On 8 May 2015 in Mumbai, Parksons Packaging unveiled a large number of monocarton prototypes and samples incorporating the use of cold foil technology to more than 160 brand and marketing managers, packaging developers and designers from major consumer product companies. The innovative samples were generated by Parksons’ in-house team and printed on its newly commissioned KBA106 8-color coater press with an Infigo SF110 high speed cold foiler at Pantnagar in North India.
Ramesh Kejriwal the chairman of Parksons Packaging in his welcome address said that in the company’s nearly 20 years history it has pioneered the adoption of new technologies for the carton industry in the country. “Cold foil is one such technology that we have been researching for the past two to three years and when we found the right solution we brought it to India,” he said. Siddharth Kejriwal the managing director of the company outlined some of the company’s technology pioneering highlights including the installation of the first KBA 6-color plus coater UV press at Daman in 2005; its adoption of the complete Esko packaging prepress workflow; the installation of Kurandt inspection systems and Accubraille on high-speed Bobst folder gluers; and the first installation of a KBA double-coater UV press.
Other Parksons landmarks are its greenfield plants in Chakan near Pune and Pantnagar and the establishment of the DesignPark research development centre which has already accumulated several patents for its packaging design innovations. Kejriwal emphasized the increasingly competitive need for a carton to have spectacular visual impact on the consumer. “The packaging has to stand out on the shelf, the package is the brand,” he said.
Talent meets technology
Parksons most recent achievement, the installation of the KBA 6-color plus coater full UV press with an in-line foiler was the reason for the evening’s event. An entire range of consumer product samples and prototype cartons using cold foil and printed on the KBA press were unveiled after the presentations. The appreciative packaging professionals were more than suitably impressed. For many it was an education and for some it was a challenge – of how to immediately implement this technology to create amazing packaging with standout shelf impact.
Dietmar Heyduck senior vice president sales sheetfed offset and member of the management board of KBA congratulated Parksons on its continuous technological growth and pioneering spirit. And for running 7 KBA high configuration presses across its three plants which make the company one of KBA’s seven key accounts across the world. In an interview earlier in the day, Heyduck said that his company believes in total support as far as its customer’s absorption of new technology. “KBA sees itself not just as a supplier but as a partner,” he said.
Jurgen Veil, KBA’s key account manager for packaging explained how the offset printing process and the foiler work in combination to make possible and economically produce a large number of spectacular visual effects. Kejriwal, Heyduck and Veil emphasized that cold foiling on an offset press is an industrial process – productive and sustainable since the metallic ink and the board can be easily recycled. Cold foiling dispenses with the need to print on board laminated with metallized polyester – a substrate that first requires separation of the two materials before they can be individually recycled.
The key take away of the evening was that the Parksons and KBA team showed what the new technology can do – the event created the fascination and initial learning that is needed for exploring and mastering any breakthrough industrial process. In addition, Parksons in-house team showed that it is has already taken on the initial challenges and is busy creating the knowledge and the tools for profitably exploiting the company’s new technology capability. It’s ready to partner packaging professionals in breaking the boundaries – once again.
