Packmedia Selection 1/2020 Digital Edition

packmedia

1/2020 October

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The processing & packaging magazine

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Know yourself and be aware of your limits: this is one of the classical interpretations of the maxim that, it is said, was inscribed on the temple of Apollo in Delphi. Thousands of years have passed, and yet this warning not to underestimate one’s attitudes and inclinations has also recently come to mind, during the last “competitive” event organized by the ink multinational Sun Chemical . So much so that, now, I can safely admit that I did not do my best to be among the best and thus win the prize offered.

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I had neither the ability nor the desire to do so, because I was clearly aware that in the event... I would have risked seeing my fear change into terror and astonishment: in fact, driving a Ferrari racing car along a racetrack is one thing, a day of flying with the civil acrobatic team is quite another.

by Stefano Lavorini

k

ACCELERATION

It was a hard-fought but by no means reckless race, bearing well in mind that “there is nothing that throws us more into danger than the heedless craving to subtract ourselves from the very same”.

A bit like what is happening today, in this new normality, where recognizing the threat we are exposed to despite ourselves should be exactly the opposite of being afraid of it.

Times in which we fear, as Leopardi writes in the Lonely Sparrow, that “Each day become more full of misery”.

“Know thyself”

In fact, these are days in which our relationships with others and the world are strongly conditioned by the emergency. Our society is - indisputably and necessarily - the object of a general phenomenon of hospitalization: alas, “the Agora seems to have given way to the lazaret, the competitive spirit of agonism to agony”, I reread with a shudder of empathy in a pre-covid article... Unfortunately, the alternative seems, for many people, to boil down to the choice between curing their depression or finding a new job.

In fact, in light of the values of efficiency and productivity to which we are obliged, many people risk social insignificance, as well as an identity crisis.

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On September 24, the Circuit of San Martino del Lago (CR) hosted the “Ferrari Challenge”, the second stage of the “Pure Adrenaline” event, conceived at the behest of the Sun Chemical Group SpA. This saw fifteen participants, among flexible packaging manufacturers and converters, competing after being selected following the “Ice Driving School” race, held in February on the Champoluc Driving Park (AO).

This will be followed in May 2021 by the “Flying Experience”, which will have the 7 best racing drivers climb on board YAK 50 and 52 military training aircraft and enjoy the extreme thrill of flying the skies. Per aspera ad astra! [through hardships to the stars!].

To find out more: About chariots and the fear of flying (https://tinyurl.com/yybole7q)

The sense of vulnerability has become stronger and stronger, standardizing individuals in the way they feel and by increasing the need for protection by someone who accompanies them in their daily life (save out of ignorance confusing the very different responsibilities of the Government and the Regions, for example, in terms of healthcare).

We appear like children, the object of exaggerated love, hitherto spared from evils, tragedies, mourning, making us unprepared for reality when it affects us personally, and indifferent when such negative events affect others.

Are we still able to distinguish what is good and right, what is true and beautiful, from what is economically useful?

Have we ever been able to do so?

On the other hand, whether we like it or not, it is precisely in uncertainty and precariousness that a new story can be born; a new story, perhaps, in which the feeling of participation is equal to the greatness of today’s world, in which man reappropriates love, suffering, imagination, dreams, in short, his humanity.

Jung wrote “The psychology of the individual corresponds (...) to the psychology of nations. What nations do, every single person does, and as long as the individual does it, the nation does it too. Only in the change in the mentality of the individual lies the beginning of the change in the psychology of the nation. The great problems of humanity were never solved by great laws, but only by changing the mentality of the individual”(1).

Spes ultima dea! [Hope is the last goddess!]

(1)

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Carl Gustav Jung, The Psychology of the Unconscious.

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Front Cover The man who walks Gaetano Zampogna photo by Claudio Abate

After Butcher’s shops, where the animal and its killer coexisted on damask fabrics, Gaetano Zampogna - at this very singular and dramatic moment - paints another kind of butcher’s shop on similar fabrics.

The masked prey is The man who walks, invisible, towards a killer who has the camouflaged cunning of the chameleon: a planetary sniper who has the consistency of the wind (Elmerindo Fiore).

Acceleration by Stefano Lavorini “Know thyself”

4 Agenda Next

interpack 2021, Anuga Foodtec, Meat-Teach 2021

PA C K AG I N G & M AT E R I A L S

Luciana Guidotti 6 Oscar it is!

The 42 finalists of the Best Packaging 2020 contest.

Breaking news on the winners of the Packaging Oscar for

Quality Design, Technological Innovation and Environment 7 è News

Acma, Adercarta, Affaba e Ferrari, Altopack, Barilla, Brivaplast,

Bticino, CCM - Coop Cartai Cellografica Gerosa (WINNER), Coop

Italia, Di Mauro, Esselunga.

12 èFINAPC and Delice Group Danone Tunisia: a successful cooperation

14 è News

Esseoquattro, Gruppo Fabbri Vignola (WINNER), Fabo Tape,

G. Mondini, Goglio , Gruppo ASA, GS4 Plastic, International

Paper, Italpack Cartons, Keg Solutions, Laminazione Sottile/

Contital, Gruppo Lavazza (WINNER), Lic Packaging,

Lineapack Chinello, Lumson (WINNER),

Maggioni Type/L’Orèal/Icma (WINNER),

Montefarmaco (WINNER), Noberasco, SDR PACK SpA

e bofrost Italia SpA, SDR PACK SpA e Sgambaro SpA,

SDR PACK SpA e Zini Prodotti Alimentari SpA, Sealed

Air, Seda, Simpool, Smilesys, Soulpack, Turconi,

Unifarco (WINNER), Verallia, Vimar

28 è News

NextFilm™: biodegradable and compostable (Ticinoplast)

New standards in stretch film production for PCR material

29 The sustainable food delivery revolution (Contital)

A monodose that surprises by Valmatic 30

An embossable BOPP film (Innovia Films) The cold embrace of the sleeve (Luxoro) A bottle that speaks of origins (San Benedetto)

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“Futura”: a ribbon for sustainable cosmetics (NastriTex)

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Sun Chemical - Printing inks and compostable packaging

CONTENT ITP - The PackRevolution Brand

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FA C T S

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& FIGURES

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Barbara Iascone (Istituto Italiano Imballaggio) Report on the state of the packaging August 2020 facts and figures

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èIMA ZERO: renewed commitment to sustainability

Luciana Guidotti Luxury packaging: a concept in the making Experts and operators in the sector investigate the evolution of the high-end packaging market The word to...

Andrea Sommavilla, Baralan, Fontana Grafica, G. Candiani, Lumson, Luxoro, Zignago Vetro

Barbara Iascone (Istituto Italiano Imballaggio) Packaging & e-commerce

Publisher Stefano Lavorini Co-Editor Luciana Guidotti Editorial Staff Milena Bernardi, Chiara Giannangeli Secretary Leila Cobianchi Advertising traffico@packmedia.net

I N D U S T RY & S T R AT E G I E S

Translation Dominic Ronayne

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Stefano Lavorini An out-of-the ordinary wager (Ronchi Mario SpA)

Artist Coordination Gianni Valentino, Max Marra

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By the editorial staff Re-starting The national (and international) packaging industry has never actually closed the doors of its factories, but has indeed responded with determination to the requests of the community, asserting its strategic value on the field in times of the Covid-19 emergency. Data and facts from the real world, amidst difficulties and signs of encouragement.

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è News NUOVA ERREPLAST - The industrial medical and aseptic and antibacterial packaging center was born in Marcianise

68 è News Control Techniques, Acma, Berlin Packaging

M A C H I N E RY & A U T O M AT I O N

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è News Distributed electronics: modularity from a single element (Servotecnica) Spare parts and maintenance suggested by the system (Sygest)

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A new generation of drives (Wittenstein) XPlanar -Flying motion (Beckhoff) TF series blister machines (Famar Tec)

ROBOPAC- Growth choices, step by step

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MOOG REKOFA - Ethernet in stretch wrapping systems Robot delta for pick & place, assembly and handling (Sipro)

NTS 75

OMAS TECNOSISTEMI SPA - Monoblock for sanitizing gels and Sars-Cov2 Test reagent PRATI - DIGIFAST 20000: Digital converting line for mid-web

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ZILLI & BELLINI SRL: New piston filler with C.I.P Focus on MB60 wrapping machine (TGM)

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COMEK: OMNYA EVO, vertical packaging machine for food industry

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Advertisers / Company index

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Graphic project and layout Studio Grafico Page, Novate Milanese (MI) Vincenzo De Rosa (art director), R. Rossi, S. Viapiana Pre press and printing Àncora srl, via B.Crespi 30, 20159 Milano (Italy) Supplement to ItaliaImballaggio, Digital Edition 1 /2020 Registered publication n. 555 Registro di Cancelleria del Tribunale di Milano, 22/10/94 ROC number 31149 Reproduction in whole or in part of the articles and illustrations published in this magazine is permitted with prior approval by the Management. The Management does not assume responsibility for the opinions expressed by the authors of the editorial and advertising texts.

Pack-Media S.r.l.

Via B. Crespi, 30/2 - 20159 Milano (Italy) Tel. +39 02 69007733 - Fax +39 02 37928770 redazione@packmedia.net www.packmedia.net Sales team (Italy) Daniela Binario - d.binario@packmedia.net Massimo Chiereghin - m.chiereghin@packmedia.net Silvia Lepore - s.lepore@packmedia.net Bruno G. Nazzani - b.nazzani@dativo.it Armando Lavorini - a.lavorini@alice.it in cooperation with

UCIMA

Unione Costruttori Italiani Macchine Automatiche per il Confezionamento e l’Imballaggio

SOCIO EFFETTIVO

ASSOCIAZIONE NAZIONALE EDITORIA DI SETTORE

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AGENDA

Next AGENDA

interpack 2021 25 February - 3 March 2021, Düsseldorf (D) Organizers: Messe Düsseldorf

Interpack 2021: new Project Director and the “PROTaction” plan

The role of Project Director goes to Thomas Dohse, who illustrates the hygienic/sanitary measures implemented by Messe Düsseldorf to protect exhibitors and visitors, to return to business safely.

T

he upcoming interpack in Düsseldorf was postponed from its original date in May 2020 to the following year, due to the Corona pandemic. It will now take place from 25 February to 3 March 2021 and continues to be fully booked.

Thomas Dohse (50, in the photo) has been the new leader of interpack in his capacity as Project Director since the start of September.

He follows Bernd Jablonowski, who rose to the Managing Board of Messe Düsseldorf as an Executive Director.

Dohse has woven an excellent web of connections within the global packaging industry and the related process industry. He has been part of the interpack team at Messe Düsseldorf since 2005 and led interpack 2017 on an operative level as Deputy Director.

During this period, the father of three supported many formative themes for interpack, such as SAVE FOOD and the special shows under the innovationparc label. These are now also successful at the international events within the scope of the interpack alliance, which will also be led by Dohse in the future.

PROTaction - Back to Business. Messe Düsseldorf relies on a comprehensive hygiene concept in order to protect exhibitors and visitors.

As Thomas Dohse underlines: «interpack is the most important event in the international packaging industry and, especially in times of crisis, provides crucial stimuli in order to build a suc-

In consideration of the ever-changing international epidemiological situation, the list shown may be subject to further changes.

We apologize in advance to the readers.

We invite you to consult the trade fair and event calendar on our website packmedia.net.

Bimu Metal forming & metal cutting machines, robots, automation and auxiliary technologies 14-17/10/2020 Milano Rho (I) www.bimu.it ProPak Asia Total processing & packaging solutions 20-23/10/2020 Bangkok (TH) www.propakasia.com

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Mecspe Technologies for innovation 29-31/10/2020 Parma (I) www.mecspe.com/it/ Ecomondo Materials and energy recovery & sustainable development 3-6/11/2020 Rimini (I) www.ecomondo.com

cessful future for the companies involved.

Therefore, we give our all in order to do justice to this responsibility and simultaneously guarantee the best possible protection of the health of the people coming to our trade fair centre».

The hygiene plan has already proved that it lives up to its motto: “PROTaction - Back to Business” with Caravan Salon, the first trade fair at the Düsseldorf trade fair centre after the Corona break. Dohse explains: «Admission tickets are exclusively sold online for each day.

For the visitors this means no ticket counters, no cash payments. In this way the organizers will have a constant eye on the number of visitors present day by day. But the package also includes numerous measures implemented on site: larger spaces to ensure necessary spacing, disinfection devices, powerful ventilation systems in the pavilions, the doors of the halls will be wide open (easy for every visitor to enter - and leave by separate entrances and exits…». Those interested can find details on www.interpack.com.

Asia Fruit Logistica Fruit & vegetable marketing 18-20/11/2020 Hong Kong (PRC) www.asiafruitlogistica.com Pharmapack Europe 27-28/1/2021 Paris (F) www.pharmapackeurope.com/en/ home.html Luxe Pack Los Angeles Luxury Packaging 2-3/2/2021 Los Angeles (USA) www.luxepacklosangeles.com/ Metpack Metal packaging 23-27/2/2021 Essen (D) www.metpack.de

Events & Shows

Tokyo Pack Packaging exhibition 24-26/2/2021 Tokyo (J) www.tokyo-pack.jp Interpack Processes & packaging 25/2-3/3/2021 Düsseldorf (D) www.interpack.com Venditalia International vending exhibition 10-13/3/2021 Milano City (I) www.venditalia.com Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna Cosmetics & perfumery industry 18-22/3/2021 Bologna (I) www.cosmoprof.com

Cosmopack Cosmetics & perfumery packaging/ machinery & contract manufacturer 18-21/3/2021 Bologna (I) www.cosmoprof.com/la-fiera/ cosmopack/ Anuga FoodTec Food & beverage technologies 23-26/3/2021 Köln (D) www.koelnmesse.it/anugafoodtec Labelexpo Americas Labeling & converting 23-25/3/2021 Rosemont, Chicago (USA) www.labelexpo-americas.com

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AG E N DA

Anuga FoodTec 2021 23 -26 March 2021, Cologne (D) Organizers: Koelnmesse

Anuga FoodTec 2021 A

global appointment for the food and beverage industry, Anuga FoodTec (organized by Koelnmesse) offers a comprehensive overview of the latest technology and product innovations: from small, sophisticated devices to complex machines and systems that offer solutions to an entire supply chain, from food and beverage production to filling and packaging and storage of goods.

In addition to the market trends and

innovations, the event will give reason for some fundamental themes that are characterizing the world of industrial production, such as digitization and automation, without forgetting environmental issues, intralogistics and research.

An extensive program of events will offer visitors the opportunity to further explore these key topics.

We remind you that the 2018 edition of Anuga FoodTec was attended by 1,657 exhibitors and over 50,000 trade visitors from 154 countries.

MEAT-TECH 2021 17 to 20 May 2021, Milan (I) Organizers: Ipack-Ima

MEAT-TECH 2021 Bio and Green push the new consumption habits with reference to meat and dairy, which start again under new auspices.

MEAT-TECH interprets them.

A “supply chain” project To strengthen the attractiveness of MEAT-TECH by Ipack-Ima will also be the strategic concomitance with TUTTOFOOD - international B2B trade fair historically dedicated to the Meat, Seafood and Dairy food chains - which will enable the gathering in Milan of an integrated and synergistic exhibition offer in a unique European context.

The contemporaneity of MEAT-TECH and TUTTOFOOD takes on a strategic significance, as it unites two sectors that have demonstrated their ability to adapt to the needs of the retail channel, which is undergoing a profound transformation, called upon to respond to the demands of sustainability and food safety, increasingly felt by consumers.

A

2021 edition dedicated to the food chain as a whole, from ingredients to distribution: an event of international scope, which operators are waiting for as an opportunity to restart the sector, thanks to a renewed way of networking and the discovery of positive contaminations throughout the value chain.

MEAT-TECH - IPACK-IMA’s trade fair dedicated to processing and packaging solutions for the meat, derivatives and ready meals industry that will take place at Fiera Milano from 17 to 20 May 2021 - broadens its horizons and looks to related sectors, focusing in particular on technologies for the dairy sector with a dedicated offer.

Environmental awareness, traceability, food safety, digitization of production systems will be the trend topics that the event will not fail to emphasize, looking for applications capable of combining efficiency and added value, in a logic of technology transfer.

The complex economic/social situation created by the global pandemic has conditioned the market in an ambivalent way: if, on the one hand,

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average consumption is falling, on the other, consumers are looking for more reassurance about the quality of products.

This is confirmed by data from Nomisma’s “The World After Lockdown” observatory: between March and May 2020, 30% of Italians purchased organic products with greater continuity; 20% paid attention to environmentally friendly production methods and sustainable packaging.

The strong environmental sensitivity is therefore transferred from the product to the packaging: 9 out of 10 consumers believe that an organic product should, for consistency, be packaged with green methods, where 36% expect a 100% recyclable and 17% compostable packaging, while 11% would like information on the environmental impact of packaging on the label.

This is a growing trend not only in Italy, but that for the organic Made in Italy product has been

particularly significant in the last 10 years (+597%), with a position in fifth place worldwide behind the USA, Germany, France and China in the twoyear period 2018-2020 (Source: Nomisma).

This dynamism particularly affecting t h e meat and dairy sectors, sectors in which process and product innovation becomes a fundamental tool for growth.

And it is precisely the presence of exhibitors specialized in the meat and dairy sector, together with “multi-product” companies, that will make MEAT-TECH’s exhibition offer unique.

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PACKAGING & MATERIALS

Best Packaging 2020

… OSCAR IT IS! P

ostcards from Italy: in quick succession, the 42 finalists in the Best Packaging 2020 contest. 42 products that have passed the first technical selection and that compete to win the Packaging Oscar for Quality Design and Technological Innovation.

Innovation in the round: keyword of the contest • The 2020 edition is organized by Packaging Meeting Srl and promoted by Istituto Italiano Imballaggio, in collaboration with the School of Design of the Milan Polytechnic and is therefore dedicated to enhancing the solutions that stand out in terms of design and quality design.

The event is sponsored by Altroconsumo, Conai and Brera Design District.

The contest does not include product categories. The Jury will evaluate which products present the degree of innovation and response to the real needs of markets and end users, to be considered Oscar solutions, trying, when possible, to give an overall overview of innovations for different materials, for different types of packaging from primary to transport and for the technological offer, also taking into account the most dynamic outlet sectors of the moment and the current consumption phenomena.

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• A great novelty of the 2020 edition is the opening of the competition to innovation in the field of technology: the avant-garde in the design of packaging systems and technologies becomes Oscar with the renewed support of Ipack Ima 2021.

• The 2020 edition will therefore reward the best examples of innovation in terms of design in the broadest sense of the term, i.e. the project as a whole: structural dimension (aesthetic, semantic, sensorial qualities, consistent with a perspective of environmental improvement), visual system (originality of the narrative model, quality of the graphic form and ability to enhance the communicative potential of the packaging), informative attention, quality of graphic solutions that promote access to information to all user groups, functionality and ways of use, designed to improve and simplify the user experience.

A user experience guided by the latest digital technologies and apps, which enables the conveyance of information in real time but also by the need of companies to communicate their brand values, their company history, offers, promotions, to find out new ways of loyalizing the customer.

Special prizes As in the past, the 2020 edition of the contest includes the presentation of special prizes.

• Environment. Under the patronage of Conai, to enhance the solutions that stand out in terms of environmental impact prevention.

• Technical innovation. To enhance examples of material innovation, improvement of technical performance, smart packaging, active packaging.

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PACKAGING & MATERIALS

BREAKING NEWS The Best Packaging 2020 were unveiled during the Re-Economy Summit on October 14, 2020, promoted by Il Sole24 Ore with the partnership of Istituto Italiano Imballaggio and with Conai and Ipack-Ima 2022, as main partner of the Best Packaging session.

Broadcast in streaming for obvious safety reasons, the summit aimed to investigate how the paradigms of the green economy impact on business processes, but also on new ways of doing business and communication.

Present on stage, the speakers and the winners of the contest: an unusual award ceremony for the packaging world, for years used to to applauding the selected products live. And yet, this time too, the voices of the winners betrayed the emotion for the well-deserved recognition.

Hence, below the Best Packaging 2020.

Quality Design Cellografica Gerosa Lavazza Maggioni Type/L’Orèal/Icma Montefarmaco Unifarco Technical innovation Gruppo Fabbri Vignola Environment Lumson

ACMA What it is. Small cardboard box for bulk products (candies, chewing gum...), which facilitates the controlled dosage of the product.

Of original shape (with a deposited design), it has a smaller base, made thanks to gussets folded inside.

Its strengths are its environmental and economic sustainability as well as its attractive shape, which is different on the shelf.

Material. Cardboard Product. Candies/chewing gum Design. Form + Dosing functionality Sustainability. Easy to recycle, recyclable (not recycled) material, logistic efficiency thanks to the consumption of less energy to produce packaging and for transport (space and weight).

ADERCARTA What it is. Designed for onthe-go consumption and street food, the Green Pick bags and serviettes are made with an anti-fat and compostable barrier paper, guaranteeing the advantage of being disposed of together with any leftover food. The Green Pick series of products, available in different sizes and formats, has been developed with the aim of communicating a lot of information through an original graphic design.

Thanks to the use of innovative inks based on bio-renewable materials and the barrier coating, it is possible to achieve a total black printing, very contemporary; the colored graphics represent the different foods contained in the individual bags while the contrasting white vignette invites consumers to throw the product into organic waste after use. The original mirror print on the back of the placemat ensures food contact of all foods.

Material. Greaseproof and fluoride-free barrier paper Product. Street food of various types Design. Optimum graphic rendering; mirror printing; the complete set of containers and placemats “educates” to correct disposal Sustainability. Compostable + bio-renewable inks

è

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PACKAGING & MATERIALS

AFFABA & FERRARI What it is. New “tethered” flip top closure for still water, soft drinks and juices : 2-pc closure, suitable to the next generation, lightweight 26/22mm neck finish. The weight of the cap/ neck finish assembly is 36% reduced, compared to the previous solution. The closure has an easy and intuitive opening system, and visible tamper evidence. Once the closure is screwed on the neck finish, the force required to remove it from the bottle is more than 12 kg. The indications given by the EU direction are 2,5 - 3 kg.

Material. PP and HDPE. Intended use. Still water, soft drinks and juices.

Bucatini, Linguine, Vermicelli, Capellini, Mafalde, Reginette, Chitarre, etc.)

Design. The double square bottom pack allows a better shelf display and, making the brand, product and other relevant consumer information recognizable “at a glance”. Thanks to 4 printable and customizable sides, manufacturers can relate better with customers and enhance the brand.

Technology. Device for transversal closure of the packs, with ultrasonic sealing.

Sustainability. Eliminating the waste of pasta caused by fragments that get stuck in the seal and force the pack to be discarded. Reduction of production costs due to the lower quantity of film needed to obtain the new pack (-21%); energy saving thanks to the lower energy absorption by the cold seal grippers.

Design. Eye-catching, intuitive, visible tamper evidence, user friendly opening system, for a complete and safe drinking experience.

Technology. The two components are produced by injection moulding technology. The shell is made of PP, the internal spout is made of HDPE. Assembly is made automatically, and quality is controlled by a camera control system.

Sustainability. The closure complies to art.6 of EU direction 2019/904 (the cap must stay attached to the bottle throughout its life cycle).

The project allows for a dramatic reduction of the use of plastics.

ALTOPACK What it is. Original long pasta pack with double squared bottom.

Thanks to a special device, the AOD-Ultra packaging machine carries out the transversal sealing of the packs which, although it does not eliminate the possibility that a piece of dough may get stuck between the two sealing jaws, solves the problem of the presence of fragments inside the transversal sealing of the “classic” pillow bag. The very high vibrations of the gripper sonotrode, actually pulverises any possible fragment at the extremity of the pack, making it easier to seal it perfectly and hermetically.

Material. PP film Product. Long pasta (Spaghetti, Fettuccine,

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BARILLA What it is. 330 g glass jar for Pandistelle cream with deep metal capsule.

The distinctive element of the pack is the capsule, with a matt varnish that recalls the texture of the famous Barilla biscuit. Equipped with warranty seal, the container is designed to be easily spotted on the shelf, also thanks to the off-counter display support. The design of the container also makes it easy for consumers to use: if the wide mouth favors the insertion of the spoon and the emptying of the jar, the capsule is easy to handle for frequent opening and closing.

Material. Glass + metal capsule Product. Pandistelle spreadable cream Design. Easy to locate on the shelf, also thanks to communication on off-counter displays Technology. The project includes the following packagings:

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PACKAGING & MATERIALS

• Jar - glass; • Capsule - offset printed steel 4 colors + lacquer; • Label and seal - flexo printed polypropylene; • Tray - corrugated cardboard flexo printed.

the pack and allow the different aesthetic finishes and functions of the contents to be identified.

Sustainability. Easily recyclable, avoids product waste as it is easy to empty.

Product. Living Now

BRIVAPLAST What it is. Click n’ Go is a mascara container, where the classic screw closure has been replaced by a snap open/close mechanism. The manuality of the gesture is facilitated by a push-button quick coupling and release, in which the capsule and bottle neck no longer interact via the thread screwing into the counter thread but thanks to a spring mechanism which, automatically guides the clutch and release of the retention elements hidden in the capsule (unlike the guided “paths” on the neck of the bottle).

Material. Microcorrugate cardboard

Design. The “book” concept is created by folding a die-cut laminated microwave cardboard box three times on itself, until it forms the seat where the product is placed, which is optimally protected.

Technology. Offset printing in white and flexo in reverse.

Sustainability. The environmental impact of the LCA analysis on the single-material case is lower compared to similar packaging, varying between 48% and 77% depending on the indicator considered. The main product user instructions are inside the die, eliminating the instruction sheet (about 100,000 sheets/year).

Material. ABS, Steel, PP, HDPE+santoprene, PBT, Steel+PA66 Product. Mascara Design. A simple but revolutionary solution for the cosmetics sector, the result of long engineering phases aimed at raising the quality of the mechanism (eliminating interference) and the level of industrial feasibility. The tank and cap of the cosmetic packaging are provided with screw thread and counter thread, to guarantee the seal and avoid the drying up of the product. A clear example of “design for all”.

Technology. Injection molding, metal forming, metal forming +fiber assembly, injection blow molding Sustainability. The production simplification achieved during the press-moulding and assembly phase has led to a reduction in costs.

BTICINO What it is. The Living Now digital controls case protects and binds the contents, avoiding breakage and abrasion; allows assembly and packaging with standard automated operations, offers adequate space for communication, reduces the volume of storage space. The flexo printed cardboard guides the consumer experience with clear information and simple diagrams on how to install it. The die-cutting provides a drain to facilitate taking out the product, two strips to prevent the product from falling on opening and a closing tab. The seals, in different colors, guarantee the integrity of

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CCM COOP. CARTAI MODENESI

What it is. Innovation and performance in rotisserie packaging: Buon Pollo - Take Away is a special paper bag with heat-resistant cellophane window, designed for the needs of the modern rotisserie. The new Chicken Bag (patented) is in fact suitable for prolonged use in thermal bells in the shop and the heating of the chicken in the traditional oven and/or microwave by the consumer, preserving its organoleptic characteristics.

Material. FSC® certified paper and cellophane Product. Takeaway roast chicken Design. The transparent window allows the visibility of the product. The graphics, in addi-

è

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PACKAGING & MATERIALS

tion to underlining the quality of a “good chicken” and its origins through a Qrcode, is designed to enhance the advantages of sustainability, usability and circularity of the packaging, guiding consumers to the correct disposal.

Technology. Innovative bonding engineering, research and development of paper and cellophane with gas and aroma barrier properties and resistance to grease and high temperatures to respond to new rites of use and consumption.

WINNER

Sustainability. Renewable raw materials from biomass. Reduction of raw materials by 26%.

Recyclability in paper.

Technology. Proposed as a packaging solution that combats food waste (SDG12), G4R uses Cronogard® technology with protective and antibacterial activity, which extends shelf-life and counteracts the formation of mold, one of the main reasons for food waste.

Sustainability. The new solution is recyclable when there is an adequate waste management system compared to the original non-recyclable wrapping. At the same time, the performance is in line with existing packaging by avoiding metallization and the use of materials that have a negative impact on the recycling phases.

CELLOGRAFICA GEROSA

COOP

What it is. G4R is an innovative prototype for Dairy products.

For the project, Gerosa Group adopted an open business model, involving other companies (River Advertising, Beegraphic, Nicefiller, Ticinoplast, Taghleef Industries, Consorzio Latteria Virgilio, I.Blu Industries by Idealservice) to create a vertical supply chain, from the graphic concept to the end of the packaging life.

What it is Since 2019, all COOP Mineral Water bottles have been produce d with a 30% share of rPET (post-consumer recycled PET). The production process of containers with rPET involves 27 references (considering the different formats available) and all the supplying sources in the area.

Committed since 2010 to promoting consumer awareness of water consumption and its environmental impact, COOP has further pursued this strategy in a circular economy perspective, after joining the EU Pledging Campaign and Circular Plastics Alliance, and anticipating by 10 years the provisions of the Single Use Plastics Directive.

