Match Graphics, one of the largest supplier of gravure-printed décor paper in India, has ordered a Koenig and Bauer RotaJet inkjet press, which will be the first of these machines to be installed in India, and in the entire Asia region.
Match Graphics is a family-owned business. It was set up in 1997 by Anand Agrawal who still runs it today together with Dhruv Agrawal and Aman Agrawal. Based in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, but with display centres in both Ahmedabad and Delhi, Match Graphics claims to be the market leader in the manufacture, supply and export of décor papers for the laminate and panel industry in India. Its portfolio consists of wooden designs, stones & marbles, fabric, abstracts and floral designs. these designs are applied to high pressure laminate, pre-laminated particle board and mdf boards, for decor, including doors and flooring. The designs are printed to decor paper ranging from 55 to 80gsm in widths from 1250 mm to 1850 mm. Currently, Match Graphics produces up to 2000 metric tons per month from 21 rotogravure presses.
The RotaJet is a web-fed inkjet press developed by Koenig and Bauer, with the original RotaJet 76 dating back to Drupa 2012. The print unit features a vacuum cylinder that holds the paper web in place under the print arch. It’s a four-colour press, and requires two print units for double-sided printing. The original model used Kyocera printheads but the current version is fitted with Fujifilm Samba printheads giving it up to 1200 dpi resolution. After printing, the paper web then follows a long path over the top of the print unit to allow for near infrared heating to dry the inks, which are water-based polymer pigment inks. It comes with the RotaNet workflow, which uses an Adobe RIP and includes preflighting and correction.
The RotaJet is offered in a choice of three configurations that are specific to the packaging, book and decor markets. The decor model has a single print cylinder for simplex work and can run at up to 135 mpm at 1200 x 1200 dpi, or 270 mpm at 1200 x 600 dpi. It is available in web widths from 138 up to 225cm.
Match Graphics has opted for a RotaJet 138 model, which is mainly used for producing flooring panels. The press uses CRYK inks, which are a better match to standard gravure inks and should limit any metamerism effects. Match Graphics will print on standard decor paper which can be laminated to produce flooring. Up to now Koenig and Bauer has mainly concentrated on the European market but is clearly hoping that this installation will open up more opportunities in the Asian region.
Aman Agrawal, a director for Match Graphics, commented: “With this investment in Koenig and Bauer’s market leading RotaJet digital technology, we see endless possibilities. We are moving ahead in the industry with our superior quality of product and a revolutionary production press that is healthy for the environment. We take pride in being a technology advanced manufacturer that, time and time again, has set precedents in the industry.”
He added: “We supply beautiful and modern décor papers that can compete internationally on the basis of quality design, aesthetics, price and customisation options.”
The new press is due to be installed later this year. The deal includes 24/7 remote technical and service support backed up by a stock of spare parts on site so that any issues can be fixed quickly. Oliver Baar, director of product management for Koenig and Bauer’s Digital and Webfed division, says they will use a hybrid service model, explaining: “By using our data glass technology, a wide span of potential issues can be fixed via remote support already. Onsite servcie will be provided by our longlasting Koenig & Bauer partner Indo Polygraph Machinery Pvt. Ltd. – where we already have highly skilled service personel – which we will further train in the RotaJet product – to provide first class service to Match Graphics and further RotaJet customers in the region.”
You can find further details on the company from matchgraphics.in and on the press from koenig-bauer.com.
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