R&D & technical support manager Ahmed Anwar tells Packaging MEA why his company stands out from the competitors and how continued investment is leading them to new services.
Packaging MEA (PMEA): You have an ITQ system from AST for 100% inspection, a solvent recovery system and two factories for flexible packaging print where you have two rotogravure presses and a CI flexo press. Tell us more about your operations.
Ahmed Anwar (AA): We have both rotogravure and CI flexo printing presses, as well as allied converting, laminating and finishing machinery and systems to produce world-class flexible packaging print and allied solutions for leading brands in Egypt and around the region. For example, we are using state-of- the-art German and Italian technologies to print, laminate and wax-coat yoghurt and soup substrates.
PMEA: Tell us a bit more about your finishing and converting machinery.
AA: Our wax-coating machine is a Cerruti from Italy. We also have 10 slitters and one rollcutter from Bimec (also from Italy) and PVC shrinkfilm lines from (French company) DCM.
PMEA: You have a solvent recovery system. How many solvents do you use inside your factory for ink? Do you use ethyl acetate?
AA: For rotogravure, we use ethyl acetate mono solvent, and for flexography aplications, we use ethyl acetate and IPA.
PMEA: You have a rotogravure press with an 11-colour configuration, which is rather unusual. Why 11 colours?
AA: To print different products (SKUs) in the same run whilst they have some common elements. These are specialised jobs that we do.
PMEA: Do you also have a movable turning bar inside it to do front and back printing?
AA: Yes. Each machine has one reversible unit for coding and for back print.
PMEA: Are both your rotogravures Cerrutis?
AA: Yes, both are from Cerruti with manufacturing dates 2009 and 2016.
PMEA: Can you tell us more about El Farasha’s history?
AA: We started in 1994 with flexography printing, with a six-colour machine., and in 2005 we launched our 10th of Ramadan factory in Sharkia with one printing machine, one laminator and a slitter. Our Cerruti rotogravure press was installed in 2016. We now have four rotogravure machines, nine slitters and six laminators.
PMEA: For rotogravure alone, your capacity must be nearly 1,600 tonnes of flexible packaging print. Is that right?
AA: Yes, we print and convert approximately 2,200 tonnes per month, of which 300-400 tonnes would be with CI flexo and the remaining would be rotogravure. We use all kinds of flexible packaging substrates – namely single-layer, double-layer, triplex, paper and PVC. PMEA: Do you also extrude film for your captive use? AA: Yes, we have three extrusion machines. Also, for our new project in 2020-2022, we will buy a new machine from Windmoeller.
PMEA: Do you do any extrusion lamination?
AA: This will be a new project in 2021. We are looking at a tandem machine, not duplex.
MEA: Your company is CO2 compliant. What recycling initiatives have you adopted?
AA: We have many initiatives but a major one is solvent recovery, to help keep the environment free from solvents.
PMEA: If you are using mono solvent and if you have more than two printing machines, then solvent recovery becomes very feasible. The challenge in some markets in the Middle East, though, is that people are using toluene-based solvents.
AA: As most of our products are for food grade, we don’t use toluene. We don’t use MEK. We use ethanol. As for our compliance and regulation standards, we are BRC-certified. We are producing for all the big names – Edita, Pepsi, Mondelez, and so on. Also Ulker from Turkey, which has a factory here in Egypt.
PMEA: Do you also do offline production, such as bag-making?
AA:Yes, but we do this at another plant as we don’t have the necessary machinery here. We have a contract with one of our sister companies, called Convibag.
PMEA: Do you make bags only with polyethylene, or laminated bags too?
AA: We produce both.
PMEA: You also mentioned soap wrappers. Is it a big market in Egypt?
AA: It is not a big market overall but there is more demand in summer. We produce for a company called Arma.
PMEA: It is a laminate of reverse-printed polyester with polyethylene-coated paper, right?
AA: It’s polyester and coated paper with wax machine hotmelt. We produce the same product with polyester aluminium paper hotmelt for Morocco, but without embossing.
PMEA: Who owns El Farasha?
AA: Mr. Mohammed Khalil now, but his father and brother started the company. They have since left and he bought the company.
PMEA: Where do you image and prepare your rotogravure cylinders?
AA: In Egypt we have five options for engraving. Hi-Tech Graphics is the main supplier.There are four others but the biggest is Hi-Tech, which is a branch of Uflex India.
PMEA: For flexo, which is the main prepress house? AA: We have our own prepress house using an Esko CDI (cyrel digital imager). It is at another plant. We don’t depend on any supplier
and we can cover our own requirements. We have all the appropriate certifications, such as BRC, ISO 19000, and so on. PMEA: How long have you been with the company?
AA: Since 2005. Previously I was with Rotopack. I have been working in this field since 1994. I am a printing engineer graduating from Helwan University (in Cairo).
PMEA: Can you tell us about your quality lab?
AA: It is fully ISO-certified with all the devices for all the tests to be carried out here. PMEA: Do you do barrier testing there? PMEA: What about migration tests? These are done in Germany and
Turkey. We send all our products for migration tests. To match colours, we have X Rite and software for colour management, and we have a backup for every device.
PMEA: Can you share something new that you have come up with which can be announced to our readers?
AA: We have invested in a polyethylene balloon film machine, which will be put to use when we begin extrusion lamination in 2021.
PMEA: When was the Esko CDI installed?
AA: In 2007, and we recently upgraded it.
PMEA: For screening technology, is it full HD flexo?
AA: Yes, it is HD.
PMEA: How about converting and finishing capabilities?
AA: In finishing we do shrink sleeve, post-press, post-lamination., die punching, ice cream cone-making, and so on.
PMEA: How much of your work is for the Egypt market and how much for export?
AA: Eighty percent local and 20% export. We export to Africa, Morocco, Algeria, Yemen and Russia.
PMEA: How is business with Yemen?
AA: It is tough. Yemen and Sudan, it is very difficult to get our goods across to them. We stopped after the war broke out.
PMEA: You are the biggest company in Egypt in terms of conversion/tonnage. How are you different to your competitors?
AA: Our service level is better. We make exactly what our customers need. As far as delivery is concerned, we are very fast. In case of any complaints or queries, our customer service department will provide a very quick response. We also make laminated films for hygiene in the form of a gel in a pouch, and scratch-off goods with normal OPP with normal ink. No special inks are required.
PMEA: Is the scratch-off on the top side with digital printing below?
AA: It is on the top side, but it is not digital, it’s rotogravure.
PMEA: Do you have laser perforation machines?
AA: No, but we have two quotations (for purchasing these), including one from Comexi.
PMEA: What is the strength in both the plants put together?
AA: 700 – 450+150+100. www