One of the features the Elite Conference is that the Indian flexible packaging industry is quite exuberant. And in this respect some of its growth numbers that are mentioned are unrealistic. However, speakers from the World Packaging Organization, Chemical Market Analytics, Reliance Petrochemical Operations, and Uteco stuck to numbers based on research and these numbers are generally excellent for the Indian economy and industry. They indicate as Uteco Middle East CEO Anan Hiyasat’s presentation did, that the Asia-Pacific, Middle East, and Latin America regions’ economies are growing faster than the rest of the world (faster even than China) and their level of investment in flexible packaging is also the highest.Â
The Indian GDP growth figure is the highest at 6.5% in these presentations, and the country’s investment is also the highest at 7 to 8.2%. The next highest investment level is South America shown at more than 5%. This roughly correlates with IppStar research (www.ippstar.org) that shows the Indian packaging industry growing at 7 to 8%, with some segments such as flexible packaging and labels at slightly higher levels. Perhaps because of stronger GDP growth in the Middle East and Africa than most other parts of the world, Hyasat said he expected the MESA and India regions to be the fastest growing.Â
Suggesting that the key market trends driving the flexible packaging industry were sustainability, increased automation and efficiency, and shorter runs that can be digitally printed, he spoke of the several innovations in automation from Uteco that allow faster sleeve changeover with robotics including new adaptable grippers that go inside the sleeve on the OnyxRace CI flexo, and then spoke about some of the automated Active Pack operational features that he had spoken about in last year’s Elite conference as well.Â
The Active Pack consists of Active Start, Active Dry, Active Dry-T, and Active Ink that together enable considerable savings of consumable materials and energy. He stated that if the press is run on 220 days in a year with 24-hour production in three shifts, the savings in energy and materials can be as much as Euro 300,000!
Even more interesting was Hiyasat’s introduction of the Uteco OnyxOmnia, the press that we saw at the company’s stand at drupa earlier this year. Designed for short and medium runs, the hybrid press combines as many as 10 colors or print units comprising 6 flexo units and an 4-color digital inkjet engine. He highlighted the flexibility of the press in which various combinations of inks, primers, varnishes and inkjet printing could be combined with the CI flexo unit – or the two modules could be run independently using the same unwind and rewind.Â
While the speed of CFI flexo module is 400 meters a minute, the digital inkjet engine with 1200 x 1200 dpi resolution can run at 150 meters a minute on a 1300 mm-wide web. Apparently the inkjet engine is scalable in width and compatible with UV, EB, water and solvent-based inks. It is designed with Smartjet a company that is part of the Uteco group. In addition, the Uteco’s FlexCA alliance provides technology products for the converting workflow including extrusion blown film lines, flexo and inkjet printing, quality and process controls and slitting rewinding.Â