Material. Polyolefins Product. Grated cheese Design. G4R is a stand-up bag for grated cheese that keeps the product fresh with a freshness saving zipper. The chosen material facilitates the opening of the pack with a tear perfectly parallel to the zip. The transparency allows you to see the product and a special window equipped with dosimeter. As for the graphic de-

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sign, G4R has an invisible code on the surface of the packaging, easy to scan with a mobile device and a free app (StealthCode®) to convey multimedia content and multiple information for the consumer, making communication dynamic and making it the first point of contact for the Brand, without impacting on the graphics.

Material. rPET Product. COOP brand mineral water

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Design. The information and communication value of the packaging lies in the symbol reproduced on the label, which indicates the percentage of recycled material, in addition to the information for its correct disposal. To convey a further message to the wider public about the non-dispersion of packaging in the environment, COOP sponsored the summer tour jova beach party by studying, in collaboration with the team of the singer Jovanotti, a special and limited edition (1 million pieces) half a liter of still and sparkling water; collected by volunteers, the empty bottles were then regenerated into t-shirts with the words “recycling runs with you” and donated to local youth sports associations.

Sustainability. Estimated use of over 850 t/year of recycled instead of virgin plastic.

ESSELUNGA What it is. With the “FeVBio project: ZeroPlastica” Esselunga has intervened on the packaging of the entire organic fresh fruit and vegetables sector under its own brand: 141 items with 6 different packaging methods (trays and film, trays and lids, nets, mesh bags, bags for fresh-cut convenience produce, flow pack fi lm).

Introduced in all stores in the chain, the project will be completed by 2020 with the aim of providing the products with compostable and/or recyclable packaging (including accessory components such as labels), thus aiming at a lower environmental impact and greater use of renewable resources.

DI MAURO What it is. Doypack flexible packaging, made with RecyFlex® series polyolefin laminate, recyclable PE monolayer, suitable for different applications and available in the versions most commonly requested by the market: white or transparent, with gas barriers, anti-UV, anti-fog.

Material. Mono PE film of the RecyFlex® line, certified in class “B” on the PRE (Plastic Recyclers Europe) RecyClass platform.

Product. It has already been supplied for bath salts and home-care products.

Technology. Extrusion.

Sustainability. For some time Di Mauro has been working on a line of eco-sustainable products, with the intention of replacing multi-material non-recyclable packaging with simpler structures composed of a single type of polymer. RecyFlex® PE, composed of a single film, is the top of the range of this line and allows to eliminate the use of adhesives for lamination, which significantly reduce the recyclability of the material. For non-food applications, rPE can be used in the film composition, further increasing the level of sustainability.

Materials. Bio-compost film based on compostable biopolymers, used as laminating film.

Food grade film produced with biodegradable and compostable polyester-based polymers.

Used as an extensible film for packaging fruit and vegetables in the packaging machine.

Compostable cellulose fibre, used both for trays and transformed into nets for citrus fruits.

Naturflex, transparent compostable cellulose film, used to pack vegetables in flow packs.

PLA, also used for flow pack vegetables, in thermoforming as lid of some models of trays, as film laminated to cardboard and finally as heatsealed bag for salads.

Eco non-adhesive thermal paper laminated with bio compostable multilayer film, used as labels for citrus nets, potatoes, onions.

Eco adhesive thermal paper laminated with bio compostable film, used for price weight labels.

Design. Direct communication on the pack with technical information for disposal.

Sustainability. Total saving of 137 t of plastic, replaced by compostable and disposable materials with the wet fraction. Efficiency of production processes, with reduction of waste.

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ETHERNET SLIPRINGS OUR SLIPRINGS YOUR ADVANTAGE • Maintenance free > 100 Mio rounds • Ethernet up to 1 Gbit/s • Hybrid sliprings with a combination of current, data and media • With or without hollow shaft • Stock items or customer specific • Experience and innovation since 1960

FINPAC and Delice Group-Danone Tunisia: a successful cooperation The Delice group, market leader for dairy products in Tunisia, renovated its plant in the Governorate of Sid Bouzid, in the country center. Recently operative, relies on a very efficient team made up of JBT-Stork for primary aseptic packaging, Europool for secondary packaging and FINPAC for the sleeving line.

The machine, model SHM B4, supplied by Finpac is composed by the wellknown linear applicator with double infeed screw (equipped with a selfadjustable sleeve system for an accurate full body shrink sleeve cutting and positioning), and the shrink tunnel model TV350 for a gentle and regular shrinking action (steam inserted within a complete aseptic line by JBT Stork).

The plant, operative 24/6 and with only one day off for washing and routine maintenance, guarantees a production with

220ml/450ml HDPE bottles @16,000 bph.

The customer was extremely impressed by efficiency and reliability of the FINPAC sleeving machine model SHM B4.

The extremely low quantity of wearing parts and the low maintenance required, combined with an efficiency of 98% (with suitable bottle and label materials), are in fact crucial aspects for the production success.

FINPAC’s competence in choosing the most suitable film, thickness and type of printing made the difference, allowed to obtain an exceptional result, which motivates FINPAC’s staff in pursuing its mission: the satisfaction of the most demanding customers.

These are some of the reasons why the most important EMEA customers choose high quality shrink sleeve lines produced by FINPAC: see Al-Marai (Ksa), Baladna (Qatar), Al-Safi Danone (Ksa), Bbc-Lactalis (Egypt).

FINPAC ITALIA SRL Via Quattro Novembre, 54 20019 Settimo Milanese (MI) - Italy Tel. +39 02 89775524 info@finpac.it www.finpac.it

SLIPRINGS I ROTARY JOINTS I HYBRID SLIPRINGS

www.moog.com / www.rekofa.net Certificated accordance to ISO9001 and ISO14001 www.packmedia.net

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ESSEOQUATTRO What it is Designed to enhance the quality and image of artisan production leavened desserts (panettone, colombe, focaccia ...), Bag 19 ensures first and foremost the prolonged preservation of consistency and aromas thanks to the fragrance-saving properties of Ideabrill® support (consisting of a kraft paper of pure long-fiber cellulose, highly resistant, coupled with a treated film, able to slow down the deterioration of the food since it totally isolates it from humidity, light and UV rays) and many more features.

Material. Terrana® di Gascogne light-brown paper, 50 g / m2 + vacuum metallized HDPE film, 12 microns thick.

Product. Artisan bakery.

Design. Thanks to the innovative design and the variety of prints available, it adds elegance to the product and increases the quality perceived by the final consumer.

Bag 19 is also equipped with an oval bottom and very useful accessories such as the practical adhesive strip closure and can also include the insertion of a transparent window, placed horizontally, if it is important to view the content.

Technology. The paper is printed in flexography, then laminated to the film and finally wrapped in reels. In a second phase, the paper tape passes through the machine and is folded to give shape to the bag, the heat-sealed edges, the corners of the bottom glued with an external adhesive point. At the end the closing strip is positioned.

The vacuum metallization process, on the side in contact with the paper, gives the film barrier properties against light and UV rays, so as not to alter the organoleptic and freshness characteristics of the food.

Sustainability. It reduces the quantity of packaging necessary for packaging because, being suitable for direct contact with food, it fulfills the role of primary packaging, making the use of the traditional transparent plastic bag unnecessary, and also performs the function of secondary packaging. Furthermore, if packaged in the Smart variant, it becomes a shopper for transport with a practical handle. Bag 19 is recyclable as paper (evaluation according to ATICELCA 501: 2019).

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GRUPPO FABBRI VIGNOLA SPA

WINNER

What it is. Nature Fresh is the complete compostable “film + wrapping” packaging solution developed by Gruppo Fabbri Vignola and adopted by Esselunga, which today uses it fully in the context of the eco-sustainability project for its “organic” fresh and very fresh vegetable products channel under its own brand, with the aim of presenting them in the best way, safeguarding their nutritional and organoleptic properties efficiently. The Nature Fresh film, compatible with the most common wrapping machines on the market, is certified as suitable for domestic and industrial compostability; it adapts perfectly to the composting process and, thanks to the characteristics of the residual biomass, offers a compost rich in nutrients. Gruppo Fabbri has also developed the perfect combination to take full advantage of it with the Automac NF range of high productivity machines.

Material (film). Polyester film of fossil origin, certified compostable, based on ecovio®/ecoflex® (certified compostable BASF polymers).

Product. Born for the automatic or manual packaging of fresh and very fresh food products, the Nature Fresh film is also appreciated today in the secondary packaging sector.

Design. Added to the mechanical properties (high puncture resistance even after prestretch, structural mechanical strength, maximum performance with thicknesses optimized for application, necessary in minimum quantities, thanks to its extraordinary extensibility) the film combines excellent aesthetic qualities, such as transparency and anti-fogging, which contribute to increasing effectiveness in product presentation. The sustainable packaging system also includes the Automac NF wrapping machine series: high productivity machines, capable of fully utilizing and exploiting the fundamental characteristics of this film.

Technology. Produced in the Vignola (MO) facilities t thanks to a new vertical extrusion plant in operation since February 2020 (made with an investment of over 3 million euros), Nature Fresh is the first certified compostable stretch

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film for automatic and manual packaging worldwide, which guarantees performance equivalent to that of PVC, and even better as regards the transmission of water vapor.

Automac NF packaging machines have two types of advantages: optimized machinability for this type of film and reduced maintenance frequency.

They are also able to combine the Nature Fresh film with labels and trays in different materials, also compostable (cardboard, plastic, bioplastic, balsa wood, cellulose paste...). An optimal wrapping is however guaranteed also with the other stretch films available on the market, such as PVC, PE, Biobased…

Italy for example) and to use advice with photographs, illustrations and video tutorials on the various uses.

Sustainability. The box allows to keep in order and in perfect condition the products

G. MONDINI

Sustainability. Film certified for domestic (TÜV Austria, European Bioplastics and CIC within the Standard EN 13432V Austria) and industrial (TÜV Austria, European Bioplastics, CIC according to UNI EN 13432) compositions; internal post-production recycling rate above 99%; printable with compostable inks..

FABO TAPE What it is. The FABO BOX Casa Cucina is an innovative and practical set of adhesive solutions for everyday household activities. A cube of cardboard of 10.5 cm side contains 100 waterproof writable labels (“FABO Tag”), 1 decorative tape for DIY and scrapbooking activities (“FABO Fantasy”), 1 tape that you tear with your hands for temporary repairs of surfaces and objects (“Repair Tape”), 1 pencil and 1 instruction booklet.

A real “all-in-one pack”, modern, clear and intuitive that aims to establish a relationship of trust with the consumer based on complete, accessible and transparent information - “easy to use”.

Very detailed didactics with instructions and images, with monolingual text.

Material. die-cut cardboard Product. extra strong and practical adhesive solutions kit.

Design. Conceived and developed by The Moon srl (marketing and communication agency in Florence) on behalf of FABO Spa, the packaging contains a monolingual text for each country and a QRCode allows the consumer to access the website www.fabosolutions.com, to retrieve all useful information, both in relation to the origin and technical specifications of the products (solvent free tapes, made in

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What it is. The food tray made with the PAPERSEAL® system offers the possibility to replace SKIN or MAP plastic trays with a barriered cardboard. The process consists of manufacturing a tray from a pre-cut and formed flat carton and a barrier liner that is automatically applied in one step, reducing the use of plastic to only 10/20% compared to 80/90% cardboard and, at the same time, reducing production costs and improving supply logistics.

Material. Range of top films and food contact board substrates.

Product. Cheese, fresh meat, processed meat, fish, ready-made products, frozen food, snacks, salads and fruit.

Design. Unique reinforced flange design that generates a robust and consistent sealing surface, ensuring the integrity of the seal equal to traditional plastic trays. Suitable for MAP or SKIN applications, it allows maximum format freedom, ensuring quality graphics and communication on all surfaces of the package.

Technology. The flat cardboard, pre-cut, is automatically transferred to the forming area where the liner pre-cutting kit (plastic barriered sheet no thicker than 100 my) cuts the film and transfers it to the mould, where the tray is then laminated and formed. The plastic film applied to the tray guarantees shelf life.

Sustainability. Easy separation of the barrier film from the carton, for simple and efficient recycling. Aticelca B certificate.

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GOGLIO SPA What it is The “grab-and-go” Barrel Pouch package is a stand-up pouch with two gussets, double handle and pressure dispenser. The ideal solution for a modern and dynamic lifestyle.

Designed to contain drinks and cocktails, to be kept in the refrigerator or at room temperature, it is a valid alternative to traditional rigid containers made of glass, plastic or aluminium. Practical and functional advantages are added to the appeal of the fresh and clean design.

Material. Multi-layer barrier laminate combined using traditional or alu-free materials.

Product. Dedicated to drinks and cocktails, it facilitates the dispensing and use of the product, prolonging its conservation after opening.

Design. The double functional and ergonomic handle facilitates the transport and management of the full package. The practical pressure dispenser, specially designed to prevent the entry of air during use, allows you to pour the drink into the glass with one hand.

Material. Metal.

Product. Oil of Frantoio D’Orazio (Conversano, Bari) Design. Available both in rectangular and round format; in both cases, thanks to the shape of the neck, it is compatible with traditional glass bottle filling lines. Virtually unbreakable and tamper-evident, it guarantees total safety and is therefore ideal for e-commerce. With this bottle, D’Orazio has also reached on the shelves of the luxurious Harrods stores, London.

Technology. Traditional filling lines.

Sustainability. Monomaterial and recyclable packaging; it weighs 75% less than a glass bottle, allowing significant energy (and cost) savings during transport. In addition, its robustness makes the use of secondary packaging unnecessary.

Technology. Flexible packaging, synonymous with conservation and protection thanks to the barrier properties of the materials. Resistant, light and practical, the package allows the transport of a greater quantity of product in the face of smaller dimensions.

Sustainability. Significant reduction in the quantity of raw material used, it offers benefits in terms of storage, transport and disposal costs.

GRUPPO ASA What it is. Colombo is a metal bottle for edible oils, developed by the Gruppo ASA of the Republic of San Marino (manufacturer of metal packaging for the food and chemical industry) to offer an advantageous alternative to the glass bottles commonly used in the oil industry. Light and robust at the same time, it maintains the organoleptic properties of the product unchanged, with the metal acting as a barrier to light and oxygen.

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GS4 PLASTIC SRL What it is. Infinity Wave Bottle is a composition of bottle + glass made of food grade rPET, recognizable for its symmetrical design with the characteristic inverted infinity “8” shape. The tethered cap is tied to the neck to avoid its dispersion in the environment. The mechanical and thermal resistance of the material allows the bottle and glass to be reused countless times, dishwasher safe.

Material. rPET food grade, from 50% to 100% depending on the country of sale.

Product. Water, juices, hot drinks, sauces, spirits, foodstuffs.

Design. The symmetrical format of this packaging, which recalls the symbol of infinity (∞), represents a reference to the circular economy model within which the product admittedly fits.

The same iconic motif is also taken up by the graphic elements and the cantilevered details, which are also functional for attaching the glass.

The latter is nestable at the top, and allows the

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PACKAGING & MATERIALS

stable support of the bottle on both sides.

Bottle and glass can be decorated with logos or images for promotional campaigns or collections.

Technology. The nucleating additive was developed specifically to increase the performance of recycled PET both in injection and in injection-stretch-blow molding using standard technologies and molds. The beaker is made by injection molding from granules (rPET or PET).

Depending on the performance required, production can take place either on a single-stage or two-stage blow molding machine.

Sustainability. Packaging made of recycled PET, reusable infinite times and, at the end of its life, 100% recyclable.

create separate housings for the bottles. The flaps are creased to follow the circular geometry of the packages, so as to distribute their weight over a larger surface. Thanks to this structure, they remain immobile and distant from each other, protected from bumps and chafing.

Technology. Flat die cutting and fold and glue pass.

Sustainability. 100% recyclable packaging, produced with FSC certified papers. Compared to similar cardboard + honeycomb packs in EPS, it occupies less warehouse space. The modular structure enables the creation of ad hoc packaging without wasting material.

INTERNATIONAL PAPER

ITALPACK CARTONS

What it is. No Limit 2.0 is a corrugated cardboard package for the transport of 75 cl bottles, aimed primarily at the e-commerce market for wine. In fact, it adapts to different types of bottles in terms of shape and size, guaranteeing protection of the content during all stages of the shipment.

Modular in size, designed to optimize storage in the warehouse, it is particularly easy and quick to form, allowing effective reduction of package preparation times by operators.

What it is. When innovation and creativity meet practicality, VPack is born, an evolution of the traditional gable top (the packaging that accompanies the everyday life of entire generations). It was designed to replace a product considered impossible to innovate such as the flour pack with a more efficient and practical packaging. In addition to the attractive design, once opened it is easy to use and resealable to maintain the product inside. There is no waste and, thanks to the measuring cup on the side, there is no need to use the scale. VPack allows you to keep shelves and pantries in order, avoiding any dispersion of the contents and breakage during transport. Moreover, the screw closure allows a longer shelf life and quality of the product.

Material. The outer packaging is made of double wave EB corrugated cardboard, produced in case maker. The internal honeycomb is made of corrugated cardboard, wave B. Product. Glass bottles, also suitable for different formats, for wines or spirits.

Design. The package consists of three pieces: an RSC case as external packaging, to be completed with two half-shells for the internal honeycomb.

The latter are proposed in an innovative modular structure, which enables the creation of shipments of 1, 2, 3 or 6 bottles, depending on ones needs. It is sufficient to “detach” the necessary modules along the pre-cutting line, and insert them in the corresponding packaging. This enables the creation of ad hoc packaging based on customer requests, thus reducing waste.

The flaps of the internal honeycomb fold up internally, resting on semicircular sides, so as to

Material. It is mainly composed of FSC® certified paper for the pack and PE Green from vegetable sources (sugar cane waste) for the cap.

The windows applied in the pack are recyclable directly with paper.

Product. CR Line Top flours and Molino Rossetto cereals.

Design. The desire to satisfy the eyes, as well as taste, has led to the creation of this particular packaging. The eye-catching design with its particular V shape has also been studied to optimize the space on the sales shelves and larders in homes. VPack ensures maximum manageability and stability. In the packaging, a transparent window has been applied on the front that makes the contents visible and a measuring cup on the side that shows the quantity of the remaining product.

Sustainability. The packaging is 100% recyclable, a responsible choice that promotes the least use of plastic.

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KEG SOLUTIONS What it is. The single-use PET keg for draft beverages, to be personalized with the customer’s logo in relief, is the ideal solution for producers of beer, wine and beverages who want to enhance their brand, making it immediately identifiable also by the packaging.

Material. PET with active UV and oxygen barrier.

Product. Beer, wine and beverages on tap.

Design. Customization is available at extremely accessible costs, thanks to an innovative process which consists in the use of interchangeable plugs to be positioned inside the flacon blowing mold. The PET keg is reliable and easy to handle during transport, storage and filling.

Technology. Blowing. Single use kegs can be used with all existing standard tapping systems.

Sustainability. 0-emission product, avoids the return journey of the kegs to be refilled, eliminates waste of water and chemicals to sanitize it. Recyclable in the plastic supply chain.

LAMINAZIONE SOTTILE What it is Disposable aluminium plate with a polymeric coating, which makes it suitable for use in traditional and microwave ovens, as well as for storage in the refrigerator and freezer. It is proposed as a sustainable alternative to similar products in compostable bioplastic, cellulose pulp and cardboard, resulting competitive in terms of price, technical properties and environmental impact.

Material. Aluminium alloy of the 8000 family, made with 100% recycled raw material.

Product. Disposable dishes for starters, main courses and desserts, including sour and salty foods.

Design. The dishes are available in various types (multipurpose, super bottom, bottom, top and dessert) and shapes (square, round and other possible types). The rigid walls have a thickness between 60 and 90 microns, greater at the balcony and at the bottom, less along the perimeter walls, smooth even near the rounded corners. Without wrinkles, the free edge of the balcony is closed to form an anti-cut perimeter edge. The dishes can be colored in an unlimited range of shades (also different internally/externally).

On the external side and at the base of the product, logos, graphic elements and writings can also be printed.

Technology. Molding with “smooth-wall” technology, which consists in drawing a sheet of aluminium held by the edge between a male and a female mold against the shaped one.

This creates a more rigid and stable product with a smooth edge, which can also be sealed with liquid-saving plastic film (traditional or bio), to guarantee safety and hygiene. The process can take place both with bare as well as suitably coated aluminium.

Sustainability. Made of 100% recycled and infinitely recyclable aluminium. Special ribs give the plate greater resistance with a lower thickness, so as to minimize the weight and volume of the product, reducing its environmental impact, and allowing the optimization of transport and storage. Furthermore, once used, it can also be easily compressed manually, and hence constitutes space-saving within recycling.

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WINNER

PACKAGING & MATERIALS

LAVAZZA GROUP What it is. Flexible packaging for the Lavazza ¡Tierra! 180 g macinato (ground coffee) range, developed through a series of direct experiments carried out in industrial sorting and recycling plants throughout Italy, with the aim of designing packaging that is recyclable and that guarantees the same functional performance as the previous packaging, especially in terms of maintaining the freshness and quality of the coffee.

In recent years Lavazza has outlined a strategic plan to make packaging increasingly sustainable, launching the “Sustainable Packaging Road Map” which has two main objectives: to work to make the Group’s packaging portfolio reusable, recyclable and/or compostable over the next few years and to reduce its carbon footprint.

Material. Mix of homogeneous recyclable polymers Product. Coffee Lavazza ¡Tierra! 180 g ground coffee Design. Thanks to the company’s Research and Development work, it has been possible to overcome the traditional structure of the flexible film for coffee packaging, eliminating the aluminium layer and introducing a mix of homogeneous polymers that makes the packaging recyclable; moreover, it has been possible to lighten the packaging by 10% compared to the previous one.

Sustainability. The innovations introduced have made it possible to significantly reduce Lavazza ¡Tierra! 180 g minced, 21% less than traditional packaging, measured through an LCA analysis certified by a third party (through CSQA). In the Lavazza Group, the development of new packaging is based on a scientific approach both to quantifying environmental impacts, through internationally recognised standards, and to setting up improvements in terms of ecodesign.

LIC PACKAGING What it is HT Board® tray solution, made of 100% paper and suitable for containing packaged or loose food; already cooked and prepared with oils or fats intended for consumption “on the go” or “easy cooking” at home.

You can cook/heat/rehydrate foods and consume it directly in the packaging, in the name of maximum practicality.

Material. FC Barrier quality HT Board® cardboard, produced with only first use papers from FSC certified forests. The trays, in addition to being certified for contact with all foods, are suitable for use in traditional and microwave ovens.

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Product. Frozen or fresh ready meals, dehydrated foods, pasta, cooked or raw meats and fish, ready-to-cook dishes kits, takeaways, desserts and baked goods.

Design. The package consists of a cardboard tray and can be packed in film for fresh products, with flowpack for ATM products. In the “KIT” version, it can be sealed with the lid of LIC Packaging in HT Board® branded for transport and display at the point of sale.

Sustainability. At the end of use, the tray in HT Board® does not become waste but can be disposed of as separate collection in the paper fraction or with the wet, against the certifications of recyclability Uni-Aticelca 501/2019 and biodegradability and compostability EN13432.

LINEAPACK CHINELLO What it is. Natural paper made of pure cellulose, with water-based synthetic heat-sealing treatment, designed for use in automated packaging lines for dry food products, which guarantees total safety. Since the heat-sealing system used is also applicable on papers with barriers that prevent the migration of fats and oils, water vapor and oxygen, this solution has a very wide potential application range in the food sector, from dry food to baked goods.

Material. FSC and PEFC certified paper of balanced weight, just enough and what is needed to guarantee high performance in terms of resistance to the weight of the product (high breaking load, tearing force, air and burst resistance), but also the elasticity necessary for the use of paper in automated food packaging lines.

The lacquer composition is designed to allow direct contact with food as well as an effective application on paper that has absorbency characteristics.

Product. Organic pasta line from Pastificio Felicetti.

Technology. Innovative technological coating system, designed to apply the lacquer both completely and registered on the fin, the bottom

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WINNER

and the closure of the packaging, only where welding is foreseen according to the needs of the end user. In this case, a saving of 70% of lacquer is achieved and, moreover, the welding is simpler, more effective, more resistant for sealing. It can be used on any system designed for paper packaging: It does not require the purchase of specific packaging machines.

Design. In general, the strength of a paper increases proportionally to its stiffness.

Lineapack has found the ideal formula to combine two needs: fiber strength for high-strength packaging and softness of the paper for automatic packaging.

The eco-sustainable requirements of the packaging solution developed by Lineapack meet the biological nature of Felicetti pasta, in a design synthesis with a high communicative power.

Sustainability. Compared to plastic or laminated paper/film packaging, this solution has strengths of a decidedly sustainable and responsible nature: - it is 100% recyclable mono-material, which is why it becomes a resource for subsequent uses; - it is produced with biodegradable and compostable materials, therefore it respects the environment; - it is breathable, i.e. it protects the food from external agents (dust, temperature changes etc.) without creating condensation, preserving the organoleptic properties of the product; - it is absorbent, hence it prevents the formation of damp and mold..

LUMSON (IN COLLABORATION

WITH MARINO BELOTTI SRL)

What it is. ECOmpact is a new compact makeup case that combines three innovative concepts: sustainability - recyclability - reuse.

Designed to offer the possibility of separating all its components with simple and intuitive attachment and detachment systems.

Material. ECOmpact is produced with reconvertible or reusable monomaterial plastic to create a new packaging material.

The only two materials that differ are: - the casing or godet containing the product, also detachable from the pack, and then transformed into refillable pack (produced in different ferrous materials); - the glass for the mirror, also detachable from the case, and then reusable as a handbag mirror.

Product. Powder Compact for make-up.

Design. ECOmpact has a classic, essential, ergonomic and practical design without forgetting the attention to sustainability.

Casing and mirror, in fact, are mounted in the packaging with simple mechanical attachment systems, and are removable from the pack.

Technology. The packaging is produced by injection molding.

The components are then assembled by means of automatic mechanical assembly.

Sustainability. ECOmpact, thanks to the innovative concept of separation of the elements and the use of monomaterial, allows a correct recycling from which new quality components can be obtained; it is able to create a real set of satellite activities via its correct waste disposal.

ECOmpact can also be made with other types of plastic materials of organic, bio-based or compostable origin.

MAGGIONI TYPE, L’ORÉAL, ICMA

WINNER

What it is. Second life is a circular economy project that involves transforming L’Oréal Italia’s cellulosic waste into elegant, creative recycled papers, used by the company itself in its packaging projects. The project consists of various phases: from the preliminary, which consists of qualitative and quantitative analysis of the waste to detect the level of contamination and presence of plastic materials, to the definition of the creative project. This is followed by the phase of collection of the waste and the realization of an industrial recycled paper with technical characteristics suitable for packaging.

Material. Recycled paper in reels, in 2 grammages, half in coating paper and half in cardboard, produced from processing scraps.

Product. Cosmetics from different brands of the L’Oréal group.

Design. The finishing of the paper for aesthetic use according to L’Oréal’s stylistic require-

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PACKAGING & MATERIALS

The advanced packaging technology enables the attainment of screw and crush forces between one piece and another, obtaining very low variances between the values, continuously tested during the production phase. These values are less than 50% compared to conventional packaging, with significant advantages in terms of usability.

Sustainability. 100% recyclability. ments, for the production of boxes, cases and displays, goes through a prototyping and testing phase, for which L’Oréal has chosen the Hi Tech Icma finish (glossy black carbon fibre effect paper). 500 sheets 72x102 per grammage were produced.

Technology. Sampling white UV offset printing and hot-stamping silver printing. Plotter cutting of the material.

WINNER

Sustainability. Virtuous example of reuse of materials: the project takes place in a context of circular economy. Shortening of the production chain: waste is directly used as raw material for the production of new paper. Shortening of geographical distances: the production chain, from waste to box, is in Italy.

MONTEFARMACO What it is. MCap System is a patented system (registered in Europe, US, Canada, Russia, China and India) for the packaging of pharmaceutical, nutraceutical or food products.

Thanks to a special cap-separator with very high barrier properties, it enables the powder with the active principle to be kept separate from the liquid part inside the primary packaging. This ensures optimal conservation of the product, whose shelf life is extended, while ensuring easy and immediate use by the consumer.

Material. Plastic.

Product. Probiotic supplements of the Lactoflorene Plus line.

Design. The capsule protects and preserves the powder from humidity, keeping its properties unaltered, while the liquid is stored separately in the bottle. Mixing the components requires a few, simple gestures, thanks to the cap design, extremely easy to press.

Technology. As many as 13 companies have collaborated in the study and construction of the 3 molds and 4 machines used to make Mcap System.

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* A test has shown that materials subjected for 6 months to a temperature of 40° C and a humidity of 75R.H. they have increased the water content by values of up to 45% less than other standard packaging.

NOBERASCO What it is. Resealable doypack pouch for dried fruit snacks, designed to offer a fully-recyclable, fresh-saving packaging with minimal use of plastic.

