Rotometal is a Polish company that manufactures bespoke magnetic and print cylinders for flexographic printing machines. It exports 80% of its products around the globe, including Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Bhupesh Tilwani joined the company as the India sales manager in December 2020 and has been working to increase customer acquisition and retention and product marketing and pre-and post-sales services. During an interaction with The Packman, Tilwani speaks about the company, its growth plans, and product offerings for the Indian market. Here is an excerpt from the interview.
What are the main products you have for the Indian market?
Bhupesh Tilwani: Rotometal is a leader among European rotary tooling suppliers. Rotometal owes its remarkable competitiveness to technical know-how and customer relations. Over 15 years of experience has allowed us to establish a strong position in an extremely demanding market. We will be able to carry our core range and introduce our new innovation to the Indian market. Some of our key products are:
Antifriction print cylinders: Thanks to the Antifriction coating, the foam tape fixing the polymer sheets is easy to change and takes much less time. Preparing the cylinder for work has never been easier and means greater efficiency and productivity at the plant level.
Internal Magnetic Cylinder (IMAG): This has been designed to optimize cylinder performance in the most effective way. This is not to be confused with other hidden magnet solutions. IMAG provides lighter, stronger, and better magnetic cylinders that help improve our customers’ manufacturing process.
CRO Sleeves: CRO Sleeves (Composite Rotometal printing sleeves) are ultra-lightweight printing cylinders. Made using the latest composite production techniques, a bespoke honeycomb gives strength and high chemical and thermal resistance.
We also manufacture other tools like – standard magnetic and print cylinders, anvil, gears, sheeters, cutters, embossing cylinders, etc.
How will these products help Indian converters?
Bhupesh Tilwani: As a business, Rotometal is focused on the needs of our customers. We design our products based on what they want and how they will use them.
Indian converters are always looking for products that can be effective on high-volume runs, and our Internal Magnetic and Antifriction print cylinders are made with that in mind. They offer long life and consistent usage at an affordable price.
How do you see the future of MCA and Antifriction cylinders in India?
Bhupesh Tilwani: In India, where tooling handling is becoming more difficult and accidental damages are quite common, Aluminum Magnetic Cylinders (MCA) will be a new revolution. These cylinders are light in weight and made of hard aluminum instead of steel, which not only reduces the weight but also prevents rust. This is a huge benefit for us. We all know that India has a mix of climatic conditions and the impact they can have.
As Indian converters are becoming more and more aware of the benefits of Antifriction Print Cylinders, they are opting for this solution. The smooth surface and anti-resistance properties of these cylinders make them ideal for helping to speed up changeover times whilst being highly resistant to wear and tear. In the long run, this can help converters save a lot of money and reduce waste whilst increasing productivity and profitability.
What are your growth plans for Rotometal in India?
Bhupesh Tilwani: India is a huge, strategic market for us, and we’re still early in our time in the market. That means there’s an opportunity for a huge amount of growth and that’s something we are only going to achieve by delivering our great products and great customer service.
Due to the nature of the market and our desire to grow, we will look to add members to the team, with a sales office. Then there’s the potential to have an in-market manufacturing center. This would allow us as a business to better serve not just India but the broader Asian market.
Vinsak is one of our strategic partners in India and the UAE for Lombardi printing machines. We work together to provide quick resolutions that solve customers’ problems with ease.