This is the first installation of Konica Minolta digital label printing press in India. The machine was sold by Reifenhauser India, Konica Minolta’s partner for digital label printing presses in northern and southern part of the country. Eastern and Western parts of the country are handled by Insight Print Communications.  

Pradeep Hora of Hora Art Centre said, “Our existing printing set up is already equipped with offset, narrow web flexo and digital printing presses. All are high-end kits and they are capable of printing long and medium run jobs. We wanted to make a bridge between narrow web flexo and our digital printing press. This is one of the strong reasons to opt for the machine. Our Konica Minolta label press will strengthen our short-run label production along with existing digital press.”

Explaining the need for such a press, Hora added, "We work for home appliances industry and nowadays artwork changes fast. Sometimes we print a few hundreds and less labels as well and the time frame is also becoming narrow. Being a digital label printing press, there is no need of flexo printing plates and around five to six-meter label stock is only going in to waste.”

The digital label printing press was installed in June and production started in July 2018.

Konica Minolta AccurioLabel 190 prints on dry toner electrophotography technology at the standard speed of 13.5 meters per minute. It can print at the speed of 9.45m/m, 13.5 m/m and 18.9 m/m. The speed of the press varies according to the substrates. The web width of AccurioLabel 190 is 320 mm and its maximum print size is 480 x 320 mm in normal mode and 320 x 1195 mm in banner mode. It is a full colour (CMYK) printing press and Konica Minolta’s R & D team is working to increase the colour gamut.

Sanjay Hora, the younger brother, said, “This digital printing press does not work on click charges. We have to pay only for what we print; there is no fix monthly charge. Toners of the press are FDI approved so it can be used to print food grade items. It is a compact machine.”

Around 1000 kg heavy machine has three parts roll feeder, print engine and roll winder. Japan-based Miyakoshi is Konica Minolta’s partner for feeder and winder. It can print a media from 60 to 250 micron. Self-adhesive (acrylic glue) media is only advisable, hot met is not advisable because of fusion technology. It prints fine lines and small text (up to 2 pts).

On the ROI Shantanu Biswas, product manager, Reifenhauser India said that if you run the press eight hours a day for two years then your machine will be free. Shantanu confidently said that market is taking the machine so positively we will announce the second installation of a second machine soon.

Ashok Sethi, EGM PP & IP Sales, Konica Minolta Business Solutions India, said that Hora shows a path for mid-level digital label printing presses in India. There are narrow web flexo and high-end digital printing presses are in the market and very low end too. This machine will work as a bridge between high and low-end digital printing presses. Hora brothers allowed us to use this installation as a demo centre.

As per our observation, it seems a subordinate press for any narrow web flexo print production house and able to bridge the gap. Will it be able to sustain on its own, will be answered by the coming time.

Hora brothers run a charitable clinic, where their first factory was used to locate. The senior Hora said that we have to give back to the society and right now our clinic entertains around 500 patients per day. We charge only Rs. 30 as consultation fee, rest all facilities are free. All doctors are well qualified and experienced.