Material. Paper 90 g/m2/Pe Evoh Pe 35 my + plastic zipper.

Product. Dried fruit from the “I Misti Bio Noberasco” and “I Misti Regionali Noberasco” lines.

Technology. The project involved the development and purchase by Noberasco of an ad-hoc doypack packaging machine, for the formation of the envelopes of the new laminated paper directly from the reel. To improve opacity and color rendering, the characteristics of the polymer of the flexographic cylinder suitable for printing on paper have been changed.

Design. The pouch has a paper structure (90 g/m²) coupled with PE Evoh PE 35 my, recyclable in the paper circuit, after a specific separation of the zipper, which is easily removable thanks to a double pre-cut. The combination of the two materials allows packaging in a protective atmosphere with high barriers to oxygen and water vapor.

Sustainability. The pouch structure is 100% recyclable as paper (Recycling Code PAP 81). It has been designed to be easily separable from the zipper, which in turn can be disposed of as plastic or dry residue.

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PACKAGING & MATERIALS

SDR PACK SpA and bofrost Italia SpA What it is. Packaging for frozen products made with a recyclable polyethylene monofilm, conceived as an alternative to conventional laminated plastic films (PET/PE); it also has a lower weight compared to the previous version (70 my Vs 80 my). Compliant with food contact, it is able to guarantee an effective conservation of the products.

Material. Polyethylene monofilm, with a grammage of 70 my.

Product. Frozen ready meals.

Technology. Extrusion, printing and welding with hot bar.

Sustainability. Packaging made of recyclable monomaterial monofilm, whose production requires only one step (extrusion), unlike traditional laminated films which require two (extrusion + lamination, with relative use of adhesive). The welding can be carried out at lower temperatures than conventional materials (between 30 °C and 40 °C internal/external). These characteristics make it possible to reduce energy consumption and emissions into the atmosphere of the production processes, and consequently also the environmental impact.

SDR PACK SpA and Sgambaro SpA What it is. Recyclable paper packaging made with a support consisting mainly of paper, coated internally with polypropylene, which guarantees the same performance and the same production yield as the traditional laminated plastic film used previously.

Material. Paper + polypropylene Product. Pasta Sgambaro, Yellow Line.

Design. The choice of a paper support gives a distinctive look on the shelf that attracts the consumer’s attention, highlighting the quality and sustainability of the product.

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Technology. Extrusion, lamination, printing, laser cutting for window and welding.

Sustainability. Disposable packaging in paper collection and recyclable paper (Level C Aticelca® 501/19 Rating System).

SDR PACK AND ZINI PRODOTTI ALIMENTARI SPA What it is. Flexible compostable packaging, suitable for food contact and suitable for packaging products that do not need a barrier.

Material. Compostable monofilm.

Product. Fresh pasta of Zini Prodotti Alimentari SpA Technology. Extrusion, printing and welding.

Sustainability. 100% compostable (TUV Austria OK Compost Industrial certificate) Lower extrusion temperatures than conventional PE film (190 °C to 160 °C) are required to produce the compostable monofilm. Welding can also be carried out in a lower temperature range. This reduces energy consumption, emissions and thus the environmental impact of the production process.

SEALED AIR What it is The shrink film with high barrier properties CRYOVAC Brand BDF® Soft is the result of two decades of innovation and development conducted by Sealed Air on the CRYOVAC Brand BDF® range. New ways of using the basic material have made it possible to respond fully to user demands in relation to food safety, process efficiency, branding, shelf life and above all sustainability. It is an extremely flexible packaging system, ideal for all types of food, and compatible with use in a microwave oven.

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PACKAGING & MATERIALS

Material. Cardboard and compostable biopolymer.

Product. Carte D’Or Icecream.

Material. CRYOVAC Brand BDF® Soft film.

Product. Food of all kinds, from cheeses to ready meals.

Design. The shrink film wraps the contents perfectly, without forming wrinkles or imperfections and ensuring high resistance to stress.

These features, in combination with the anti-condensation properties, contribute to enhancing the quality and visual appeal of the product. The easy opening system guarantees tightness and practicality for the consumer.

Thanks to special printing techniques it is also possible to customize the film according to the branding needs.

Technology. Shrink packaging in ATM (modified atmosphere) Sustainability. Thanks to the reduced thicknesses CRYOVAC Brand BDF® Soft allows a reduction of up to 70-80% of the quantity of plastic used compared to materials traditionally used. In addition, the solution helps prevent food waste: the remarkable barrier properties, the hermetic welds and the pasteurization processes, in line with the most severe food safety parameters, allow to preserve the food, significantly prolonging its shelf life.

SEDA INTERNATIONAL PACKAGING GROUP AND UNILEVER What it is. Ice cream tray made of compostable paper and biopolymer, recoverable both as biowaste and as paper. The result of the collaboration between Seda and Unilever (Carte D’Or brand), this product is the result of an innovation in technology and materials.

Design. The innovation consists in having conceived and created a rectangular tray with lid, unique in its kind on the market. In particular, Seda is the only company in the world able to design and manufacture non-round cardboard lids.

The cardboard gives a natural look, and makes the pack an effective and differentiating communication tool thanks to the high print quality.

Technology. Production of paper cup and lid of non-round shape.

Sustainability. Packaging compostable and recyclable in segregated paper waste-to-energy. The new pack allows a saving of 520 t of plastic per 11 million trays (equal to 94% less), and a weight reduction of 23% (121 t less material per 11 million trays).

SIMPOOL SRL What it is GreenyPack is a complete line of recycled plastic pallets, reusable and recyclable at the end of their lifecycle. The pallets are produced and marketed by Simpool Srl, an innovative startup of Reverse Logistics that offers strategic solutions and consultancy for the development and efficiency of the logistic sharing processes combined with tertiary packaging (serving GDO, IDM and 3PL). GreenyPack pallets are made with regenerated raw material, derived from the recovery of packaging waste (generally consisting of PE, PP, PA, paper and aluminium).

Material. 100% post-consumer regenerated plastic Design. GreenyPack is ecological, economic, robust, light, assemblable, repairable, washable. It is not attacked by bacteria, mold and humidity. It is equipped with “intelligent” functions, thanks to RFID systems (tracking) and the possible insertion of IoT devices into the internal compartments to monitor each phase of the goods transported (humidity, temperature, accidental impacts).

Sustainability. GreenyPack promotes more sustainable logistics, reducing the environ-

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PACKAGING & MATERIALS

mental impact of tertiary packaging (pallets), avoiding the use of virgin raw materials (e.g. wood), and the uncontrolled generation of non-recyclable waste. Through an innovative process of transformation and regeneration, GreenyPack gives new life to plastic waste and industrial processing waste that would normally be destined for waste-to-energy and/or landfill. The pallets thus produced are in turn recyclable at the end of their lifecycle.

SMILESYS What it is. Smile Green Lite is a resealable film for preforms that can be welded on paper or wood fiber. This technology (patent pending) was developed with the dual objective of avoiding the lid, thus reducing the use of superfluous plastic material, and at the same time allowing the reclosability of the package, in order to preserve the food while at the same time improving the usability of the pack. It is proposed in combination with the Mustang paper trays.

Product. Various types of food.

Material. Mono-PET, fully recyclable/paper.

Design. The Mustang paper trays have a format that exactly follows that of the most common plastic trays, which allows you to be able to weld them on the heat sealers in use, like plastic trays. They are also stackable for optimal storage.

Technology. Heatsealing

Sustainability. The practical resealable system allows you to preserve the product, and prevent food waste. The closing film, mono-material and 100% recyclable, can be easily detached and disposed of in segregated plastic.

In turn, despite the sealing lacquer, Mustang trays have a paper percentage of over 95% and are therefore completely recyclable.

SOULPACK SRL What it is. Re-sealable Doypack format pouch, made of laminated polypropylene, which combines recyclability and functionality. Designed to spread icing sugar on confectionery thanks to the holes on the front (protected by a label), this packaging is proposed as a useful “kitchen tool”.

Material. Laminated polypropylene.

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Product. Icing sugar from Novarese Zuccheri.

Design. The pack has been designed to offer advantages in terms of functionality and practicality: the doypack format ensures the stability of the pack, avoiding accidental product spills. The holes on the front allow to easily pour the icing sugar on biscuits or cakes, controlling the dosage, and obtaining a uniform dusting without using additional kitchen tools.

It is therefore possible to make manual decorations on cakes, with a simple gesture and without waste.

To better preserve the product, the holes are protected by an “open and close” label, suitable for contact with food; moreover, the pack is equipped with a zip closure, also recyclable, and easy open for the first opening. The envelope is printed with a graphic layout designed in collaboration with Novarese Zuccheri.

Sustainability. Recyclable freshness-saving packaging.

TURCONI SPA What it is. “Pouch with simplified closure” designed for all applications that require robust and reliable open/close packaging, ideal for packaging food products quickly and practically directly in the store (for example in largescale retail distribution sections). The closure is made by means of a special white water-based liquid adhesive, suitable for wrapping paper.

Material. Silver paper with a high light barrier, able to maintain the freshness of the contents for several days.

Product. Various types of food. Ideal especially for packaging products in delicatessen departments.

Design. The pouch has two adhesive flaps for closing, which are activated by coming into contact with each other. The system adopted allows the packaging to be opened and closed several times.

Technology. The bags are produced by new generation bag-making machines, on which a group of glue dispensing cylinders has been integrated.

Starting from the paper reel, the finished product is created by folding and gluing, with the creation of two adhesive flaps, to be brought into contact at the time of use.

Sustainability. 100% recyclable in paper waste. è

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PACKAGING & MATERIALS

UNIFARCO WITH UNIRED * What it is Cosmetic container for skincare products (ECO PIPING BAGS). The prototype is a happy combination of primary and secondary packaging: the first consists of a soft “bag container” made with bioplastics and compostable materials, the second by a special cardboard with a particular design to house the bag container and allow easy shelf allocation.

Material. Bioplastic and compostable materials.

Product. Skin-care cosmetics.

Design. The primary container is made up of a “bag” designed specifically for cosmetic use coated with a special paper that guarantees a better grip and a pleasant tactile experience. The “bag container” is combined with a delivery system with a design specifically devised for multi-dose use, typical of common cosmetic packaging. The format of the secondary packaging - a tapered parallelepiped with a square base - is designed to easily position the primary container on the store shelf or in domestic environments.

Sustainability. Extremely light, recyclable and compostable packaging. * The package was developed by Unifarco (a company founded and formed by pharmacists, offers cosmetic, nutraceutical, dermatological and make-up products) and Unired (research laboratory born from the collaboration between Unifarco and the University of Padua).

VERALLIA What it is. Ice Black is the bottle designed for the 958 Santero sparkling wine. Winner of the 2018 edition of the competition organized by Verallia Italia in collaboration with the Industrial Design course of the Politecnico di Milano - Design School, the Ice Black bottle was created by the young designers Lucia Gualdi and Francesca Inzani for the Piedmontese winemaking maison Santero.

Ice Black Santero has become an iconic bottle of “Club”, the premium range that stands out for its prestige and style and is designed to present the most toasted bubbles, in original colors and trendy decorations.

Product. Sparkling wine 958 Santero.

formed by rhombuses, taken from the 958 Santero logo.

The bottle, produced since 2019 in the Verallia plant in Dego (SV), is made of Verde Nobile, Verallia premium color and required particular attention during the design phase to respect the final effect desired by the designers and awarded by the client. Tall and slender, it has a mouth suitable for hosting the original customized “mushroom” cap, designed by Santero. The final result fully reflects the pop soul of the client who was a source of great inspiration both for the choice of the colors of the paint and for the arrangement of the pattern.

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T

VIMAR What it is. Resealable box for home automation touchscreen tablet Code 01422. It is a resealable and reusable packaging that, on the one hand, protects the product in an optimal way, on the other it enhances the image in the store, standingout for the elegance of the profile and the minimum size, perfectly suited to the content.

Product. Home automation touchscreen tablet Code 01422.

Design. The pack is the result of an in-depth study, accompanied by prototyping, which defined in detail the most suitable size of the external flaps and the cuts in the corners to obtain an adequate cushion/shock absorber effect. An internal partition has also been studied and engineered which further protects the touchscreen from accidental impacts, the effectiveness of which has been validated by drop tests that have given optimal results (simulating falls from 1 m in height and in the various orientations required by the standard).

In addition, each package has an RFID label which facilitates warehouse management and allows the product to be tracked, from production to distribution to installation.

E

Sustainability. The choice of material has been the subject of great attention in order to make eco-sustainable choices. In fact, the pack has the characteristic of being a single material, made entirely of recycled and totally recyclable paper, as the yellow ink with which the Vimar graphics are printed is also waterbased.

Design. The container combines a fluid and very slender shape and a geometric pattern

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PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY

THERE’S ETIPACK (HERE)

ETIPACK PHARMA PROJECT A complete range of 11 systems for labeling, coding, serialization, anti-counterfeit, and track and trace, specifically designed for the pharmaceutical industry.

High quality standards at the right price for bottels, vials, monodose packaging, packs, syringes and BFS etipack.it/en/track-trace-pharma/

Pharma Round

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Pharma Trace Seal

Etifiale

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PACKAGING & MATERIALS è NEWS

NextFilm™: biodegradable and compostable Green commitment for the Milanese company Ticinoplast which presents the NextFilm™ product range: a new generation of packaging films, an expression of the company’s commitment to the circular economy and sustainable development.

The first family of new packaging solutions proposed by Ticinoplast is represented by biodegradable and compostable MATER-BI films, compliant with the international standard UNI EN 13432, for lamination or for single use in the packaging of food and suitable products to compostable packaging.

The result of the collaboration with Novamont, the new films have been developed thanks to a joint work of research, development, industrialization and tests on printing machines, laminators and packaging lines, which lasted almost 3 years.

In total, these are five films, already OK Compost certified, characterized as follows: • 2 print media and 3 sealing films. Rolled together, they guarantee mechanical and welding characteristics suitable for production on any packaging machine. The printing supports can be worked on both gravure and flexographic lines. The sealing films can be used both in lamination and as single films, depending on the applications, and can be printed.

Thanks to the collaboration with Saes Coated Film, the printing substrates of the NextFilm™ line can be subjected to surface treatments to increase the properties of high barrier against humidity and gases (CoathinkTM technology), in order to guarantee functional characteristics comparable to those of the traditional packaging systems.

In the coming months, in addition to compostable films, the NextFilm™ line will also be enriched with polyethylene film obtained from PCR resins from chemical recycling - therefore suitable for food contactas well as with Biobased polyethylene film.

For this reason, Ticinoplast has started the ISCC+ certification process, thus updating its position in the circular economy and sustainable development.

NEW STANDARDS IN STRETCH FILM PRODUCTION FOR PCR MATERIAL Colines®’ R&D department keeps making decisive steps forward on the path of recycling: the tests ran over by the Italian company in cooperation with ExxonMobil on the ALLrollEX® “family” lines delivered important results.

«We performed very high quality reels - said Nicola Lombardini, R&D Manager of COLINES® - both with a wide range of thicknesses and percentages of recycled materials. We reached up to 400% ultimate pre-stretch value (ultimate strain) on a standard film production. Even when using a very high grade of recycled material, the reels offered good optical and mechanical qualities, perfectly suitable for today’s new market requirements. This is impressive if we consider that we used up to 60% of PCR (post consumer recycled) material. Our cooperation with ExxonMobil provides us with the confidence to achieve further milestones in the near future».

The left roll has been made from 60% PCR, while the right roll has been made from 100% virgin resins

IN BRIEF Active for over 50 years, Ticinoplast extrudes polyethylene bubble film for food packaging and other applications. With its 10 extrusion lines from 1 to 5 layers, it is one of the main technological leaders in the blown extrusion sector and is recognized globally as one of the most innovative companies in the flexible market

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The new standard set by Colines® is related to the use of post-consumer recycled materials, in place of more commonly used post-industrial recycled ones: «After having made perfect reels with up to 90% of PIR (post industrial recycled) material, we had a further proof of the extreme flexibility of our ALLrollEX® lines in production» said Eraldo Peccetti, Colines®’ Executive President and co-founder.

ALLrollEX® lines are equipped with the latest developements in terms of technology, such as our brand-new-designed GDS (gel down screw) screws or the proprierty in-line refeeding system BigMouth®. Also, the frost-line was perfectly managed thanks to the chill-roll unit and vacuum-box we realized and our patented edge-pinning system allowed us to have a highest-quality-reels and consistency in production.

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PACKAGING & MATERIALS è NEWS

The sustainable food delivery revolution

ECLIPSE, FOR GOURMETS. In addition to the premium range of extra-rigid containers and aluminium plates, the company has launched another line of trays, perfect for the main trend of the moment: luxury food delivery.

To meet this new need, Contital offers Eclipse: a unique range of smoothwall containers in black and gold aluminium, designed for the ready meals sector. The new line of premium trays has a very strong aesthetic impact and further enhances the dishes it contains. Eclipse containers can be sealed with film or using a fully recyclable preformed plastic lid.

For over 25 years Contital, a leading company in the production and trade of aluminium trays and rolls, has been analysing the market in order to offer its customers in the food industry and traditional wholesale different types of innovative and quality packaging. The constant investments in services, the continuous optimization of the processes of the entire supply chain and the growing attention to the environment, have allowed Contital - and still allow it - to continuously develop new packaging lines and solutions.

Thanks to this expertise, Contital felt that the time had come to launch a product capable of satisfying the growing need for specific packaging for the food delivery sector. The company has thus created a new range of extra-rigid lacquered aluminium containers, designed with smoothwall technology. Complete with water-saving lids, the line is 100% recyclable and can be used in both traditional and microwave ovens.

In addition, Contital has patented the range of disposable plates in recycled aluminium, available in various types (multi-purpose, super-bottom, top and dessert) and shapes (square, round and others under construction).The plates have rigid walls and a smooth edge that can be sealed with water-saving films - traditional and organic - to guarantee safety and hygiene to both consumers and restaurateurs. Thanks to the coating they are suitable for all types of food and can be used in traditional and microwave ovens, for freezing and deep-freezing.

A true market innovation, it has already won three international awards in the first months of 2020.

A monodose that surprises Signed Valmatic, it is a small stand up container, squeezable, transparent, colorful, eye-catching and customizable... a small vial that looks like glass, but glass it is not. It’s the new thermoformed single-serving unit designed by Valmatic (San Prospero, MO), unique of its kind and made on the company’s Form-Fill-Seal lines.

Produced in B-PET coming for over 80% from the recycling of mineral water bottles recovered on the European market, these monodoses have undoubtedly advantages compared to glass, of which they reproduce the transparency:

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once opened without any risk thanks to the single-handed pre-cutting, they can be easily squeezed, enabling the calibrated release of even dense products such as serums, gels or creams.

Transportable in a beauty case without danger of altering the contents, and packable in cardboard or precious cases, the vial can be customized from a graphic point of view on the front and back, with full-flat colors from the Pantone range. Always looking for new and attractive shapes, Valmatic proposes this solution in particu-

lar to the cosmetic sector (a well-known Italian brand has already adopted it for a product launch scheduled for December, E.N.), without however excluding the possibility of its adoption in the food, chemical and veterinary fields.

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An embossable BOPP film Innovia Films are launching Rayoface™ mBoss their BOPP film that has been especially engineered to offer long-lasting premium embossing performance.

The new film offers increased shelf appeal and consumer engagement through bold tactile features as well as the eye-catching print and foiling capability of the paper-like surface.

At 130 micron, it has a premium feel and offers high conversion and labelling efficiencies due to its exceptional dimensional stability.

Rayoface mBoss™ has a high level of opacity, even when wet and is suitable for use with a wide range of inks and foils as well as textured varnishes.

Richard Southward, Global Product Manager, Labels explains «Third party trials have demonstrated the longevity and robustness of the embossed features through the supply chain, ensuring the on-shelf impact and brand experience that Rayoface™ mBoss can generate».

The cold embrace of the sleeve Cold finishing becomes sustainable in a sleeve designed by Luxoro to clad an amaro bottle, a perfect synthesis between tradition and modernity.

Among the best-selling “spirits” in Italy, amari have been part the Italian food and wine culture since time immemorial, since herbal infusions were used as medicines to gradually turn into digestifs present on every dinner table.

Presented on the occasion of the digital event “See.Click.Feel - Luxoronline 2020”, the packaging for amari proposed by Luxoro manages to blend, with technological savoir fair, the codes of a long-standing tradition with those of an original modernity, notably featuring respect for the environment. Enthusiastically printed by the partner Multistampa Srl, the sleeve project is by the Art Director Stefano Torregrossa

(O’nice Design). Tear me off and recycle me.

Thanks to a pre-punched vertical band, the “Tear me off and recycle”, the PET sleeve can be easily removed and separated from the glass, thus facilitating segregated collection. The sleeve wraps the bottle in a precious embrace, closely following its shapes catching the eye and the imagination of the consumer: leaves and flowers hark back to the alchemical origin of the amari, and the colors celebrate the natural soul of the product.The cold finishing, in this case, has been used in different ways, taking advantage of both the transparency of the sleeve itself and the main feature of the cold transfer, which enables perfect overprinting, thus making the overlying color brighter.

Interesting then the fact that you can freely play both with colors and with metallization. One can notice the different stages in which Luxoro

ventured, where the cold silver is diluted in the shades of the four-color process: some small graphic elements reflect the various shades of the effect which, in some points and thanks to the overprinting, takes on different tones of intense color and brilliant and homogeneous metallization.

The cold printing products - excellence of the Kurz range, of which Luxoro is distributor in Italy - have a versatile quality and stand out for their high covering power and the perfect definition of even the smallest details. In the case of the sleeves made for the amaro bottle, these characteristics are evident in the graphics of the leaflets and in their veins, whose extreme brilliance can be admired on full backgrounds. An added value, in terms of performance and technique, of the cold effects line is immediate drying, which allows you to use the printout immediately after production, even when the substrates and inks change. Last, but not least we have the cold silver used for the sleeve finishing: perfectly recyclable, it does not in any way affect the substrate on which it is printed, complies with all European and international safety standards and is produced as “zero impact”.

A BOTTLE THAT SPEAKS OF ORIGINS San Benedetto Mineral Water presents the restyling of Pura di Roccia, the minimally mineralized water that flows out of the Biellese Alps. The size of the 1.5 l bottle is new, chosen to be more in line with the “main target” represented by families.

The design, done ex novo, enhances the Alpine peaks that give rise to the water, emphasizing its belonging to the territory with the reproduction of typical floral elements. The logo, enclosed in a frame that gives further value and delicacy to the brand, already evocative in itself, has also been completely redesigned.

On the pack the product pluspoints are also highlighted, to be immediately recognized and perceived by the consumer from the moment of purchase.

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PACKAGING & MATERIALS è NEWS

“Futura”: a ribbon for sustainable cosmetics With a long-standing entrepreneurial history of excellence and originality, NastriTex is a reference partner for the make-up large service manufacturers, with whom it has developed technical solutions aimed at improving the pressing of cosmetic powders with technologically advanced fabrics, also certified in terms of human safety.

Today the company offers 100 different ribbons, between catalogue references and prototypes: technical fabrics made on request, non-woven fabrics, polymeric films and combinations of fibers and cellulosic materials, designed and produced in the NastriTex Lab*.

Hence in 2020 the company crosses the 40year milestone and consolidates the founding values and firmly affirms a vision for the future oriented towards a model of sustainable development and circular economy, the only possible way to ensure the protection of the environ-

ment, the well-being and safety of the new generations. Just thinking about the new generations, NastriTex launched the “Futura”, the first pressing ribbon made with 100% recycled materials.

«Innovation can no longer only concern the optimization of the technical-functional characteristics of a product - underlines Federico Mocchetti, the company’s key executive - but must aim higher. At respect for health, improve the integrity and safety of human relations, protect the environment. We industrialists - continues the manager - must put in place new forms of production of goods and services, based on investments in innovation that can stimulate responsible growth for an increasingly sustainable development: this is the message that NastriTex wants to convey to its customers and partners with the new compacting belt

made of completely recycled material, which is not a point of arrival for us, but simply the new stage of a circular economy path started in 2012, imagining an increasingly sustainable tomorrow». * NastriTex Lab is the internal laboratory that works with the aim of offering customers adequate tools to support ambitious production objectives, the innovation incubator where ideas, theories and tests are developed and applied at the service of cosmetics manufacturers.

SOSTENIBILITA KNOW-HOW AVANGUARDIA

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Industrial strategies

Printing inks and compostable packaging Sun Chemical’s “Guide to compostability” presents itself as a simple and comprehensive working tool for packaging converters, useful to clarify the meaning of a term often misrepresented or misused.

• It is the case that most compostable Sun Chemical inks and coatings already hold the OK compost HOME and OK compost INDUSTRIAL TUV Austria certificates.

S

tarting from the scientific concept of compostability, it goes deeper into the American and European standards and regulatory frameworks that regulate this aspect, which is fundamental for the circular economy. In particular, the certification process for inks for printing compostable packaging is tackled.

In this regard, a reminder that Sun Chemical has already had most of its inks and coatings “OK compost HOME” and “OK compost INDUSTRIAL TUV Austria” certified (and plans to further expand its range).

This is also explained in its Q/A section in the last pages of the Guide, with the aim of preventing and solving technical perplexities or doubts that might arise in this regard.

LET’S START FROM THE FACTS Home and industrial compostability of inks and coatings • As far as compostability standards are concerned, most of the certified compostable Sun Chemical ink products (with the exception of some coatings and lamination adhesives) would fall below the critical percentage level requiring extra tests .

• Package components present at additive levels are not required to play an active part in the composting process, but still undergo strict eco-toxicity and chemical analysis tests carried out by

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independent accredited laboratories to make sure that they don’t negatively affect the process by introducing contaminants which would deter plant growth.

• Compostable inks offer the additional advantage of being suitable for producing certified compostable packaging, allowing customers to invest in a growing, increasingly popular and sustainable segment.

Chemical Sun Chemical has chosen the independent TUV Austria certification body, expert and recognized all over the world, for a wide portfolio of OK compost HOME and OK compost INDUSTRIAL certified inks and related products.

TUV Austria certificates authorize customers to print the relative TUV Austria logos on packaging products, provided that the substrate and all packaging components are also TUV Austria certified and provided that each ink component remains within the maximum application limit indicated on the relative certificate.

The TUV Austria logo offers visibility into packaging compliance, through an effective and widely recognized independent certification.

• The comprehensive and growing range of TUV Austria certified compostable solutions can be used on a wide range of substrates.

S For a final packaging to be home and/or industrially compostable, the substrate and all applied components must also be home and/or industrially compostable, without exception.

INK TECHNOLOGY AT THE SERVICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY As mentioned above, Sun Chemical’s Guide to Compostability proposes some final reflections on the value and importance of compostability (of which we report here only a brief summary, Ed.), examining its advantages and disadvantages compared to other sustainable solutions.

However, the answer is clear: compostability can reduce the environmental impact of packaging waste only if certain conditions are met. For example, industrially compostable packaging should be collected and sent separately to suitable composting facilities, and this is not always easy to implement in all countries (in which case compostability in the home garden may be a better solution).

Compostability could be a viable alternative in all cases where recycling would be too expensive or complicated. A particularly good example is food packaging material mixed with food waste, for which compostability could offer a better solution than a difficult recycling process.

Realistically, compostability will not solve all environmental problems on its own, but it can work in parallel with other solutions, helping to plan a strategy to make our future more sustainable.

Sun Chemical is however an active part in this process, and the range of compostable inks is only one of the sustainable solutions put in place by the multinational.

Compliance with standards for certification purposes Sun OK compost certified HOME and INDUSTRIAL inks are formulated without any ingredient that could potentially damage the compostability process of the finished packaging products, and without any contaminant

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with negative effect on growing plants.

In some case this may introduce some restrictions in terms of raw materials which can be used, compared to standard inks. However, certified inks are compostable only as part of the finished packaging product, and only if all the required conditions are met, including the relevant maximum application limits. They cannot be assumed compostable if released in the environment separately or applied at higher percentages. Therefore, the same precautions and handling guidelines apply to standard inks and to compostable inks, as detailed in the relevant products’ technical data sheets.

Compostable inks and press returns should be handled correctly and must not be dispersed into the environment.

Just as - Sun Chemical warns - it is not possible to use any uncertified ink product together with certified ink products for the production of a certified packaging, since the application of a single ink or uncertified component would invalidate the certification of the finished packaging.

Compostable supports and products In addition to highlighting the necessary differences between the OK compost INDUSTRIAL and OK compost HOME logos, Sun Chemical also cites which compostable substrates are available on the market and which inks are suitable for their printing.

In addition to naturally compostable kraft paper and board substrates, the market offers many

The meaning of compostability Compostability refers to the ability of some materials (often bio-based or partly bio- based, but not necessarily) to biodegrade naturally within a specified timeframe under controlled conditions.

