Rotatek, under the Vinsak Group, has confirmed the installation of its new Universal 850 hybrid press at Mudrika Labels’ Vasai facility in India. The move establishes Mudrika as the global reference site for the Universal 850 platform, with commissioning and application validation scheduled for completion by April 2026.
With an 850 mm web width, the Universal 850 is the widest press in the Rotatek Universal series. It is engineered to handle substrates ranging from 12-micron films to carton board and combines inline offset, flexo, foiling, lamination, and inspection. The platform is designed to support multiple packaging formats including shrink sleeves, flexible packaging, folding cartons, and in-mold labels (IML).
Manish Desai, director of Mudrika Group, said the investment aligns with a long-term strategy to expand into new markets. “This is not a press bought for one application. We are buying a platform that allows us to enter markets we are not currently serving and to do so globally, not just in India,” he stated.
Rotatek unveiled the Universal 850 at an open house in Barcelona, attended by visitors from Asia, Africa, Europe, the Americas, and the Middle East. The model demonstrated featured seven offset and two flexo stations, with LED and UV curing, NIR drying, auto registration, closed-loop colour control, and inline digital capabilities.
Ranesh Bajaj, director of Vinsak Group, emphasized the press’s role in addressing evolving production needs. “We are not chasing top speed. We are chasing stability, lower waste, lower energy per impression and higher margins,” he said. He added that the machine’s modular design allows future upgrades as market requirements shift.
Once operational, the Mudrika installation is expected to be closely watched by converters seeking alternatives to flexo and gravure for premium packaging and IML applications.