The Indian packaging market is seeing a robust growth, with many packaging majors turning to new and fast packaging equipment to boost their business sales. Additionally, with new innovations in carton converting, there is a growing demand for consistency in quality at higher speeds. Chennai-based Hueman Graphics, known for offering packaging solutions for food, pharma, FMCG, liquor and automobile sectors, has recently installed a high speed ES series folder-gluer from Robus India. The machine can side paste cartons at 350 meters a minute. “With this speed. We can produce 1.25 lakh pharma cartons and 90,000 incense stick boxes each an hour. The machine is sturdy with almost no vibrations, which speaks volumes about the built of the machine,” says Aditya Jain, director of Hueman Graphics.

The main motive of Hueman to invest in the ES series-folder gluer distributed by Robus India was bulk production of lock bottom cartons. Earlier, the company was struggling to deliver high volume lock bottom cartons with its existing folder-gluer. Their customers have also responded well to this investment, according to Jain, as the orders for lock bottom cartons for tonic bottles have increased ever since the machine was installed.

“Earlier, we had to stack the cartons tightly for a few hours before dispatching to ensure good fiber tear while peeling the cartons during QC inspection. With the new machine, we get fiber tear immediately upon picking the cartons from the pressure conveyor on the delivery, which gives us a better assurance as we are now directly dispatching cartons without stacking them for drying,” Jain explains. He fuether adds that his company is extremely satisfied with the support provided by Robus India right from the initial phase of installation.

Robus India’s attractive pricing for its folder-gluer caught Hueman’s attention. But since a decision on an investment cannot be made merely on the pricing, Hueman carefully evaluated the capabilities of the machine such as both side glue tank, carton alligner, lock bottom pre-folding, catch-cover pasting and feedback from the market. This is the first installation by Robus in South India. “The decision was largely made on trust, which formed over the past two years of association with the company and they have managed to keep it up,” adds Jain.

Earlier, Hueman had a local-made folder-gluer and with the addtion of the new one, its productivity has increased six-fold. Currently, the company is producing 8 lakh incense sitck boxes in one shift and 10 lakh side-pasted pharma cartons in a shift. The production of lock bottom cartons increased from 1 lakh cartons a day to 7 lakh in a day.

To add capacity, Hueman has recently expanded its printing and converting capabilities by investing in a press, die-cutter and folder-gluer. With the increased capacity, the company now aims to target new customers apart from servicing its existing customers better. “We aim to supply high volume of cartons consistently without compromising on the quality and by reducing the lead time. We tend to pursue our brand identity as a company that looks to add value to our customers. We are now planning to increase our marketing budget so that we can improve customer service by constant feedback,” highlights Jain.

The slowdown in the market has slightly affected the company’s business. The company has also spoken to its customers about the reducing trend in their orders. Nevertheless, with its widespread client base, Hueman is hopeful that the situation will improve soon and has, in fact, even witnessed a rise in business in the last six months.