The associated biological process leads mainly to CO2 and also to water and biomass, which will form part of the compost. This process enriches the soil with nutrients and must strictly limit the introduction of potentially toxic substances and contaminants so that the soil can remain of good quality and perfectly suitable for growing new plants. All compostable material is biodegradable in the right environment and under the correct conditions, but not all the biodegradable material is compostable because the term “biodegradable” is generic and does not set a timeframe for the completion of the compostability process under specific conditions, and does not add any information on how and where this process would take place.

types of certified compostable plastic films.

These are based on various bio-derived polymers, such as starch, polylactic acid (PLA), or regenerated cellulose film.

Once again, certified compostable films should not be confused with “biodegradable” or “degradable” films based on standard polymers, such as polyethylene, that contain additives (normally enzymes) which enable the plastic to break into smaller pieces. The former substrate type, in addition to a disintegration process also undergoes a chemical reaction ultimately leading to water, CO2, and biomass as main degradation products.

The latter simply degrades more rapidly compared to standard films, but through a process which is uncontrolled and uncertified by an independent body, and leading to micro-plastic particles, which currently are the object of various

concerns. Besides well-established compostable film grades from market leading brands, a growing number of new products are released every year. These may require lab testing in order to finalize a safe ink specification. In all cases, please, refer to your Sun Chemical representative for a tailor- made ink specification.

Finally, a reminder that Sun Chemical’s certified range includes water-based and solvent-based ink products for surface printing and lamination on a wide range of substrates and various coatings. The current portfolio is likely to grow soon with new compostable adhesives, several new ink series, coatings, primers, and components, alternative ink chemistries, aluminium-based metallic inks, etc., which will greatly expand our capacity to cover most of the market needs in this growing area.

The PackRevolution rainbow for a sustainable present and future The new brand PackRevolution created by ITP includes a range of innovative and sustainable films for food packaging, the result of a co-development of R&D that has engaged the company in recent years, with the aim of achieving the “green revolution” able to transform the future of flexible packaging production.

PackRevolution branded solutions have a very low impact on the environment in terms of CO2, thanks to the use of raw materials from renewable sources or industrial and post-consumer waste, or in view of the possibility of 100% recycling, their certified compostability, or through a significant reduction in thickness.

RecytermoPCR. Heat-shrinkable film for the beverage sector, 100% recyclable, contains a minimum 50% post-consumer recycled raw material (PCR), for which it has obtained the Second Life Plastic label, issued by the Institute for the Promotion of Plastics for Recycling to materials derived from the recycling of plastic waste.

RecyBariflex. Recyclable single film (certified by Cyclos) composed of a single layer of barrier PE. Suitable for use in the food sector, it can be used for the realization of any type of envelope or for tops of trays.

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Paper G. In addition to Ok Compost certified ITP compostable films, now well known on the market, the Paper G project represents an innovative solution in the packaged meat sector. The hot application of a thin PE film on a cardboard tray allows to eliminate up to 80% of plastic and to replace the traditional trays.

The food can be anchored over the cardboard tray by means of a lid or a film skin.

Vacuum film in monomaterial. Even the packaging of sausages today benefits from an innovative packaging, made with a new film for thermoforming in vacuum application, with a simplified structure: it is

in fact composed of a mono material with high barrier, in which count of EVOH is such as not to compromise the complete recyclability.

The Pack Revolution range is completed by PP co-extruded film solutions, barrier, low sealing and anti-fog, for BOPP lamination. In this way we realize monomaterial structures with high thermal resistance, 100% recyclable.

Exported all over the world, ITP films have been tested on the best known Italian and foreign packaging machines.

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Luxury packaging:

a concept in the making Luciana Guidotti

B

y its nature, selective packaging meets essential criteria of excellence. Synthesis of research, technology, artisan knowledge and attention to detail, it is an industrial asset in all respects, capable of supporting the image and reputation of a brand.

We therefore involved experts and operators in the sector to investigate the evolution of the high-end packaging market, asking them to take stock of the needs expressed by the brands, the possible influences exerted by the new online sales methods and the value of Made in Italy in the global market.

The points of view that we report below are linked by a common thread, which sees the search for sustainability of products and processes as an element of strong characterization. An element that could not exist, however,

without the development and investments in technology, as described in various ways by the respondents.

And if it is common to all the consideration of “Italianness” as a distinctive value to be protected (perhaps to be reinterpreted on the basis of new communication codes), there are still perplexities of various kinds about e-commerce, for some irrelevant, for other potential development drivers also for selective packaging.

We obviously thank those who joined our investigation (Baralan, Fontana Grafica, G. Candiani, Lumson, Luxoro, Zignago Vetro), and we leave to Andrea Sommavilla (a life spent on the quality and development of packaging and today also a consultant for Cosmetica Italia) the task of anticipating some reflections on the subject.

Towards experiential luxury According to an authoritative source*, the global pandemic “has been an accelerator of trends that were already emerging”, bequeathing the search for an experiential, more discreet and intimate luxury. With the due differences between East and West, however, where trends seem to polarize: if Western consumers think that “sobriety” is the way to go, along with slow fashion and intrinsic product quality, the Orientals (Chinese above all) always aim at coolness and brand visibility.

As summed up by Matteo Lunelli, President of Altagamma, in the sector the importance of experiences is consolidated as well as the attention to sustainability, which puts social and environmental scenarios at the center of business strategies. Digital becomes essential, but * The seventh edition of the Altagamma Consumer and Retail Insight was personal contact enhances it with taicharacterized by the analysis of the impact of lor-made proposals for a Clienteling 2.0, COVID-19 on the luxury world, with the usual where the relationship with the consumer focus on the evolution of consumer behavior and distribution strategies of companies. is seamlessly nurtured both in store and online”.

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The word to...

Andrea Sommavilla Consultant Investments and strategies of luxury brands in line with the overall reduction of the environmental impact of products and processes. The sustainability of e-commerce is less obvious; applause for the value of the “made in Italy”.

• «My first consideration may seem obvious, but I really believe that luxury brands are investing in a very convinced way on packaging: it is a renewal that goes in the direction of reducing materials and their environmental impact.

In this sense, I take two lines of thought: the first is to limit the weight and volume of the packaging, without thereby losing fundamental values for consumers, first of all the safety and functional performance of the product.

The second is linked to the commitment to massively use recycled materials, or that facilitate the reuse, recovery or recycling of packaging. This second trend influences in particular glass, paper and cardboard, plastic, but also affects the label sector. The use of PCR material is growing with great vigor, especially in the plastic field, but also the paper and paper converting sectors are affected by this phenomenon, combined with the constant use of FSC papers. A clarification about the label sector seems useful to me, where the combination of material, adhesive and printing inks is a “hot” and constantly studied topic, with the aim of finding a solution that guarantees the total recyclability of the container. A traditional label can in fact decrease the purity of the container to be recycled but, if well studied, it can improve the yield of the material to be recycled by more than 10-15%».

• According to Sommavilla, it is complex to establish a ranking between the demand for technology, customization and sustainability expressed by the brands because they are all values that deserve attention and, in his opinion, equivalent in strategic terms. «Personalization is certainly the distinctive element for a brand and it is more difficult to sacrifice or distort it. However, I find there may be further room for manoeuvre by investing in digital technologies, for example by implementing the QR codes through which the brand’s history or the best use of a specific product can be communicated more effectively, so as to offer the consumer an enveloping and satisfying sensory experience. Even labels with augmented reality, for example, represent a technological plus, in addition to having a certain appeal.

However, I believe that sustainability is the main asset of the brand strategies, the dominant value at the moment. In fact, many companies are investing with increasing vigor in this regard, and not only on packaging materials but also on the analysis of the processes with which packaging is made, measuring its LCA. The aim is therefore to intervene also on an industrial level, identifying and improving all-round environmental performances, therefore also on processes ».

Andrea Sommavilla

• In the face of the indisputable growth of e-commerce, Sommavilla has serious doubts about its sustainability: «The protection necessary for the product to reach the consumer perfectly intact, frustrates the efforts made by the companies in reducing materials and their environmental impact. This does not detract from - and even more so in these times - the need to distribute the product in a targeted way, satisfying the need of a single consumer. As for the sending of products by luxury brands, it becomes the occasion of a ceremony that makes the shopping experience unique, but perhaps for this reason still not truly sustainable».

• Sommavilla has no doubts, however, about the value of “made in Italy” which it describes as “a priceless experience, which can make a difference on the global market, due it is uniqueness, witness to a blending of knowledge and manual skills that make every single product, and in particular for luxury products, a refined piece, made with grace, style, skill and tact».

The word to...

Maurizio Ficcadenti Global R&D Manager Baralan Enhance and guarantee the value of the product with functional and recognizable packaging; careful choice of alternative materials and decoration techniques for an accentuated customization; study a structured e-commerce, which pays attention to the entire value chain, from product to customer service.

• «The high-end packaging market has always been synonymous with and expression of quality. Each product is both a perfect representation of a durable and reliable packaging, and an exaltation and enhancement of the contained formula, kept intact in its preciousness and

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effectiveness» begins Ficcadenti, specifying that «the trend is therefore to guarantee quality and at the same time the combination of functionality and style.

Baralan is positioned in the high-end packaging market with a wide range of products that can be decorated or customized according to the customer’s needs, also in

è

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relation to the brand image that must be recognizable on the market. The offer is also completed by a variety of sets, useful for any type of application».

• Technology, customization and sustainability are the fundamental elements that brands look for in the development phase of their products and therefore represent an essential focus also for Baralan, called to create a successful packaging.

«The continuous technological innovation and the careful study of the materials used are the basis of our production processes, to introduce on the market a wide range of standard and custom-made packaging, in line with the demands of the brands, increasingly oriented towards innovation and solutions eco-friendly.

This is why we constantly invest in research and development: in fact we no longer focus only on glass, which has always been a recyclable and sustainable material, but also on the use of biopolymers not linked to the food chain, with the aim of making them the main materials in the production process.

On the other hand, various decoration techniques offer numerous possibilities for customizing the finishes and surfaces, which is another crucial aspect for enhancing the product and satisfying the customer’s requests.

A personalized packaging, increasingly attractive, recognizable

The word to...

Maria Antonietta Savino Marketing & Specification Fontana Grafica Srl Quality starts with R&D on cladding materials in a sustainable way, in the name of personalization; packaging for e-commerce of luxury goods must be environmentally friendly as well as enhancing their precious nature; “Made in Italy” is a value to be safeguarded.

Wintan® Vintage Amber e Wibalin® Natural Recycled Breeze

• «In the face of an undeniable drop in demand in recent months, the industry has not stopped, continuing to invest in solutions capable of attracting the attention of the most demanding consumers, with attractive and innovative packaging, but at the same time able to offer quality at affordable prices.

Maria Antonietta Savino’s opening is justified by the type of requests that Fontana Grafica is called upon to answer, and of which she enters into the matter: «In our case, technology translates into offering highperformance coating materials that are adapted to new printing technologies and can be used on the latest generation of machinery. In this regard, our partner Winter & Company has a laboratory where it carries out many printing and workability tests on the products before they are presented on the market.

Since personalization is what makes a product unique, it is therefore essential that we can offer the possibility of creating a color,

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and with a strong identity, fully reflects the brand and its values, making it unique».

• The “revolution” in consumer purchasing behavior is under everyone’s eyes, with the e-commerce channel in strong growth, which involves rethinking the logic of product presentation.

But as the manager points out, «It is important to continue to guarantee the quality of the packaging, a quality that derives precisely from constant control work, with tests on products and their individual components, and with product-packaging customization studies carried out together with the customer.

All these steps are fundamental, just as it is essential to know how to study a structured e-commerce, which pays attention to the entire value chain, from product to customer service, with a continuous exchange and relationship».

• For Ficcadenti too «”Made in Italy” has always been a distinctive trait, recognized on the global market as an expression of quality, creativity, perfection in details, refinement, elegance and style. Baralan brings Italianness to the world, understood as a synonym of beauty, design and taste combined with an excellent level of quality and service, which has always been appreciated worldwide and recognizable in the packaging made». texture or even an ad hoc material. Flexibility in terms of management, availability and variety of options are at the heart of the projects we’ve been developing for brands over the past few years, which include the creation of paste dyed papers, coated papers and various types of fabric.

Last but not least, the focus on sustainability, a central element of the briefs in recent times. «Precisely in order to meet this demand - points out the manager - in addition to the well-known FSC™ certification, REACH compliance and choice of raw materials from well-managed sources, we try to use increasingly large percentages of recycled fibers.

We have just re-launched the range of our Wintan® recycled leather, made up of 85% leather fibres from tannery waste, and for some months now the well-known Wibalin® pulp dyed paper has been added to our Wibalin® Recycled collection, made from 100% recycled fibres, 40% of which is PCW (Post Consumer Waste) and the remaining 60% from FSC™ Recycled certified PIW (Post Industrial Waste). I also mention Envira 100% PCW, printing paper now on the market for a few years and produced with 100% PCW post consumer fiber, with a white point of 95%.

In the coming months we will present other materials not only paper-based, derived from recycled fibers».

• As for e-commerce packaging, the fact remains that it will be increasingly important to design it carefully so that it can be easily disposed of or reused. «It is also important that it does not take “preciousness” away from the item and that the emotion aroused when you receive the purchase is similar to what you feel when you go to the store».

• For Maria Antonietta Savino ”made in Italy” is also a value to be safeguarded. «Companies in the sector, mostly small and medium sized, are the flagship of our country and are certainly able to make a difference: creativity, flexibility, attention to detail and skills gained with years of experience, make them the most appropriate choice for brands that focus on quality and uniqueness».

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The word to...

Carlo Candiani Sole Director G. Candiani Srl

and customers express the need to use recycled or, in any case,“ eco-compatible ”plastic materials; given that these requests must be related to the technologies available on the market, our company constantly works to carry out tests and trials on new finishing and/or surface decoration technologies, as well as on the use of alternative raw materials».

Constant updating of the range with particular attention to product industrialization; accurate tests and controls on new finishing technologies and on the performance of innovative raw materials; management and production, 100% Italian, ensure quality.

• According to the sole director, the development of e-commerce is not “influencing” the quality of selective packaging, at least as regards the company’s production, and “the high personalization of the items obviously prevents their “digital” marketing».

• For over fifty years G. Candiani has exclusively dealt with conceiving, designing and producing exclusive plastic containers and details for the cosmetic and perfumery products market. A courageous strategic choice, that of this focus, sustained by an expertise widely recognized by the market. «And indeed - explains Carlo Candiani, Sole Director of the company - high-end packaging has always played a prestigious role in the cladding of a cosmetic or perfumery product; and if our customers are constantly working to update their products and to launch new and increasingly particular and refined creations, our role is therefore to seek the best possible solution to achieve as desired, compatibly with the needs for industrialization».

• Absolutely convinced, however, of Made in Italy, Candiani recalls how much this aspect continues to be requested and appreciated all over the world, with a further observation on the nature of his company: «Since always totally Italian run, we always try, where possible, to make our articles with the collaboration of Italian companies and to use raw materials and accessories of Italian origin, even if this, sometimes, can unfortunately affect costs».

• According to Candiani, the request for product customization is still in first place among the desires of brands, to find a reason for identification and strong differentiation on the market. «The fact remains that sustainability is increasingly topical

The word to...

Gianni Azzaretti Luxoro Brand Ambassador Luxoro Srl Packaging as a narrator of unique and precious stories, even in e-commerce; finishing and ennobling is today a compendium of technology and image care, reinterpreted in a sustainable key and within the reach of many, thanks to digital.

• «The demand for a prestigious packaging that creates added value and uniqueness for the brand is growing». This is what Gianni Azzaretti argues in the introduction, adding further considerations: «According to many neuromarketing studies, packaging significantly influences the consumer’s purchase decision, so we are increasingly approaching the conception of a packaging that, in addition to informing, best expresses the aesthetic value of a product, which tells a story.

The attention to the image, to the visual and tactile attraction of a product has been worth a lot in the wine & spirits market, in that of perfumery and cosmetics, but lately it is also gaining ground in many other sectors. Our finishing products are an example of how the story of a company and its proposals can be translated into a packaging that transmits sensations

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both to the eye and to the touch».

The Luxoro offer, in this sense, is therefore the expression of a careful mix of technology, attention to sustainability and image, capable of making a brand truly unique. «We offer sustainable products developed with innovative technologies, not least that concerning the introduction of an entire line of machines for digital metallization, which guarantees many alternatives for customized finishing. In fact, our DM Liners allow mass and even limited productions (such as capsule collections) but in any case it is possible to obtain packaging, on different substrates and formats, always different and always unique. All this without giving up fast and flexible printing processes».

On the other hand, finishing, which is already a trend in some markets such as that of beverages, lends itself well to marketing and communication projects aimed at product

è

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customization: «This is demonstrated by the attention recently expressed by major brands, also thanks to the introduction of digital printing, thanks to which finishing is “closer to hand ”. Our proposal of digital metallic effects is designed precisely for this: customized and finished packaging also for everyday products.

• According to Azzaretti, the development of e-commerce is in some way “influencing” the luxury packaging market. «The brand is always interested in the product communicating a message of prestige, just as the pack is able to convey sensations and quality. Even in the world of e-commerce, attention to detail becomes important: the external packaging must in fact have its own identity, which expresses value and at the same time is safe and sustainable. This way of selling is therefore modifying the concept of “pure”

The word to...

Romualdo Priore Marketing director Lumson High range packaging? More and more functional, engaging and, of course, sustainable; the companies fight-back on the e-commerce channel; “Made in Italy” must adopt a new language, less celebratory and more adherent to manufacturing quality.

• «The luxury pack will certainly have to leverage the functional experiences of packaging: that is, an aesthetic

The word to...

Stefano Bortoli Commercial Director of Cosmetics and Perfumery Zignago Vetro SpA The challenge of the future lies in finding the right balance between new forms of omnichannel promotion and sales, innovative products, sustainable solutions and aesthetic appeal.

• High-end packaging is experiencing a time of significant changes. Stefano Bortoli is convinced of this, talking about

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transport packaging, transforming it into a beautiful and attractive packaging, no longer only functional but also communicative, which through a more evident aesthetic tells the values of the brand. Our products are flexible and suitable for decorating many types of substrates; totally recyclable and compostable, they do not in the least affect the degree of sustainability of the packaging».

• «Italian design and creativity are unique in the world concludes Azzaretti - a source of inspiration also for designers also on an international level. At Luxoro we have always been sensitive to an artisanal and innovative Italian style, and for this reason we promote it with dedicated catalogs and proposals, such as the new collection of effects for hot stamping which, in addition to enclosing the trends of the moment, intercepts the attitudes and the style of our times».

as an end in itself is no longer enough, but the packaging must add an experiential quid» says Romualdo Priore, who specifies: «Therefore, the possession and display of the object is not enough, it is necessary to equip it with functional arguments» .

• The new needs of the luxury market will have to be fueled by a balanced mix of technology, personalization and sustainability. According to Priore, brands will actually have to create meaningful engagement with their consumers, who demand greater respect for their individuality.

• E-commerce is certainly a growing sales channel «But Priore points out - when it comes to buying, in particular a luxury item, the consumer wants to actually touch the product with their own hands; consequently the beauty counters remain a significant point of reference.

The new communication scenarios have changed, in particular those of the social media, which, guided by influencers, still remain an important but decreasing driver: therefore large companies must resume their active role by communicating new codes».

• Today it is necessary to redesign a new Made in Italy system, starting from a diagnosis phase that analyses three different aspects: the evolution of consumers, the internal evolution of the company organization, the evolution of the market. The translation of all this is particularly delicate because it presupposes the interpretation of present contexts and imagining future perspectives.

pre- and post-Covid scenarios: « In pre-Covid 19 times, brands were in fact focused on acquiring new customers through traditional retail channels and, above all, travel retail. To date, sales through these channels have undergone strong variations and it will therefore be essential for brands to focus their product promotions and investments on the online, in order to reach an increasingly broad spectrum of consumers. However, some macro trends remain unchanged, in particular the focus of brands in proposing something personalized and unique, which allows them to differentiate themselves and, at the same time, the strong attention to sustainability. The real challenge for the brands will therefore be identifying the correct compromise between

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sustainable solutions and the enhancement of the aesthetic appeal of the product».

In view of these general considerations, Bortoli reminds us that the evolution of the sector is in any case marked by the right mix of technology, customization and sustainability.

«Brands are looking for products that are technologically advanced, and the innovation component of both products and processes plays a fundamental role. Another key element in the world of high-end packaging is the constant search for forms and packaging solutions that can provide a unique and personalized consumer experience. Whether it’s standard packaging or tailormade products, their customization is what gives the brand the desired appeal. Finally, as a last step but certainly not in order of importance, sustainability, today considered the real beating heart of high-end glass packaging. Also in this case, the attention of the brands towards both environmental and social sustainability is expressed not only in the offer of products, but also in industrial processes in line with the trend».

• With little influence on the quality of luxury packaging, whose aesthetic characteristics are not disrupted by the sales channel, according to Bortoli «e-commerce radically changes the consumer experience and the end customer’s approach to the world of high-end packaging If on the one

Lurisia launches a €10 million investment plan Lurisia, a historic Piedmontbased brand of mineral water and premium drinks that was acquired by Coca-Cola HBC Italia in 2019, has announced a €10 million two-year investment plan to revamp its Roccaforte Mondovì site. The facility has undergone a series of renovations to boost production capacity and expand its presence in the large-scale retail and food service sectors.

The project, which coincides with the 80th anniversary of the company’s foundation, also includes the complete refurbishment of its laboratory with a view to future business expansion in Italy and abroad.

The brand is present in more than 40 countries worldwide, including Asia and the USA, its second-largest market after Italy. In 2019, the company generated 20% of its revenues outside Italy.

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hand the luxury packaging could be penalized by the lack of some sensory aspects linked to the very characteristic of online purchases, on the other hand the luxury sector can certainly draw numerous benefits from an omnichannel approach to the consumer».

• «When we talk about Made in Italy - underlines the manager of Zignago Vetro - we refer to high quality packaging and to industrial companies that have many years of experience in this sector. In this sense, the “Made in Italy” is undoubtedly a brand that makes the difference on the global market and that brings added value to high-end packaging.

Pringles trialling a new paper-based tube Pringles, the well-known potato-based snack brand owned by Kellogg’s, is planning an eco-makeover for its classic tubes.

The multinational is experimenting with a new packaging solution that will be much easier to recycle without altering the brand’s traditional design.

The new tube is made from 90% recycled paper and a thin layer of plastic to protect the contents from moisture, together with two lid options: a classic plastic lid and a new paper lid.

Trials began on 9 September at three Tesco stores in the UK

and will last for around six weeks.

During this time, the company will study shoppers’ reactions to the new tube, which has maintained the same iconic design and materials for half a century.

If the trials are successful, Kellogg’s has announced that it could introduce the new packaging across Europe. The paper tube took almost a year to develop and is part of the group’s plans to introduce fully recyclable, reusable and compostable packaging by 2025.

1989, Can Packaging operates two facilities for the production of paper cans for the European food industry along with a research and development centre where it designs and builds patented packaging machines. It is projected to generate sales of approximately €23 million in 2020.

Sonoco acquires French firm Can Packaging US packaging giant Sonoco has announced the acquisition of French firm Can Packaging for €41.7 million, thereby expanding its potential in the sustainable packaging market.

Founded by George Sireix in

Sonoco was already well known for its strategic actions to increase its portfolio of green and sustainable packaging, including the acquisition of Corenso Holdings America, a leading recycled cartonboard producer, for $110 million in August 2019.

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FOOD ICE: A ZERO IMPACT LINE One hundred percent vegetable and compostable with minimal impact on the environment. This is the pack designed for the new Green line of Ice Cube*, Italy’s leading producer of packaged food ice. Designed to reduce the environmental impact without compromising its resistance, the packaging is made with a granule derived from cereal products, compostable, biodegradable and disintegrable. As far as the ink is concerned, they opted for a black lowered in the gradation of grey, the least impacting colour in absolute terms. But that’s not all. It will be the hot Sicilian sun, thanks to a new photovoltaic system, to power all Ice Cube ice production.

RE-FILL OF DETERGENTS: NEW LIFE TO EMPTY BOTTLES Founded in 2012, Welsh start-up Splosh sells online environmentally friendly personal and home care detergents, packaged in refill bags and with ultra-concentrated formulations to optimise packaging. The choice of refill format aims to allow - and promote - the reuse of empty bottles, which would otherwise end up in landfills. The empty bags of Splosh products can then be returned free of charge to the distributor, who will recycle them and transform them into new useful products. This “circular” practice has so far allowed more than 663,000 bottles to be “diverted” from the landfill.

FROZEN IN ECOBAG The minestrone from the Valle degli Orti di Frosta gets to our freezers in a paper-based bag: composed of cellulose and a minimum amount of PE, Ecobag is an all-Italian technological innovation.The paper is raw and not bleached, which minimizes the environmental impact of the production processes. In the inner layer, a thin plastic film protects the product but in a minimum percentage, which enables one to stay within parameters foreseen for disposal in the “paper” fraction and which, in the recycling phase, is separated through specific processes. All production phases are certified by ATICELCA (Italian Cellulose and Paper Technical Association). The reduction of the environmental impact of the new packaging is significant: -70% of plastic and -40% of CO2 produced compared to previous packages (totally PET / PE).

RECYCLED PLASTIC FOR PACKAGING “BIO” SAUSAGES For its organic line of poultry sausages, the Gutfried brand (Zur Mühlen Gruppe) has chosen a sustainable packaging made, for about two thirds, with recycled plastic.The bottom film and top film of the packaging each consist of several layers of different polymers and are produced by the film producer SÜDPACK, through an innovative recycling process of mixed plastic waste. The used plastic is converted into pyrolysis oil in a high-temperature process. Like fossil based raw materials, this oil is then used at the beginning of the chemical production chain, thus saving conventional crude oil. The recycled content is allocated to the chemical end products via a mass balance method. The products thus have the same high quality and performance as new products.

Other partners of this project are BASF and SABIC, that supplies, respectively, the necessary polyamide and polyethylene.

Tel. +39 0269007733 | Fax +39 0269007664 | info@packmedia.net

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FA C T S & F I G U R E S

PACKAGING Status Report (3) Four-monthly Observatory of the packaging supply chain: situation updated to August 2020. The analysis obviously takes into account the consequences of the world pandemic, which has blocked activities and heavily influenced everyone’s habits, from many points of view. The recovery is expected to be slow in all sectors.

Barbara Iascone - Italian Packaging Institute

H

ere is a cross-section of the trend in the manufacturing industry sectors where packaging consumption is more intense with its consequent evolution - divided into food and non-food macro-areas.

The evolutionary frameworks of the manufacturing sectors are taken from sector analyses elaborated by trade associations, the database of the Italian Packaging Institute or Prometeia.

Food Area Negative trend for the food production and only the resumption of Horeca will be able to raise the general situation.

In the month of April, according to the latest data available at the time of writing, there is a decrease in production of 8.1% compared to April 2019.

This negative figure adds to the -6.5% already recorded in March, again in comparison with the corresponding period in 2019.

The trend decrease in the first quarter was -1.5%, while in the first quarter of 2020 the rate was still positive, +0.8%.

The decline is essentially influenced by the performance of the Horeca sector, which accounts for about 1/3 of domestic food consumption. It is important to emphasize that although the decline in the food sector has nothing to do with the disastrous trends in other sectors, it is no less important.

The sector has always been characterized by countercyclical trends, i.e. even in times of great crisis it did not record trends with great criticality, but the crisis resulting from the pandemic did not hold up.

Obviously this trend has also had an impact on packaging, creating some criticality especially for some types of packaging. The glass bottles will certainly be affected, in particular the production related to mineral water.

Non Food Area Fashion system According to the analysis elaborated by SMI Sistema moda Italia, in 2019 the sector recorded the following trends: in the “clothing” area, pro-

NOTE The data used for the processing of the report is taken from the database of the Italian Packaging Institute.

duction closed the year at -5.6% while in the “textile” area it was -7.6%. The production of the fashion sector as a whole was therefore at -6.2%.

After a first quarter in slight decline, -0.3%, in the second quarter of 2019 there was a recovery with production up by 1.5%. In the following two quarters the negative trend compared to 2018 was consolidated. With regard to the outlet markets, the domestic market closed with a decrease of approximately 8%, while the foreign market

International economic framework

The International Monetary Fund has updated its forecasts for GDP trends around the world.

According to the latest figures, world GDP will fall by 4.9% in 2020. The situation in which we find ourselves is unprecedented and the recovery will be very slow, so much so that world GDP growth in 2021 is expected to be only +5.4%.

For the current year, in Italy, the drop in GDP will be -12.8%, while in the Eurozone the expected contraction is -10.2% overall (-7.8% for Germany, -10% and more for the United Kingdom).

The evolutionary assumptions for 2021 see Italy recover by 6.3%, while the Eurozone as a whole will reach +6%.

The United States will contract by around -8% in 2020, with a positive rebound in 2021 of +4.5%.

