In an interview with The Packman, Devender Kumar, senior general manager, operations, RM Converters, talks about the recent installation of the SP Ultraflex Primaslit RL slitter-rewinder. The company has installed as many as seven machines from SP Ultraflex over the last 6 years. Kumar also talks about the aspects that one should consider while investing in new machinery.

Please tell us in brief about your company.

Devender Kumar: The owners/promoters of RM Roto Converters – Ramesh Gupta, Rajiv Gupta and Puneet Gupta are well known in the industry with a presence spanning 20 years. The plant that I head was set up in 2017 with a vision to cater to the demand for higher quality products, especially for food grade items in the FMCG sector. We have state-of-art machines – Rotomac RS 5002 gravure press, the recently launched Kohli Thea 918 gravure press, two solventless laminators, one combi-laminator, and one extrusion coating and lamination machine. Altogether, we have seven machines from SP Ultraflex including slitter rewinders, web inspection rewinders and doctoring rewinding machines. The latest one that we have installed is the Primaslit RL slitter-rewinder. All machines are running efficiently delivering optimum productivity.

What drives the decision when it comes to setting up a new plant or investing in new machinery? What are the aspects that you consider non-negotiable when making a selection?

Devender Kumar: When one thinks of an expansion, ‘new’ is the first word that comes to mind. We believe that one must be well versed with the market to go to the next level which can only happen by investing in next-level technology. The machines manufactured today by Indian manufacturers are highly automated – a single machine can provide a seamless experience with better controls, higher production output and ease of operation. Once the scope of the machine and technology levels are established, it is about shortlisting manufacturers capable of delivering the required technology and then finalizing with the most cost-effective option where we enjoy a level of trust and confidence.

With the recent installations, you have seven SP machines installed over the 6 years of association with SP Ultraflex. How has been your experience with SP Ultraflex so far?

Devender Kumar: Our relationship with SP is more like a partnership rather than one between a customer and vendor. SP Ultraflex’s director Biku Kohli is very humble and we can directly reach over to him on the rare occasion that his intervention is required. Such is the comfort and luxury that we enjoy as a customer. The output and performance of SP machines are most impressive, and all the machines, sourced at different times over the years have exceeded our expectations. We have also been getting good after-sales support and on quite a few occasions, their team visited us without request and some minor issues were resolved on the spot.

Nothing can stop an OEM from growing if such a level of customer-centric approach is maintained. We are planning an expansion in the next six months – at that time we will be adding one or two more slitters to our infrastructure. With the rewarding experience we have had with SP over the years, we have no reason to look elsewhere. The time is now ripe to invest in SP’s flagship Roboslit plus slitter rewinder which is a fully loaded dual turret machine running at 1000 mpm, the highest speed for any converting slitter in the world.

Telangana is a hub for flexible packaging, with a high density of converters. In this highly competitive scenario, how do you differentiate your company to stand apart from other converters in the region?

Devender Kumar: As you have rightly pointed out, the market is highly competitive. However, an opportunity is never far behind for a company like RM Roto Converters that consistently comes up with new solutions. To make all this possible, we have a team of highly qualified professionals in QC, R&D, production, operations and purchase, which help us to meet the targets set by FMCG giants like ITC. If a converter maintains the kind of quality, service and delivery commitments that we can, the company would always be in the good books of the customer. With several premium customers already in our portfolio and more in the offing, our volumes are slated to increase by 1500 mt in the next six months. This is the vision of our director and our entire team is working to realize it.

As a leading company in the domain, could you share your vision of what the future holds for the flexible packaging industry? Any trends that you expect us to see in the coming years?

Devender Kumar: In the coming years, the focus would be on sustainability and eco-friendly packaging. People are bracing themselves and adapting to the new scenario which would entail new substrates which would bring new challenges and require better and more versatile technology. Bottom line is – when it comes to machines, stay with the best.