[dropcaps style=’2′]In 2014, Interplast, based in Sharjah, UAE, was the first member of Harwal Group that purchased a Bobst 20SIX CI flexo press. It was the first Bobst 20SIX press in the UAE and also the first 20SIX press in the GCC which used smartGPS technology in the flexible packaging industry. Recently, Riyadh Plastic Factory Company (RPF), also an associated company of Harwal Group, signed a contract for a Bobst 20SIX CI flexo press to extend their capacities for the production of flexible packaging.[/dropcaps]
Both presses are used for printing films (LDPE, BOPP, CPP, PET), foil, laminates, shrink sleeves, PVC twist wraps, metalized twist wraps and wax paper, wrap around labels, gift wraps, shopping bags and flower wraps. With its products, the company serves a wide range of industries including the packaged foods, juices, dairy, ice creams, dry foods, soft drinks, toffees, cosmetics and toiletries industries.
The second press ordered by Riyadh Plastic Factory Company is almost identical to the first one commissioned in 2014. Featuring ten colors, a print width of 1450 mm, printing speed up to 500 m/min and maximum repeat of 1200 mm, it perfectly meets the customer’s demands for a wide range of applications. Among the technical highlights of the presses is the smartGPSTM off-press set-up system that not only reduces the job change overtime and amount of waste during set-up to almost zero, but also serves as a quality control instrument for printing hardware and plate mounting.
“Ever since the first Bobst 20SIX was installed, it has performed to our full satisfaction, both in terms of print quality and productivity. When we decided to invest in a new machine to boost our capacities, the decision in favor of Bobst was an easy one,” explains Mike Koroukian, executive director, packaging materials division of Harwal Group.
Operating from its headquarter in the UAE, Harwal Group consists of more than 40 business units with manufacturing and sales facilities around the globe and serves a diversified range of industries including building materials, industrial materials, consumer goods, furniture, refrigerators and packaging solutions. With their packaging printing and converting operations, Harwal Group has attained the position of the largest plastics converter in the Middle East converting over 200,000 metric tons of plastic.