According to Confindustria On the basis of the calculations carried out by the Confindustria (Confederation of Italian Industry) study office, it can be seen that in July - data available at the time of writing - the rise of Italy is difficult due to the still low domestic demand. In June, consumption was down 15% per year. Exports started up again as early as May, but they are still large below pre-Covid levels. Italy, in this sense, recovered better than Germany and the United States, recording acceptable results for exports of pharmaceutical products; exports of food products per-

è

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FACTS & FIGURES

formed less well. Those relating to motor vehicles and the fashion system were halved.

In general, in the Eurozone, the first signs of recovery were recorded in May, thanks to the reopening of many production activities; industrial production recorded +12.4%, even if these are partial rebounds since on an annual basis, and the trend is negative (-19%).

China is restarting, recording an expansionary phase of production activity for the second consecutive month.

On the other hand, the figures for the United States, which is still in the middle of a pandemic, are still uncertain.

According to ISTAT data, in Italy in May there were very positive changes in the main indicators, with industrial production increasing by 42%, exports by 35% and construction by 168%.

But how should these data be read? They are certainly not representative of an economic boom, on the contrary.

The levels of these indicators had reached very low levels earlier in March, and even more significantly in April.

From this point of view, the positive values have a completely different perspective.

In March and April more than 40% of industries, the so-called non-essential ones, completely stopped their activity, bringing industrial production down by 28.4% in March and 20% in April. The same fate for exports, which fell by 16.3% in March and 67.9% in April.

As can be seen from the numbers, pre-Covid levels did not recover either.

According to Prometheia According to the latest analysis provided by Prometeia (July 2020), the maximum point of the contraction in Italian manufacturing was reached in April, reaching -40% (compared to April 2019 data).

The decline in the first five months of 2020 compared to the same period of the previous year was -21.6% for production and -19.3% for turnover.

The same situation at the European level where France, again relative to the first five months of the year, registered -19.9% in production and Spain -17.6%, referring to the same period of 2019. Germany registered smaller drops (-15.9%) thanks perhaps to the limitations imposed during the pandemic, which were lower than in Italy, France and Spain.

closed with an increase of 2.2%.

SMI also carried out a survey of the effects of Covid-19 on the performance of the sector in the first quarter of 2020. In the quarter JanuaryMarch 2020 there was an average decline in orders of -29.2%.

Furniture and furnishings Another sector strongly affected by the health crisis was the furniture sector which, in the period January-May, registered a drop of over 30% influenced by the production stoppage of the months of lockdown. Another fundamental element is the heavy drop in exports.

Cosmetic sector Forecasts for the cosmetics sector for 2020 are more rosy than a few months ago. According to the latest elaborations of the study center of Cosmetica Italia, the 2020 should close with a final value of the -15%, since although negative it is better than the world forecast. Estimates for exports are -12%.

The consumption that “kept” even during the quarantine period were those of face and hand hygiene products, shampoos and conditioners.

The consumption of perfumes and cosmetics, on the other hand, is definitely decreasing. The sector has however not only been affected by production stoppage, but also the closure of beauty salons and hairdressers.

Pharmaceutical sector One of the very few sectors with a positive trend is that of pharmaceuticals, an area of manufacturing that played a key role during the pandemic and which surpassed production levels in 2019 thanks also to the good performance of exports.

Based on the analysis of the first five months of the year, the sector recorded +3.1% in 2020.

Other manufacturing sectors The performance of the other manufacturing sectors closely linked to the world of packaging is definitely negative: household appliances at -22.9%, metal products and construction materials at -20%.

The final data for 2019 show us a sector still in good health: turnover up 2%, production expressed in tons less brilliant but still positive (16,800 t/000, +1.1% compared to 2018), turnover over 33.8 billion euros.

The packaging sector L

et’s see in detail the evolution of the various supply chains.

The aluminium packaging sector registered a positive trend in turnover (+5%), however, decreasing in terms of weight (-5.6%).

Steel packaging registered a +1.3% in turnover, while production expressed in tons was practically stable (+0.3%).

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Positive trends in glass packaging, where turnover grew by about 8% compared to 2018 and production was +3.6%. Bottles, which represent 89% of the production of glass packaging, alone grew by 4.3%.

As far as plastic packaging is concerned, turnover grew by about 1% while production rose by 2.6%, undoubtedly influenced by the trend of rigid packaging - bottles and flacons - the

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FA C T S & F I G U R E S

most representative in terms of weight, which alone registered an increase of 2.8%.

Both the turnover and the production of flexible converter packaging grew by 3%, with paper-based packaging also stable for 2019.

Paper and cardboard packaging grew by 1.9% in relation to turnover and 1.5% in terms of production in tons, influenced by corrugated cardboard packaging which alone grew by 1.2%.

Wood packaging is basically stable, with production at +0.1%.

Hypothesis 2020 In a year as complicated as the one we are experiencing it is difficult to try to quantify precisely the trends in the sector. However, we can say with certainty that the packaging sector is reacting well to the difficult economic situation.

The sector has benefited from the food consumption and online sales trends, but we have to consider the repercussions caused by the very heavy declines in the Horeca sector.

Raw materials quotations

Analyzing the price quotations of raw materials used to produce packaging at the Milan Chamber of Commerce, there were generalized decreases in the first half of the year.

The only exception, in which we find increasing prices, concerns the raw materials used to produce paper and cardboard packaging.

Prices for corrugated cardboard grew by an average of 1% between January and June 2020, while prices for paper for chess production remained stable and sheetboard grew by 1.3%.

For paper from recycling, growth rates range from 3% to 7%.

Metal prices are falling: thin aluminum laminate has fallen by about 5% in the first half of 2020; container and capsule tape falls by 6% in the same period. A similar trend for aluminium from recycling.

As far as quotations for steel for packaging production are concerned, for a year now, only scrap prices have been quoted at CCM and in the first half of 2020 the drops are around 20%.

Plastics used to produce packaging are also decreasing, with the only exception of raw materials coming from recycling for LDPE granule for film, which is up 11.8% between January and June 2020. This item is however down compared to the same period of the previous year.

Table 1. Turnover of the Italian packaging market. Values expressed in t/000.

Material

2018 Prod.

Export Import Use

2019 Var % Prod.

Export Import Use Prod Export Import Use

Steel 679 310 46 415 681 301 47 427 0,3% -2,9% 2,2% 2,9% Aluminium 124,7 62,1 17,6 80,2 117,7 61,7 27,7 83,7 -5,6% -0,6% 57,4% 4,4% Cellulosic pack 5.273 630 157 4.800 5.352 627 160 4.885 1,5% -0,5% 1,9% 1,8% Polylam. Rigid containers 139 0 0 139 139 0 0 139 0,0% 0,0% Plastics 3.003 1.046 579 2.536 3.080 1.018 566 2.628 2,6% -2,7% -2,2% 3,6% Flexible packaging 391 185 3 209 403 222 3 184 3,1% 20,0% 0,0% -12,0% Glass 4.167 482 793 4.478 4.316 512 811 4.615 3,6% 6,2% 2,3% 3,1% Wood 2.731 179 427 2.979 2.734 170 437 3.001 0,1% -5,0% 2,3% 0,7% Other 28 28 28 28 0,0% 0,0% Total 16.536 2.894 2.023 15.664 16.851 2.912 2.052 15.991 1,9% 0,6% 1,4% 2,1%

HOME COMPOSTABILITY CERTIFICATES FOR METSÄ BOARD’S PAPERBOARDS Metsä Board (European producer of premium fresh fibre paperboards and part of Metsä Group) announces that two of its folding boxboards, MetsäBoard Natural FBB and MetsäBoard Pro FBB OBAfree, as well as two food service grades, MetsäBoard Natural FSB Cup and MetsäBoard Pro FSB Cup, have now received home compostability certificates complying with NF T 51-800 standard. Metsä Board’s eco-barrier paperboard MetsäBoard Prime FBB EB already holds the same certificate.

All Metsä Board’s paperboards, excluding PE coated grades, already hold industrial compostability certificates complying with DIN EN 13432 and ASTM D6400 standards. They are all made of pure fresh fibres sourced from sustainably managed Northern European forests.

They are also lightweight, contributing to a reduction of the carbon footprint throughout the whole supply chain as well as following the circular economy principles thanks to easy recyclability.

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FACTS & FIGURES è NEWS

Established in 1961, IMA is world leader in the design and manufacture of automatic machines for the processing and packaging of pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, food, tea and coffee.

IMA ZERO: renewed commitment to sustainability The “IMA ZERO” project includes the initiatives already in progress and those still to be undertaken to minimise the environmental impact of industrial production, as well as the promotion and creation of a working habitat that is “human centric”.

In a socio-economic scenario such as the current one, governed by uncertainties, we have to direct our collective efforts towards wideranging objectives, capable of aggregating new energies, to form a different approach to the company and the business, but also to our day-to-day way of life. This is why the IMA Group is developing and completing projects that are sustainable for the man and the environment, today brought together in the “IMA ZERO” project, which includes four distinct areas of intervention.

• LOW (Low-Impact Program). It represents our commitment to the continuous development of processes aimed at the preservation of resources. Over the years, the concept has become an integral part of IMA’s growth policies, with the ongoing adoption of innovations and technologies that have a reduced environmental impact.

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• NOP (No-Plastic Program). It involves investments in R&D of alternative materials to support the development of solutions that are plastic-free, compostable and biodegradable. This area includes OpenLab, the network of technological laboratories and the Group’s testing area, dedicated to research on sustainable materials, technologies and production

IMA SPA Via Emilia, 428-442 40064 Ozzano dell’Emilia (BO) - Italy Phone +39 051 6514111 www.ima.it

optimisation processes. With the help of modern digital infrastructures, together with think-tank spaces, environments dedicated to the generation of ideas and the prototyping of materials, IMA intends to promote a connection between the knowledge and skills of various different worlds (machine producers, packaging manufacturers and their users).

• YOU (Human-Centric Program). It emphasises the centrality of the individual in every initiative undertaken by the Group, in order to promote the well-being of its human resources inside and outside the company. Social projects and equal opportunities in the workplace: all designed to improve the quality of life and work.

• E-MOB (Sustainable Mobility Program). It is participating in a regional sustainable mobility plan, to facilitate the movement of employees at IMA’s plants in Ozzano dell’Emilia. Hence the commitment to invest in the search for new soft mobility solutions and technologies. In 2019 IMA acquired ATOP, a leading company in the production of automatic machines and lines for the assembly of stators and electric motors intended for new generation cars for the automotive sector and, in particular, for e-mobility.

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FA C T S E F I G U R E S

Barbara Iascone

An analysis of the development of the market, of the methods and of the physical goods purchased on the online platforms linked to forms of packaging.

PACKAGING & e-commerce W

hen we talk about e-commerce we refer basically to a type of purchase and distribution.

This analysis includes the purchase and sale of products and services through the IT channel, the so-called “online purchases”.

Based on the nature of the subjects involved, it is then possible to distinguish two types of e-commerce: Business to Business (B2b), when the relationship is between two companies (a supplier and a buyer), and Business to Consumer (B2c) when the relationship is between a supplier company and a final consumer.

The data shown in this report refer only to the sale and purchase of goods that require packaging; we will therefore exclude everything that refers to services, insurance, travel, etc.

The big picture According to Netcom (the Italian Digital Commerce Consortium) estimates, approxi-

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mately 20 million monthly deliveries in our country derive from e-commerce, with a consequent significant flow of packaging.

Even more significant are the numbers in light of what is happening due to the particular emergency situation created by Covid-19.

According to Nielsen’s first analyses, the governmental measures imposed to stem the spread of Coronavirus are profoundly changing the way we purchase. Specifically, already in the first weeks of quarantine, online purchases of consumer goods (from packaged to fresh or frozen food, from drinks to household and personal care items) increased by 81%.

Beyond the current anomalous situation, the e-commerce area has already featured double-digit annual growth rates for a couple of years, ranging between 20% and 10%.

In more mature markets (USA, China etc ...), e-commerce now represents a channel of primary importance for the purchase of goods,

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Table 1. Segmentation of online product sales.

Billion euro reference values.

Representation Growth on previous year IT & electronics 29,3% +19% Clothing 18,2% +16% Furnishing & Lliving 9,4% +30% Food & Grocery 8,8% +42% Publishing 5,6% +8% Other goods 28,7% +21%

Table 2. Packaging mix. Values expressed in t.

Tons 2018 2019 Corrugated cardboard packaging 92% 240.000 293.000 Plastic bags 8% 18,2% +16%

reaching 20% of global purchases. In countries where this type of purchase is developing more slowly, as in Italy, although it only involves a small part (7%) of total purchases, growth rates are much higher than in the rest of the world.

The market and its dimensions Based on the analysis carried out by the Milan polytechnic in the publication “B2c e-commerce observatory”, in 2019 there were 318 million shipments in Italy relating to the B2c e-commerce of goods, resulting in a consequent number of parcels and packages that have crossed Italy with an increase of over 21% compared to 2018 (when a +16% had already been registered).

In 2019, the e-commerce related to the sale of Italian goods to Italian and foreign goods consumers only registered a turnover of €18.9 billion. The market is divided between different types of goods marketed, representing different portions of the total turnover.

Information technology and electronics are confirmed as the most dynamic department and represent 29.3% of the entire turnover of the sector, with a growth rate of +19% compared to 2018.

The clothing sector follows (18.2% of the total), which is constantly growing, in 2019 having

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reached +16%. Among the sectors that record the most significant growth rates, even if they move significantly lower volumes, we have Furniture & Home living with +30% compared to 2018 and Food & Grocery with + 42%: the two sectors respectively account for 9.4% and 8.8% of the total.

Publishing grew by 8% (5.6% of the total turnover of the sale and purchase of goods online) while “Other goods” listing grew by 21%. This last category includes products for personal care, home, toys, stationery, etc., all together representing 28.7% of the total.

As with any sector, foreign trade also exists for e-commerce. In 2019, exports of goods, understood as sales from Italian sites to foreign buyers, registered a value of 3 billion euros with a growth rate of +13% compared to 2018. The most representative sector in this area is clothing, followed by furniture.

As regards imports, the value relating to the purchase of goods by Italians from foreign sites is approximately 2.2 billion euros.

The packaging But what happens from the packaging point of view?

As far as primary packaging is concerned, nothing changes since, at the moment, the packaging in contact with the product remains the

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FA C T S E F I G U R E S

same, whether it is purchased in the store or purchased online.

What changes is the transport packaging, necessary for delivery.

In fact, if the goods purchased in the store are brought home in a biodegradable paper or plastic bag, when the goods are purchased online, they mainly reach their destination in a corrugated cardboard box or pouch, or in a plastic bag.

When the packaging is a cardboard box, it usually also has protective packaging inside, which assumes a fundamental importance to avoid damage and, ultimately, the return of the goods.

And if, until some time ago, the protective packaging was mainly represented by plastic bubble wrap films, plastic pouches, or expanded polystyrene chips, today it is almost always paper (sheets of wrapping paper, or corrugated cardboard production scraps), featuring the least possible waste of resources.

According to the Italian Packaging Institute database relating to the packaging sector in this area, 92% of orders are shipped in corrugated cardboard packaging: these are mainly boxes, but we also find rigid cardboard pouches used to send small packages, for example stationery or books.

In 2019, 293,000 tons of corrugated cardboard were used for boxes used to handle goods marketed via e-commerce, about 6% of the total corrugated cardboard produced in Italy. Indeed the recent uptrend (+2% per year from 2014 to 2019) was precisely driven by e-commerce.

The remaining 8% of the packaging used for online sales is attributable to low density polyethylene plastic bags.

Collection and recycling Obviously, the constant development of e-commerce not only affects the production of packaging necessary to handle the goods sold online, but also has repercussions downstream of the supply chain, in the management of their end of life, especially as regards corrugated cardboard.

According to Comieco (Consortium that deals with the recovery and recycling of paper and cardboard packaging) data, the growth trend of e-commerce in Italy is also evident from the increase associated with the increased imanagement of paper waste: + 500 thousand tons compared to 2014.

Comieco has activated a series of procedures along the entire supply chain to better manage this situation, both by equipping itself further on the collection front and at the industrial level in the treatment of waste paper and, therefore, in the production of new packaging with material derived from recycling (proof of this is the opening of new paper mills especially equipped for this type of production).

Furthermore, together with Netcom, Comieco has created a unique document entitled “Guidelines to be followed for the correct use of

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packaging in e-commerce”.

The aim of the project is to stimulate companies operating in the e-commerce sector and companies in the logistics chain, providing them with practical tools to better manage the environmental impact of packaging: eight key points are highlighted, which represent as many behaviors to be adopted to demonstrate one’s commitment to sustainability.

The document also contains a checklist, which allows companies to evaluate the correct application of the guidelines.

Even in e-commerce, packaging has a strategic communicative role towards those who consider all aspects of environmental sustainability important. According to a Netcom research, for 80% of Italian buyers on the web, in fact, an eco-sustainable packaging conveys the company’s attention to the environment.

But what are the main strengths of sustainable packaging? Being reusable, recyclable and renewable.

If we think that every “click” corresponds to a package to be disposed of, we realize the enormous amount of paper and cardboard to be managed and then exploited and valorised at the end of life in a circular economy perspective, through separate collection and recycling The paper supply chain is therefore being organized to face the challenges posed by the online shopping revolution: just think that in the analysis of the commodity sectors the item “e-commerce” has been introduced, a sector that offers interesting opportunities also to the Italian corrugated cardboard sector, with a market share that in 2018 stood at 2.2% (source Gifco, the Italian Corrugated Cardboard Manufacturers Group).

From food to cosmetics, some companies - including Fratelli Carli SpA, L’Erbolario, LoveThEsign, Profumerie Sabbioni, Westwing…

- enthusiastically joined the initiative and told their experience in terms of attention to sustainable packaging. The challenge for everyone is to identify the strengths on the one hand and the critical points on the other, in order to achieve ever better environmental performance.

Evolutionary hypotheses The growth prospects for the e-commerce area are very high, even in Italy and despite our “delays”.

The hypotheses speak of an average annual growth rate, for the next two years, close to +15%, which will positively influence all the types of packaging involved. It cannot be excluded that, in the future, specific packaging solutions for e-commerce can be designed, which bear different information to the packs used for the same goods but sold in the traditional way.

In this sense, technology will come to our aid with advanced packaging systems, “intelligent packaging” capable of monitoring and “reporting” information on the shelf-life of a product, on traceability or more.

Barbara Iascone Italian Packaging Institute

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INDUSTRY - Re-starting with packaging

An out-of-the-o Digitalization of machines, flexible and automated format change, remote management and control of production: these are the key aspects of the American consignment successfully accomplished by Ronchi Mario SpA. Stefano Lavorini

T

o achieve something “exceptional”, you always need to set your eye on an unattainable goal ... This seems to be the correct key to understanding the scope and value of the project completed by Ronchi Mario SpA for one of the most important American multinationals in the detergency and personal care sector.

It took the Gessate based company 3 years of work, the construction of a new factory and the hiring of a group of twenty-five people to fulfil a very particular order: that is, to create a series of orientation-, filling- capping and labeling lines for bottles, partly studied and designed by the customer themselves, and intended to “populate” a factory in the USA, built from scratch.

As Cesare and Gianmario Ronchi, owners of the company confirm to us in one voice «From the constructive point of view the work is finished and all the machines have been delivered and are in production. Both in terms of timing and functionality, we responded positively to what was established.

Only the last phase of the project needs to be completed, that is, the training of staff on site, entirely made up of new workers, not yet autonomous in managing production. For this purpose, starting from last year, we have transferred our people to the place».

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A remarkable result, which explains only in part how it is possible to have a customer who is not only satisfied, but that also intends to install the same type of packaging lines for liquid products in other factories ...

What were the conditions on which you built the American project?

This type of agreement is an example of what we call partnerships with the customer. It is evident that the latter put their faith us, but they certainly did not do so sight unseen. Our reputation as a leading player on the American market and the mutual knowledge built up over the years was decisive in guiding the choice. Before deciding whether to assign the order to us, there was, however, a preliminary study phase lasting more than a year and a half, during which the managers of the multinational company verified our way of working in the field.

For our company, accepting such an ambitious order has meant taking on a big commitment, both in organizational terms and in terms of research and technological development.

Even before receiving the final go-ahead from the customer, for example, we started building a new “Zero Emission” warehouse not far from the historic site, speeding up on the idea that it was in the air to increase our production capacity. We built a “green building” in record time, equipped with a photovoltaic system, rainwater recovery, heating system with heat pumps ...

But the most ambitious challenge was the technological one. In fact, we took on the construction of a new bottle unscrambler starting from an existing project, conceived and studied by the customer exclusively “on paper”.

As was foreseeable, the transition from design

to practical implementation required a considerable effort of implementation, development and improvement. During operations, numerous adjustments and modifications were necessary, as is normal for a contract of such complexity. And in this sense, our skills have made a difference.

The intellectual property of the machines (of which two versions exist) belongs to the customer, with whom we have worked in close collaboration, but as manufacturers, we are proud to have been able to proactively contribute to the evolution of the project.

On a technical level, what are the specific characteristics of the machines you have made?

The main feature of this new system, which starts from the unscrambler and arrives at the palletizer, passing through the filler/capper, the labeler, the case packer, and which uses bottles and caps and labels of various sizes and types, is flexibility, much higher than that of traditional lines.

The peculiar advantage offered by the project is the functionality of the format change, which can be carried out with extreme rapidity and

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Re-s t a r ting with packaging - I N D U S T RY

-ordinary wager frequency, practically automatically, with minimal manual interventions (potentially even null), both as regards the unscrambler of the bottles and the monobloc of filling and capping.

The first distinctive feature is closely connected with a second aspect that differentiates this system from other solutions: the digitalization of the machines, that is the possibility to manage and control the process remotely. For this purpose, an apparatus of digital cameras and sensors has been set up to detect, collect and transmit all the necessary information.

According to different needs, it is thus possible to set various customization options, which can be easily managed via the internet.

In a certain sense, then, can we speak of a “connected” system?

Yes. All this is made possible by the evolution of network infrastructures, which make the possibility of transmitting and exchanging data even remotely in real time effective. And the advent of 5G will bring further opportunities.

Especially in this technological area, the project represented for us a “gym”, which allowed us to acquire a not indifferent experience and know-how in dealing with this type of system,

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towards which many of our customers show a growing interest. . In essence, the demand is that of a machine that can be controlled remotely, with minimal human intervention and very flexible, especially with regard to format change. All this, of course, without compromising the levels of precision and quality of production.

In particular, what are the market reasons, and therefore of the distribution and production system, that justify the investment in this type of advanced functionality?

The most relevant phenomenon, in recent years, is the development of e-commerce at the expense of traditional large-scale distribution. The operators of the online commerce have organized themselves with centralized structures for the collection and sorting of products, which must be constantly supplied to respond promptly to requests that arrive via the web.

The diffusion of this model - which is also increasingly influencing the organization of large-scale distribution - has led to the diffusion of new procurement practices: reduced storage in the warehouse against smaller, frequent and diversified orders, to which producers of consumer goods must be able to respond, putting themselves in a position to produce in a much more streamlined and flexible way.

If once the production of a certain type of shampoo lasted at least two days, today there is talk of changing the product even every half hour.

For this reason, many brand owners now ex-

pect that human interventions are reduced and simplified to the maximum, and that machine operators do not need specific skills.

Is this type of “digital” value functionality required by all your customers?

The demand for systems of this type comes mainly from global companies, whose production is divided into different families of products and into various brands, which have extremely variable targets and market volumes.

Furthermore, the most current marketing strategies, to which the multinationals are certainly not extraneous, are based on extreme customisation.

For companies of this size, flexibility is however an imperative not only in function of the new distribution models, but also because of the need to meet specific geographical and cultural needs, in terms of formulation and packaging.

Finally, there is one last aspect to consider: if in the Western world, such as Europe and America, multinationals tend to organize production in large factories dedicated to specific families of products, which are then distributed fairly easily in the territory; in other areas such as China or India, this model works poorly, due to the considerable distances and, often, the inadequacy of the infrastructures. To effectively reach these emerging markets, it therefore appears more advantageous to relocate smaller factories on the spot, but capable of producing very diversified productions.

If a market leader buys from you there must be a reason ... But does this logic also attract a smaller clientele, which moves in the wake of the bigger ones?

Customers know us because they know that we are able to offer excellent solutions for different needs: from technologically more advanced digital systems to traditional mechanical ones, more suitable for medium-small production companies.

Our strong vocation for innovation, which for many is an added value, goes hand in hand with a credibility gained in the field in 54 years of activity, during which we have always shown that we know how to offer the best solutions for the most diverse applications. .

And soon ... we will present further innovations, including a modular robotic line, capable of automatically performing all the reordering, filling and capping operations, offering the maximum in terms of operational flexibility and production volumes.

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INDUSTRY - Re-starting with packaging

RE-STARTING Let’s start again from ... 2*. The start of the fateful and longed for “Phase 2” in Italy has foreseen a generalized recovery of production and commercial activities. The national (and international) packaging industry has never actually closed the doors of its factories, but has indeed responded with determination to the requests of the community, asserting its strategic value on the field in times of the Covid-19 emergency. Data and facts from the real world, amidst difficulties and signs of encouragement.

By the editorial staff

F

or a few months, the world has ceased its headlong rush ... We listen to the silence of the cities, mourn the misfortunes of many and the failures of all too many, to trace out the boundaries of a future not free of tension and uncertainties...

Hence the worldwide Corona virus health emergency would therefore seem to have torn apart the social and economic framework, painstakingly built over years of relative well-being in different parts of the globe, requiring the redesign of the rules of peaceful cohabitation.

Will we be able to get back on track? The question is a must and the answer must necessarily be “yes”, regardless of the time it takes.

* A quotation freely inspired by an Italian film of some years back ... “Let’s start again from 3” said the dreamer Massimo Troisi to a pragmatic Lello Arena.

Each to their own By narrowing the field of observation to the industrial forces of the packaging supply chain, as reporters we have closely followed the reactions of many companies that, fielding specific skills and resources , have been at the forefront in providing the right support to FMCG producers, food and pharmaceuticals first of all (fully documented on our websites packmedia.net and italiaimballaggio.net).

Of these companies, we want to underline the speed of reaction in managing the complexity of the moment, with the aim of also safeguarding, together with production continuity, our own human capital and more generally public health: reconversion of existing plants to create and package protective devices, donations of various sizes and in various forms, support

“Troisi: What has been has been ... enough, I start from three ...

Arena: From scratch you mean!...

“Troisi: Eh? ...

Arena: From scratch: I start from scratch.

“Troisi: No sir, I start from ... ie ... I managed to succeed in three things in life, why should I also jettison them? Why should I start from scratch? I want to start from three! “

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Maurizio Nannucci (2003), Garden of the Guggenheim’s Museo in Venice

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for workers and territories, creating new and effective ways of communicating with the market or remote assistance to customers via previous investments in digitization…

And this is an attitude that has united machine and packaging materials manufactur-

ers, a mode of doing business that continues to look ahead.

Those who falter are lost That packaging companies can - and must continue to drive our country system, was also clearly stated by Nomisma in the recent “Controvento” [countertrend] research, illustrated via webinar to over 600 operators on 7 May. • Under observation 71,115 companies, which represent 14% of the Italian manufacturing sector and which in 2018 expressed revenues of 741.3 Bln (70% of the sector) giving work to 2.3 million employees (66% of the sector), with an added value of € 178 billion (around 10% of Italian GDP).

• After identifying some structural factors that guarantee a greater propensity for competitiveness (i.e. geographical location and company size) and defining the performance criteria with respect to the main economic and financial variables (revenues, EBITDA, added value ...), There are 4,829 so-called Contravento

[countertrend] companies, those that perform better in practice.

Packaging and pharmaceutical companies also feature among the “winning sectors” of this ranking.

• We read in the research that «... In particular in packaging, the concerns that feature as Controvento companies, are among the more-structured, larger ones, those with over 500 employees, while things do not look so good for the medium and small concerns. In the pharmaceutical sector, however, the size class does not appear to discriminate in ensuring greater relative competitiveness within the sector itself».

• The generation and accumulation of a liquidity buffer and the maintenance of a solid financial and capital structure also become essential in facing any downturn situation , such as for example the current COVID-19 emergency. In this sense, the cash equivalents generated and also maintained for sudden financial needs have become the key to the survival of companies (these aspects were analyzed by Crif-

è

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INDUSTRY - Re-starting with packaging

Rating in a study presented during the Nomisma webinar).

• Therefore, the question Lucio Poma, Nomisma’s Scientific Director of Industry and Innovation, is not rhetorical about the importance of the “Controvento” analysis at a time when the country has to face the Corona Virus emergency «as it becomes more than ever essential that the group of companies driving the country don’t lose too much momentum. If this leading group were to lose ground significantly, the damage would be incalculable».

Automatic machines: let’s face reality The survey carried out between March and April 2020 by MECS, UCIMA market analysis company (and presented at the same time as Controvento) shows the substantial stability of the “packaging” sector, without, however, obviously underestimating the unknowns posed by the emergency.

The significant participation of companies in the survey here enables one to draw a reliable picture of the situation, providing important indications both in relation to the first quarter and with respect to the forecasts for the whole of 2020.

