Sieko goes hand-in-hand with Indian OEMs to develop robust indigenous printers with industrial inkjet printheads
With its expanded portfolio of inkjet printheads for printing water-based inks, Seiko is focusing on the manufacturing sector of India which is now growing leaps and bounds. In an exclusive interview with Sign & Graphics, Aliasgar Eranpurwala, Head of Sales, SII Printek Inc, tells how they are associating with Indian OEMs for development of inkjet technology-based indigenous printers. SII Printek Inc is Seiko Instrument GmbH’s division responsible for industrial inkjet printheads.
Initially the architecture was said to be compatible but soon our engineers realised that Water – the elixir of life for Humans – is actually attacking some parts of the printhead and an update is necessary to make the printhead compatible for the new environmental friendly challenges. Actually water has proved its corrosive behaviour time and again in different fields and in the case of the printhead too it could eat away through some of the critical parts of the printhead.
Sign& Graphics: Most of the digital printers in India have already known and familiar with Seiko printheads. Now, how will you approach OEMs in the country to start using your technology?
Aliasgar Eranpurwala: You are absolutely right. As one of the key players in the digital printing markets Seiko is well known in India. However, most of our products are available in imported and not home-grown machines. The manufacturing sector in India is rapidly growing for existing and also for new applications where the customers are looking for wholesome solutions and this is where we come in.
Our flagship product, Seiko RC1536 recirculation printhead has already been tested for its robustness in the ceramic printing industry. It can withstand challenging requirements with an effective recirculation technology and an industrial design. This printhead among others is what we want to bring to the Indian market for various applications. We are working hand-in-hand with OEMs and supporting them in getting end-to-end solutions for launching robust printers, which are productive and flexible at the same time.
Sign& Graphics: The growth in India is now taking place in the UV/textile printing segment. What kind of solutions can Seiko provide so that local manufacturers can make good machines and stop imports of machines into the country?
Aliasgar Eranpurwala: I don’t think the imports of machines will ever completely stop. Since the Indian market is growing so strongly, the OEMs in the country will have a growing business with the upcoming demand.
Varieties of our applications are primarily targeted with UV inks. Here, our printheads have already shown their potential around the world and now we want to bring this know-how and experience into the Indian market as well. Seiko wants to bring Europe, which is known as the Cradle of Inkjet Technology and the Manufacturing House ‘India’ under the same umbrella to catapult the adoption of digitalisation.
With the launch of the aqueous version of the RC1536 printhead model we have launched a new product for the textile printing industry. In this market we see that India is one of the world’s biggest playing fields as a big share of the world’s textile manufacturing is happening in various parts across the length and breadth of the country.
Sign& Graphics: Do you have any future plan to associate or approve manufacturing of inks in the Indian market so that better quality can be developed suitably for Seiko printhead technology?
Aliasgar Eranpurwala: For various applications Seiko tests and certifies inks from different manufacturers to provide a matching solution for each industry. We have a dedicated ink testing team in Japan and an extensive lab to determine the life of a printhead. With an ink that is approved by us, OEMs can work with reliable options that will also avail a warranty on our printheads.
Sign & Graphics: India as of now is a KM printhead-dominated market. What is your approach in this respect?
Aliasgar Eranpurwala: Inkjet has a lot of opportunities and potential in umpteenth, unexplored sectors and these new sectors are where we see a potential. With our expanded portfolio of printheads we are now ready to approach both existing and new fields that India has in store. Again, I want to emphasise on the point that the Indian manufacturing industry is growing in leaps and bounds and we want to be a part of this growth. This is the reason we are investing and focusing in India. We are reaching out and engaging with manufactures to build a long lasting relationship of trust, based on our mantra ‘The Culture of Precision’.