At Printpack India 2025, Apex International, a global leader in anilox roller manufacturing, showcased its latest technologies and strategic initiatives. In a candid conversation, Mangesh Bhise shared insights on the company’s participation, product innovations, and what lies ahead.
“This is our second time at Printpack India; we were here in 2022 as well,” Bhise said. “It’s a great platform because it brings together different segments – corrugated, flexible packaging, labels, offset, and even digital. Since our products cater to multiple markets, it makes sense for us to be here.” Apex’s exhibit at the show also featured real-world case studies, showcasing how their products are helping customers tackle common printing challenges.
Apex has been particularly aggressive in the label and flexible packaging sectors. “We’re here not just to showcase our solutions but to understand industry trends, challenges, and where we can add value,” he added.
Apex’s core strength lies in its anilox rollers, and one of its standout technologies is GTT (Genetic Transfer Technology).“GTT is well known in the industry, but we are continuously working on making it even better,” Bhise explained. “We are running multiple trials to refine its performance and ensure it addresses key challenges in flexible packaging.”
Anilox Audit Program
One of the biggest announcements from Apex at the show was the launch of its Anilox Audit Program – something Bhise described as a first-of-its-kind initiative in the industry.
“This is a major need right now,” he said. “Some companies have their own inspection systems, but there are no set protocols. As a global leader, we know how to conduct anilox audits – checking, inspecting, and certifying the condition of rollers, assessing volume depreciation, and determining when refurbishing is needed.”
The program also solves a practical challenge for corrugated and offset printers. “For them, sending anilox rollers for inspection is not always feasible. That’s where our technical team steps in – we go onsite, audit the rollers, and provide a health certification. The response so far has been fantastic.”
New innovations
Apex isn’t just focusing on anilox rollers – it’s expanding into allied solutions like anilox protection, cleaning, and composite sleeves. “The market is asking for specialized aniloxes for unique applications, so we are experimenting with different engravings,” Bhise shared. “One of our major projects is making wide-web composite sleeves more durable and lightweight. That’s how our HD sleeves came into the picture – they are strong, long-lasting, and easy to handle.”
Embossing is the next big thing
Apex has also been making moves in the embossing industry. “We stepped into this space globally two years ago, but we haven’t actively pushed it in India or Asia-Pacific yet,” Bhise said. “That said, we see great potential, and sooner or later, embossing is going to be a major growth driver for us here as well.”
