DE Converter chooses Gallus

Kolkata-based DE Converter has taken a step toward the
future of high-performance label and packaging production
with the installation of a Gallus Labelmaster 440. This
strategic capital investment, an 8-color press featuring dual
die-cutting stations and cold-foiling capability, reinforces the
company’s commitment to innovation while ensuring long-term
profitability. The move establishes a new operational benchmark for the company and signals a clear intent to dominate the growing mid-web segment in Eastern India.

The acquisition of the Gallus Labelmaster 440 strengthens DE
Converter’s flexo printing infrastructure. The press is designed to handle the company’s versatile product portfolio, ranging from high-volume FMCG labels and tea tags to premium short-run flexible packaging that requires complex decorative finishes.

Strategic growth
DE Converter’s investment is rooted in a history of evolution and expansion. Established in 1950, the company has a 75-year history, transforming from a small family enterprise into a diversified group with a reported turnover exceeding 22.5 M USD. Today, the company operates across several key segments, including laminates, machinery manufacturing and confectionery packaging, solidifying its position as a respected flex pack provider in India.

This deep experience in converting dictates a need for equipment that can marry flexibility with high-efficiency output. The market, defined by shifting consumer behavior and rapid e-commerce expansion, demands immediate responsiveness. Director of DE Converter, Sandip Kundu, emphasizes the need to upgrade to a highly automated system to manage these pressures.

‘Today’s packaging market demands speed, agility and efficiency,’ Kundu says. ‘We needed a super-efficient press that could give us faster changeovers, reduced waste and offer greater substrate flexibility. The Gallus Labelmaster enables us to run more efficiently with fewer operators and confidently handle urgent requirements. It’s an investment in resilience as much as in growth.’

Achieving efficiency through precision
The Gallus Labelmaster 440 was selected for its engineering
philosophy, which prioritizes waste reduction and setup speed;
critical elements for ensuring profitable operations in a high-mix, high-demand environment.

The Labelmaster 440 supports a maximum web width of
445mm and a maximum printing width of 440mm. The press
also features a maximum mechanical speed of up to 200m/min. However, the real commercial advantage lies in its design. The machine has a short web path of only 1.4m between printing units, which significantly reduces material consumption during makeready and setup. Furthermore, the system includes servo drives for the printing cylinders and anilox rollers, guaranteeing precise and stable register accuracy across all operating speeds.

“Today’s packaging market demands speed, agility and efficiency. The Gallus Labelmaster 440 is an investment in resilience as much as in growth.”

A crucial factor in DE Converter’s decision was the machine’s
substrate flexibility. The team conducted extensive trials at
the Gallus demo center in Pune, specifically testing its most
challenging materials. The converter was impressed by the
Labelmaster’s handling of diverse paper grades and ultra-thin
12-micron polyester. The ability to successfully run thin films
validated the press’s capacity to handle the complex requirements of high-end flexible packaging, a key growth area for DE Converter.

Quantifying the ROI
The decision to invest in the Labelmaster aligns with India’s
rapidly accelerating position as a global packaging hub. The
Indian packaging market is exhibiting significant growth, with
overall market CAGR forecasts reaching 26.1 percent through
2030, according to Maximize Market Research. This expansion is overwhelmingly driven by the flexible packaging sector.

The press is expected to generate immediate and quantifiable
operational improvements for DE Converter. The installation is
forecast to increase the production capacity from 70–80 to 100 tons per month. Measuring capacity in tons reflects the company’s focus on maximizing throughput for laminates and bulk converting materials used in its confectionery and flexible packaging operations. This efficiency gain, combined with faster changeovers and reduced substrate waste, is projected to boost the company’s overall profitability by up to 25 percent.

The investment also resonates with the broader macroeconomic trends identified by the machine manufacturer. Thomas Frank, managing director of Heidelberg Asia Pacific, says: ‘India is at the forefront of global growth in labels and packaging. With the Gallus Labelmaster, converters like DE are not only scaling up their capacity but also ensuring they remain cost-competitive, efficient, and future-ready in an increasingly demanding market.’

The installation serves as a technological precursor to DE
Converter’s ambitious future plans. The company is currently
preparing for a major greenfield expansion project on a 14-acre site in West Bengal. This facility will house new extrusion lines, roll-trim facilities, and other state-of-the-art technology. By mastering Labelmaster's high-efficiency, automated platform, DE Converter establishes a template for standardized production that will define the operations of its massive new manufacturing site.