Not all manufacturers are the same, what next at Narendra Gravure

According to Shrey Agrawal, the vice-president at Narendra Gravure, one of the developments influencing the converting machinery sector, is that converters are experimenting with barrier films and barrier-coated papers in an effort to transition toward mono-material packaging formats that are easier to recycle. These new material combinations aim to replicate the functional properties traditionally achieved through multi-layer lamination.

For machinery manufacturers, this means developing versatile coating and converting equipment capable of handling a wider range of substrates and coating chemistries, while maintaining stable production performance. Narendra Gravure focuses on application-specific machine customisation.

Agrawal claims to have a different approach. He says, Narendra doesn't assemble machines using commercially available parts. "We are machine builders rather than assemblers, with most critical components designed and manufactured in-house," says Agrawal. The plant in Faridabad is one of India's major machine tool manufacturing clusters.

Looking back, looking forward

Founded in 1980, Narendra Gravure is a precision engineering company specialising in converting machinery for the flexible packaging industry. Its equipment is used by converters serving sectors such as FMCG laminate packaging, paper-foil converting for pan masala packaging, pharma, induction wads, and specialised coating applications.

Over the years, the company has built a customer base of companies such as UFlex, Aditya Flexipack, TCPL, GLS, Manikchand Dhariwal Industries, and Vijayneha Polymers. Additionally, it has supported new entrants into the industry through turnkey converting solutions. Narendra Gravure's fully integrated manufacturing facility is equipped with tools including four-axis vertical machining centers, high-precision computer numerical control (CNC) systems, cylindrical grinding machines, dynamic balancing equipment, and in-house surface treatment facilities.

The company's focus has always been on precision, customisation and engineering depth. Agrawal says, "Our approach to R&D combines continuous improvements with breakthrough innovations. Many of our larger innovations emerge from close technical collaboration with customers who face converting challenges."

Challenges and opportunities in gravure

Agrawal believes one of the challenges in the Indian converting machinery market is the commoditisation of equipment, where machines are often evaluated on cost rather than engineering calibre or long-term reliability.

This can make it difficult for companies that invest heavily in precision manufacturing and engineering innovation to differentiate. As converters scale their operations and move toward sophisticated packaging structures, the demand for high-performance converting machinery will increase. This presents an opportunity for companies like Narendra Gravure.

Micron-level precision at Narendra

Agrawal says, "Over the years we have improved the mechanical precision and process stability of our coating and lamination lines through better shaft alignment, improved dynamic balancing of rotating components, and tighter machining tolerances in critical assemblies."

Recently, the company introduced an upgrade to its coating and lamination machines through the development of automatic reel-changing turret systems. These systems allow converters a non-stop application for a diversity of substrates, including 5.3-micron foil rolls without stopping the machine, enabling continuous production.

Non-stop operation ensures that process conditions such as machine speed, temperature profiles, and coating pickup remain stable, eliminating the waste that occurs during machine stoppages and restart cycles. As a result, he emphasises that converters can expect up to 1.7 times higher output from the same production set-up, while also reducing start-up waste.

Agrawal says the auto reel changer is compatible with many existing machines in the market, making it a practical plug-and-play upgrade for converters without replacing their entire line.