A chance sighting of a miniature machine model in South Africa sparked a bold idea for Rohan Pankar, sales engineer, SP Ultraflex. In just weeks, that spark turned into a 3D-printed ROBOSLIT OHP showcase – a fresh blend of branding, teamwork, and on-the-move innovation, which he shares in this article.
Being in sales, I am always on the move – whether within India or overseas. Some people might think, “That’s the life!” And honestly, I do enjoy it. In fact, travel is one of the aspects I love most about what I do.
But with this privilege comes a responsibility – to be the eyes and ears for my internal team. Every trip is an opportunity to observe, learn, and bring back insights. I constantly collect data and trends from the market, which I then offload to my BB team (Beyond & Basics) – our core think tank that works on future-ready solutions and keeps us ahead as trendsetters.
One such inspiring moment happened during my recent trip to South Africa. I was in Durban, visiting one of the largest converters in the region. While in their conference room, something caught my eye – a stunning scale model of a blown film extrusion machine. It was precise and beautifully crafted, almost like a collector’s piece.
Intrigued, I asked the owner about it. With a smile, he said it was a gift he received on his 50th birthday.
Right then and there, I knew I had to share this idea with my managing director. I took a quick photo and sent it to my team. The response was immediate – everyone loved it. It wasn’t just something our customers would appreciate; it was also a brilliant branding opportunity. Imagine having a miniature model of our ROBOSLIT OHP at a customer’s conference room – that’s powerful marketing!
Our BB team jumped on the idea with enthusiasm. Though 3D printing was completely new territory for us, one of our newer team members had some prior exposure to it, which helped us get started. We finalized the ROBOSLIT OHP model and began collecting quotes for the printing.
The next challenge? Color accuracy. We had to 3D print each part separately, paint them in exact brand colors, and then assemble them meticulously. Just as we neared completion, another twist came in – our MD suggested showcasing it at PROPAK South Africa. The catch? We had only 15 days.
But our team stood strong. They took the challenge head-on and got it done.
The final hurdle was getting it to South Africa. But after seeing the passion and hard work my team had put in, I knew this was a small task for me. I used my sales charm and negotiation skills at the airport check-in – after all, that’s my bread and butter – and got it on board.
From November 2024 to February 2025, we went from idea to execution – something that was completely new for us. And that’s the spirit of SP. This was just a trailer of how we work.
We constantly gather market feedback, listen to operator pain points, and identify new trends. We pass them on to our internal team – and they surprise us every time with innovations that become our next USPs.
So, if you’re ever stuck with anything related to slitting and rewinding, you know where to look for a solution.
See you next time with another story from the field.
