Finishing & Screen Printing
BOBST AMBITION A1 strengthens Solar Printers post-press portfolio in India
Thursday 22. April 2021 - On choosing BOBST, Wadhera said: We are based in a remote location and as a result, after-sales service was a big challenge for us. BOBST has a vast and quick after-sales service network across India compared to all other available options in the market.
Jammu-based Solar Printers opted for the BOBST AMBITION 76 A1 folder-gluer to expand its post-press portfolio.
“The machine is proving to be very robust and technically sound. We can run specially designed cartons and complex, intricate jobs very easily on the machine,” said Manoj Wadhera, Managing Director at Solar Printers.
“Another important reason to choose BOBST was the great experience of its process engineers to provide life-time technical support in order to ensure machine performance, which no other manufacturer in the market can offer. The brand value of BOBST will also help us to provide our customers with confidence in our ability to consistently provide high quality packaging,” added Wadhera.
Solar Printers was established in 1989 by Rakesh Wadhera with a treadle printing press. In 2001, the company installed its first mini offset printing press and in 2017, the Wadhera family diversified into packaging printing, alongside its existing commercial print production facility.
BOBST AMBITION is an intuitive next generation multi-purpose folder-gluer, developed to create added value for packaging converters and equipped to help them to meet market demands today and in the future.
The folder-gluer is designed to integrate seamlessly with existing workflows and operations and provides opportunities for production diversity and commercial growth. It offers fast, reliable feeding that is adjustable during runs and customers can choose to incorporate an optional blank aligner for enhanced folding precision. Able to handle most materials and box styles, BOBST AMBITION is pre-equipped with two complementary devices for crash-lock bottoms and 4 and 6 corner boxes.
In addition, the folder-gluer delivers precise 180° pre-breaking of all boxes, regardless of substrate, at high speed. The long pre-break is ideal for perfectly flat glue flaps and an extra-wide lower left-hand belt to eliminate marking. Meanwhile, automatic belt tensioning ensures faster make-readies. With BOBST AMBITION, operators can enable left, right or simultaneous folding.
“Our anticipation for packaging was completely right and we were on the right track, but the nationwide lockdown delayed our plans and meant that we only began running the machines and production in October 2020,” Wadhera said.
The company has invested around Rs 10-crore in the last two years. This includes greenfield expansions and machinery, including the new BOBST AMBITION 76 A1 folder-gluer and a BOBST SP 102 die-cutter. Today, in the packaging unit, the company converts around 500-tonnes of board per month and the capacity is around 700 tonnes. A team of 70 people are employed, working 8-12 hour shifts per day. In anticipation of future expansion, the company has also acquired another 30,000-sq ft of land.
“Right now, we are operating two units – one dedicated to commercial and another for packaging,” Wadhera added. “Our geography has enough potential. The government of Jammu & Kashmir provides relaxation on freight as well. We are serving our clients in Punjab, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir and other neighbouring states.”