Since last one year, Kolkata-based Nextgen Printers has been making significant investments in capacity building and modernization of its Howrah plant. Nextgen Printers, which started its first plant in Sikkim in 2010, installed a 7-color KBA Rapida full UV plus coater press at its Howrah plant in October 2015. This was followed by further investments in making the plant a highly comprehensive packaging solution provider in Eastern India. The company also bought a Bobst Novacut 106 ER; a Bobst Expertfold 110 folder-gluer, which can handle both duplex and 3-ply carton for making straight line, crash lock bottom, 4- and 6-corner boxes; and a Bobst Foil Stamper Visionfoil 104 during the same span of
time last year. Another Bobst diecutter is scheduled to be installed in December 2016. The company also invested in a rotary window patching and lining machine from Heiber Schroder, which was installed in March this year. “These machinery are the first-of-their-kind in Eastern and North-Eastern India,” says Mahesh Khandelwal, director at Nextgen Printers. “My aim is to provide high-quality packaging solutions to our customers so they don’t have to go places to get their work done.”
The KBA Rapida 105 installed at the Howrah plant is an interdeck press with end-of-line dryer with speeds up to16,000 sheets per hour. The press has shaftless drives, which means individual printing towers and cylinders are driven by dedicated AC servo motors. “Because of the servo motors, the makeready is faster and is very user-friendly,” says Khandelwal. With a maximum sheet format size of 720 x 1050 mm, the Rapida 105 can print on paper, cards, films as well as corrugated boards, thanks to its low-curvature sheet path. The special air-cushioned sheet transport through the printing units and delivery provides for gentle handling and exact pile formation. It is thus possible to print at full speed even when working with more sensitive materials.
Nextgen lays great emphasis and focus on its R&D and has always come up with value additions andnew innovations for its customers
“We invested in this press because UV was one of our main concerns and this press fulfils all our requirements,” says Khandelwal. Nextgen produces monocartons, window-patched boxes, blister cards, hard boxes as well as erected cartons. “On this multi-color press, we print UV drip effects, textures as well as conventional jobs on various substrates.” The company lays great emphasis and focus on its R&D and has always come up with value additions and new innovations for its customers. Khandelwal says that R&D is at the heart of the company and this is what keeps them ahead in the market. “It is because of our new innovations and unique value addition capabilities that keep customers from all over India coming to us for business,” he emphasizes. He, however, says that the market in Kolkata is rather hard to crack since most customers have a perception that quality work can only be delivered by packaging companies from big cities of India rather than Kolkata. “Nonetheless, I am quite optimistic that their perception will change soon and people here will start believing in the talent and expertise of next-door companies like us,” he states.
Nextgen’s brand new plant at Howrah started production in 2015. However, the plant will be fully operational by April 2017 as a couple of other equipment are still to be installed in a phased manner. Spread on a built-up area of about 70,000 sq. ft., the plant also houses a fluted carton unit, which is powered by a Paktek laminator, a Bobst punching machine as well as two flexo presses—single and two color. The volume conversion of the Howrah plant at present is about 300 tons of paper and paper boards per month.
