Bilcare, have installed the new CI flexo press at their US$ 10 million R & D centre at Pune, Western India, which was inaugurated by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam in December 2007.Bilcare are a unique organisation in that they are focused exclusively on providing solutions for only the pharmaceutical sector worldwide ranging from clinical services to design and supply of packaging systems and materials. They have research and manufacturing operations in India, Singapore and the USA. The packaging materials supplied by them are films and foils for conventional blister packaging, aluminium/aluminium cold formed blisters, wrapping systems, closures & containers, aluminium foils, other flexible packaging materials and paper composites. Regular customers include such well-known names as Abbott, Aventis, Cipla, GSK, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Ranbaxy Laboratories, Wyeth and Zydus Cadila.
Dr. A Kalam former President of India inaugurates Bilcare’s new R&D centre Bilcare were looking for a solution that could satisfy the following requirements and overcome some existing problems:
- Print runs were getting shorter.
- Market requirements for sharper graphics and frequent design changes.
- Substrates were getting thinner and more extensible.
- Escalating costs of substrates and resins.
- JIT supply demands from customers.
- Proliferation of SKU’s each requiring different designs.
- Shrinking new product cycle times.
- Need to reduce costs and wastages.
After doing an extensive analysis, Bilcare decided to go in for flexographic printing using a CI press. They already have a totally integrated workflow under one roof starting right from pre-press to substrate proofing to an in-house ink kitchen. After evaluating all their options, Bilcare homed in on a PRIMAFLEX press from Windmoller & Holscher, the world’s leading supplier of flexo presses. They had the standard press customised and equipped with special features and systems. The press can print up to 8 colours on one side and 2 colours on the other and register on a wide variety of substrates. Bilcare has also tied up with DuPont and Siegwerk to strengthen their flexo printing capabilities and have appointed well-known packaging specialist Mr. Milind Bhole as technical advisor for the project.
Bilcare are gearing up to offer the following USP’s to their clients:
- Environmentally friendly inks free of hazardous solvents.
- Zero solvent entrapment.
- Automatic monitoring of solvent vapour concentration on the machine.
- Online fault detection system for quality control.
- Very high print registration accuracy of +/- 50 microns.
- Delivery of proof on any substrate within a couple of hours.
- Commercial delivery within 48 hours of receipt of the artwork.
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