Malaysian converter Practimax has found success and efficiency throughout the years with Durst, as the label printer has installed three Durst digital presses.

Practimax was founded in 1999 in Malaysia with just three employees, one rotary press and a clear vision to become one of the country’s leading and most productive label manufacturers. Today, nearly a quarter of a century later, the company’s team counts more than 100 people who manufacture millions of self-adhesive labels for multinational corporations and well-known retail brands. Digital printing has played a strong role in its success.

Practimax mainly caters to the local market. Its clientele ranges from fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies to oil and gas players. “Normally we produce labels for FMCG products – toiletries, personal care, etc. We also produce labels for lubricant packaging,” explains Practimax CEO Kate Yap. “As for the export market, we only cater to personal care products.”

Practimax’s mission is to provide its customers with reliable and cost-effective products using state-of-the-art technology in printing. The company has consistently invested in various presses to cater to the changing industry demands.

Staying true to its goal, Practimax was the first to introduce Durst Tau 330 digital UV inkjet press in Malaysia. This high-speed, high-quality and high reliability technology allows the company to produce excellent quality images with vivid colors. 

‘We have been using Durst technology for the last decade. We currently have three Durst machines. The consistent results and the speed of the Durst machines are fantastic,” says Yap. “The resolution of the printing is also excellent. It is a digital machine, so we do not need to spend significant time setting it up, which conventional printing requires. There are no printing plates, films and some mixture of colors. With a digital machine, it is just a click away. The quality and color consistency that the Durst can produce makes our life better as owners of a label converting business.”

Before purchasing the first Durst Tau 330, Practimax was an entirely conventional printer, operating two of its Gallus EM280 flexo presses. After the Durst Tau installation, digital label printing could take up to 50% of the company’s production.

Specific jobs, which Practimax previously ran on silkscreen, needed high-density ink and had a particular technical requirement, such as using a rotary block. Durst Tau can handle these jobs with a press of a button, and the company does not have to allow three to four hours of set-up time. According to the company’s management, all the silk screen jobs were converted to digital print shortly after the new machine installation.

“We cannot compare an apple to an orange. Both have different types of quality, but digital printing can cater not only to short-run jobs but also to medium and long run, thanks to the cost efficiency and fast turn-around. Many of our customers also require special features such as the silk-screen-like effect and additional security features on the print that the Durst machines can produce,” emphasizes Yap.

Practimax secured all its Durst machines through the company’s Southeast Asia partner – EP Digital (EP means to print in Chinese), which has over three decades of experience in the professional printing industry. It offers sales and services of a wide range of high-quality graphics art equipment but specializes in digital printing presses and related consumables.

Yap notes that both companies are businesses that rely on one another. As a client, Practimax receives round-the-clock technical support from EP Digital.

“The after-sales service and support we receive from EP Digital are excellent. The company has a dedicated team and gives us 24-hour technical support. We just need to call them for assistance, and they will come to our facilities within hours to resolve the issue,” she adds.

EP Digital regional manager Sean Yap describes Practimax as a company that understands the industry’s future, especially in digital printing. It is a company determined to differentiate its selling value from other competitors.

“It is the pioneer of digital printing, the first to own a digital inkjet machine in Malaysia, back in 2013. Now, it operates three different Durst machines, which are running 24/7 and offer different resolutions and speeds,” comments Sean, adding that digital printing is definitely a growing market in the region.

Sean continues, “What makes Practimax particularly special is the utilization of digital printing technology to provide product authentication and offer security printing. Compared to conventional machines, digital machines can produce variable printing in a single pass. You can print different copies when you go digital this is especially helpful for product labels that require running or serial numbers. This makes it easy for people to track and trace the products – boxes, bottles, etc.”

Sean Yap highlights that with the support from Durst service team leader Manuel Gruber and his team, EP Digital was able to build a team of factory-trained engineers in the Southeast Asia region, available 24 hours a day and seven days a week to support Practimax and other customers in the area.

He believes that the availability of technical support from EP Digital and the Durst branding is what attracted Practimax to choose EP Digital as its business partner.

“Being Durst’s SEA partner, EP Digital supports printers in the region by having our trained engineers in Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam,” he adds.

Kate Yap reveals that the company recently almost doubled the size of its factory by moving from a 13,000 square-foot to a 24,000 square-foot production facility, reflecting its significant growth. She also touches on Practimax’s near future, where she can see potential investments and is convinced it will be another unit from Durst’s portfolio.