UV Graphic sees rise in demand

Since May, the company has installed four presses, one each at Optimum Labels in Delhi, Vikram Printers in Pune, PP Labels in Pinjore, and a 10 color film press at Jupiter Laminators in Sonipat. There are seven further orders in the pipeline.

Abhay Datta, director of UV Graphic Technologies, says: ‘We have been getting a lot of enquiries since April, mainly from tier-2 and -3 cities. A lot of people are getting rid of their old equipment. They are investing in the latest flexo technology with wider web widths of 450 and 530mm to print both pressure-sensitive labels and flexible packaging. Label printers have had time to think and restrategize their business models during lockdown. Stable companies are investing for a better future.’

The company has received three repeat orders for its Ultraflex UFO press. All three customers had purchased their respective machines in 2019 and have confirmed repeat orders in September 2020.

Customers’ view 
Umesh and Pramod Dongre of Shree Multi Labels, based in Pune, installed their first 9-color Ultraflex UFO 370 press in February 2019. The company has ordered a second 6-color Ultraflex UFO press to be delivered by the end of December. Shree Multi specializes in pressure-sensitive filmic labels and stand-up pouches for food.

Pramod Dongre says: ‘It is a value-for-money press that offers all features and high-quality printing. Moreover, due to the Covid lockdown, buying from local manufacturers ensures good service and timely installation, which is critical for just-in-time delivery requirements of brands.’

Another Pune-based company, Hempra, owned by Parveen and Tanish Mutha, installed its first 9-color Ultraflex UFO 450 flexo press in July 2019. Hempra specializes in flexible packaging and shrink sleeves. The second press, an 8-color Ultraflex UFO 450, is expected to be delivered in February 2021. Praveen Mutha says: ‘We have seen an increase in our print quality and our customers are coming back with repeat orders and long-term commitments. Thanks to this this substantial increase in productivity and quality, we have ordered our second machine within a year.’ 

Sanjay Vakharia of SM Packaging, located in Vasai, Mumbai, installed a 10-color Ultraflex UFO 370 press in September 2019 and is engaged in pressure-sensitive, shrink sleeves and in-mold labels for pharma and F&F industry. The second 8-color Ultraflex UFO 370 press is due to be delivered in November. ‘We did an extensive study of imported and local machines before deciding to opt for Ultraflex. We have opted for a high configuration press from UV Graphic within 12 months of installing the first one. Ultraflex UFO, in my opinion, is comparable to any European press in terms of high printing quality, efficiency, speed, and is also very user-friendly. We have been able to cater to the huge demand during lockdown due to this installation,’ says Vakharia.

Seeing demand soar, UV Graphic has increased capacity to two machines a month, and has opened a new sales office in Mumbai.

‘Our press is very compact and is built in such a way that it takes only a day to install,’ says Abhay Datta. ‘We claim perfect register and make ready with less than three meters of waste on our presses and the fourth meter is sellable, which results in huge savings for any printer. All our presses are designed to handle film and labelstock so the machines are finding a huge demand in the flexible packaging industry as well. In the end, the market is driven by the buyer, not the seller and we see a good demand for our flexo presses.’

The company ensured smooth delivery and installation to customers during the pandemic. ‘Service is key in this industry. Our engineers, while taking all precautions, flew or drove to nearby cities and installed the machine in a day. While remote diagnostics are working well during these times, remote installation requires trained engineers at the customer’s end,’ Datta observes.