Me and My: NBG Star 30
Rajendra Krishnarao Sonawane, printer and publisher, Shrirang Prakashan, which publishes the Marathi daily Deshdoot, talks about the web offset printing press from NBG Printographic Machinery
27 Nov 2017 | By Priya Raju
Sonawane: “A good balance of price and performance”
Describe your company.
The Deshdoot Group of Newspapers has been producing Deshdoot, a Marathi daily, since 1970. Deshdoot is one of the oldest newspapers in the region started by Devkisan Sarda. Today it is printed simultaneously from Nashik, Jalgaon and Ahmednagar. Presently, Vikram Sarda looks after the newspaper. In Nashik, besides Deshdoot in Marathi, the group also publishes Deshdoot Times in English. Our total print run is 110,000 copies.
When did you invest in the web offset press?
We have three NBG Star 30 presses. The latest was installed last year.We have a 14-year relationship with NBG. We bought our first NBG web offset press in 2003. It was an add-on to our existing Orient web offset printing press. Since then, we have continued to buy add-ons and complete lines from NBG which now includes complete new lines at Nashik, Jalgaon and Ahmednagar. Our printing press at Nashik is a Star 30 and is capable of printing a 16-page broadsheet newspaper in a single pass with 12 colour pages.
What does the machine do?
The web offset printing press from NBG Printographic Machinery prints our respective newspapers on daily basis.
Why did you choose this particular press?
Initially, we were uncertain to go with a new manufacturer but we liked the built of the machine. Besides, it was economic. With its speed of 30,000 impressions, Star 30 has worked well for us over the years. Thus, our confidence has grown in the web offset presses offered by NBG.
Did you look at any other similar press?
Yes, of course. We looked at presses available from other Indian manufacturers. However, we found Star 30 to be a good balance of price and performance.
What features of the machine do you particularly like?
The machine has similar design to the Goss Community presses, which is an ideal web offset printing solution from the beginning for Indian requirement.
Is there anything you wish it had that it doesn’t?
We carefully evaluated and opted for the features we wanted. So we don’t feel there is anything missing in terms of features.
How fast is it?
The NBG 30 web offset printing press can reach up to a maximum speed of 30,000 impressions per hour.
How much time or money has it saved?
The fact that we are able to print most of our newspapers in one pass, including the inserts helps us deliver our newspaper to the market on time and also reduce print waste.
What about the pre- and after-sales service?
Engineers came and visited our site before installation. The technical team from NBG guided us and we prepared the layout and foundation according to their guidelines. In our relationship spanning more than a decade, whenever we needed any assistance, NBG has provided it, whether it is technical or operational.
Were there any difficulties experienced during the installation or after?
There isn’t anything major that needs to be pointed out. They have been always very supportive.
Who do you think is the machine right for?
As we are using the machine for the production of our daily newspapers, we can say that the machine is well-suited for newspaper production.
Under what circumstances would you invest in another such press?
In case there is a demand for more colours or as and when we decide to expand our printing centres.
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