British-headquartered anilox manufacturer Sandon Global has appointed Dr Siddharth Lokachari as research and technical manager for its plasma coatings division. The appointment supports the company’s ongoing focus on innovation and technical development in anilox coating technology, it said.
Dr Lokachari will oversee the optimisation of plasma processes and lead research into new coating materials and techniques. He will also manage and mentor the internal plasma team and work with external partners to expand the company’s capabilities in plasma technology.
Richard Millington, managing director of Sandon Global, said Dr Lokachari brings “deep materials science and coatings knowledge” that will help shape the future of the company’s plasma coating operations. He will also support the company’s continued focus on consistency and quality in flexographic printing, added Mr Millington.
Dr Lokachari has previously held a research fellow role at Rolls-Royce, contributing to the development of coatings for jet engine components. He is also active in several international standards organisations and has received a UKRI Global Talent endorsement in Materials Science and Engineering.
Commenting on his new role, Dr Lokachari said he aims to use advanced characterisation techniques to support R&D and explore new industrial applications. His work will focus on improving performance factors such as porosity, hardness, and corrosion resistance of coatings.
Mr Millington added: “Creating a consistent chromium oxide coating has kept us at the forefront of anilox innovation. But innovation doesn’t happen by accident, it’s built from the inside out. Our state-of-the-art metallurgical laboratory provides us with the in-house capabilities to ensure robust coating quality control for anilox consistency. With Sid’s expertise and our continued investment in people and technology, Sandon Global is ideally positioned to lead the next chapter in flexographic printing.”
Sandon Global holds 22 patents related to anilox technology. The company’s internal metallurgical lab and recent recruitment of additional academic specialists reflect its broader strategy of embedding scientific expertise into its operations.
