
Last time when we interacted with Bajaj Processing Industries a couple of years ago, they had recently exited the textile processing business and moved into the commercial offset prepress segment. In July 2014, they had installed the Kodak Trendsetter 800 X-Speed and Kodak Prinergy Workflow Solution. Being a new player in the prepress industry, the move to set up the venture was to test the waters in the printing business. The prepress operation was set up by Neelkanth Bajaj, who at that time was a fresh MBA with lot of ambition. During the previous interaction two years ago, Bajaj said that the medium term target was to move towards becoming a flexo prepress house in a few years. Keeping pace with that target, Bajaj Processing has now become a full-fledged flexo prepress house. It has quit the offset prepress business and has sold the Kodak Trendsetter. It has also moved out of its Lower Parel plant to a much bigger new unit in Vasai. The plant is spread over 2,000 square foot and employs 10 people
In the new set up in Vasai, Bajaj Processing has installed Kodak Flexcel NX Mid Imager (Hybrid) plus laminator along with Kodak Prinergy Workflow for packaging. Bajaj was evaluating few other options but went for Kodak because of its ability to offer a true, perfect flat top dot with the advances in NX technology. Moreover, the fact that Kodak Flexcel NX plate has the capability to hold dots up to 1% is really important for quality-conscious customers, Bajaj said.
Kodak Prinergy Workflow solution is delivering the efficiencies and productivity that Bajaj Processing needs for its jobs, with auto-trapping and advanced trapping tools, step and repeat capabilities, advanced PDF editing tools, Dotshop feature which allows access to screening options while also working with custom dot shapes, sizes, angles and orientation. Prinergy Workflow also delivers various screening options and color management tools.
Bajaj said that previous experience with Kodak has been extremely good in the case of Kodak Trendsetter 800 X-Speed. Along with the Kodak set up, Bajaj Processing has also invested in equipment from Glunz & Jensen. It has installed G&J Concept 302 ECDLF exposer and G&J Concept 305P processor. “G&J is renowned and really defines the industry standard when it comes to labels and flexible packaging. The company also has a great reputation for the support they provide in India for their equipment,” Bajaj said.
Eyeing the flexible packaging segment
Bajaj Processing is currently meeting the demands of customers in mainly labels, woven bags and corrugated segments but has plans to venture into new areas. “Our main client base currently is in labels. However, we are in talks to acquire few customers in the flexible packaging segment as well. We feel that in this sector we can achieve good growth. The eventual aim is to service CI flexo clients for flexible packaging,” Bajaj said.
Packaging South Asia is the cooperating media partner for drupa 2016 which is scheduled to be held from 31 May to 10 June at Dusseldorf, Germany.