Mumbai-based Technicon has been serving the newspaper industry by providing automation solutions such as inserters, overhead newspaper conveyors, counter stackers, under wrappers, plastic bundle wrappers, online sheet under layers, van loading telescopic loaders, flow turns and log stackers. It has recently developed an innovative solution for the mailroom and has applied for a patent for the same.
This machine, called the Harrier, will for the first time automate the process of sticking shampoo and similar types of pouches on newspapers, which is at present being done by hand and is a highly labour-intensive and time-consuming exercise. Not only pouches, the machine is capable of sticking add-on advertising material such as die-cut pictures of products, cards, booklets and flat merchandise of any material, among others.
Technicon showcased this machine at the recently concluded Printpack 2019, where it got a very encouraging response from the visitors.
“This solution opens up a huge revenue-generating potential for newspapers on everyday basis,” said Rajiv Gandotra, founder of Technicon India at Printpack. The advertisements can be given a 3 mm cardboard backing to give them a 3D effect and real life feel and can be printed externally at any sheet-fed printer, he added.
At Printpack, Technicon demonstrated the machine with a hot stamp foiling unit. According to Gandotra, hot foil stamping feature can help brands offer something unique in their advertisements.
“With hot foil stamping in advertisements, brands can create advertisements that immediately stand out, register very well with newspaper readers and have high recall value. This can be another big revenue generator for newspapers,” he argued.
Gandotra disclosed that the first installation of the machine will be done at Times of India’s Kandivali plant. This machine will not have the hot foil stamping unit, though.
Along with the Harrier, Technicon also showcased a three-fourth wrapper and a stacker meant for book printers.
Talking about the response at Printpack, he said that visitors from the newspaper industry visited the stand as well as a lot of commercial printers who were interested in the hot foil stamping unit.
“Our hot foiling unit led to a lot of traffic during Printpack. At the moment this is for the newspapers, but we will surely be working to develop a hot foil stamping unit meant for commercial printing applications,” he concluded.