• In the light of the data collected from 165 packaging machines and systems manufacturers, Luca Baraldi (MECS-Confindustria Ucima study center) enters into the merits of

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the analysis (of which we give a summary), and recalls that, globally in 2019, the the sector has developed a turnover of around 45.5 billion Euros (CAGR of 5.2% between 2015 and 2019).

In this context, with the 8 billion turnover recorded in 2019, Italy has maintained the leading position of the ranking, overtaking its German competitors.

• During the emergency, Italian packaging companies never stopped production: only 4 out of 100 did so, while 1 out of 5 declared a slowdown in commercial and after-sales activities, without ever interrupting production.

• All of them have introduced safeguard measures for their employees: smart working, holidays, diversified shifts and access to social safety nets have “impacted” on business productivity for 9 out of 10 companies.

• The problems related to subcontracting have caused slowdowns for 8 out of 10 companies although, in most cases, the packaging companies have supported their historical suppliers, as a heritage to be safeguarded. 1 out of 10 companies have been forced to change supplier.

• From the beginning of the emergency to the beginning of May, only 1 out of eight companies (12.9%) reported some signs of increased demand (especially from the food, pharmaceu-

tical and chemical sectors); overall, 80% of the sample estimates a sharp drop in production, turnover and orders, with a contraction of more than 25% for half of the companies and more than 50% for a significant share of companies (14.2% of the turnover , 24.1% on orders); • The negative forecasts for the whole of 2020 are corroborated: 86.7% of companies estimate that the impact of the emergency will result in a drop in turnover and for 50% of the sample it will be a heavy drop.

The only sector for which signs of improvement are visible is the pharmaceutical sector, where expectations of stable or growing results (63.6%) exceed those of worsening (36.4%).

Summing up Summing up, it seems to us correct to underline that the overall picture presented is in all probability affected by the emotions of people called to express themselves in an exceptional moment in terms of unpredictability and scope.

Already, after a month, we are in fact collecting different signals that partially mitigate what emerged from the Ucima survey. Thus, in the following pages, we present some case histories that open up new perspectives.

For our part, we thank those who have accepted our invitation to tell about their industrial and human experience, sharing emotions and future strategies.

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Protection of people and continuity of services Aliplast’s double challenge in emergency management.

Carlo Andriolo, Aliplast SpA CEO (Hera Group) transforms plastic waste to make it become a resource by managing the integrated cycle in a sustainable way.

The health emergency that has hit the country represents a double challenge for Aliplast, a Hera Group company and primary reality in European plastic recycling.

In fact, it was necessary to combine the primary need to guarantee the health of employees with that of continuing to carry out strictly necessary services on a daily basis, which cannot be interrupted.

These are services aimed both at the community, such as the recovery of plastic from segregated collection to give it new life, as well as the production sector, such as the manufacture of articles in plastic materials which are also fundamental for the food sector, also at the forefront of this emergency.

The range of initiatives undertaken, and still active, for the protection and safety of personnel has been wide and articulated.

Since the beginning of the emergency, Aliplast has put into practice the directives, recommendations and prescriptions provided by the Hera Group for all companies and territories; in particular, the use of safety devices, the sanitization of all company areas and systems, the displacement of work shifts to minimize contacts between the members of the operating teams, repeated information and awareness activities for staff on behavior correct to be adopted during the performance of one’s job to operate safely avoiding any risk of contagion.

In addition to the adoption of measures and actions to protect multiutility workers, not least the COVID-19 insurance coverage policy for all employees who are infected with the virus, Aliplast has developed an extraordinary remote working plan, organizing a large staff turnover to lighten the presence in the offices as much as possible.

The situation is still evolving and, for this reason, in the Hera Group there are working groups that meet constantly to follow the evolution of the emergency and consequently adapt in parallel, day by day, the organization of work and services to continue to guarantee, in maximum safety for all, an indispensable service for citizens and businesses.

Autonomous and verticalized in all phases of the supply chain Guaranteed and safe production, with satisfaction Marco Torta, Arcoplastica (Andezeno, TO), a leading company in the sector of thermoformed and extruded plastic materials.

«We have never stopped business, to ensure the operational continuity of our customers, almost all engaged in the food sector, and aware of the responsibility to keep the supply chain active» comments Marco Torta, who summarizes what has been done in the company.

«Fortunately we were able to find facemasks and sanitizing gel already in early March, which allowed us to immediately implement the distance between the workers and comply with the indications, which were then incorporated into the various DCPMs. In addition to producing in compliance with the rules, we therefore immediately guaranteed the health of our employees, for whom we have also activated insurance. We are also studying a bonus to be paid in welfare to the workers who supported us in the period of March-April, allowing us not to stop the plants.

For the moment, we have not had the need to activate social safety nets, but instead we have, where possible, resorted to smart working, involving in particular the commercial, accounting and administration sectors (approximately 70% of the staff).

Whenever possible, however, we expect a gradual return to normal business hours: in fact we believe that, for our reality, the “traditional” form of work is more efficient and effective.

Also in relation to finding the raw material, we reacted promptly from the first signs of the emergency: also in March we decided to acquire massive materials, mostly from abroad, which guaranteed us full operation».

The choices and technological investments undertaken in the past prove useful to face the situation. Torta is convinced of this, specifying: «The company choice to be as “autonomous” and verticalized in all phases of the supply chain has allowed us not to suffer delays and not be penalized too much in this difficult period. We have three extruders with which we internally produce PET-PP-PS-PLA and 19 thermoforming lines, with which we convert the finished product starting from the material made with our extruders. All equipment is new and avant-garde, in line with the “philosophy” I4.0: and this made it possible to solve some problems very quickly (by means of remote diagnostics), avoiding the movement of technicians, even so impossible in this moment in time.

Although it is still difficult to make an objective assessment of the trend of these months, Torta expresses a cautious optimism: «Certainly, we recorded a significant drop in sales in the technical sector, but it is realistic to think that it was due to the serious difficulties of the entire sector rather than to a loss of Arcoplastica’s market share.

Fortunately, the technical sector affects only about 10% of the company’s turnover, while the remaining 90% is linked to the food chain, where the losses have been more contained. This being the case, we will probably not be able to match the 2019 turnover, yet we consider ourselves lucky, because we operate in a sector that has not stopped. And then, we can look to the future with greater faith, triggered by the awareness that the perception of plastic packaging has been completely re-evaluated, going from a “demonized” article to a hygienic, light and safe means, which has allowed us not to stop the chain of food supplies in the most tragic period of the pandemic». è

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Farsighted and therefore prepared Capsulit vs. COVID-19 Gianluca Rossi, Capsulit Spa (Roncello, MB), manufacturer of safety capsules for the pharmaceutical industry.

Capsulit carried out a pandemic risk assessment as early as spring 2009, during the spread of the influenza virus AH1N1v (swine flu). «On that occasion - explains Gianluca Rossi - we elaborated a plan with the aim of limiting the contagion of the employees and being able to guarantee the deliveries of the products to the pharmaceutical companies, even in a critical period.

This plan, updated and revised periodically in the following years, was put in place even before the Italian government declared the recent lockdown, with the adoption of all the necessary countermeasures».

In addition to the effort to quickly obtain PPE and disinfectant liquids - despite the known contingent difficulties - and to have followed all the prevention protocols established by the Government, Capsulit has organized training and training meetings for all staff, where possible activating smartworking for some business functions.

Committed to the pharmaceutical market, hence Capsulit and its subsidiaries Giglioli and Capsulit Iberica, never stopped production, allowing pharmaceutical laboratories and multinationals to pack essential, life-saving medicines during the health emergency.

Recognized by numerous customers as a “strategic supplier”, in

compliance with the protocols, it has always been fully operational “which - specifies Rossi - has also allowed us to not have to resort to any social safety nets.

In this regard, we want to express maximum gratitude to our employees who, in such a difficult moment, understood the importance of their work, demonstrating seriousness, commitment and availability, guaranteeing the continuity of production».

«If any problems have arisen in relation to the procurement of raw materials, we have nevertheless managed it thanks to the stocks supplied in a timely manner according to the provisions of the pandemic plan. And in any case, the majority of suppliers with whom we have consolidated partnerships for years have responded very well to our requests.

From the turnover point of view, in addition to the positive effect of some projects started even before the emergency, we record a demand of the Pharma companies in significant increase: on the one hand, the requests are oriented by the contingent need to package life-saving drugs, on the other we see the will of the big pharma to not be understocked and run the risk of not being able to distribute the necessary products. In fact, the Covid-19 emergency leads us to predict an incremental growth trend in our business».

The Capsulit group invests a large part of its turnover in technological innovation, which has certainly played a decisive role in these months, where «for example, some supplies delivered in record time have found justification in the elasticity of the service that we are able to offer the market».

What about the future? Difficult to make predictions, «also because - concludes Rossi - much will depend on how good we will be at keeping at a distance and the protocols laid down to avoid the further spread of the virus».

Navigate and stem the perfect storm Essential, proactive, communicative and digitized Marco Parretti, CEO of Etipack (Cinisello Balsamo, MI), production of coding and labeling systems «More than “starting up again”, Etipack has been of the idea carrying on sailing to stem the perfect storm »Marco Parretti begins, reiterating that “starting up again” is a label that we do not feel we can apply to our situation, since we have never actually stopped and indeed, in this negative experience from different points of view, we are pleased to be able to highlight some positive and unexpected aspects in our reaction to the emergency.

Our being immediately listed among the categories of producers of essential goods, in addition to giving us continuity, has allowed us to better follow the numerous customers who operate in critical sectors such as food and pharmaceuticals.

Smart working, which allowed us to continue working by reorganizing the workstations in the best possible spaces, in full compliance with health and safety requirements, was a positive experience, which we will certainly integrate in the

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future as a stable alternative for improve working well-being.

As far as the performance of the business is concerned, we believe we are among the least affected industrial concerns since we have been able to count on the one hand, on a clientele consolidated in the essential supply chains that has not suspended operations, on the other on our international network of distributors and builders, which allowed us to continue operating in the areas least affected by the pandemic.

Furthermore, our sales and after-sales networks, widespread and independent, and the technical assistance service entrusted to distributors in the various countries, have allowed us to keep our support to our customers active».

«The surprise - continues Parretti - was instead the enormous possibility offered by digital. The strong acceleration towards the adoption of digital tools and processes has simplified some procedures, leading us to find new solutions. It also gave us the opportunity, thanks also to the cancellation of the fairs, to enhance our communication and presence on digital channels to maintain contact and faith with all our stakeholders.

To continue the fight against the spread of the virus, we have drawn up a very detailed containment plan, also signed by the union representatives, which we have shared and made available for consultation on our website».

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Action and reaction Always close to employees and customers Gabriele Gnudi, GB Gnudi Bruno SpA (Bologna), sale and assistance of machines for the chemical-pharmaceutical, food, confectionery, cosmetic, paper and various sectors.

The history of GB Gnudi Bruno SpA has distant roots: founded by Bruno Gnudi in 1965, it has witnessed decades of Italian social and economic history, overcoming “dark” periods and increasingly consolidating its position in the sale and assistance of CAM brand packaging machines.

With sincerity, Gabriele Gnudi today admits: «We were not prepared, like everyone else, to face a world pandemic that, until a few weeks before, could only be credible in science fiction films: in a new context our history and our experience had little to teach us.

But after a very first and understandable moment of loss, we gave ourselves two priorities: maintain productivity and supervise the relationship with employees».

«As for our activities, fortunately we have never had significant blocks: our customers, mostly pharmaceutical companies, have never stopped production, with the consequent need for comple-

tion, updating or assistance of their lines. We initially reduced the trips of the technicians, but the deliveries in progress did not suffer significant delays and the after-sales assistance activity continued as usual. Only a small minority of subcontractors - Gnudi points out - had to stop the activity, right at the beginning of the pandemic, delaying deliveries».

At the time of writing, the company does not believe it has lost market shares in the first quarter of the year, despite recording a decrease of around 10% in turnover. «Authorized to work as part of the pharmaceutical supply chain, we have always remained active without resorting to social safety nets and rather encouraging the use of residual holidays.

However, wanting to guarantee the greatest possible peace of mind for our collaborators, we have, like many others, “improvised” remote work which has proved, even to our surprise, an effective and highly appreciated method by employees, having also taken care to strengthen the moments of meeting, albeit virtual, to maintain a high communication exchange and a sense of belonging.

To date we are continuing in a “mixed” way and, in the future, we will try to preserve some of the advantages experienced. Finally concludes Gnudi - we joined the control program encouraged by the Emilia Romagna Region, subjecting all employees to a first serological test, which will be repeated three-weekly always on a voluntary basis».

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YOUR SLEEVE SPECIALIST www.finpac.it - info@finpac.it

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via IV Novembre, 54 - 20019 Settimo Milanese (MI) - tel. +39 02 89 77 55 24

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Plastics gets its own back Well-managed stocks, upgraded plants, fast responses Financial statements and perspectives from IGC Patrizia and Maura Tuzza, IGC Srl (Busto Garolfo, MI), pioneers in the production of heat-sealed single-dose sachets.

Patrizia and Maura Tuzza agree in recounting their experience at IGC in times of Corona Virus.

«During these months of the Covid-19 emergency our company has never closed its doors.

We rigorously applied national prevention protocols, used smart working where possible and introduced incentives for our employees, who continued to work with great commitment and responsibility. We managed not to be found unprepared, both thanks to the strengthening of some production lines carried out in the previous months, and due to a careful management of supplies».

The only drawback, note the Tuzza sisters, the forced postponement of the installation of a new plant at the end of the year. Overall, also thanks to the ability to respond quickly to new customer requests, IGC has not undergone a significant contraction in orders and turnover.

«Indeed, we have seen an increase in sanitizers and oil and vinegar sachets for intended for catering, sectors that have had to adapt quickly to the logic of the single-dose, which is more than ever suited to the strict sanitary rules imposed by the pandemic.

Our forecast is that of a 10% drop in turnover at the end of the year, mainly due to the contraction of orders from customers who do not work for large-scale distribution. But it is only an estimate, because the situation is constantly evolving and we need to verify the end users’ purchasing propensity.

Hence our IGC strategy does not change, on the contrary it has been strengthened by what has happened in recent months. «We believe more and more in the thousand possibilities of using the heat-sealed sachet, also as an alternative to the plastic bottle. And we will continue to suggest environmentally friendly solutions to customers who are more attentive to sustainability issues. Because even if the world of heat-sealed sachets will also no longer be as it was before, we need to make sure that it is greener».

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Guaranteed and sustainable productivity, even in smartworking Paola Centonze, Marketing & Communication Manager ITP - Industria Termoplastica Pavese (Bosnasco, PV), manufacturer of flexible packaging Converter of flexible packaging intended mainly for the food sector, ITP has never stopped the plants because, according to Ateco codes, it was immediately included among the essential activities.

«We have therefore not activated social safety nets, but - explains Paola Centonze - we have subscribed to an additional health policy and rewarded out employees in recognition of their commitment.

From the management point of view, then, the streamlining of the bureaucratic rules regarding smartworking has shown that, without major impedences and obstacles at regulatory level, companies are able to adapt quickly and successfully to changing needs. Even those who resorted to smartworking immediately demonstrated their ability to adapt to new ways of working and communicating. And they did it with a sense of responsibility. The benefits, in this sense, exist both for the company and for the workers, but I would also add for the environment, thanks to the reduction of travel: so I don’t see why we should deprive ourselves of an instrument that is now in step with the times ... provided that the State is not anxious to over-regulate it, curtailing the benefit, but rather incentivating it».

In addition to having complied with the national anti-Covid prevention protocols, ITP has provided for the daily sanitization of the work environments, has redeveloped meeting rooms transforming them

into additional refreshment areas/workstations and has established a direct line with medical specialists listening and support.

Centonze also states: «Given that the supply chain has guaranteed operational continuity, even our initial fears about possible difficulties in procuring materials and transport immediately vanished. This is demonstrated by the fact that, especially at the beginning of the emergency, we have faced many requests, which fortunately we managed to fulfil in a very short time.

Then when the prolongation of the state of confinement forced us to eat meals at home, and the home delivery service became increasingly popular, the purchase of food (packaged, of course) became a priority. And as never before, consumers have understood the importance of hygiene and the value of food safety guaranteed by packaging.

«If therefore, we can imagine a “positive” impact of the health emergency on the business - adds Centonze - we must however take into account the costs of the extraordinary measures put in place by the companies ... We will see how and if they will weigh on the budget. At the same time, the impossibility of completing development projects with customers has oriented our efforts on production and immediate delivery, aiming for maximum efficiency.

In this we have been facilitated by the investments made previously: the diversification of the offer that we have put in place since the 1980s, investments in R&D and technologies have proved successful choices.

The same can be said about the growth of some figures, such as the Protection and Prevention Service Head and the KPO, who proved to be of extraordinary support during the emergency».

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Proceeding well, with the necessary precautions and warehouses always stocked And 2020 will still be strategic, thanks to technological innovations

procedures, which allow us to have a constantly stocked warehouse available to respond promptly to all customer requests.

Angelo Maggi, Administrator of ULMEX Italia (Padua, PD), supplier of technical components, consumables, equipment, spare parts and services for the world of flexo and gravure quality packaging printing.

Of course, we too have experienced a drop in orders in recent months which will also partly reflect the turnover for the year, mainly linked to the fact that some customers, not coming under what were considered essential services, had to stop production.

However, this is a relatively contained decrease, as ULMEX operates in diversified markets, some of which have always continued to operate. Furthermore, the investments made in recent years to strengthen the presence on the Italian and international market, thanks to partnerships with the best brands, have proven extremely important in recent months.

During the weeks of health emergency, ULMEX has never stopped its activity, guaranteeing the continuity of its service and in particular the supply of consumables and technical assistance to all those customers who, operating in the food, pharmaceutical and newspaper printing sectors have never stopped their work.

All in full compliance with government regulations regarding social security and distancing, ensuring maximum commitment to reducing risks. A part of ULMEX employees has operated and continues to operate in smart working: a procedure which had already been introduced for some time for the commercial forces, which in this way can manage their activities in the areas of competence with maximum flexibility, working by objectives.

For those who remained in the company, we have reorganized the work shifts so as not to create gatherings and ensure compliance with safety distances.

At an operational level, we found some inevitable delays in deliveries by suppliers, which suffered a forced stop of activities.

However the inconvenience was minimal. This is thanks to our regular raw material and component procurement and storage

No stop to maintenance Working on the territory, in the sign of continuity Stefano Paolucci, Nimax Marketing Manager (Bologna), coding and marking systems, inspection and control, labeling Nimax has normally continued its business, thanks to the hundreds of customers belonging to the agri-food and pharmaceutical supply chain, today more than ever essential for our country and who have never been able to interrupt their activities.

«For this - Stefano Paolucci explains - we have decided to remain open to guarantee them all the necessary assistance, paying the utmost attention to the health indications provided by the competent authorities to face this health emergency, guaranteeing the health of our employees, our customers and therefore of the community».

Nimax has therefore adhered to the protocol prescribed in the instructions of the Ministry of Health. «We have facilitated smart working for as

Customer faith and interest in the products and solutions proposed by ULMEX has never faded, guaranteeing constant growth over time in terms of orders and supply contracts stipulated.

If 2019 was a particularly positive year for ULMEX, 2020 too, despite all the difficulties and uncertainties related to the health emergency, will be particularly strategic for us, with important innovations also in the technological field. Our goal is to internationalize services and commercial activities. For this reason we are working on the launch of new proprietary technologies and latest generation solutions that allow our customers to further improve their print quality. With this in mind, we already look positively towards drupa 2021, which will be an important international showcase for us for the presentation of these technological innovations.

many people as possible to avoid crowding in our offices; our technical team has been equipped with masks and gloves, as well as anyone of us who comes into contact with people outside the company; we periodically sanitize our workplaces and to all the people who still carry out their duties in the office we have distributed sanitizing gels ...

It goes without saying, lastly, that there is a 15day preventive stay at home for those with mild flu symptoms or who have entered contact with people passing through the red areas».

All these procedures have allowed Nimax to support its customers: although, where possible, remote telephone assistance has been privileged, all repairs and maintenance at the production plants have not been interrupted.

«As for the sending of spare parts and consumables or new equipment - Paolucci continues - in consideration of the fact that many operators in the logistics sector have reduced the terms of service and / or the territories served, Nimax has made efforts to ensure that all customers receive the materials they needed as quickly as possible, in order to continue their activities without interruption». è

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INDUSTRY - Re-starting with packaging

The future that awaits us You can also learn from an emergency Mattia Dall’Armellina, Sales Department Laborplast (Busto Arsizio, VA), regeneration of rigid PVC, used in the production of compounds, by extrusion and injection molding, and of cores for coils.

The lockdown imposed for the containment of the COVID-19 epidemic has had a huge impact on the economic and social fabric of our country.

Like many companies in this period, Laborplast has faced major changes in order to be able to continue its business, while ensuring the necessary safety for all its employees.

Before the obligations deriving from national regulations, distancin, risk training, supply of PPE, sanitization and safety measures were activated in all departments. The use of smart working has been implemented for all areas not related to the production sector, and a health insurance policy has been activated to support the possible risks deriving from COVID-19.

«The management of this change - Mattia Dall’Armellina points out - has not only involved a passive response to events, but has

also been a test bench for evaluating projects and investments undertaken over the years and a strong incentive to devise new strategies to apply in a scenario highly destabilized by the epidemic».

Laborplast had the opportunity to continue working also thanks to the choices made over the past few years: alongside the PVC cores for packaging, which have been fundamental to support the production of the food and pharmaceutical sectors, the production of rigid PVC granules and the new range of technical semi-finished products, have allowed us to face this crisis on different fronts.

«We are aware - concludes the manager - that the economic repercussions will certainly be felt during 2020, but the possibility of facing this phase has allowed us to accelerate many of the ongoing projects and to create new ones, such as the search for new materials for our souls for winding or strengthening the green footprint of our regenerated PVC, through the study of the product life cycle and obtaining environmental certifications.

All these new projects will also be carried out thanks to the new plant, which will become operational at the end of 2020, demonstrating how it is necessary to focus on the development of new roads especially in the most difficult periods».

Plan, manage, optimize, digitize Smart working and distance learning are doing well, hoping for a “V-shaped crisis” Antonella Rioso, Marketing Communications Pilz Italia Srl (Lentate Sul Seveso, MB), global supplier of vertical automation solutions for security and control systems.

Functional to the chain of essential activities, Pilz also did not stop its activities during the lockdown. Thanks to the solid and little “leverised” capital structure, it has not activated social harmonizers for the moment. «We are aware of the fact that - intervenes Antonella Rioso the explosion of the Coronavirus has entailed and will have serious consequences for everyone, including Pilz.

However, in a context of high economic and financial unpredictability, we have organized ourselves to ensure effective monitoring of the planning, budgeting and reporting processes, leveraging above all on the optimization of cash flow and investments, favoring those in digital technologies» .

Moreover, the IT structure of Pilz immediately proved to be extremely advanced

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and well thought out even in dealing with personnel management during the pandemic: «The first problem faced was in fact to manage the concerns and difficulties experienced by the employees, some of whom come from the” red areas “. However, taking advantage of our IT structure, we can say that we have hit the accelerator in adopting smart working programs, even if we do not know if it will be a permanent measure. I would also like to emphasize the rapid adoption and dissemination of digitized training services. When the virus leaves us and we can go back to work with more peace of mind, the experience acquired in the field of smart working and distance learning will allow us greater efficiency in work and in the services to our customers».

Reassuring news also on the “supplies” front, although the closure of the Chinese factories at the beginning of the pandemic triggered understandable alarm bells. «Pilz has suppliers operating in different areas of the world; and then, on the strength of past experience with the 2008-2009 crisis, we have long since identified alternative sources for at least the most critical components,

which has allowed us to face the new emergency without too many jolts in the delivery times of our products».

But what is the estimated impact of the Coronavirus emergency on production, turnover and orders? «Pilz expects a 12% drop in turnover and orders in Italy in the first half of the year, while in 2020 by 6%, but only if the health crisis stops by June. And we sincerely hope that this is a “V” crisis, as already happened in 2008-2009, when companies, especially the automation sector, were able to recover quickly within a year and a half. However, we do not believe we have lost market shares; indeed, thanks to our innovative spirit, we have continued to satisfy our client companies’ thirst for innovation, typical of times of crisis, necessary to survive and maintain high competitiveness. The choices and technological investments undertaken in the past, as well as the convinced adherence to the themes of Industry 4.0, has meant that Pilz has transferred the concepts of innovation not only to its products but also to the production sites; and it is precisely thanks to the extreme digitalization of the processes that we believe we have the right flexibility to face the difficult times that lie ahead».

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INDUSTRY - Re-starting with packaging

Readily available materials and services Attention to workers, the market and the environment: having valorised a common skill base, we are moving towards stability.

Davide Morten, Sales and Marketing Director Robatech Italia (Cesena, FC), green technologies for bonding.

As usual, Davide Morten goes straight to the point. «Robatech’s activity has never stopped: in fact, we have continued to provide our customers with both materials and services, thanks to a “smart” organization and the availability of our team. We made partial use of the tools arranged by the authorities, trying to balance the load between the collaborators and minimize the inconvenience. Of course, the company has always anticipated the payment of remuneration to its collaborators.

For some time I have considered Robatech a smart company continues the manager - and our habit of dematerialising documents and automating procedures has allowed us to ferry activities to smart working mode quickly and easily. The professional scenario for all of us has therefore changed, in many cases definitively: for this reason we are further implementing our infrastructures and processes towards an even smarter and greener way of working. On the other hand, our natural predisposition to work in an agile and ecological way has been fundamental to allow us to maintain the levels of service that Robatech’s customers have come to expect».

After having equipped all our co-workers with every tool imaginable useful to combat the spread of the virus, in Robatech an additional special insurance was immediately activated, aimed at covering the possible medical and social costs due to a possible, undesired contagion.

«Fortunately nobody has needed it, but we are still convinced that it was a sensible investment by a company very attentive to the well-being and health of its staff. We have also started a survey, to determine the level of well-being perceived as a function of working in an agile way, the results of which are being studied to implement further investments and operational reorganizations».

Robatech is a multinational company whose supply chain is spread over several continents. «It was therefore inevitable to face some logistical difficulties, due more to transport problems than to the supply of the goods. Fortunately, thanks to optimized warehouse management and interconnection between branches, we can say with certainty that we have minimized the negative consequences for customers. In all probability, also due to this - Morten continues, crossing his fingers - the perception that the Coronavirus emergency impact on production, turnover and orders is lower than the worst expectations: we are in fact only 10% below our budget, with a fairly stable forecast towards the end of the year. It goes without saying that any forecast, in this period and with the present scenario, is difficult and presents a high risk of inaccuracy. However, in the first quarter of 2020 we did not lose market shares; our drop in turnover, which was contained compared to a much more severe context of general contraction, leads us to think that we have even improved our position on the market compared to many competitors.

The 2020 forecast, revalued on the basis of the data currently available, positions our turnover volumes at around -10% compared to the previous year».

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The new normal: rethink and improve yourself Team pride, guaranteed supplies

Neni Rossini, President of SIT Group SpA (Faetano, Republic of San Marino), flexible packaging solutions that are technologically advanced, safe and designed to limit environmental impact to the maximum.

«Those who know us know that in general we are optimistic - says Neni Rossini - and even in this serious situation we have managed to see opportunities, in particular the possibility of rethinking the way we work, to improve it.

During the pandemic, the most important result was being able to guarantee supplies to customers in the food supply chain: therefore, not only did we not lose turnover but, despite the difficulties, we safeguarded the continuity of production and the reliability of deliveries, proving to be a more than reliable partner... counting on the fact that this will also be recognized in the future».

The emergency period that involved the whole world had undoubted repercussions and a heavy impact on all businesses, both for the unpredictability and extent of the events and for the speed with which they followed one another. «But - explains Rossini - since SIT Group is part of one of the essential supply chains, the food supply chain, we have been able to operate in all our factories and we have done so by introducing, since February, the rigorous measures to contain the risk of contagion, which have allowed us to go on safeguarding everyone’s health, by far the most precious asset and the fundamental value that has always guided our choices».

Smart working has been activated for almost all office activities, however in production this was obviously not possible and the people involved «have seriously done their duty», scrupulously respecting the new procedures, with a sense of responsibility and proud to know that the availability of food in supermarkets (one of the few certainties left, if not the only one) was also partly thanks to them. It seems to us that this difficult situation has made the awareness of the social role of the company and, with it, the pride of being part of a team emerge stronger than ever».

But what can we expect today with the start of the so-called “phase two”? «I believe - Rossini reiterates - that we will have to adapt to living no longer an “extemporaneous” emergency, with a beginning and an end, but a new reality or better, a new normalcy, which imposes severe changes ... in habits and behavior, in work procedures and operating procedures, even in human relations. On the other hand, it is precisely in the most critical moments that creativity and the ability to question the routine and habits acquired in a personal comfort zone can be best expressed. In this sense, countering the fear and uncertainty of the beginnings, initiative, the desire to adapt and tenacity must prevail».

