by Shaheen Raaj
Impressed by the wide range of polymeric films that Flex Films manufactures and associated R&D capabilities that the company is globally recognized for,
Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) had approached the company earlier in Sept, 2017 with a requirement of specialized film for passive thermal control of spacecraft components.
Flex Films at Noida is Indian Film Manufacturing Arm of India’s largest multinational flexible packaging materials & solution company Uflex Limited.
Taking this requirement in its stride, the engineers at Flex Films India developed a solution for ISRO in a record time period of 6 months.
Talking more about this specialized film, Anand Prakash Gupta from Speciality Films & R&D Department at Flex Films, Noida avers, “ISRO approached us in an endeavour to achieve its vision to self-reliance in Indian Space Programme which aims at engaging more Indian Industries in producing Space worthy products/technologies for its specific applications. Their desired specifications were in electro-optical & physical terms like Solar Transmittance, IR Emittance, Thickness of Coating in nano-meterson both sides of the substrate & wide spectrum working temperature of -150 to +120 degrees Celsius to name a few. The real challenge was to convert these specifications into our measurable norm. For this we sent an A4 sized sample to ISRO to get everything measured and tested in their terms. When ISRO reverted to us with their requirements in parameters that they recognize, we extrapolated that information to our measurable norm. Performing metallization in conventional metallizer was fraught with high risks of getting scratches & other aberrations (anomalies which were absolutely unacceptable for a high precision job that we were processing for ISRO). Further we developed some specialized coatings & applied on the substrate to ensure flawless metallization as required by ISRO.”
Talking more about this major break-through Jagmohan Mongia, President of Flex Films India averred, “The specialized metallized film that we supplied to ISRO was subjected to space environmental tests and passed through all parameters/tests qualifying for space application. Here I would particularly like to acknowledge the unrelenting & hard work by metallizing team of Flex Films India without which it would not have been possible for us to accomplish this goal. After this major break-through we now look forward to working with ISRO more closely in other research areas & technologies. This is just the beginning.”
Expressing delight on this breakthrough, Ashok Chaturvedi, Chairman & Managing Director, Uflex Limited said, “The most gratifying part of this whole engagement is that Uflex has been able to contribute to ISRO’s endeavour of indigenization and becoming self-reliant in space technology applications. This is a perfect example of an Indian polymeric film manufacturer meeting & exceeding the performance parameters set by Indian Space Research Organization. This is a major win for Make in India and a moment of truth for Made in India.”
Uflex is India’s largest multinational flexible packaging materials & Solution Company & an emerging global player. Since its inception back in 1985, Uflex has grown from strength to strength to evolve as a truly Indian Multinational with consumers spread across the world. Uflex today has state-of-the-art packaging facilities at multiple locales in India with installed capacity of around 100,000 TPA and has packaging film manufacturing facilities in India, UAE, Mexico Egypt, Poland & USA with cumulative installed capacity in excess of 337,000 TPA.
All Uflex plants are accredited with ISO 9001, 14001, HACCP & BRC certifications. Uflex caters to markets spanning across the globe in over 140 countries like USA, Canada, South American countries, UK and other European Countries, Russia, South Africa, CIS, Asian & African nations. Integrated within its core business profile are allied businesses like Engineering, Cylinders, Holography & Chemicals which further give Uflex a superior edge above competition.
Uflex Limited is also a part of the D&B Global Database & winner of varied prestigious national & international awards for its products’ excellence. Uflex offers technologically superior packaging solutions for a wide variety of products such as snack foods, candy & confectionery, sugar, rice & other cereals, beverages, tea & coffee, dessert mixes, noodles, wheat flour, soaps & detergents, shampoos & conditioners, vegetable oil, spices, marinades & pastes, cheese & dairy products, frozen food, sea food, meat, anti-fog, pet food, pharmaceuticals, contraceptives, garden fertilizers & plant nutrients, motor oil & lubricants, automotive & engineering components et al.
