One of the reasons why Uflex is at the Helm while
its Founder, Chairman & Managing Director Mr. Ashok Chaturvedi revered as
the Father of the Indian Flexible Packaging Industry is the fact that the
concept of sachet packs in India was introduced by him back in the
mid-eighties. It was for these sachet packs that the expensive FMCG brands for
ketchups, shampoos, mouth fresheners etc. suddenly came within the reach of the
masses changing the very way these products were marketed.
A lot of water has flown under the bridge ever
since! With cutting edge technology and some of the best brains by its side
Uflex over the years has evolved to become India’s largest multinational
flexible packaging materials and Solution Company. The sachets though small in
size have packed quite a punch on several international platforms.
Recently Shudh Plus Ultra - Sparkling Tactile
Sachet with 3D Embossing manufactured by Uflex has been conferred with the
following prestigious awards:
Gold Award 2018: Technical Innovation by Flexible
Packaging Association
Silver Award 2018: Printing and Shelf Impact by
Flexible Packaging Association
2018 Product Excellence Award by AIMCAL
2018 Technical Excellence Award by AIMCAL
Nescafe Sunrise Non-Foil Instant Coffee Sachet has
been conferred with the Silver Award 2018 for Sustainability by Flexible
Packaging Association.
This year, 66 package entries were received by
Flexible Packaging Association with a total of 164 entries (some packages were
entered into multiple categories). Twenty packages were honoured with 31
Achievement Awards.
Shudh Plus Ultra ushers into a whole new era of
Technical Innovation due to its tactile printing. This printing innovation of
depositing high strength solids on to flexible packaging substrates provides
aesthetically superior packaging options. Also, this packaging development
opens the world of new possibilities in creating packs which could be offered
for the visually impaired market with Braille printing through tactile functionalities.
Mouth Freshener market category is inundated with
several me-too brands and the Point-of-Sale (POS) impact infused through
packaging re-production and design elements drive the impulsive purchasing
behaviour. Shudh Plus Ultra Mouth Freshener artwork was handed over to Uflex
with a one line objective of creating a never seen before design. The team at
Uflex brainstormed about the design elements and came up with print
reproduction having a combination of (1) Tactile effect; (2) Glitter Effect;
(3) Embossing Effect on the brand and (4) Provide a combination of Gold and
Silver anti-counterfeiting 3D embossed effect bearing the logo of the client.
All these critical parameters have been achieved with a combination of
rotogravure, flexography, and electron beam coating using a surface printed
registered application on paper and also entailing hot foil stamping.
Surface printing of the base design was done on
coated paper using a combination of rotogravure and flexographic print transfer
technologies. A special laser engraved cylinder with specially developed
engraving cell configuration was used to transfer the higher solid content and
glitter pigment on the surface. The printed substrate was processed through
electron beam coating line in register to create the embossed effect on the
brand name. The final processing entailed the transfer of 3D embossed effect of
the logo using a special purpose machine utilizing hot foil stamping. The
speciality of this job was to provide one side gold and another side silver
embossed effect to deter counterfeits as this is the first of its kind job
where a combination of different metal reproductions have been done
simultaneously.
The uniqueness of design is that the printing has
been done using high solid content ink imparting the superior tactile effect
with a combination of glitter enhancing the shelf impact catching the attention
of the customer at the already inundated Point-of-Sale (POS). One can visualize
the shimmering effect on the string of mouth-freshener packs hung at the POS.
Nescafe Sunrise Non Foil Instant Coffee Sachet is a
portion controlled unit pack of a unique blend of coffee chicory mixture.
Instant coffee chicory mixture is extremely hygroscopic and has always been
packed in flexible packaging where aluminium foil provides the functional
barrier. In order to eliminate the use of aluminium foil to provide a
sustainable packaging solution, engineers at Uflex Limited worked on high
barrier metallized polyester film which could effectively replace aluminium
foil. The new packaging development for replacement of Aluminium foil has been
extensively tested with similar shelf life of 12 months (as offered by the
erstwhile packaging) for this new packaging. Consumers are able to get the same
product delivery with lesser packaging material and are able to simply tear,
dispense and consume the product in entirety. The new packaging consists of 10
micron polyester (reverse printed) and is laminated with 12 micron high barrier
metallized polyester and 20 micron polyethylene using a tandem extrusion
lamination process.
Nescafe Sunrise Non Foil Instant Coffee Sachet
development has resulted in a 45% weight reduction in replacement of Aluminium
Foil with Metallized Polyester. This significantly reduces carbon footprint
(emission of GHG) through all the three critical phases of the packaging
product i.e. manufacturing, transportation and disposal. With millions of such
sachets in retail circulation, one can imagine the quantum of aluminium
replaced by relatively lighter polyester substrate thereby justifying the
raison d'être of flexible packaging.
Expressing delight over these prestigious global
conferrals Mr. Ashok Chaturvedi, Chairman & Managing Director, Uflex
Limited said, “On behalf of my entire team, I am thankful to the Jury of
Flexible Packaging Achievement Awards 2018 and that of AIMCAL Awards 2018 for
honouring the technological, aesthetic and sustainability quotient of Uflex
truly exemplified by the winning entries. These pocket sized power-houses have
indeed packed a big punch in the global flexible packaging industry. Many more
to come!!!”