We feel that even the people who continued to “run” the machines are proud, thinking about how precious their contribution has been in not making Italians miss an essential goods item like food: it has been a beautiful and highly engaging experience.

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Re-s t a r ting with packaging - I N D U S T RY

Opportunities arising from skills and knowhow Good prospects for closing the year Volpak (Coesia company), headquartered in Barcelona (E) designs and markets automatic machines for packaging in flexible pouch bags.

During the lockdown period, Volpak operated in compliance with the provisions of the Spanish government: as the company works in the sectors of primary necessity, it has kept production active, but immediately adopted strict safety measures.

The protocols for accessing Volpak currently involve measuring body temperature, washing hands, using gloves and masks and maintaining a distance of at least 2 meters between one person and another. The work areas are also constantly disinfected by certified companies.

Smart working has been privileged wherever possible. Even before the Covid-19 emergency, the company favored remote forms of work and the crisis triggered by the pandemic consolidated this trend. At present it is difficult to predict how the situation will evolve in the long run, but it is plausible to think that remote work will be privileged wherever possible.

Indeed, the crisis has not impacted production but, on the contrary, has brought new opportunities. Volpak is in fact traditionally linked to the various categories of the Food and Personal Care sector, with specific expertise in the field of disinfectant wipes. In recent months, all these sectors have seen considerable growth, both through the organized distribution channel and in the e-commerce sector. This has led to a great demand for machines and systems for processing and packaging. The period of crisis has also seen a great deal of commercial work, to consolidate the relationship with historical customers and at the same time develop links with new realities. All this combined with the traditional technological vocation of the company. Volpak has always focused on research and development and on the flexibility of its solutions. Its portfolio of machines is wide and diversified, offering the possibility of effectively serving various needs, both in terms of types of packaging and production performance. All this has enabled the providing effective answers to market requests which, especially in times like these, are constantly evolving.

Today, the company has 47% more orders than the corresponding period in 2019, with good prospects for the closure of the current year and for 2021.

Tubes big and small in total safety Work creates sociality, companies invest but… what about the incentives?

Fabio Gussoni, CEO Scandolara Spa (Garbagnate Milanese, Mi), production of aluminium and plastic tubes for the packaging of cosmetic, oral care, pharma and food products.

«The generous legislative production Anti-Covid 19 which began on Sunday 8 March, has provided for the so-called necessary activities, including plastic packaging and metal containers for food and pharmaceutical use: for which Scandolara has fortunately never stopped working and has not even yet had to activate social safety nets »underlines Fabio Gussoni, entering into the merits of the organization of the work.

«Our company has a strong industrial connotation, organized over three work shifts from Monday to Saturday from 06:00 to 06:00, and for most functions, presence is required either in production or in support activities. Only a few “central” figures could have been de-materialized and operated in smart working; we have therefore decided to favor elderly colleagues or those who, in the family, had or still have relatives who are a lowered immune system or who are affected by particular pathologies...

Overall, a dozen out of a total of 238 employees. At this moment, only colleagues from the sales department located in the north of Milan take turns to observe some periods of smart working, but as soon as we have the opportunity to return to the company, we will all do so

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with great enthusiasm. We are actually tired and tried and tested by staying at home and not directly interacting with colleagues because, after all, work is the truest expression of sociability... My thoughts go to a seller who cannot shake hands and greet his customer or to the quality manager who must, remotely, judge the quality of a process or product...».

Gussoni also notes with satisfaction the diligence with which all the preventive measures have been activated in the company: «In advance of 15 days from the “Save Italy” Decree, we had prepared the use of the necessary medical devices, the frequent sanitization of work environments, the “social” distancing both during the canteen break and entering and leaving the premises, anticipating or postponing entering/exiting the company by 30 minutes, so as to avoid gatherings. But - he adds - let me emphasize that Scandolara has been ISO 15378 certified for some time (as specified in the requirements of the Quality Management System for companies manufacturing materials used in the primary packaging of medical and cosmetic devices) as well as ISO 9001: it is therefore in our DNA to respect stringent procedures guarding against any danger of contamination».

In the face of some slight delays by non-strategic suppliers following the closure of certain areas in Italy or abroad, Scandolara did not experience any particular problems with the subcontracting or the procurement of materials, so much so that «contrary to any forecast, for

the first quarter we recorded a surge in the order backlog, thanks above all to the food and parapharmaceutical sector.

The situation between April and May was different, however, when we were hit by the effects of the closure of the entire professional beauty sector (beauty treatments, beauty salons, Spas, hairdressers ...). Unfortunately - the manager reasons - we must consider that the 11 weeks of lockdown will never be recovered by the affected product sectors. Do not think of recoveries along the way; what is lost, remains lost! We can only hope that consumers will return to the “pre-Covid” consumption of goods and services as early as this promising start to summer. But it is true, however, that the recovery should be supported by economic incentives and shock absorbers, both for exhibitors and consumers; however, apart from a few “lucky” ones, there are still millions, and I mean millions, of citizens waiting to receive the subsidy for the month of March».

Gussoni concludes his discussion with a second, albeit calm, polemical note: «The emergency forced us to unexpected expenses, generated by the Anti-Covid package, some “one shot “, many other recurring and mandatory; the government has indeed undertaken to recognize the total deductibility of these expenses up to a maximum limit of € 20,000; however, we know that only a few lucky people have won the “click-day” lottery, ensuring the “bonus” for a 50% tax credit with a maximum limit of €50million. In a country like Italy, where there are millions of businesses ... we can only imagine the vying for favor and the confusion».

è

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INDUSTRY - Re-starting with packaging

Extraordinary times require extraordinary actions Reliable and efficient, also via the web Marchesini Group (Pianoro, BO), design and construction of customized machines and lines for the packaging of pharmaceutical and cosmetic products.

To continue offering maximum support in an international context conditioned by recent events, Marchesini Group - which as an essential activity never stopped during the Covid-19 pandemic - has undertaken a series of initiatives aimed at guaranteeing its standard reliability and efficiency, preventing health risks.

The company has done a lot to ensure supplies to customers, especially pharma, because many of them are at the forefront of studying the vaccines and products needed to fight Covid-19.

To ensure full operational continuity for the “galaxy of pharma”, it has also enhanced online services: thanks to these new tools, added to consolidated procedures, Marchesini Group can today and in the future respond to all requests for assistance from Italy and abroad, placing the customer first despite the adversities of the moment.

FAT streaming. Customers who are unable to physically reach the Group’s offices and have a test in progress

Servotecnica and positive thinking Reduced contraction in turnover thanks to the continuity of deliveries Emilio Bistoletti and Sabrina Bistoletti, respectively CEO and Communication Manager of Servotecnica, specialist in motion control.

«Servotecnica has never stopped working, also thanks to the fact that - explains Sabrina Bistoletti - in 2019 we completely digitized the internal organizational procedures: we were therefore able to activate smart working in real time and, having recognized our activity as essential, as required by the government decree, we were able to guarantee the processing of orders and deliveries to customers of the primary production chain.

In fact, every smartworking worker had a laptop with remote connection software installed, which in fact allowed the virtual transfer of the workstation to the home for full operation.

At the state of the art - continues the manager Servotecnica has managed to cope with the situation, avoiding social safety nets and trying to protect its employ-

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or which is opening on the short term, can connect via streaming, communicating with in-house technicians.

Live assistance. Customers with technical assistance needs can contact Customer Care, which will provide IT support tools, including an app to download to their smartphone. In this way, an expert operator will be able to see what is happening on the machine and provide resolutive indications in real time; Teleservice assistance. Customers who have installed the software for the Teleservice service on their systems can remotely set up the operator panel through a secure connection, allowing Marchesini specialists to work on the machine directly from their office.

The initiatives closely related to the product have been accompanied by numerous internal provisions - company canteen closure, daily temperature measurement, serological tests for all collaborators - and institutional initiatives. These include the free home-based babysitting service for children up to 6 years of age and the donation of 200,000 euros to the Sant’Orsola Foundation. Finally, a reminder that Marchesini Group has collaborated with other companies to create, thanks to 3D technology, protective devices starting from snorkeling masks.

ees as much as possible. Attentive as we are to technological evolution, we immediately took action to allow them to work safely both in the company and at home, providing all of the appropriate tools: in addition to complying with national prevention protocols, we have, for example, invested in the purchase of devices for sanitizing the air and surfaces, so as to guarantee a safe environment for workers, but also for customers and our partners».

Emilio Bistoletti intervenes on the impact of the Coronavirus emergency on production, turnover and orders, who reports of a situation that is in many ways comforting: «We have not lost market share, but we report a 25% drop in orders on the first quarter compared to the budget. However, the turnover had a much lower than expected contraction, as we managed to maintain the continuity of deliveries to the industrial sector which remained active during the lockdown. However, a review of the spending plan was necessary, planned in consideration of a 20% reduction on an annual basis. The trend in order collection for the month of May - the CEO points out - seems to suggest a good recovery. We are therefore confident in the second half of the year that it will recover the two months of lockdown, allowing a better closing than the post Covid-19 revised forecast».

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Re-s t a r ting with packaging - I N D U S T RY

Hygiene and safety: single-dose keywords Pandemic-proof and “Phase 2” packaging Graziana Tassinari, sales manager of Valmatic, a key concern in the international single-dose packaging market.

Valmatic is part of the list of strategic and essential production companies that have never stopped. «In these months - Tassinari explains - we have had to organize ourselves to continue the activities by respecting all safety standards, establishing shifts, alternate attendance in the office and smart working, a measure with which the company has met the needs of a staff composed in prevalence of women, many of whom are struggling with the management of children at home after school closes. Regarding the work in the production plants, in a certain sense, we have been advantaged in respecting the anti-covid protocols, given that our standard procedures have always provided that operators work individually on the machines with caps, masks and with the adequate distancing».

As a demonstration of the appreciation for the work done in such a difficult moment, Valmatic rewarded the employees with a bonus in their paychecks but also supported some solidarity initiatives in the area, including the donation of surgical masks to the Municipality of San Prospero, all the hospitals of Mirandola and the San Prospero Red Cross («sourced, when still difficult to find, thanks to a contact in China»), as well as the delivery of hand sanitizers to some old people’s homes.

«As far as the economic consequences are concerned - the manager continues - I have to start by saying that the health emergency has fallen during a period of great expansion of our business, in terms of turnover, orders, staff ... By 2020 we had planned to maintain this trend, also in view of the important international fairs we should have participated in

as an interpack, but also China Beauty in Shanghai.

Obviously, like all of us globally we suffer from the heavy consequences of the pandemic, however, as good Italians, we are reinventing ourselves to seize the opportunities to work better, even in this difficult situation. We expect a drop in orders in sectors penalized by the lockdown in the second half of the year, first of all the cosmetic one, one of our main markets which in recent months has seen a significant contraction in demand in almost all sales channels. But I also think of the single-dose supplies for the airlines, which have suffered a drastic drop.

On the other hand, today more than ever, the hygienic safety of products is of crucial importance, and the advantages offered by the single-dose in this sense are pushing many manufacturers to turn their attention to this type of format.

For a concern like ours, new and significant opportunities have therefore opened up, already translated into concrete projects. In the health sector, we have started the production of a line of hand sanitizers and as regards food - in line with anti-covid regulations that provide for the obligation in bars and restaurants to supply single dose condiments at the tables - we are moving to offer new single-use packs of balsamic vinegar and olive oil. We aim to offer an impactful design, more appealing than the classic sachet, perceived by many manufacturers and exhibitors as too cheap, inadequate to present high-end products.

To satisfy customers’ needs, we have lowered our MOQs, in order to make the service for third parties more usable and flexible. Even from the foreign market, despite everything, there is no lack of positive signs: although the postponement of international fairs will make it more difficult to make new contacts, many foreign customers have asked us to supply single-dose machines to be included in their production lines, to offer their products in a cleaner and more hygienic cladding, for which today there is a high demand.

New needs open up new potential in automation Proven efficiency of smart working Engineer Simone Bassani, COO WITTENSTEIN SpA, specialist in transmissions, complete range of gearboxes and servoactuators.

CoVid has modified and will modify many aspects of professional daily life in all areas, including ours. The change in structure will lead to new ways of using, selling, automating and enjoying the services. Attention and reactivity in this phase must be particularly high to catch and anticipate new trends.

Smart working extended to all employees thanks to previous investments in portable technology has allowed WITTENSTEIN SPA to carry on, even during the lockdown.

The sudden transition to the new mode has not been “traumatic” and has made it possible to maintain high efficiency while limiting costs, without so far resorting to social safety nets.

All protocols have been adopted to guarantee employees maximum protection, from personal equipment to organizational measures in the warehouse, workshop and offices.

The lockdown occurred between the first and second quarters so that, looking at the market, we expect a drop in turnover in the following half year. Projected on an annual basis, losses should account for around one third of our turnover.

Several sectors are still stuck but others, especially those related to the direct or indirect production of PPE, have benefited from new opportunities. The production of PPE will perhaps impact only in the medium-short term for OEMs, but the other measures that must be taken could open up more long-term prospects, if not real new fields of application.

An example? Access controls and social distancing, advanced logistics for e-commerce and all the tasks that can be entrusted to

more or less collaborative robots that would have had much slower growth rates without the pandemic. With our state-of-the-art mechanical and mechatronic solutions, we are moving to enter these sectors promptly, also proposing our services to manufacturers who are having to solve advanced automation problems for the first time.

We have gone from customer meetings to smart working videocalls, but once we became familiar with the new means, we found we could advise and support customers even more quickly, even if human contact is missing!

The availability of the products remained good and only during the acute phase of the lockdown did the shipments in transit take a few more days.

We therefore look to 2020 with the awareness that it will be a year of transition, with inevitably reduced turnover, but with the hope that it will bring new ways of working, producing and automating that will give future growth opportunities. è

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INDUSTRY - Re-starting with packaging

From difficulties, precious ideas for the future When digital technologies guarantee continuity Annalisa and Daniele Bellante, owners of Cama Group (LC), automated high-tech secondary packaging systems for the food and non-food sectors.

«Necessity is the mother of invention - says Daniele Bellante with conviction - and it is even more true and necessary in these times». A principle that, today more than ever, is at the heart of Cama’s strategies for restarting.

«In terms of the technological proposal - continues the CEO - we responded to the difficulties generated by the pandemic by strengthening digital production services with the launch of the Live FAT (Factory Acceptance Testing) program. Last addition to the Cama digital solutions portfolio, the new platform offers further remote functions, such as pre-sale visualization, virtual design and commissioning, in augmented reality, of all our systems. It is therefore a valuable solution to manage emerging problems, but also suitable, regardless of the emergency, to meet the needs of a globalized market.

Without a doubt, the launch of the Live FAT service, which we had been working on for several months, fell into a “perfect” moment. In fact, virtualization to be applied to various aspects of a machine’s life cycle allows overcoming geographical, economic, technical and, in this case also socio-health obstacles, which weigh on the production landscape. For our customers - Bellante concludes

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- it will be like having a highly experienced Cama engineer always on site».

Also with regard to the organizational aspects, the management of internal activities and resources, the company responded promptly, knowing how to draw new and precious suggestions for improvement for the future from the emergency situation.

Annalisa Bellante spoke on the subject: «After the announcement of the national lockdown, we immediately moved to implement all the preventive measures necessary to work in total safety, even before the government protocols were issued, preparing masks and DPI devices, physical distancing, smart-working, staggered shifts for the canteen and common areas. In addition, we took out anti-covid insurance for all employees and anyone who was sick, or lived with hospital workers, those at the greatest risk of infection, were kept at home for a month.

The need to deal with an anomalous situation compared to routine has in fact led us to acquire a new awareness and a broader vision of real performance within the company. This allowed us, also at a managerial level, to make assessments and considerations with a view to continuous improvement of our internal processes. If I have to make a first assessment of the consequences of the pandemic on our business - Bellante continues - I would say that the prospects for 2020 remain fairly good: From the information in our possession it appears that customers active in the key sectors in which we operate (food, personal and home detergency, pharmaceutical), have not suffered serious consequences ... and perhaps some difficulties have arisen from having to unexpectedly accelerate demand.

So, for 2020 we expect a slight drop in turnover compared to 2019, which was however exceptionally positive having achieved a growth of 25. We received a good number of orders for April and May, however it is more difficult for us to formulate forecasts on incoming orders in the coming months, and certainly the uncertainty of foreign markets is a critical factor. Let’s think, for example, of Russia and South America, where we are very present and still suffering from a serious situation. Today more than ever, therefore, we think we must proceed with the caution and diligence of “good parents”, trying to combine a forward-looking and courageous vision with a greater foresight in managing resources, focusing on what is necessary to ensure a peaceful company future».

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Re-s t a r ting with packaging - I N D U S T RY

Always connected with the market Operate in complete safety, and onward with confidence Alberto Vacchi, President and CEO of IMA, design and production of automatic machines for the process and packaging.

IMA has remained in business since the production of automatic machines and related services are essential for the food and pharmaceutical supply chains. «During the lockdown period explains Alberto Vacchi - the Group has made every effort to respond to the requests of its customers all over the world, in full compliance with the regulations and prescriptions issued to prevent contagion.

IMA launched “Stay Connect!” the platform which, within a single touchpoint, enhances and makes the entire range of digital products created by the Group easily accessible. In addition to the support represented by connected machines to remotely monitor the state of health of the systems, the platform offers products for technical assistance, augmented and virtual reality, applications for digital documentation, training in their various forms. In short, a single platform guarantees an interaction never achieved before with machines and systems. We also achieved good results and experimented with new relationships remotely with customers with the 500 people in smart working... An experience that will also be useful in the future».

Since the early stages of the Covid-19 emergency, the company has promptly taken a series of actions to ensure safety conditions at work.

«Our priority - underlines Vacchi - was in fact protecting the health of our employees, while ensuring continuity of production in total safety».

Full operation was also ensured by a consolidated and efficient subcontracting network. «IMA’s approach to the supply chain has always been innovative and, over time, we have perfected an unconventional model.

The scheme has evolved with the participation of IMA in the share capital of the most strategic suppliers, allowing us to better face the recent challenges. Moreover, a model that is perfectly consistent with the logic of Industry 4.0». And precisely in the wake of the logical ones, the choices and technological investments undertaken have proved useful to face the situation.

«Investments in Research and Development (53.9 million euros in 2019) proved to be very useful, as was the acquisition policy. In this period IMA has carried out with extreme speed, thanks to the subsidiary Teknoweb acquired in 2015, the design and manufacture of an automatic machine for the production of surgical masks.

The IMA Face 400 is an innovative machine, to which the whole company has worked with pride to make a contribution of collective interest. This is an important technical development which confirms, once again, the great industrial and engineering flexibility that characterizes the Group. The Civil Defense has chosen this machine which is attracting a lot of interest on the international market».

In addition to the operational measures put in place, the economic and financial actions taken since the first moments of the Covid-19 emergency have also been designed to mitigate their effects.

«The Group’s results in the first quarter reflect the economic and financial impact of the emergency - admits Vacchi - yet the solidity of IMA, combined with the great innovative capacity that distinguishes the Group, will allow us to face the next phases of the emergency with optimism, better planning this period of high uncertainty.

The consistency of the order backlog (908.3 million euros at March 31, 2020) and the number of projects currently being negotiated, including significant amounts, represent a positive sign even if they do not provide total visibility over the entire year. We are led to look with confidence at the rest of the year, although the emergency situation continues to involve not only Italy, but the whole world. If the signals indicated above will be confirmed during the year - concludes Vacchi - we believe that the Group can achieve a result that is not significantly lower than in the previous year».

Ogni cosa ha il suo packaging Tutti hanno…

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22/10/20 11:31 22/10/20 11:33

INDUSTRY & STRATEGIES è NEWS

The industrial medical and aseptic and antibacterial packaging center was born in Marcianise.

With a significant investment, made leveraging exclusively on its own financial lines, Nuova Erreplast - first company of the Raccioppoli Group, excellence of flexible packaging - has started a process of production diversification with the purchase of a meltblown extruder, or of non-woven fabric, a fundamental element for making Dpi devices.

Thanks to the efforts of the Group, which firmly believes in technological innovation as a lever of development, an industrial center in the South of Italy dedicated to the medical and aseptic and antibacterial packaging industry is taking shape.

«The installation and the consequent start of the new production lines - declared the CEO Domenico Raccioppoli - allows us to further expand our field of action beyond the traditional reference markets, confirming the NUOVA ERREPLAST SRL traditional propensity for Via Giovanni Francesco action that has always Maggiò, 1 characterized us. Even in 81025 Z.i. Marcianise times of great uncertainty Sud (CE) - Italy and general difficulties, Tel. +39 081 8421259 we are demonstrating info@nuovaerreplast.it that we are keeping up www.nuovaerreplast.it with process and product innovations. And this is a source of pride for our company and for the entire production system

MARKEM-IMAJE ANNOUNCES ACQUISITION OF POLISH COMPANY SOLARIS LASER Markem-Imaje, part of the Imaging & Identification division of Dover Corporation (New York), has announced the acquisition of Warsaw-based company Solaris Laser which has served the marking and coding industry for more than 25 years with the supply of advanced fibre, ultraviolet and CO2 laser systems. The operation will

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of Southern Italy».

The extrusion plant (supplied by an Italian company) already supports the production of approximately 1.8 million masks per day, which are made in a clean room, in compliance with the strict hygiene standards required by the medical sector for packaging aseptic and antibacterial. But in the near future, it will allow the production of TNT materials destined for other areas: medical protective clothing (gowns, caps, shoe covers, sheets etc ...), topsheet/backsheet for diapers and sanitary towels, breathable membranes / vapor barrier for insulation of roofs and walls, protections for greenhouses and crops in general...

enable Markem-Imaje to expand its portfolio of laser technology solutions and strengthen its position as a leading provider of identification and traceability equipment.

“Our customers are increasingly adopting laser marking solutions for more of their product identification and packaging applications,” said Vincent Vanderpoel, CEO of Markem-Imaje. “The addition of Solaris will enable Markem-Imaje and Solaris to

Group synergies. Through the various companies that comprise the same, the Raccioppoli Group is able to cover the entire supply chain, starting from the raw material, up to packaging and delivery, using materials and accessories completely made in-house. Currently, Nuova Erreplast is already active in the production of Type 1 surgical masks (MEDMASK T390), which are distributed by Medpack, together with other sanitary products imported from abroad via Bigplast.

Lastly, we should mention Packingraf, which also recently entered the orbit of the Raccioppoli Group, which also manufactures cases for the medical sector.

offer the most innovative and comprehensive range of laser marking solutions for our customers’ product identification needs in both industrial and fast-moving consumer goods applications.”

Markem-Imaje already offers a wide range of innovative print and apply, laser, thermal transfer and inkjet labelling systems. The company has 30 branches with 3,000 employees, 6 R&D centres and numerous production plants.

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22/10/20 11:36

R E S TA R T I N G F R O M

IMPACTING PRESENT, AFFECTING FUTURE. Economic results and social benefits are complementary objectives through which we have always generated value for our company, customers, employees, suppliers and for the entire community.

It’s time to restart from Zero: our very latest promise to start from innovation to create products, production processes and services, with a renewed logic of sustainability.

Now more than ever, we are all aware that our commitment today will help to shape the world of tomorrow.

LOW IMPACT PROGRAM More commitment, less impact.

NO PLASTIC PROGRAM More sustainable solutions, less plastic in products and process.

#imazero

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SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY More power, less CO2.

HUMAN-CENTRIC PROGRAM More quality of life, more quality of work.

ima.it

22/10/20 11:36

INDUSTRY & STRATEGIES è NEWS

The concept of “customer centric” services THE NEW IDENTITY OF CONTROL TECHNIQUES To mark the beginning of a courageous phase in the evolution of its image, Control Techniques - a brand of the Nidec group - has designed a new logo, made public on October 15.

With a long entrepreneurial history behind it in the production of variable speed electric drives, Control Techniques has redefined a brand strategy aligned with its business objectives, derived from a change of ownership that has created new challenges to face in order to look to the future with determination and lucidity.

The new visual identity of the historic brand is therefore the first step of repositioning in the world of industrial automation. The result of an overall reflection on the strengths of a reality that defines itself as “drive obsessed”, this repositioning was necessary to clarify and bring to the forefront the potential of a technological heritage acquired in 50 years of activity in the design and production of drives.

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ACMA (Coesia Group) has continued to evolve its customer support strategies, following the development of technology and market trends, developing advanced technologies to increase the speed of responses and the efficiency of services provided to customers. From remote support and monitoring of machine conditions and performances, the company now offers a complete and scalable package of technological and digital solutions to increase production line efficiency.

Predictive systems, comprising sophisticated networks of sensors and state-of-the-art software, are employed to avoid downtime and optimise operations like the ordering of spare parts (HMI, Webshop, Remote assistance). Even during the lockdown, all these tools enabled the company to operate at full capacity to support its customers. The value of expertise: Early Engagement Aside from its technology, ACMA relies on the value of human experience and expertise. This is why it has implemented the process of “Early Engagement” starting from 2018. This process involves introducing a customer service specialist - straight from the very first phases after an order - who works alongside the sales representative to accompany customers throughout the construction and installation process of the machine.

Berlin Packaging acquires Dutch company Vinkova US-based Berlin Packaging, a leading supplier of glass, plastic and metal containers and closures, is strengthening its position in Northern Europe with the acquisition of Vinkova, one of the leading suppliers of glass packaging for food & beverage based in Bussum, the Netherlands.

The strategic acquisition of Vinkova (Berlin Packaging’s eighth in Europe since 2016) enables the company to complete its glass packaging offering to the Dutch market, which it has been serving since 2019 with plastic and metal solutions and innovative closures.

The operation will create extensive synergies be-

tween the two companies, bringing significant benefits for both. Vinkova has 50 years of experience, a strong relationship with the leading European glass producers and a large customer base in the Dutch market who will now have access to the exclusive design and innovation services offered by the Bruni Glass Innovation Center in Italy and One Eleven Studio in the United States.

In line with Berlin Packaging’s acquisition strategy, the workforce and structure of the Dutch company will remain unchanged.

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MACHINERY & AUTOMATION è NEWS

Distributed electronics: modularity from a single element Fast response times, flexibility and simplification are key requirements for machine builders and automation suppliers alike. Servotecnica offers the Italian market the systems with AMK distributed drives, designed with the same flexibility and consistency of the machine that houses them.

A pioneer in the production of decentralized architectures, AMK (proposed in Italy by Servotecnica) offers a wide portfolio of decentralized “field” products at the service of OEMs, who can choose between different distributed solutions, complete and modular, in a wide range of power and size: from controllers/PLCs, to decentralized drives, to integrated servomotor + drive units.

Following, some top proposals: • Decentralized iSA controller with IP65 protection. In addition to the motion control/ PLC functionality, it also offers an integrated power supply designed to deliver 5 kW of power and requires only 3x400 Vac for the generation of the DC BUS dedicated to powering the servo drives. Applications with 36 drives have already been implemented with the iSA controller (EtherCAT master), which can also be used as gateway for

Ethernet/IP, ProfiNET and EtherCAT slave.

Thanks to its computing power, the iSA controller/PLC forms the basis for complex motion functions and multi-axis PLC/motion projects.

particularly evident on moving machine modules or rotary tables, where several drives are installed, reducing the cable chain to the power supply line only.

Another significant advantage of the daisy chain connection is the possibility to connect all the drives to the same DC BUS: in this mode, the required and regenerated energy in the different operation phases is balanced, allowing optimal use.

• The decentralized iX series drive, available with IP65 protection, delivers continuous power up to 5 kVA (8.2 Amp continuous and 16.4 Amp peak). If decentralized drives are installed in a machine module and with other modules make up a complete production line, the wiring architecture also changes: the motor cables (power and encoder) no longer have to be routed from the control cabinet to the servomotor while the power supply cables and real-time Ethernet cables run from the power supply to the first and next drive. The plus of this type of cabling with “daisy chain” connection is

• Servo controller integrated in the motor.

Servomotors with integrated drive offer the maximum savings potential as power cables to the motor and encoder can also be eliminated. They are available in various flange sizes, from 55 (ihXT series) to 100 mm (iDT5 series), each with different lengths.

These decentralized systems with IP65 protection level ensure reliability even in harsh environments and harsh applications, thanks to their high resistance to shock and vibration. With regard to safety, the STO function is integrated as standard, while other functions such as SS1 and SS2 can be implemented via FSoE.

Spare parts and maintenance suggested by the system The partnership between Sygest and EMS Group was born in 2015 with the “Spare Parts Project”: the goal of the Emilia based group is to drastically reduce the time required to create the spare parts manual and the creation of exploded tables.

Identifying the “correct” spare parts is in fact only the first step of a complete service rendered to the customer, which takes the form of shipping and delivery of spare parts.

The initial project has been enriched over time with the Packing List Photo solution, which allows you to create packing lists with photos, displaying the contents of crates, pallets and containers through Qrcode, for effective feedback of the material shipped.

