Paharpur 3P: The complete and specialist flexible pouch supplier

Gravure for short runs with 30-minute changeovers

September 2, 2017

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A subsidiary of the global Paharpur group, best known for manufacturing cooling towers, Paharpur 3P is a cylinder making, printing, lamination and pouch-making operation under one roof in Sahibabad. The ISO 14001:2004, 22000:2005 and BRC/IOP certified plant is an excellent example of a profitable and continuously growing company that can adhere to the highest standards in an environment where real compliance is often voluntary. As Paharpur 3P Chief Executive Officer Mohammed Nadeem explained to us, the entire plant is a zero discharge facility as far as inks and solvents are concerned and one that generates its own 4MW of electricity using gas turbines when needed.

IMG 4994 used2 — One of the W&H 3-layer blown film
lines at Paharpur 3P’s plant in
Sahibabad. Photo Paharpur 3P

When we visited the plant a few weeks ago, we could see that Paharpur 3P was engaged in renovating and construction of new space for a constant flow of newer technology equipment right from its cylinder making plant, to its gravure presses, lamination equipment and to its formidable pouch-making capacity.

Co-extruded HDPE, LDPE and LLDPE films with multiple distinct layers are manufactured by Paharpur 3P, which continues to buy W&H blown films lines from its earliest days 30 years ago. Although it installed a small 3-layer line from Windsor also last year, during our visit, construction was underway for a taller and new W&H 3-layer blown film line to be installed in October this year. The company is also upgrading its cylinder making and engraving, which currently uses a K2 engraver from Hell and another from Ohio Engravers.

For printing, the company runs a complement of four gravure presses from Cerruti, Bobst and Beiren. Currently, as part of its constant modernization whereby it takes out a press (or indeed any other equipment) and replaces it with a faster or more state-of-the-art machine, one press had been removed to make way for a new Pelican gravure press to be installed this month. The Pelican will be the first Indian manufactured press to be installed in the plant.

Two new slitter rewinders from SP Ultraflex including a Roboslit have also just been installed to replace two earlier machines. Nadeem makes it a point to say that, “The manufacturer’s support on the Roboslit has been phenomenal.” Paharpur’s four Nordmeccanica laminators are reliable workhorses according to Nadeem. Of these, a Nordmeccanica Super Combi 4000 Matic laminator was just installed a couple of months ago. The entire plant, even the store, gives one the feeling that it is under constant renovation to accommodate the continuous process upgradation of technology and machines.

Specialist pouch-making is the key

IMG 5046 used3 — One of the four gravure presses at Paharpur 3P’s plant in Sahibabad. Photo Paharpur 3P

A key part of the Paharpur operation is the converting process including the slitter rewinders, laminators and, most importantly, the several lines of pouch-making machines from Totami, Galaxy and Thimonnier. The company is a global award winner in pouch manufacturing and its expertise as well as its top of the line equipment and installation in the correct environment help it meet stringent health and safety standards.

The entire approach of the Paharpur 3P business is to supply high-quality, value-added flexible pouches rather than just laminates to well-known food and personal care brands. An innovator in new types of pouches and closures, the company is the largest pouch manufacturer in India, specializing in pouches with special closures and caps for food products and personal care such as hand washes. It is also the largest supplier in India of retortable and microwavable pouches for ready-to-eat food products from its wholly owned Floater India plant located on the other side of Delhi in Manesar. Paharpur acquired Floater India from Floeter Germany in 2008. Apart from its two plants and global presence, Paharpur has marketing offices in six Indian cities.

No minimum order & OTIF

Nadeem Photo used — Mohammed Nadeem, chief executive officer at Paharpur 3P. Paharpur recieved the 2017 Gold Flexible Packaging Achievement Award for Sustainability from the Flaxible Packaging Association. Paharpur 3P has also recently developed an innovative shampoo pouch for a global brand owner

The company is committed to meeting its client’s precise needs in terms of quality and quantity. No quantity is too small for Paharpur 3P. As Nadeem tells us, “We have geared ourselves for short runs such that we can do a gravure press job changeover in less than 30 minutes.” The company has trained its crew for changeovers using a pit-stop approach that is often advocated by various management gurus. In addition, the company has astutely chosen its target customers and specialized services and with confidence it offers the Paharpur Guarantee with no minimum order requirement. Moreover, Nadeem says the company’s reliable systems approach means that as a part of its guarantee it can offer an On Time In Full (OTIF) delivery policy to its customers wherein it is able to meet quick turnarounds at consistently high quality and in full quantities. He shows us some of his data sheets, and adds, “We have the lowest rejection rates in the country.”

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