Steinemann Lotus 102SF

Vice president, Ashoka Adlakha of Canpac explains what this machine does, and the impact it has had on business, in terms of costs and adding new clients.

19 Mar 2013 | By PrintWeek India

Describe your company?
Canpac Trends was established as a post-press firm Canary in 1995. The Ahmedabad-based firm recently invested to set-up its own plant that converts 600 tonnes of paper and paperboard per month into folding cartons. 

What does the machine do? 
The Steinemann Lotus 102SF is a solvent-less PUR lamination machine, capable of laminating paper and paperboard with various types of films such as polyester, BOPP, PVC, OPP, PET and metallised films.
 
Why did you choose this particular system? 
65% of the folding cartons which we produce require lamination. We opted for this lamination machine owing to its high speed, solvent-free technique and inline sheet separation facility, which offers high productivity, and quality at the same time.
 
Did you look at any other similar systems?
Yes , we did look into other machines but we found this technology far more superior then any other laminator and decided to invest in it.
 
What features do you particularly like?
A double sheet-cleaning brush with an additional heatable, chromium-plated calendar makes the surface of substrate smooth and dirt-free. The unique feature of the Lotus 102 SF is its low glue consumption. This has helped save on glue and reduce lamination costs. In addition, it consumes less power, since it does not need a drier. 
 
Is there anything that you dislike?
Yes, the machine is quite expensive. 
 
Is there anything that you wish it had that it doesn’t?
A non-stop feeder would make this machine a perfect solution for lamination. 
 
How fast is it?
The machine throughputs at a speed of 70-80 m/min. In addition, it can laminate more than 75,000 – 90,000 sheets per day depending upon the board quality.
 
How reliable is it?
The machine is very reliable.
 
What’s the quality like?
It produces smooth and even surfaced products. You can achieve international quality on Indian board.
 
How easy is it to use?
The machine is user-friendly.
 
How much time or money has it saved?
Operationally it saves 50% cost than any water-based laminator in the world. Glue consumption is 3gsm and electricity consumed is only 27kw.
 
Has it won you any new work?
Yes, thanks to this machine we have added some textile and perfume cartons to our portfolio.
 
Would you say that it offers value for money?
It definitely offers value for money to a great extent, with its low power consumption, glue savings, and inline sheet separator.
 
Were there any difficulties experienced during the installation or after?
No. The entire process of installation was carried out smoothly by trained engineers from SRK Technology. Experts from Steinemann regularly review the machine performance.
 
What about the pre and after-sale service?
The service from SRK Technology has been very good and we are happy.
 
Who do you think the system is right for?
The machine is suitable for all the packaging printers who wish to provide quality service under one roof and faster turnaround times.
 
Under what circumstances would you buy another?
Whenever our lamination requirement surges we would opt for another such machine, subject to competitive pricing.

Conclusion
User’s verdict
Speed 4/5
Quality 4/5
Reliability 5/5
Value for money 4/5
Supplier’s Response
Rajesh Agarwal, director, SRK Technology, says, “The Lotus SF solvent-free lamination machine is full of benefits for the printer involved in lamination of all film types. The benefits start with low glue consumption, a major cost of lamination. Lotus consumes only 1.8 to 3.5gsm of adhesive depending on the stock and type of laminating film used. The rotary hot knife plays a key role in terms of savings. After lamination, it cuts the sheet cleanly without tension across the sheet width, regardless of the running speed of the machine, the laminating films used and stock thickness. Canpac Trends is a professionally managed company led by Nilesh Todi. The company uses the machine for high-quality metallised lamination applications for luxury packaging.”
Contact
Rajesh Agarwal
 SRK Technology
+91 98110 54748 / 
+91 11 2621 0246
rajesh@srktechnology.com