
Uflex, the packaging equipment manufacturer headquartered in Noida, had an interesting mix of visitors to its stand at Plastindia, where the company showcased its newest unique offering.
At Plastindia, the company showcased its fully automatic co-extrusion laminator. The machine was manufactured to serve a number of flexible packaging segments, such as snack foods, aseptic packaging, coffee, dairy and pharmaceuticals. The co-extrusion laminator offers a maximum web width of 1300 mm (in LDPE) and can process LDPE, EVA, EAA and PP. It laminates at a speed of 300 meters per minute. Equipped with autosplicing in unwinders and rewinders, it has an automatic T-die. The fully automatic machine employs a computerized gauge control and automatic feed system for corrections in coating thickness.
“The machine we showcased at the open house at our facility in the month of December, had a speed of 150 mpm. This machine runs at a speed of 300 mpm. The newer variants that we plan to customize as per customers’ orders will migrate to 350 mpm and 400 mpm speeds,” said Ajay Tandon, president and chief executive officer of Uflex. “Also, in a recent development, we have joined hands with Uwe Fidersek, who has been roped in as advisor – global extrusion coating technology, Uflex. Fidersek has over 40 years of hands-on experience in production, installation, commissioning and providing customer service on extrusion lamination machine with the best company of the world located in Germany. He will be with us as an advisor, share inputs on machine upgrades and help us market these machines all over the world.”
The co-extrusion laminator is a solvent-less machine, which makes it eco-friendly. The flexible packaging laminate made on the machine is recyclable. Uflex believes that the new technology is picking up in India. The company expects to roll out at least 5-7 machines in the coming 12 months.
“It so happened that I was involved in a conversation with Ajay Tandon some time back and we were talking about making an extrusion coating line. For me, Uflex as a company is extremely flexible. They manufacture machines matching European standards. One striking
factor of this company is that it is customer oriented. They have another benefit which not one machine supplier in the world has, i.e. they have their own production line. This means they can use their machines. This gives them the flexibility to understand precisely what the customer wants. Uflex showed interest in making machines that are beneficial for the customers. I have good technical experience and together we will work towards building high-quality machines,” said Fidersek.
At Plastindia, Uflex focussed on attracting higher footfalls. Tandon also said that through Plastindia, Uflex wanted the customers to know that such a machine exists within the country and they need not look out at foreign countries for the technology. The machine has been made under the government’s Make in India scheme showing the potential of Indian manufacturers. Uflex looks to manufacture more such machines for the Indian market under the Prime Minister’s Make in India scheme.