Bwin Digiflex installs the first Kodak Flexcel NX in North India

Baddi-based Bwin Digiflex has recently installed an immensely capable system from Kodak – the Flexcel NX along with Prinergy powerpack workflow packaging software – which not only serves as a single solution for production of digital flexo and thermal offset plates and DITR films for analog flexo plates, but also prides in being a centre of technological breakthrough for the entire region. SMC Pack of Baddi started as a packaging printing company around three decades ago. Earlier when they were based in Delhi, the company used to exclusively cater to packaging but the printing part would be outsourced. Shailesh Garg’s father was running the packaging – chiefly corrugation – business. With the business shifting from Delhi to Gurgaon, SMC Packaging Pvt Ltd got incorporated in 1999. When they shifted to Baddi, a close relative who is an industry veteran and also owns Anupam Art Printers, Delhi acted as mentor for the new operations. The Baddi business took off under able guidance of Shailesh Garg’s father in 2005 supported by his sons Shailesh and Manish Garg and remained a one-stop solution provider for complete printed mono-cartons doing everything from printing to cutting, folding, printing and varnishing, corrugation, etc.

Shailesh and Manish Garg of Bwin with the Kodak Flexcel NX imager at the backgroundIn realization of their dream the two brothers Shailesh and Manish Garg recently formed Bwin Digiflex and have taken a big step forward technologically by installing Kodak Flexcel NX at their facility. Along with the Kodak Flexcel NX system, Bwin has also got complete Kodak Prinergy powerpack workflow packaging software, which organizes, controls and optimizes every workflow for every job – be it flexo or offset.

Adopting a technology that was not only new to Bwin but also to the region was a tough decision for Shailesh. He puts the reason as a dream that he had nurtured as far back as 1986 when he saw Kodak letterset machine at an exhibition. He couldn’t install the machine somehow at his Chawri Bazar facility, however acquiring unique Kodak equipment remained his first choice ever. And when he got the first opportunity to install the Kodak Flexcel NX, he didn’t think twice to go for it. Still, what Shailesh thinks as the USP of the system is its digital flexo plate producing capability.

The Kodak Flexcel NX system together with Kodak Flexcel NX plates enables printers to achieve gravure-class print quality on a wide variety of substrates. The secret lies in the dots created on the plates. Using Kodak Squarespot imaging technology, dots as small as 10-microns are imaged onto the Kodak Flexcel NX thermal imaging layer. The system provides imaging at up to 9.5 square meters per hour; full-amplitude, flat top dots that reduce dot gain and remain constant with over-impression; and plates enabling excellent ink transfer, smooth solids, uniform lay down, robust on-press performance, and excellent ozone resistance.

“With the Kodak Flexcel NX advanced technology, we shall surely be able to match any global quality standards,” claims the proud owner. Another thing that interested Shailesh in the Kodak technology is the zero changeover time between each process. “All you have to do is change the type of plate and the rest is taken care of by the system,” he reveals.

The Kodak Flexcel NX system enables them to cater the diverse demands of the region for the commercial printing, packaging cartons, labels flexo, etc. One of the key focuses for the Flexcel NX in Baddi has been to provide the solution from a place that’s in close proximity to customers. The customers were waiting for 3-4 days before they got their plates which were being done from far off places. And if there happened to be some error on plates, the period would extend and business would suffer.

Open house to demonstrate capabilities

Bwin is planning soon to conduct an open house for the regions printers to present Kodak Flexcel NX technology before them in a live environment. The common platform of the open house will let the audience learn more about the vast capabilities of the system to meet the diverse present and future market needs typical of the region.