Kanpur-based Sparsh Industries has purchased two new vacuum metallizers from Bobst, a K5 Expert 3300 mm with AluBond and a K4000 1650 mm for the production of metallized CPP. The two machines will be installed later this year bringing Sparsh’s number of Bobst metallizers to four, the first one being purchased ten years ago. The two existing Bobst metallizers are currently producing 12,000 metric tonnes metallized films per annum.
Ashutosh Agarwal, CEO of Sparsh Industries said, “We have had a long and successful relationship with Bobst over the last ten years including the upgrade and relocation of one of our existing machines last year. When we decided to purchase two new metallizers, we were confident that Bobst could meet our requirements and we were also impressed with the AluBond. We look forward to the new machines being installed and operational in our factories.”
Established in 2009, Sparsh Industries is a reputed manufacturer and supplier of polyester films marketed under the ‘Sparshpet’ brand. Sparsh metallized films are available in different optical densities for various applications. The company has R&D and testing facilities for process innovation and product development.
Expansion into metallized CPP Film
Sparsh has recently expanded its offering and as well as producing PET, will also offer CPP films. CPP is a very heat sensitive film and therefore requires careful handling. The Bobst K4000 incorporates the Bobst renowned winding mechanism and has been designed to handle a wide variety of films in particular heat sensitive and thin gauge films making it an ideal choice for Sparsh.
High adhesion for PET Films
Sparsh also needed to increase capacity for PET film so the K5 Expert which is the highest productivity metallizer in the world and can produce more rolls per day was an ideal choice. The addition of the AluBond process which achieves high bonding strength on any substrate with metal adhesion values of up to 5N/15 MM gives Sparsh a competitive advantage as they are able to produce film with a high bonding strength through the metallization process without the need for chemically treated films.
Upgrade and relocation
In addition to the purchase of the two new machines, Bobst also worked with Sparsh last year to assist with upgrading and relocation of one of the existing machines to a new factory. A team of Bobst specialists worked on the K5000 machine to upgrade it and then handled the relocation to ensure a minimal effect as possible on production.
Expansion plans
Prashant Agarwal, director of Sparsh Group, said “Our strategy has always been to expand or diversify within our related product range in a phased manner. Our company is once again in a phase-wise expansion mode to ensure further growth. We have an immediate investment plan of about US$ 60 million in projects that will come up in two phases.”
The investment in the Bobst metallizers is a part of the company’s phase 1 expansion plan under which the company has pumped in US$ 15 million (INR 100 crore plus). Under phase 2, which is also already initiated, Sparsh has announced a US$ 45 million (INR 300 crore plus) greenfield project for manufacturing aluminum foils of different varieties for various packaging applications. Sparsh has already acquired 100,000 square meter land at a new location in Kanpur for the aluminum foil project.
Sparsh exports 25% of its films to its targeted markets such as Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, North America and Europe, in addition to catering to the Indian market. At present, the company has two 8.7-meter BOPET lines, installed in 2012 and 2016 respectively, from Dornier, Germany, which can produce 60,000 metric tonnes polyester films per annum. Sparsh also has a polymer plant, set up in 2015, which has a capacity of 66,000 metric tonnes per annum. These facilities are spread over an area of about 54,000 square-meter land in Kanpur.
