Sparsh Industries Private Limited Produces High Barrier CPP Films Using BOBST AluBond

Sparsh Industries is the first company in India to have the BOBST AluBond process on a wide web machine and are achieving fantastic barrier results. The EXPERT K5 3300mm metallizer was commissioned in June 2020 and is producing metallised CPP with an oxygen barrier of less than 10 cm³/(m² d) & water barrier of less than 0.50 g/(m² d); the AluBond process enables substrates to achieve higher bond strength results without any modification.

BOBST has a longstanding relationship with Sparsh of over 10 years and have 4 BOBST metallizers. Sparsh Industries was incorporated in 2009 and is a well-known and reputed manufacturer of plain polyester & metallized films marketed under the “SPARSHPET” brand. Sparsh metallized films are available in different optical densities for various applications. Sparsh also manufactures CPP films, customised Holographic film and paper, offline coated products & Polyester resins. The company has advanced R&D and Testing facilities for the purpose of process innovation and product development. Sparsh Industries is currently in expansion mode and is developing an Aluminium Foil rolling plant and an additional Polyester film and Polymer plant.

Ashutosh Agarwal, CEO of Sparsh Industries is extremely satisfied with the way the metallizer is running; we decided to speak to him to find out more.

Can I ask you why you chose the EXPERT K5 and the AluBond process?
Sparsh Industries is one of the fastest-growing conglomerates as of today and in order to keep growing, we strive to provide our clients with a wide variety of safe and affordable options with sustainable packaging materials. We understand the EXPERT K5 is a well-proven and high productivity metallizer with high quality of metallised products which makes it an ideal choice for our requirements. We also have been given to understand that this K5 metallizer has been optimized to handle the new generation of sustainable substrates such as CPP and CPE as well as better handling of more thermally sensitive materials.

Sparsh has commissioned a 3200mm wide cast line which is capable of producing both CPP & CPE along with mono orientation (Machine direction orientation) as an added feature for improved stiffness, tensile, tearing, and barrier properties. This EXPERT K5’s metallising process will give the perfect combination for value-added CPP and CPE substrates and a solution to the current needs of the flexible packaging industry.

The AluBond process which ensures high metal adhesion values on any substrate gives Sparsh a competitive advantage. A high metal adhesion level translates to higher barrier properties and consequently imparts higher bond strength to the laminate. This is very impressive and we are very happy!

Sparsh has recently expanded its offering to offer CPP films as well – can you tell us what lead you to this decision?
The growth of CPP films in India has been limited so far due to the lack of availability of high-quality films as well as the absence of innovative products and lesser scale of operations and production capacities. The majority of the Indian market has been dominated by BOPET & BOPP films for packaging applications but CPP/CPE has got its own unique properties and advantages and can be used for various laminate structures. Due to regular enquiries and demand from our customers for plain CPP and metallised films, we made the foray into CPP manufacturing and commissioned our 1st CPP line in July 2020. We are doing well in this area and looking forward to introducing a new product line and expanding our capacities.

CPP, CPE, and its Oriented class offer value added features such as transparency, considerable gloss level, improved mechanical properties, higher barrier properties, good dimensional stability, high tearing property, etc which means it is preferred for applications across the packaging. Furthermore, the technological advancements in the industry make the product suitable for its usage in high-speed packaging machines.

How do you think the film you are producing with the AluBond process will benefit your customers?
Our versatility allows us to custom make vibrant high impact printing and packaging solutions to meet the most demanding product specifications for our clients. The AluBond process has been shown to greatly increase metal bond strength and metal adhesion on the most commonly used substrates (PET, BOPP, CPP, and PE) during aluminium vacuum metallization. This leads to a value-added product with consistent quality. This also makes our products stand out in the market, thus immensely benefiting our customers. BOBST is known in the industry for its handling of heat-sensitive films such as CPP and we felt the AluBond process definitely gives our product an edge over our competitors.

The COVID pandemic has had a big impact on all our lives and the industry – how has the pandemic affected Sparsh Industries?
Businesses today are faced with unique challenges as they continue to steer clear of the grave effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic is changing the way we work and use technology overall. People are very cautious with their purchases and choices when it comes to packaged goods, choosing hygienic and better packaging as opposed to their choices earlier. As the entire world adjusts to the ‘new normal’, we as business leaders needed to rethink our strategies to drive resilience and come out of this pandemic stronger rather than weaker. We turned this challenge into an opportunity so that we not only survive but also thrive.

Can you tell us about your current manufacturing facilities and your future development plans at Sparsh industries?
Currently, the manufacturing facilities in Kanpur are truly leading edge and have the following capacities:

• BOPET Film – Two 8700 mm wide BOPET Line with installed capacity 63,000 MTPA
• Polymer Plant – One with an installed capacity of approx. 60,000 MTPA
• CPP Plant – One 3200 mm wide with installed capacity approx. 9000 MTPA
• Metallizers – Five with a combined installed capacity of 29,000 MTPA

Sparsh Industries has undertaken aggressive expansion plans for the coming years. It aims to increase its overall production capacities by adding more production lines including value-added products in its portfolio. With the ongoing expansions, Sparsh has targeted to commission one BOPET line of 10600 mm wide (installed capacity 48000 MTPA) and one Aluminium foil rolling plant of 2250 mm wide (Installed capacity 29000 MTPA) in 2021. Sparsh is also targeted to commission its 2nd polymer plant in 2022 with an installed capacity of 100,000 MTPA.