Print Pack Expo takes off at Mumbai
CtP is the flavour of the season
The inaugration
The former sheriff and diplomat Nana Chudasama in Mumbai today inaugurated print Pack Expo 2003- the 8th International Exhibition of Printing and packaging technology. The six-day event is organised by Indian Printing Packaging and Allied Machinery Manufacturers Association (IPAMA) and is the eighth in the series of exhibitions arranged by the association. The event moves to Mumbai from its traditional venue at Delhi ``The change in venue will add to the importance of the event and make it a landmark event showcasing latest trends and global technologies in Graphic art industries,`` says a press release from the organiser.
The chief guest for the event, Nanaji, was pretty skeptical of the serious and 'non-clapping audience' but was elated to find his countrymen reaching leaps and bonds not only in the most talked about IT but in every field of technical advance. Nanji urged, ``the participants gathered here must exercise and optimize their fundamental rights by bringing true the meaning of this expo meant to boost the country’s economy.``
Bombay Master printer's Print Vision, which was to take place last year, was postponed to merge-in with this Print-Pack. This has added value to the Expo. BMPA organised a series of technical seminars, which took place in tandem. The cream of the industry and various delegates from overseas are participating in this conference, which touches upon technology and futuristic vision of the industry. The forum is a mirror to the industry's current performance in India and abroad. The delegates include students from various Printing, Packaging and Paper technology institutes from across the country.
The exhibition showcases various segments of the printing and packaging industry. Industry leaders in the pre press equipment segment like Creo Scitex, Kodak Polychrome, BASF, Dupont, Esko Graphics and Agfa are exhibiting directly or through agents. CtP comes to an Indian exhibition for the first time with an entire range unleashed at the Technova stand. CtP systems from Highwater Designs, UK is on display at the Pre Press Systems Stall. Computer to Plate from Creo is demonstrated live in the Press Ideas's Ipex like endeavour in bringing out a newsletter every day from the venue. As usual the offset presses are in plenty. Manugraph, The Printers House, Pressline and KK Printing Machines lead the pack of Indian web Offset press makers. Small offset leader Autoprint has now more to offer than its trademark mini machines. Its Pack-to-Pack machines with numbering facility and other such innovations are a big draw. Alois Gutenberg, Sood and Warren and several other business form making machines are the usual exhibiors. Line-o-matic's notebook-making plants and Welbound's Perfect Binders are on display in few of the largest stands in the exhibition. Bobst, Creed, Sheth Graphics and several other regular packaging machinery manufacturers have their range on display. Ink majors, Hindustan Inks, Sicpa and COATES have huge display spaces well decorated to attract the visitors’ eye. Paper makers ITC and Bilt round off the materials segment. Bosch Rexroth, BST Sayona ans Erhardt + Leimer lead the allied equipment segment.
The show is set. The exhibitors are there. The visitors over the next six days will decide if this is the 'land mark event'.