The Service 4.0 project then evolves further with MdM (Machine-driven Maintenance) software, through which EMS

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Group offers its customers a true Integrated Service Digital System experience today. The service combines the interactive 3D manual of the system with real-time communication functions between the machine and tablet, reporting on errors, production statistics and information on the state of the machine.

The dialogue between the machines in the field and the Digital Advanced Visualization (DAV, Sygest SYS Suite® module) is able to graphically show, on the 3D model of the machine, the problems that occur along the production line and program in automatic maintenance operations required.

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MACHINERY & AUTOMATION è NEWS

WITTENSTEIN cyber motor presents the new cyber® dynamic system, a complete drive system consisting of the cyber® dynamic line servo motors and servo actuators and the brand new cyber® simco® drive 2 micro-drives, up to 30% more compact than previous models.

A new generation of drives The cyber® dynamic system offered by WITTENSTEIN cyber motor consists of an integrated 40 mm motor and special housing for the drive. An ultra-compact unit suitable for extremely limited installation space.

The system has decentralised control intelligence for the implementation of an autonomous positioning function and can therefore be perfectly integrated where the communication infrastructure and machine controls need to be relieved effectively.

All system components (and their plusses) . The cyber® simco® drive 2 drives were developed for sinusoidal switching servomotors in the voltage range from 12 to 60 VDC and a maximum power of up to 5 kW. Two variants are available: for control cabinet, with IP20 degree of protection, and for decentralized installation, with IP65 degree of protection, optimal in pharmaceutical, medical technology and packaging.Its extremely compact design allows it to be installed even in tight spaces, such as, for example, in automatic

guided vehicles (AGVs), for which a specific version with a rated current of up to 50 A has been developed.Thanks to the Multi-Ethernet interface, numerous fieldbuses capable of operating in real time and automatic motor parameterisation with electronic nameplate, they offer maximum connectivity.

More plus? CIP-Sync synchronization functionality, decentralized intelligence and integrated STO safety function (SIL3 standard).

The frontal arrangement of the connection elements also allows easy connector assignment.

• The cyber® dynamic line brushless micromotors in standard, stainless steel or Hygienic Design housings, with protection class up to IP 69K, are available in four sizes with an outer diameter of 17 to 40 mm. Sizes 32/40 have the optional Multiturn encoder and size 40 (used for the cyber® dynamic system), on request, the parking brake.

XPlanar -Flying motion

The evolution of the independent mover motion concept that Beckhoff introduced with XTS has recently evolved with a new system at the forefront of innovation.The XPlanar concept is similar to XTS, i.e. move ‘n’ mover independently.

The new system eliminates any physical contact with guides or supports, a source of friction, inefficiency, wear and mechanical contamination. An XY reference plane formed by a series of freely modular electronic tiles develops a field of electromagnetic forces that are used by the system to levitate the object pallets at a short distance from the zero level. The movers can be moved in X-Y dimensions with speeds of up to 4 m/s and accelerations of 2 g, with a positioning repeatability of 50 µm. Movers can also be raised and lowered in the vertical direction (Z) by 5 mm, tilted 5° and rotated fully on themselves (360°). Although the XPlanar needs a reference XY plane, the movers are not bound to any fixed routing or material structure. The movers are in fact free to proceed on alternative directions depending on the ‘traffic’ of the moment, and the motion controller, who only needs to know that an object must be transported from point A to point B, dynamically reconfigures their direction: the rest does not count.Currently XPlanar offers different types of movers: 95×95 mm (loads up to 0.4 kg); 155×155 mm and 155×275 mmallow (from 1.5 kg to 3.0 kg); 275 x 275 mm (up to 6.0 kg). Optional movers are available with integrated weighing function. Available in several construction options (glass, stainless steel and plastic film) XPlanar finds a wide range of applications, including packaging, assembly, intralogistics, classified environments, such as clean rooms, aseptic food production and pharma sectors.

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Equipped with high quality stainless steel housing and absolute encoder, the design ensures maximum reliability and precision even in applications requiring corrosion resistance and high hygienic standards.

• The materials used and the design allow direct integration into the process and fast, efficient and safe cleaning even in sterile environments.To complete the range, WITTENSTEIN cyber motor offers the servo actuator version, which can be combined with planetary gearboxes from 1 to 3 stages, and the one with integrated recirculating screw, in which servomotor, recirculating screw, linear guide and encoder form a closed, highly integrated and ready-to-install unit, ideal for highly dynamic positioning.

TF series blister machines. Produced by Famar Tec, the TF series blister machines are distinguished by ease of use, small dimensions and quick format changeover. They are extremely flexible machines, able to accept different types of feeding system based on the product type and packaging material. The production speed varies according to model, from a minimum of 50 to a maximum of 600 blisters/min. The main working stations are controlled by brushless motors that enable performing format changeover without manual adjustment. With a balcony construction and roller sealing system, the machines can be equipped by vision systems as well as control and printing units.

Blister machine TF120

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MACHINERY & AUTOMATION è NEWS

Industrial strategies

Growth choices, step by step

ROBOPAC SPA Via Fabrizio Da Montebello, 81 47892 Acquaviva-Gualdicciolo San Marino Tel. +378 (0549) 910511 robopac@aetnagroup.com www.aetnagroup.com

Robopac Smart Factory is an ongoing project. From the revision of the production layout of the Robopac Machinery plant in San Marino to the integration of I4.0 technologies designed to improve process efficiency: a model to be replicated from a Group perspective.

M

otivated by the need to increase production and the opportunity to fully grasp the trend of a fast growing market, the “Robopac Smart Factory” project started from the Robopac Machinery plant in San Marino in 2018. First step of the collaboration between Porsche Consulting and the young, expert engineers of the Robopac team: revision of the production layout of the plant, followed by the selection of digital technologies to be adopted.

«Our goal was to further improve process flexibility and efficiency - says Enrico Aureli, CEO of Robopac - as well as predicting a 50% increase in the production capacity of the San Marino plant. We want to get to the top of automation and digitalization, while continuing to enhance the people who remain at the centre of our business strategy ... Because if technology helps us maximize productivity and flexibility, ensuring a rapid and thorough analysis capacity, human intelligence is as ever at the basis of the programming and the optimisation of all processes».

To develop the “Smart Factory” project, first level technological partners were chosen, also from a Group perspective, to then adopt the results obtained, over time, in all the plants. After the pilot plant in San Marino, in fact, all the other plants will be involved in a process of further automation

and digitalization, each according to its characteristics.

Investing in continuous improvement The Smart Factory project did not start suddenly, but is the result of constant investments that have allowed Robopac to reach operating stand-

What’s happening in the other Italian factories of the Group?

The principles of Lean Production have also already been implemented in the other Italian factories of the Group. In Castel San Pietro Terme (Bologna) - Robopac headquarters since 2018 - where the Dimac automatic machines (Robopac Packers) are produced, the plant is equipped with a motorized line and is already set up on the infrastructure front for further modernization steps and digitalization, which will start from the logistics side.

The Robopac Systems plant in Villa Verucchio (Rimini) and the OCME plant in Parma, thanks to the collaboration of the Group’s technological partners already identified, will also complete their path towards the Smart Factory over the 2021-2024 period.

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ards aligned with the most modern production standards. In this regard, we would like to remind you of the introduction as far back as 2008 – hence in a downturn - of the Lean Production methodologies, successfully implemented to guarantee complete customer satisfaction: reduction of the Time To Market; transparency in viewing the progress of the order, ensuring the certainty of deliver and increase of the intrinsic quality of the product…

On the other hand, the construction of the new Robopac Machinery plant in San Marino dates back to 2011, another fundamental step in the company path aimed at increasing production capacity, efficiency and quality in support of a competitiveness capable of generating profit and fueling growth plans.

In 2018, supported by the robust increase in turnover and by a market that opened up further development spaces, with capacity exploited almost to the limit and analysing the time horizon of 3-5 years, it was therefore assessed that Lean Production had now become the company’s cul-

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AGVs for a diversified handling of the machines, managed entirely by a central system.

Thanks to this innovation, each machine, depending on the type and characteristics desired, is able to take different paths according to the necessary processes. The system provides the necessary information for each machine to the operator at the destination workstation. Once completed and tested, the machine is then automatically returned to the main flow and from there to the shipping area, completing the circuit.

This is the most interesting and technologically advanced line of the whole Group, as it revolutionizes the logic of traditional assembly lines. In fact, it introduces the very modern concept of variable paths according to the type of machine to be produced, making use of an advanced automation and handling system ... a flagship in the world of packaging machines but not only there.

The AGV supervision system also interfaces with the MES system to better manage the production flow.

tural heritage. And it was time to combine it with the concepts of Industry 4.0, promoting a further organizational step, necessary and decisive for the complete automation and digitalization of the factory.

Towards the Smart Factory The “Robopac Smart Factory” project was therefore able to start with an overall overhaul of the layout and processes with a view to expanding the production capacity and integrating digital technologies. A preliminary analysis was carried out of the most suitable technologies to be introduced into existing processes, so as to achieve the set objectives. In addition to the new layout of the departments and logistics, three digital projects were therefore selected to be included in the process, identifying the best partnerships.

The overall project, carried out once again with t h e va l u a b l e co n t r i b u t i o n o f P o r s c h e Consulting, was subsequently implemented and carried out by the Kaizen Department of Robopac, a structured team with specialist

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skills in relation to the three areas: Manufacturing, MES Automation and Logistics.

The new Logistic Hub. In 2019, the renovation of the Robopac Machinery plant in San Marino was started, adding a new area of about 3,000 square meters, practically adjacent to the main site of 15,000 square meters, from which it is only 2 km away. The area was destined for the Logistic Hub, served by a shuttle, which transfers all the production from the main site to it, before shipping worldwide. At the same time, the layouts of the two production plans were changed on the main site and digital technologies were defined: AGV, MES and WMS. Introduction of AGVs. Based on the partnership with the Scaglia Indeva company, for the internal logistics of Line 1 - the main line located on the factory floor, capable of producing a machine every 13 minutes, AGVs ( automatic guided vehicles) have been introduced. The surface of the assembly line, previously motorized, has been doubled with the addition of 26

The Manufacturing Execution System. In collaboration with Siemens, Robopac has introduced the production management and data collection system MES (Manufacturing Execution System), which ensures quality and efficiency standards integrated into the production process, applied proactively and systematically. The system easily integrates with equipment, controllers, business and product lifecycle applications, the quality and laboratory management systems, and numerous other applications. The results are complete visibility, programming, control and optimization of production and processes throughout the company. A real prototype of total integration, since, as specified, it is also able to interface with the AGV system.

Warehouse logistics. Replica Sistemi (Zucchetti Group) has also implemented specific software for warehouse logistics management, integrated with the WMS Analytics addon to perform immediate visual analysis of data and performance. This solution is also fully integrated with the SAP management system and the MES. A digital and integrated factory At the end of the project, scheduled for the end of 2020, the Robopac Machinery factory in San Marino will be completely digital and integrated. In Line 1, where the MES system is already operational, 30 digital touch screen panels have been installed for the exchange of operational data between operators, which illustrate in real time what is happening in the system. By the end of the year, the MES will be operational on all 5 assembly lines, as well as in the logistics department.

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ALTECH SRL Viale De Gasperi, 70 20010 Bareggio (MI) Tel. +390290363464 info@altech.it www.altech.it

Düsseldorf - Germany 25 Feb - 3 Mar 2021 Hall 08B, Stand 8BC48

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By Moog Rekofa, endless rotation with maintenance-free slip ring transmitters

Ethernet in stretch wrapping systems

Moog Rekofa GmbH - since 1960, the company has been producing slip ring transmitters for the transmission of currents, data and media from stationary to endlessly rotating axes - has developed an extra slip ring series in the direction of packaging machines and its special requirements, thanks to the experience gained in market segments such as blow moulding, filling and labelling.

Wherever rotation threatens to break off lines, slip ring

MOOG INDUSTRIAL GROUP - MOOG REKOFA GMBH Bergstrasse, 41 D - 53533 Antweiler Germany www.moog.com/industrial

ROBOT DELTA FOR PICK & PLACE, ASSEMBLY AND HANDLING For over 35 years Sipro Srl has been providing solutions for motion control, designing and producing numerical controls for automatic machines. Italian leader in PLC controls for machine automation, Sipro has developed in the last 10 years an internal division dedicated to robotics, offering a complete range of robots with delta geometry.

Ideal complement in all sectors of packaging for fast pick and place, assembly and handling, Sipro

transmitters are used to ensure endless rotation. The product series F 8000 (without hollow shaft) or AC4598 (with hollow shaft) can be combined with a media distributor (e.g. 2-channel air) if required. Ethernet data transmission has been standard at Moog Rekofa for years, up to 1 GigaBit is already possible today.

The extremely compact slip ring transmitters also have very low noise and resistance rates due to the silver contact pairing.

Designed to be very robust (we remind that comparable products are also used, for example, in mobile excavators, wind power and welding systems in the

automotive industry), the systems are maintenance-free up to >100,000,000 revolutions.

Standards and new developments. The installed slip rings and current collectors guarantee a smooth operation in closed housings up to IP 69K and best EMC properties. At Moog, slip ring transmitter standards and stock items are available. Simple modifications such as the attachment of customer-specific cables or connectors are possible.

However, it also occurs that completely new slip ring assemblies are developed in close consultation with the customer.

robots are available with working diameters of 500 mm, 700 mm, 1200 mm and 1600 mm, and configurable with 3, 4 or 5 axes.

Integration with vision systems is also possible.

Further advantages are the possibility to customize the robot and the gripping hands according to the needs, as well as functions such as interpolation, tracking of the gripping and storage belt, management and distribution of the incoming products on several robots in line, 3D fittings and software execution on Android mobile systems.

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Monoblock for sanitizing gels and Sars-Cov2 Test reagent Leader in the design and construction of filling and capping machines, Omas Tecnosistemi has supplied - from the beginning of the global pandemic to the present day - numerous monoblocks for hand sanitizing gel and Sars-Cov2 Test reagent.

In particular, the monoblock for Sars-Cov-2 reagent is proposed both in BASIC (up to 50bpm) and FULLY (up to 100bpm), with tube orientation systems and caps made mainly within the company: a novelty that enriches the quality of the products offered.

The range of available solutions, designed for the pharmaceutical sector, is also varied and complete, able to satisfy both the needs of small productions and high productivity with continuous lines: from semiautomatic dispensers for liquids, creams and powders, to automatic machines and complete “turnkey” plants.

The latter include: turboemulsifiers, melters and dissolvers, mixers, sterile air

bottle cleaning machines, filling and capping machines (for bottles, vials, sprays, eyedroppers, syrups, ophthalmological solutions, non-injectable syringes, polypropylene, laminate and aluminum tubes), labeling machines, bottle and cap orientation systems, rotary tables and tray changers, as well as customized solutions, suitable to be installed under

OMAS TECNOSISTEMI SPA Via Edison, 39 20023 Cerro Maggiore (MI) - ITALIA Tel +39 0331 422767 Fax +39 0331 421896 info@omastecnosistemi.it www.omastecnosistemi.it

laminar flow or in sterile chamber.

In the last year, thanks to the acquisition of important national and international orders, Omas Tecnosistemi has implemented the production of process machines for the preparation of pharmaceutical products, whose quality is guaranteed not only by high technology solutions, but also by raw materials and certified procedures and welders.

Fully version G-250 filling and capping monoblock.

Omas Tecnosistemi participates in Pharmtech & Ingredients (10-13 November, Moscow, Hall 2.8 stand A5103) with new features for the pharmaceutical sector.

DIGIFAST 20000: Digital converting line for mid-web Prati Srl presents the most innovative and effective digital finishing and converting solution for the mid web to run in-line or off-line with the HP Indigo Digital Press.

Fully modular and user-friendly, DIGIFAST 20000 answers the demands of the fast-growing mid web sector and the digital packaging market and it is designed around high-performance, functional modular architecture optimised for the finishing of the

mid-web printed packaging sector.

A solution created using a single modular digital platform integrating different technologies for PSL, IML, shrink sleeve, wrap around.

Designed for perfect integration with HP Indigo 20000 or 90000 Digital Press printing repeat, DIGIFAST 20000 is configurable to meet individual finishing requirements from varnishing, to full or selective printing, embellishing and

finishing your job either in roll or in sheet for further processing.

Enabling production of any size of job, from very small to large scale, the equipment is easy to operate and quick in terms of job changeover.

With its “zero impact” manufacturing and efficient cold curing technology, it aims to be a simple environmental and costsaving solution to boost your sustainability.

Prati Srl Via Deruta 2 48018 Faenza (RA) - Italy Phone +39 0546 633811 info@praticompany.com www.praticompany.com

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Prati USA, LLC 12300 Ford Road - Suite 326 Dallas TX 75234 Phone +1 913 908 8607 www.praticompany.com

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New piston filler with C.I.P Zilli & Bellini is present in 67 countries; more than one thousand Zilli & Bellini machines are now working worldwide!

Zilli & Bellini provides the design and the construction of a wide range of machine to fill food products into rigid container. Zilli & Bellini also provide solutions for closing the containers.

The machines can handle bottles, jars, cans, made of tin plate, aluminium, glass and plastic having a capacity up to 5 kg. The food products range is wide: from powder to fruit cocktail through Chocó paste. The speed of Zilli & Bellini filling and seaming lines is

ZILLI & BELLINI SRL Strada Benedetta 85/A 43122 Parma (PR) - Italy Phone +39 0521 272963 info@zilli-bellini.com www.zilli-bellini.com

from 10 to 1,200 containers per minute.

The deep experience of Zilli & Bellini technical staff grant to their customers a great consultant activity. It is available a testing services with prototypes in order to carry on study of feasibility of customer’s projects.

Zilli & Bellini research and development is the focus of its success.

Regarding the piston filler the innovations and improvements

are enormous. Few years ago Zilli & Bellini introduced on the market a new generation of piston filler (Plunger valve piston filler) with a better filling accuracy due to the new concept of the valve. The plunger piston filler for some applications is the nonplus ultra of the food technology also because it is possible to make a C.I.P. completely controlled by the PLC and without dismantle any part of the filler. The plunger piston filler C.I.P match the higher hygienic standards and minimize the maintenance time.

The great success of the plunger piston filler push Zilli & Bellini to go on in the way of the innovation in piston filler machines. The idea in the piston filler with standard rotary valve is to make a C.I.P. controlled by the PLC. With this upgrade it is possible to press the touch screen and a mechanical device take out the pistons from the cylinders. With this operation you can run an extremely efficient washings cycle in a very easy way; also the inspection of the seals is very easy and quick.

Zilli & Bellini is beside its customers in developing technologies to improve the quality and the efficiency in food technology.

Focus on MB60 wrapping machine For over 35 years, TGM - Tecnomachines Srl has been designing and manufacturing automatic tube filling machines for filling and closing tubes, as well as automatic cartoning machines for packaging tubes, blisters, bottles, cartridges, jars and lipsticks… A production flexibility which allows one to meet the needs of low, medium and high-volume production needs, supplying single machines or complete filling lines for the cosmetic, pharmaceutical, chemical and food industries.

The solutions portfolio of the Urgnano (BG, Italy) based company also includes tube filling machines for filling coextruded 2 or 3 color

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products, filling and capping machines for bottles, mascara and lip gloss, machines and complete lines for filling bottles and jars, turboemulsors for product preparation, as well as wrapping machines. The MB60 model (which ensures operating speed up to 3000 pcs/h) is the latest born in the range of wrappers. Already much appreciated by the market, it is able to satisfy the most diverse production needs thanks to its simplified and flexible format changeover. It features cantilever structure, electronic reel unwinding, film cutting knife, transversal bottom welding, side welding

plates, reel end control: these features, combined with the reduced dimensions, make the MB60 perfect to be inserted in the production lines of very different products.

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THERMAL TRANSFER OVERPRINTING HOW IT SHOULD BE

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MACHINERY & AUTOMATION è NEWS

Comek Srl Via Levadello, 4/P 46043 Castiglione delle Stiviere (MN) - Italy info@comek.it www.comek.it SE Packaging Systems 320 Northpoint Parkway Ste. D AcworthGA 30102 – USA info@sepackagingsys.com www.sep-comek.com

OMNYA EVO, vertical packaging machine for food industry

The latest generation of vertical packaging machine OMNYA EVO bu Comek has been designed for the extreme environmental conditions of the food industry, that require high hygienic CONTACTS Italy standard. With a double Massimiliano Piva mode of operation, m.piva@comek.it continuous and CONTACTS Usa intermittent, the machine Bryan James comes with a stainless bjames@sepackagingsys.com steel “open frame”, without any shapes or areas where deposits can form, to facilitate cleaning procedures. It also guarantees a high accessibility for maintenance, a speedy, toolless format change and replacement of film belts and reel change. The horizontal sealing unit with box motion

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system combined with special sealing bars enable high packaging performance even with difficult heat-sealable packaging materials.OMNYA EVO is equipped with servomotor power supply system in DC voltage, bus with energy saving, latest generation brushless servomotors with single-cable technology and multi-language 10 touchscreen panel for network connection with IP technology.

The solution offers a big flexibility of choice among the packaging materials, thanks to several sealing systems (hot bar, PE hot bar, ultrasonic) and types of formats (pillow bag, gusset bag, block bottom, “Stabilo”, Doypack).

Furthermore, a wide range of accessories - euroslot, resealable zip, printers, labellers - enable the characterisation of the packaging.

Weighing systems with features of excellence • Frame and main body exclusively made in AISI 304 stainless steel; • Easy and quick disassembling of all the components in contact with the product to ensure complete Eleanliness and sanitation; • Decentralized electronic control

by CANopen fieldbus; • Weight signal filtering through the DSP of peripheral devices management; • Integrated compensation of tare weight offset; • Acquisition of load cell temperature for the compensation of the read value.

• Vibrator control unit with PWM system with frequency adjustment.

Comek is an Italian producer of weighing, wrapping and automatic packaging systems. The company’s core business is the production of vertical form fill seal machines, linear and multihead weighers, cup volumetric dosers, auger fillers, pneumatic dosers, filling-sealing-closing machines. The portfolio is completed by conveyors and automatic gadget insertion systems. The plants built by the company, highly qualified and appreciated by the international market, are used in the food and nonfood consumer goods industry (chips and salty snacks, confectionery and dairy products, fresh vegetables, fresh and dried pasta, frozen food, petfood, powders, liquids, creams, and vacuum-packed products).

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22/10/20 12:10

packbo

Comin

g soon

PackBook & Packaging Buyers’ Guide more complete, more multimedial, more international

PackBook, by ItaliaImballaggio for over 21 years the only yearbook in Italian and English covering the processing and packaging chain is back in November 2020, renewed in its formula and distribution. more complete more companies, more search types (company, product category, target sector, keywords)

2021

more multimedial more consultable paperbased yearbook | a new website also enabling better indexing by search engines | more promotion for advertising companies with dedicated space on ItaliaImballaggio and PackMedia monthly newsletters.

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Supplem ento al numer o 11-12/ 2018 di ItaliaIm ballagg io

PA C B OO PackB o

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by Italia ok Imballa ggio

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by

Buyers The best of ’ Guide

2020/ 2021

Guida all’a e servizi cquisto di pr od per l’im ballagg otti, macchin Packag e io e machine ing and conv il converting erting pr s and se od rvices buyers uct, ’ guide

K 22/10/20 12:10 12:07

ADVERTISERS

ROBOPAC

II Cop.

ALTECH 73

COMEK 59

EIDOS 77

NUOVA ERREPLAST

31

ETIPACK 27

FINPAC ITALIA

55

IMA 67

IPACK IMA

VI Cop.

MOOG INDUSTRIAL GROUP

MOOG REKOFA

12

OMAS TECNOSISTEMI

13

UCIMA

ZILLI & BELLINI

III Cop. 19

ADVERTISERS

Companies and associations quoted in this issue A

ACMA SPA 7, 67

ACQUA MINERALE SAN BENEDETTO 30

ADERCARTA SPA 7

AETNA GROUP SPA 71

AFFABA & FERRARI SRL 8

ALIPLAST SPA 53

ALTOPACK SPA 8

ALTROCONSUMO 6

ANDREA SOMMAVILLA 35

ARCOPLASTICA SRL 53

ASA SAN MARINO SPA 16 B

BARALAN INTERNATIONAL SPA

BARILLA G.E R. FRATELLI SPA

BECKHOFF AUTOMATION SRL

BERLIN PACKAGING

BRIVAPLAST SRL

BTICINO SPA

C

C.C.M. COOPERATIVA CARTAI

MODENESE SOC. COOP. 9

CAMA 1 SPA 64

CAN PACKAGING 39

CANDIANI G. SRL 37

CAPSULIT SPA 54

CELLOGRAFICA GEROSA SPA 7, 10

COLINES SPA 28

COMEK SRL 78

COMIECO 47

CONAI - CONSORZIO NAZIONALE

IMBALLAGGI 6

CONFINDUSTRIA 41

CONTITAL SRL 29

COOP ITALIA SOC. COOP 10 D

DI MAURO OFFICINE GRAFICHE SPA

11

E

ESSELUNGA SPA

ESSEOQUATTRO SRL

ETIPACK SPA

FABO SPA

FAMAR TEC SRL

FIERA MILANO SPA

FINPAC ITALIA SRL

FONDAZIONE ALTAGAMMA

FONTANA GRAFICA SRL

11 14 54 15 70 5 12 34 36

G

G. MONDINI SPA

G.B. GNUDI BRUNO SPA

GOGLIO SPA

GRUPPO EMS SRL

GRUPPO FABBRI VIGNOLA SPA

GS4 PLASTIC SRL

15 55 16 69 14 16

I

I.G.C. SRL

ICE CUBE SRL

ICMA SRL

IMA INDUSTRIA MACCHINE

AUTOMATICHE SPA

INNOVIA FILMS

INTERNATIONAL PAPER ITALIA SRL

IPACK IMA SRL

ISTITUTO ITALIANO IMBALLAGGIO

ITALPACK CARTONS SRL

ITP IND. TERMOPLASTICA PAVESE SPA K

KEG SOLUTIONS SRL UNIPERSONALE

KELLOGG’ S ITALIA SPA

KÖLNMESSE GMBH

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35 8 70 67 9 9

56 40 7, 21 44, 65 30 17 5 6, 41, 45 17 33, 56 18 39 5

L

LABORPLAST SRL

LAMINAZIONE SOTTILE SPA

LIC PACKAGING SPA

LINEAPACK CHINELLO SRL

LUIGI LAVAZZA SPA

LUMSON SPA

LUXORO SRL

58 18 20 20 7, 20 7, 21,38 30, 37, 39

M

MARCHESINI GROUP SPA

MESSE DÜSSELDORF GMBH

METSÄ BOARD ITALIA SRL

MIP POLITECNICO DI MILANO

MONTEFARMACO OTC SPA

MOOG ITALIANA SRL

62 4 43 46 7, 22 74

N

NASTRI TEX SRL

NETCOMM CONSORZIO

NIDEC INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION

ITALY SPA

NIELSEN ITALIA

NIMAX SPA

NOBERASCO SPA

NUOVA ERREPLAST SRL O

OMAS TECNOSISTEMI SPA

L’OREAL ITALIA SPA

31 45 67 45 57 22 66 75 7, 21

P

PILZ ITALIA SRL 58

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

DIPARTIMENTO INDACO 6

PRATI SRL 75

PROMETEIA 42 R

ROBATECH ITALIA SRL U.S.

RONCHI MARIO SPA

60 48

S

SCANDOLARA SPA

SDR PACK SPA

SEALED AIR SRL

SEDA INTERNATIONAL SPA

SERVOTECNICA SPA

SGAMBARO SPA

SIMPOOL SRL

SIPRO SRL

SIT SPA

SMILESYS SPA

SONOCO EUROPE

SOULPACK SRL

SÜDPACK ITALIA SRL

SUN CHEMICAL GROUP SPA

SYGEST SRL

61 23 23 24 62, 69 23 24 74 60 25 39 25 40 1, 32 69

T

TGM - TECNOMACHINES SRL

TICINOPLAST SRL

TURCONI SPA

TYPEM TIPOLITO MAGGIONI

76 28 25 7, 21

U

UCIMA 5, 50

ULMEX ITALIA SRL 57

UNIFARCO SPA 7, 26

VALMATIC SRL 29, 63

VERALLIA ITALIA SPA 26

VIMAR SPA 26

VINKOVA 67

VOLPAK S.A. UNIPERSONAL 61 W

WITTENSTEIN SPA

63, 70

Z

ZIGNAGO VETRO SPA

ZILLI & BELLINI SRL

ZINI PRODOTTI ALIMENTARI SRL

38 76 23

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FOOD, FRESH & CONVENIENCE

LIQUID FOOD & BEVERAGE

CHEMICALS & HOME CARE

PASTA, BAKERY & MILLING

SWEETS, CONFECTIONARY & SNACKS

INDUSTRIAL & DURABLE GOODS

PHARMA & NUTRITIONAL BEAUTY & PERSONAL CARE

YOUR BUSINESS COMMUNITIES

3 - 6 MAY 2022 FIERA MILANO - RHO - ITALY ipackima.com #ipackima O RGAN IZE D BY:

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