His employer’s lack of action and being slow to see opportunities, gave young R & D chemist, Carl Engel, the boost and confi dence to ‘do his own thing’. That decision, not without its problems and setbacks, has resulted in Laserlife becoming the leading manufacturer of rollers for the fl exographic industry in Australia and set the company on a path to investment in China.

“It’s been an interesting time,” said Carl, who has spent some 49 years in the business and seen many changes in that time. “The company really started to take off when we established a company in Clayton, Victoria to make rollers. We purchased Littlejohn Rubber products in 1976, but realised we were losing out to photopolymers, even though I kept saying ‘they haven’t got a future’.

On an overseas visit in ’84 Carl came across laser engraved anilox rolls and subsequently bought a laser. “When it arrived, this supposedly ‘foolproof’ machine, wasn’t foolproof and in the fi rst three years, we were losing around $150,000 a year! The market didn’t show a lot of interest either, as the new technology was considered too expensive and they were happy with the chrome rollers they had been using.” Carl’s company undertook most of the development work, and it was the ceramics that proved the most demanding. On occasion they were rejecting one out of every three rolls because of problems with the ceramic.

So the company invested another million dollars in a modern plasma coating spraying system, which enabled them to make a profi t. From that point Carl realised that ceramic anilox was the way to go, and while the Laserlife product was up to world standard, he thought it could be improved. The answer was to purchase another laser, again costing a million dollars. “Our company got the fi rst multi-hit laser and people couldn’t believe it. We introduced what we called the fast ink cell. It allowed us to produce a roll with many shallow cells for big volumes, and the rest of the world followed us.” The company combined two of its factories into their present location, when it purchased a second laser, and son Alex, who was charged with that move, now runs the company on a day-to day basis.

A third laser followed, and today, the company has around 80 per cent of the Australian market. “We guarantee our rolls for three years, and so we are making more and more rolls for the presses that had their original rolls made in Taiwan,” explained Carl. Investment in China “About eight years ago, we established Shanghai Auclean Printing Machine Company in China. At this stage it is my baby, and I spend a lot of time there. We built a factory last year for rolls, doctor blades etc., and it employs between 15 and 20 people.

We sell high technology aniloxes of over 600 lines per inch, but for rolls less than 600lpi, they do it themselves. They don’t have the anilox measuring equipment we have and my strategy is that the company has to develop to justify the investment.

The Wyko system and cell measuring are very important today.” He said the Chinese market was tough and lack of capital within the new identity was an on-going problem. “Many American companies are prepared to invest $US10 million in a new facility. We got in there early, bought the land and built the factory, which we are very happy with,” said Carl proudly. “So, if people want rolls on price we can supply them out of Shanghai. But they don’t yet have the Laserlife quality nor guarantee. Our products out of China are better though, than the Taiwanese, because of our roll preparations, and we insist they use our roll preparation process to ensure a strong bond strength of the sprayed coatings. However, a lot of work is subcontracted out there, and naturally you don’t have the same quality control in this circumstance.” He said while the Asian anilox suppliers undercut Laserlife on price for rolls supplied with Asian-built presses, it was pleasing to see customers who purchase European presses tending to specify Laserlife anilox rolls. “We have visited all the biggest press manufacturers in Germany, and they were pleased to see us, because they have been buying our rolls and supplying them with new presses throughout South East Asia.” So what is the future for a company that supplies rolls, sleeves, metal and ceramic aniloxes and undertakes engraving, as well as industrial rollers and hard face coated rollers? “The company has an excellent future,” Carl said assuredly.

“Our commitment is always to supply what we feel the industry needs. If the industry needs a better quality cell we will try and make it. That’s why we invested in a third laser because we can produce aniloxes of 2000 lines an inch. No one wants it at this stage, but we make a lot of 1400 and 1600 line rolls, used in fi ne processes.”

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