Bajaj Processing installs Kodak Flexcel NX Mid imager and Glunz & Jensen equipment

Indian pre-press specialist Bajaj Processing has installed a Kodak Flexcel NX Mid imager as it seeks to expand its business in fast-growing labels and packaging markets.

Bajaj Processing has installed a Kodak Flexcel NX Mid imager

Bajaj Processing founder Neelkanth Bajaj invested in Kodak platemaking technology in 2014 as he looked to diversify from textile processing into printing. This saw the company acquire a Kodak Trendsetter CTP system and Prinergy workflow software. Bajaj’s aim was to build a respected business in the commercial printing market, and two years into this venture Bajaj Processing has cemented its presence and established a large client base in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic markets for label and corrugated packaging applications.

These sectors have continued to see rapid growth, with India’s pharmaceutical industry likely to grow to 55 billion USD in the next five years against the current size of 18 billion USD, according to predictions. Annual growth in the Indian beauty and cosmetics markets is estimated to remain in the range of 15-20 percent in the coming years, twice as fast as that of the US and European markets. As consumer demand drives this growth, the packaging sector will be a key beneficiary, with revenues from the Indian packaging industry expected to reach 32 billion USD by 2020.

Packaging and labeling play a significant role in maintaining product quality and promoting safe use, said Kodak, and for cosmetic brands with exacting standards, the packaging is as essential to the product inside. It’s also an influential factor when consumers decide whether or not to purchase products.

To expand its business in these fast-growing sectors, Bajaj Processing recently made the decision to invest in a hybrid Kodak Flexcel NX Mid imager to increase the quality of the plates it produces and to open up new opportunities, like flexible package printing. The hybrid version of the imager enables imaging of both flexo and offset plates on the same device. Bajaj Processing has also installed Glunz & Jensen equipment for processing and exposing media, in the form of a Concept 305 P in-line plate processor and Concept 302 EDLF exposure, dryer and light finishing combination unit.

Bajaj Processing has identified text as a critical area for its customers, particularly on pharmaceutical labels. With the Flexcel NX system, Bajaj Processing can achieve gravure-class print quality on a wide variety of substrates. Using Kodak Squarespot imaging technology, dots as small as 10 microns are imaged onto the Kodak Flexcel NX thermal imaging layer. Laminating the thermal imaging layer to the Flexcel NX plate eliminates all oxygen between the layer and the plate, allowing stable, full-amplitude, flat top dots to form. The results are consistent, predictable printing, even of subtle gradations and challenging shadows and highlights.

‘Packaging printers have been looking for solutions to continually increase efficiency while also improving colour quality,’ said Neelkanth Bajaj. ‘As there are considerable business pressures owing to condensed cycle times and a renewed focus on savings, the Flexcel NX system was our pick for investment considering our good experience with Kodak products prior to this.

‘Kodak Prinergy workflow drives our pre-press by bringing in added reliability and productivity into the mix. Our workflow configuration is suited to meet customer demands and truly helps us to do more with less.’