PrintPack 2022: Echaar makes a Make in India statement

We have always been associated with the printing industry. We have been involved with the technology developments in web offset presses for the top Indian brands. We were supplying critical cylinders to the web offset machinery manufacturers. We were supplying to India and Germany. Soon, we were visiting trade shows from Drupa to PrintPack, and we saw multiple demos of presse. We saw a healthy interest in CI flexo presses. The promoters felt CI Flexo is the technology of the future.

A good CI flexo press has very critical manufacturing requirements. At Echaar, we were already doing most of these things. For example, we have a carbon fibre doctor chamber. Also the ability to notch up 500 metres on LDPE 20 microns. As the WhatPackaging? magazine team saw during our Open House in Ambernath, the press demonstrated the ability to reverse print at a high speed of 300- to 600-m/min with pinpoint registration. So we realised we had the potential and the CI Flexo was suitable for our profile.

We want to manufacture a machine for India that would be ideal for the biggest brands in the packaging sector. We did a survey and realised there is a good demand for such machines in India. However, everyone is importing European machines at very high cost. One of our first steps was to collaborate with Claudio Maggio (ex founder of Uteco). This has reaped huge benefits in fine-tuning the Flexomaster HR 500 CI flexo press. As you know, the old Indian saying, every top quality tutor needs a good student. Claudio Maggio  was the brain behind our ops.

Having said that, Echaar has the capability and our team has developed this capability for decades. For the last 42 years, Echaar Group has earned a reputation in various manufacturing sectors, such as defence, atomic energy, hydro energy, windmill energy, oil and gas, construction equipment, and the printing industry. This is not easy. Printing is a highly evolved science. It involves multiple technologies like metallurgy, equipment, softwares, now automation too, plus as well as motors and motion controllers. We are a group of engineers who are highly professional and highly committed to print precision.

Printing delivers the result only when the procedure is correct. With our CI flexo presses it is not just the manufacturing of high precision parts but the coming together of all the components and nuts-and-bolts. The ingredients are most important. We use materials based on our expertise in sectors like wind energy. Over a period we have learned how to source and process those materials. So what you see in our three factories is a combination of precision plus metallurgy. Engineering in the 20th century has meant the construction of buildings and bridges. Now it means creating windmills and nuclear plants and other structures. We have used that knowledge to expand engineering in India to include new applications like CI Flexo presses.

The point is, we are taking advantage of proven technologies. In real terms this means the press has a quick changeover time (this is due to Easylock – a patented technology of Echaar’s Italian partner, CT Service SRLS). Also there is a full auto wash system, turrets on both the unwinder and rewinder, and an automatic reel lifter. By the end this year, we hope to sign contracts for three CI flexo presses (minimum). We have signings for a Flexodelight and a Flexosmart press plus lots of enquiries for the Flexomaster HR500 press which was demonstrated at our Ambernath open house.

Echaar's motto: We don't want to sell the machine until and unless we can give a complete eco-package

There have been lots of learnings along the way. We know that any technology that does not add value to the end customer is a waste. This is Echaar's fundamental principle. We try to eliminate any kind of time waste on the factory floor plus optimize the machine productivity. I mean, we are good at building a great machine but what we are learning is that the customer needs to optimise the machine. Since the right optimum means value for money. That's the key in the 21st century.  Right investment has to translate into right returns. That's what every customer seeks.

Since the past one year we have been in the process of building a robust service process. Today Echaar is a service-oriented company. Our motto is: we don't want to sell the machine until and unless we can give a complete eco-package to the customer. If there is an export, we will train our operator and send the operator to the heart of Africa or a remote factory location in India. The point is, our customer should not be worried about how they will operate a CI Flexo press from Echaar. And so, we are developing all the departments like the customer support department. Also a graphic and printing department since there is a perception (incorrect in my view) that you cannot gravure quality on a flexo press. So we train shop floor operators about how to play the flexo game. With proper plates, proper anilox, correct inks. How to boost the operational efficiency in the best possible way.

Today, we have more than 300 members in the Echaar family of which we have a team of 20 who are dedicated only to customer service and support. Then there is a core group and then to support the core group there other departments. Those are behind the scenes. But a core team of 20 Echaarites leading the service section in the flexo group. Our engineers are incredible. They can run the press. All the engineers are trained to design and manufacture the machine. The featheir in the cap is, they run the equipment. Now, more and more team members are doing this. Good technologists are joining our company. Engineers with flexo knowledge who own the means of production: and carry that blueprint of what they have manufactured inside their heads. For me this is the true meaning of Make in India.

During PrintPack the response has been terrific. Exciting times ahead for CI Flexo presses. At Echaar we know we know that journey has just begun. This flexo knowledge is growing constantly. Our job is to provide the solutions with our manufacturing capability.