In 2014, Interplast, based in Sharjah, UAE, was the
first member of Harwal Group that purchased a Bobst 20SIX CI flexo press. It
was the first Bobst 20SIX press in the UAE and also the first 20SIX press in
the GCC which used smartGPS technology in the flexible packaging industry.
Recently, Riyadh Plastic Factory Company (RPF), also an associated company of
Harwal Group, signed a contract for a Bobst 20SIX CI flexo press to extend
their capacities for the production of flexible packaging.
Both presses are used for printing films (LDPE,
BOPP, CPP, PET), foil, laminates, shrink sleeves, PVC twist wraps, metalized
twist wraps and wax paper, wrap around labels, gift wraps, shopping bags and
flower wraps. With its products, the company serves a wide range of industries
including the packaged foods, juices, dairy, ice creams, dry foods, soft
drinks, toffees, cosmetics and toiletries industries.
The second press ordered by Riyadh Plastic Factory
Company is almost identical to the first one commissioned in 2014. Featuring
ten colors, a print width of 1450 mm, printing speed up to 500 m/min and
maximum repeat of 1200 mm, it perfectly meets the customer’s demands for a wide
range of applications. Among the technical highlights of the presses is the
smartGPSTM off-press set-up system that not only reduces the job change
overtime and amount of waste during set-up to almost zero, but also serves as a
quality control instrument for printing hardware and plate mounting.
“Ever since the first Bobst 20SIX was installed, it
has performed to our full satisfaction, both in terms of print quality and
productivity. When we decided to invest in a new machine to boost our
capacities, the decision in favor of Bobst was an easy one,” explains Mr. Mike Koroukian,
Executive Director, Packaging Materials Division of Harwal Group.
Operating from its headquarter in the UAE, Harwal
Group consists of more than 40 business units with manufacturing and sales
facilities around the globe and serves a diversified range of industries
including building materials, industrial materials, consumer goods, furniture,
refrigerators and packaging solutions. With their packaging printing and
converting operations, Harwal Group has attained the position of the largest
plastics converter in the Middle East converting over 200,000 metric tons of
plastic.
Bobst is one of the world’s leading suppliers of
equipment and services to packaging and label manufacturers in the folding
carton, corrugated board and flexible materials industries. Founded in 1890 in
Lausanne, Switzerland, Bobst has a presence in more than 50 countries, runs 12
production facilities in 8 countries and employs more than 5 000 people around
the world.
