofitted machines in the last two decades,” Dutta said.
“Innovations and product upgrades have been a part of Alpna’s journey over the years. We are working closely to make LEDs a popular option for radiation-curing technology. We have indigenously developed LED lamp heads with high-performance chips. These LED lamp heads will give the highest radiation intensity and longer life and are highly energy efficient. We are offering a hybrid option, which is a combination of mercury and LED curing systems. We have successfully installed several hybrid solutions. The customers are satisfied and happy with the print quality, performance, and energy savings.”
A rise in input cost and operational expenditure, uncertainty in economic and geopolitical issues, and inadequacy of skilled manpower are some of the hindrances to growth that Alpna has been facing. The first two are unpredictable most of the time, however, the lack of skilled manpower has become a nagging issue for several printing and packaging companies.
