Rotatek Printing & Packaging Technologies, part of the Vinsak Group and a global manufacturer of rotary web offset hybrid printing and converting solutions, successfully hosted its open house at its manufacturing facility in Barcelona, unveiling its latest and most advanced innovation – the Universal 850 hybrid printing press. The company is a leading manufacturer specializing in web presses for labels, flexible packaging, folding cartons, security printing, commercial printing, and pharmaceutical inserts.
Rotatek’s biggest and most versatile press to date, the Universal 850 combines offset and flexo sleeve technologies to deliver excellent print quality across a wide range of substrates, marking a major milestone in the company’s packaging strategy. It features a fourth ink form roller for enhanced printing capabilities with integration of a new sleeve design, which includes a pneumatic locking system for easier installation and enhanced security.
The Universal 850 is implemented with a fully adjustable oscillating ink roller system, allowing for precise adjustment tailored to different ink types such as UV, LED, and grease. Provision of machine configurations for various substrates, offering different tension control systems and customized rollers to meet diverse requirements. The availability of several equipment options, including an automatic blanket washer, an automatic ink supply, and advanced sleeve handling, enables customers to tailor their setup according to specific needs and preferences.
The Rotatek open house event in Barcelona received an enthusiastic response, with visitors and converters joining from Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, the United States, and Latin America, making it a truly global and productive gathering. Running from 12 to 16 January, the open house served as a dynamic platform for industry professionals to experience cutting-edge technology live, exchange insights, and strengthen industry networks.
Speaking at the event, Ranesh Bajaj, director of the Vinsak group and Rotatek, highlighted that the Universal press platform sits at the heart of Rotatek’s packaging strategy. “This universal platform is where we want to grow into packaging,” he said, adding that the modular design allows converters to combine offset, flexo, digital, foiling, lamination, and inspection in a single pass, while retaining the flexibility to retool presses as market requirements evolve.
Designed to serve both mature and emerging markets, the Universal 850 supports a wide range of applications, including pharma inserts, shrink sleeves, flexible packaging, folding cartons, and in-mold labels (IML). The machine demonstrated at the open house featured seven offset and two flexo printing stations and was equipped with LED and UV curing, NIR drying, auto registration, closed-loop color control, and digital capabilities, with provision to add gravure in the future. Also on display was the Rietstack 850 offline die-cutting system, completing a fully integrated IML production workflow.
The new press was officially inaugurated by the new owner, Manish Desai, director of Mudrika Labels, one of India’s leading packaging companies, known for its early adoption of advanced printing technologies and its extensive fleet of flexo and offset presses serving global brands. The machine to be installed at Mudrika Labels’ facility in India will be configured for in-mold labels, shrink sleeves, unsupported films, and hybrid packaging applications. With an 850-mm web width, it is the widest press in the Universal range and is designed to handle substrates ranging from 12-micron films to carton board.
The event also saw active participation from Rotatek’s technology partners, including Rietstack, Toyo Ink, Taghleef Industries, Maxcess, ACTEGA, BST, Schober Technologies, and Polilux, who engaged with converters and showcased complementary solutions aimed at enhancing production efficiency and print performance.
