Gallus has announced another success in the Middle East. Al Mawrid Printing & Advertising Ind. LLC, the commercial and packaging printer, placed an order at drupa for a custom configured ICS 670 inline machine system for the production of high-end folding cartons from Gallus Stanz- und Druckmaschinen GmbH. The contract was signed on May 7, 2012 at the Gallus stand.
Located in Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates, Al Mawrid is part of the Thomsun Group, a multi-faceted business enterprise. The manufacture of deluxe packaging and high-end folding cartons for cosmetic, tobacco and food products represents an important pillar for the print house, which employs 350 staff. The investment in the highly automated Gallus ICS 670 will enable the company to add streamlined – and far more flexible – end-to-end inline production of folding carton blanks from the roll to its traditional sheet based folding carton production.
One factor that particularly impressed the company’s management was the ability to combine high-definition flexography and gravure printing elegantly in a single line. The machine configuration ordered comprises a roll unwinder, two gravure units, a module for cold foiling application and lamination, seven HiDef flexo printing modules (all of which will be installed on Easy Value Add platforms to simplify replacements) and a Gallus FCL 670 inline flat-bed die-cutter.
‘First of all, it was the enormous flexibility as a result of the platform principle that persuaded us to invest in the Gallus ICS 670. Second, it offers several exciting refinements for quick makereadies and changeovers, so that our entire system is now more productive,’ explained TK Babukutty, general manager at Al Mawrid, at the signing ceremony. ‘Third, the machine system’s modular concept was another vital aspect. It gives us a whole host of uplift options for finishing the printed cartons. Very soon we will introduce screen printing and if we have to add extra screen printing units or hot foiling in the future that is also possible – we can add or replace at any time.’
Thomsun Group managing director, KV Thomas, added, ‘The press buy is good for us, good for Gallus and good for our customers. We work with global brands and the quality has to be equal to that in the US or EU. Consistency is crucial for brand owners because if there’s any compromise on the standard of the packaging then the buyer may think the product is a copy even though it’s the same.’
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