Toyo Packaging, a Pakistan-based flexible packaging converter, has demonstrated the resilience, quality and power of the Bobst Rotomec 4001 gravure printing press by achieving 99.8% production efficiency in 24 hours.
Established in 1989, Toyo Packaging is based at the Sindh Industrial Trading Estate, in the southern part of Karachi, Pakistan. The company employs more than 150 staff and produces flexible packaging solutions for a variety of clients, including multinational brand owners such as Royal FrieslandCampina, Continental Biscuits, and Mondelez International locally and even has a strong global footprint in around 20 countries.
At the heart of operations stands a highly efficient Bobst Rotomec 4001 rotogravure press, which has been a cornerstone of growth since installation in 2016, when the machine doubled capacity for the US$ 8–10 million turnover company. Capable of a maximum output of 432,000 meters in 24 hours at 300 m/min, the machine recently set a new record at Toyo Packaging by running non-stop at near top speed throughout a very long and high profile print job.
Speaking on the milestone, Shariq Maqbool Elahi, Managing Director of the company said, “We were producing a crucial job in April 2022 and the Bobst Rotomec 4001 did not disappoint. The machine delivered a phenomenal 431,380 meters of excellent print quality with minimum wastage at an average speed of 299.5 m/min in just under 24 hours, which is as close to the sky as you can get.” He added,”The high speed, complete automation, and excellent quality monitoring system of the machine acted as a pillar in accomplishing this goal.”
Sustainable solutions
Specialising in gravure printing, bag making, anti-counterfeiting holographic film and triplex laminates, Toyo Packaging supports customers at all levels of the process. The in-house design team is always on hand to help with tailor-made packaging projects shaped around advanced requirements, such as scratch off and reverse resistance coating, while the well-equipped quality control laboratory ensures that quality is monitored and controlled at every stage.
Customers from a diverse range of sectors, including food & beverages, dairy, snacks and confectionery, pharmaceutical and automotive, rely on the company’s expertise to meet current consumer demands as well as all legislative regulations.
One of the biggest challenges for the flexible packaging industry today is responding to the pressure for more sustainable solutions. Toyo Packaging boasts to be committed to sustainability which it sees as a common thread running through all its actions. Elahi said, “We are actively trying to play a vital role in improving the circular economy of plastics in Pakistan and currently 75% of our output is 100% recyclable. Our sustainability strategy is a three-pronged approach that extends far beyond products and profit to also encapsulate the people we interact with and the planet that we live on.”
Chosen for growth
The Bobst Rotomec 4001 gravure printing press is built to support sustainability strategies with a high level of automation that enables lower wastage in setup and faster changeovers.
The eight color 1250mm wide machine at Toyo Packaging was bought six years ago to increase production capacity and help diversify the business with new innovation to meet customer demands. The company chose the press due to its faster speed, lower waste, exceptional registration accuracy, advanced options, and overall cost-effective production.
Elahi, described the Rotomec 4001 as a user-friendly machine ideal for the mixed experience levels of Toyo’s operator team. He said, “The investment was made in response to the rapid and continued growth we were experiencing. We needed this high-speed machine because it can complete very long run in just a few hours with much less registration wastage. These factors, along with the highly precise print registration, have also been key to minimising downtime and changeovers for better productivity and quicker delivery.”
He further noted that growth is a continuing trend for the company, as evidenced by the fact that Toyo Packaging was awarded “Fastest Growing Brand of the Year” in the Packaging & Printing category at the Brand of the Year Awards in 2020.
Service advantage
Toyo Packaging has partnered with Bobst since 2002 when a new advanced metalliser from the Swiss manufacturer was first installed. In addition, sister company Macpac Films Ltd, which is a pioneer of BOPP film extrusion in Pakistan, bought a K5000 metalliser for its Port Qasim facility in 2014, broadening the experience and in-depth knowledge of Bobst machinery within the group.
Elahi also cited the excellent after-sales service as a reason behind the continued choice of Bobst as supplier: “We have always known that local support is available and reliable. With our service package, we receive maintenance surveys, regular health inspections and continual troubleshooting with real-time support without wasting any time, and that gives us a competitive advantage.”
Elahi concluded, “The Bobst Rotomec 4001 press has certainly lived up to our expectations by playing an important role in maximising our productivity and fulfilling all customer requirements. It has been instrumental for Toyo Packaging in helping us to cement our strong reputation for creativity, quality, and speed. And of course, we are very pleased to have set the record for highest output in the history of our flexible packaging unit.”