At PackPlus 2018 from 25 to 28 July in Delhi, Koch Pac-Systeme was busy in brand building and promoting its packaging solutions. “India is a new market for us and we want people to know about our brand – Koch, ”  said David van Loo of Koch Pac-Systeme. Speaking of their experience at the PackPlus exhibition, he said the response of the crowd was very good, which augers well for the brand.

Koch Pac-Systeme, a member company of the Uhlmann Group, stands for high quality and most efficient custom packaging solutions. Present in the consumer, industrial, cosmetics, body care, pharmaceutical and medical technology fields, the company aims at offering high output accompanied by maximum operational flexibility to its customers. The company develops and plans customized, industry-specific machines. The modular product range includes all the components for implementation of complex packaging solutions. The company manufactures machines for form, filling and sealing (FFS) of personal hygiene products, household items, office products, batteries, cosmetics and beauty products and car parts.

The company has its direct presence in India since 2016 and managed to install its packaging solutions at companies such as Loreal, P&G in India well before that.

K4.0
Networked, digital manufacturing means a number of benefits – more efficient processes, reduced costs and increased machine availability. Koch is applying these advantages to special machine manufacturing under the name K4.0. The company has developed a portfolio covering tailored digital solutions that complement its core skills – the construction of individual blister machines and packaging lines. The K4.0 portfolio comprises service glasses for location-independent interactive support, online ordering of spare parts, HMI panel with web-server technology for straightforward setups and operation, smart app to access production data, and virtual commissioning for optimized engineering quality.

Indian FFS market
The Indian form-fill-seal equipment market is driven by factors such as the strong growth of the food and beverage, personal care, and chemical industries. The growing flexible packaging industry and increasing demand for consumer products present a great opportunity for this market to grow in the future. According to Loo, the biggest challenge posed by the Indian market is that of price, as it is a cost-driven market.  “At the end of the day, it is about the price of the machine and what output it churns,” Loo concluded.

— Dev Kumar Dutta