On 9 December 2017, Label Manufacturers Association of India (LMAI) conducted a ‘Technical Workshop and Networking Session’ at The Lalit, Chandigarh. Attended by almost 100 delegates, it was quite a successful event in terms of LMAI’s efforts to extend its membership to smaller towns that are now attracting investment in production of labels. The event besides delivering knowledge provided opportunity to printers to interact and network with their peers in the industry. The event was sponsored by Avery Dennison India, SMI Coated Products, Flint Group, NBG Printographic Machinery, Provin Technos and HP Inc.
The evening’s first presentation was made by Ankur Joshi, product manager of Provin Technos. Joshi explained in detail about Miyakoshi presses offered by Provin Technos. This was followed by a very thought-provoking session by Bhupinder Singh of Avery Dennison. At the outset of his presentation, Singh explained how Avery partnered with printers to offer the pressure sensitive (PS) label solutions engineered to their specific needs. He then spoke on ground realities and effects of competition in the label industry with emphasis on the imperative need to innovate, decorate and add value to the end products such that even if the margin in terms of percentage wise remains the same the quantum of profit gets bigger due to higher value of the end product. Singh further gave a comparison of PS labels to wet-glue and suggested ways to motivate wet-glue customers to switch over to PS labels.
Shamim Alam of HP emphasized on the need for change in the label industry to achieve growth. Alam presented case studies in personalization with digital to achieve success and dwelled on possibilities by going digital. Harshal Mahajan of SMI Coated Products made a presentation to educate printers on the right selection of face paper, adhesive and liner. Mahajan also spoke on the effects of weather, ambient temperature, storage condition and service temperature on labels and label materials.
Sailesh Sharma of Flint informed the gathering about upcoming trends in inks. He also explained the negative effects of migration and Flint’s support to customers for low migration printing and converting. Sharma also spoke of Good Manufacturing Practices and benefits of LED UV inks offered by them. Last but not the least, Nitin Garg and Kishore of NBG Printographics presented details of the new indigenous full servo flexo press developed and offered by them.
LMAI president Kuldip Goel in his short speech impressed upon printers to invest in capabilities to innovate and create value in their products to attain continued growth. Harveer Sahni, on behalf of LMAI spoke on the path traversed by LMAI, benefits of its membership and the programs conducted by it. The next LMAI Technical Workshop and networking meet is planned to be held early next year in Chennai.