In the past few years there has been a healthy rise in the number of CI flexo presses being commissioned in India, especially in the state of Gujarat. Also, convertors have been shifting to digital plates and demand for analog plates has been receding. Ahmedabad-based Ankit Graphics, which supplies digital plates for narrow web label, wide web CI flexo, letterpress, corrugated, flexible film, container, paper cup, and notebook printers and convertors has been a beneficiary of the growth in the CI flexo presses. The prepress bureau recently ramped up capacity and moved to a brand new unit.
Earlier this year, Ankit Graphics moved to a stand-alone unit in Kalol area just outside the city of Ahmedabad and also installed a Dupont 2000 ECLF exposure system and Dupont 3000 D dryer. With this, the company’s plate-making capacity has increased by 30%.
“Our previous unit was in the heart of the city and it was nearly impossible to expand any further. But with rising demand for plates we needed to move to a bigger unit. That is when we decided to move outside of the city. The new unit is two-and-a-half times bigger that the older one. With this we can rest assured that we will not need another place for the next ten years,” says Ankit Darji of Ankit Graphics.
Ankit Graphics’ new unit is built on a 5,000 square foot land with the building spread on over 3,000 square foot area. The production area is on the ground floor while the administration and conference room are on the first floor and occupy 1,000 square foot area. The new production area is much bigger than the old one, which was spread over 1,200 square foot.
“Not only is the present production area much bigger than the old one, we also have a lot of space on the first floor as well, which can be used if we want to add more machinery in the coming years to service the rising demand,” Darji adds.
Ankit Graphics’ shop floor boasts of state-of-the-art technology. In addition to the two pieces of equipment from DuPont added to the shop floor, Ankit Graphics has Dainippon Screen Flexo Ctp FX1524, Degraf 305 DW processor, Degraf 302 ECDLF exposure system, Global Graphics Combi letterpress plate maker and IST solvent recovery system. It became the first buyer of Hybrid Software’s Packz in India. The digital plates are being supplied by DuPont, the DuPont Cyrel DPR. Ankit Graphics has also started buying plates from Flint as well in recent months.
Rising share of wide-web flexo customers
Ankit Graphics has been primarily catering to the narrow web label segment but has in recent months acquired a good number of wide-web flexo customers as well. Darji is confident Ankit Graphics will be able to register a bigger foothold in the wide web market and letterpress market in the years ahead.
“We have started winning a lot of customers in the wide-web flexo segment. Now with rise in the number of wide-web customers, we are fully utilizing our Dainippon Screen CtP system,” Darji says optimistically.
