PETpla.net Insider 07+08 / 2020

MOULD MAKING PETplanet Insider Vol. 21 No. 07+08/20 www.petpla.net 30 Expansion of established two-stage business with single-stage moulds Production of new moulds accelerates by Kay Barton Moulds manufacturer Acme Disys, based in Delhi, has been designing two-stage moulds for well-known machine brands for more than 18 years. The business is flourishing and now serves an international customer base in the medium cavity segment. In October 2017, the company expanded into the field of single-stage moulds. The decision proved to be strategically beneficial, as a large proportion of its existing customer base uses both types of conversion technology. Acme Drinktec Solutions (ADS), which was established specifically to develop these products, has been making its mark on the market for 18 months. Managing Director Mr Sukhbir Singh and his Head of Operations, Mr Ramesh Desale, shared details of the project with us when we met during the India Editourmobil Roadtrip. Interview with Acme Drinktec Solutions LLP (ADS), January 2020 We met: Mr Sukhbir Singh, Man- aging Director Mr Jasvinder Singh, Head of Design, R&D Mr Ramesh Desale, Head of Operations “The idea for ADS emerged in October 2017; in response to our customers’ requests,” said Mr Sukhbir Singh, who is a graduate mechanical engineer with an advanced degree in mould design and manufacturing. He brings 30 years of expertise in the plastics industry to his role and led the Acme Disys team, and now the ADS team, right from the start. He is ably supported by Mr Jasvinder Singh, who has 25 years’ experience in the area. “It was a logical decision for us to expand into the single-stage segment with ADS and the existing set-up,” explained Mr Singh. Setting up the new company involved an investment of US$4 million. “After a nine-month development phase, we went live with the company and manufactured the first moulds. Since then, we have invested a further US$2.5 million in machinery and equipment, including brands such as Mazak, Doosan and SIG. We employ 60 people on an area of approximately 1,800m 2 . Our objective is to provide customers with a customised and eco- nomical solution at a competitive price.” Initial capital investment is usually around 10-15% lower than that for origi- nal equipment, with a higher number of cavities at the same time. ADS says that it has built more than 100 single-stage moulds since it was launched. Current capacity is ten moulds per month but is set to double by 2022. It estimates that its market share of the single-stage segment in India already amounts to 10% and it expects to achieve a turno- ver of US $ 2.5 million in the current financial year. Although the company initially focused entirely on India, exports are also expected to grow in the future. It has already acquired some new customers in the USA and the UAE, through recommendations from Indian clients. “We estimate that about 5-10% of our moulds are used in the beverages and liquid food packaging sector,” Sukh- bir Singh explained. “About 25-30% are destined for use in the production of liquor packaging. Non-food accounts for the rest, with 25-30% for cosmetics and beauty products and 25-30% for health- care. In the long term, we consider our primary market to be in the liquor and pharmaceutical sectors,”. www.acmedrinktec.com Tour Sponsors: The ADS team with Jasvinder Singh (front left) and Sukhbir Singh with Ramesh Desale (both in the middle) Sukhbir Singh (second from left) discussing bottle and mould designs