TechNova Imaging Systems adds blankets for newspaper presses to its portfolio

TechNova Imaging Systems is an authorised distributor for the range of IMPRINT blankets, which are indigenously manufactured in India by Ahmedabad-based Mahalaxmi RubTech Limited (MRT).The IMPRINT series of blankets are designed for diverse printing applications such as conventional printing (brand names: Polset, Ultra, and Royal Green); UV printing (brand name: PrintUV); coating & stripping (brand name: StripCoat); metal deco (brand names: Royal Green and Spectra); packaging (brand names: Robusto and Royal Green); UV and conventional printing (brand name: Spectra Combi); and of course newspaper printing (brand names: Rapid-Web 1.7mm and Xpeedo-Web 1.96mm). The two flagship web offset press blankets—Rapid-Web 1.70mm and Xpeedo-Web 1.96mm are proven products and known for durability and quality consistency. “We are glad to join hands with TechNova to offer for the first time India-made Printing Blankets to the Indian Newspaper Industry. These blankets have been exclusively designed and constructed to offer the highest Quality, Consistency and Durability,” informs Rahul Parekh, Managing Director, Mahalaxmi RubTech Limited.

“We are very happy to be associated with MRT and look forward to a long and mutually enriching relationship. We highly respect MRT’s technological prowess in manufacturing world-class printing blankets, right here in India. This gives us yet another opportunity to serve our valued newspaper customers and express our gratitude to our customers for their continued support and trust in all our endeavours to serve them,” says Amit Khurana, Chief Operating Officer, TechNova Imaging Systems Pvt Ltd.

Added advantage

IMPRINT Rapid-Web 1.70mm and Xpeedo-Web 1.96mm blankets offer an added advantage for the Indian newspaper houses. Being manufactured locally by MRT, which is the only blanket manufacturer in India, the products are available off-the-shelf to newspaper houses, saving import cost and other hassles of purchasing imported items. TechNova Imaging Systems distributes the blankets through its wide network of dealers, which further dispatch the products to sub-dealers and printers pan-India.

Tried & tested products

Rapid-Web 1.70mm and Xpeedo-Web 1.96mm blankets are designed by integrating three technologies required to manufacture offset printing blankets—textile technology, rubber technology and process technology. Tried and tested, Rapid-Web 1.70mm and Xpeedo-Web 1.96mm blankets are fitted with bars and easily mounted on printing cylinders and are quite easy to clean the ink deposition.

Quality, Consistency and Durability of IMPRINT blankets are widely acknowledged and appreciated. Customers who are interested in the products are given opportunity to visit the production plant of MRT in Ahmedabad to have first-hand experience of the manufacturing process of the blankets. They can even test run the products on any press to check quality and consistency.

Complete solution

Addition of IMPRINT web offset press blankets in TIE further enhances TechNova Imaging Systems’ endeavour to provide newspaper houses a complete printing and production solution. The company has been strengthening its products and solutions for the newspaper industry to further deepen their relationship with their most valued newspaper houses. TIE offers customised packages of products and solutions as newspaper houses have different needs and price points at different locations.

From time to time, TechNova Imaging Systems keeps introducing India-made products. In 2010, the company launched VioGreen, a first-of-its-kind chem-free Violet CtP plate in the country. Ever since the introduction of this ‘green’ plate, the Indian newspaper industry has saved more than 75 million litres of water. The product has also helped reduce more than 550 thousand litres of hazardous chemicals. As a result, the overall carbon footprint of the industry has been appreciably reduced.

Marketing alliances

Apart from MRT, TechNova Imaging Systems has marketing alliances with a host of reputed overseas companies such as AGFA, Amsky, ECRM, NHM, Hamillroad, Harlequin, Serendipity amongst others. The company distributes CtP plate-setters from AGFA, Amsky and ECRM and CtP processors from Glunz & Jensen. They provide workflows and software from AGFA, Hamillroad and Harlequin; colour management software from AGFA and Serendipity; cloud-based Secured SaaS services from AGFA; and editorial workflow, digital asset management and pre-media service management system from NHM (News Hub Media).

The bottom line is that TechNova Imaging Systems looks at the core value of helping their customers in the newspaper industry to connect all the dots through TIE – TechNova Imaging EcoSystem.

Customers Speak

Most of the leading newspapers in India are users of MRT blankets. Their testimonies prove the quality and competency of Rapid-Web 1.70mm and Xpeedo-Web 1.96 mm web offset press blankets.

“As a part of our Vendor Development initiative and to reduce our dependability on international suppliers for optimising lead time, we at Bhaskar Group decided to work very closely with MRT. Our team visited the MRT factory at Ahmedabad. Today, our larger requirement is being catered by MRT. After all, TechNova + MRT service support is excellent.”

–Dinesh Sharma,
Associate Vice-President Production, DB Corp
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“We have tested the MRT Blankets on our Orient Press at Chandigarh. Performance of the ‘Indian Brand Blanket’ has been found satisfactory. Based on results we have released more orders for further use in Chandigarh and other locations. Trial of City line Blankets is also lined up and will be tried shortly.”

–RC Malhotra,
All India Controller – Production, The Indian Express
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“Our journey of using MRT blankets started around six months back. Initially we faced some teething issues. But everything got resolved when the products were customised for us. In addition, we are pleased with excellent support and quick turnaround time from TechNova.”

–RK Dutta,
Executive Director, Prabhat Khabar
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“We have been using MRT blankets over the last few months. We found the products at par with any international brands available in the market.”

–Dilip Malegaokar,
General Manager Material, Sakal
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“We are pleased to share that finally an Indian company has come forward with reasonably acceptable quality product. Last few months, we have been closely working with TechNova for blankets. On Press performance of MRT blankets has been observed to be satisfactory.”

–Atul Goyal,
General Manager Production and Quality Control, Amar Ujala
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“MRT blankets are good for us for the fact that the products are made in India and made for Indian newspapers. We are highly impressed with the quality and productivity of the products.”

–AV Ramachandran,
Vice-President, Press and Commercial, DNA

Postmedia to bring original content from new digital media startup

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Partnering with The Logic provides Postmedia the opportunity to build, grow and validate digital subscription models which are showing increasing traction around the world. Postmedia Network Inc, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Postmedia Network Canada Corp, is a Canadian newsmedia company representing more than 140 brands across multiple print, online, and mobile platforms.

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LA Times shares its longstanding commitment to quality journalism. Now the newspaper is looking forward to working with LA Times to bring the breadth of our world-class journalism to new readers on the west coast, and beyond. A source from LA Times says that the FT’s global reporting and analysis is a welcome addition to their journalism. It further mentions that readers will benefit from an international perspective that complements their own in-depth coverage. The Financial Times has more than 100 syndication partnerships globally.

Nine Entertainment sold 160 former Fairfax regional papers

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Recently, Catalano, who used to run Fairfax’s successful real estate platform Domain, failed in a bid to block the sale of Fairfax to Nine by buying up to 19.9 percent of Fairfax. The deal included $10m worth of advertising for Nine in ACM properties over the next three years. The ACM group of newspapers was once owned by Rural Press but was sold to the former Fairfax Media in 2007 in a $3bn deal which included 200 publications in Australia and New Zealand, 23 publications in the USA and 11 radio stations.