Pac-Rite celebrates 30yr milestone in style, installs big Uteco press
PAC-RITE of Durban celebrated its 30th birthday recently in the most positive way, by commissioning a large printing press that will see it more than double its print capacity.
That’s how Brian McCleary and the team at the Westmead company like it: the company has consistently invested in new production equipment since starting as a simple packaging supply business back in ’94 from, you guessed it, McCleary’s garage.
Since then the technology improvements have been continuous, and the steps have got bigger: at first it bought in film on reels from other manufacturers for its bagmakers, then it invested in two small printing presses and slitter-rewinder technology before, in 2018, taking its biggest step to date, the installation of its own co-ex film extrusion system which gave it the ability to produce most of its films to exact spec. That was followed in 2021 with the purchase of laminator from TCE-Converting of Turkey.
The 2024 investment is its biggest so far, with the Diamond HP 8-colour gearless flexographic press from Uteco of Italy being able to print films up to 1300mm wide, and at high speed. Up till now Pac-Rite has relied on two smaller presses, which continue to operate but are not able to match the speed and efficiency of the new line.
The Uteco machine is also suited to short runs (changeover of plates is easier and set-up times quicker), achieves reduced waste (can print across the web width which reduces trim). Uteco has succeeded in increasing flexibility and consolidation of machine parts to streamline operation, making it easier to operate.
Commissioning of the machine was handled by Sareltech of Cape Town, the Uteco agent.
Stand-up
Pac-Rite also commenced with the production of stand-up pouches, a new market sector for the company, recently. It possesses of all the requisite slitter-rewinder and bagmaking capabilities together with its co-ex film and lamination capacity, and is still busy with the rollout in the competitive standup pouch area.
The missing link for the company up till recently was thus high output print ability. It has resolved this omission in resounding style with the Uteco line being commissioned presently. The extra capacity gives Pac-Rite the opportunity to take advantage of skills that it has built up over the past three decades. With Anwar Hayath and Clint Jacobson leading the production team, the move into high-tech printing is proceeding smoothly. Exceptionally high and clear print quality is the result.
Pac-Rite can produced film in a wide range of laminated co-ex substrates, including BOPP foil, and bags or pouches in these structures.
With the increased capacity, extra space is needed for film stock and printed reels in the vicinity of the big press, resulting in the Pac-Rite bag-making department being moved to the company parking area, where a roof is being constructed and services installed so as to include it into the main plant. Pac-Rite’s steady success has also resulted in it taking up additional space at an adjacent property in Stockville Road.
