Rovema

ROVEMA

GOING FURTHER WITH SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING TECHNOLOGIES powered by Inside Sustainability

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ROVEMA

I

PROFILE

Rovema is the industry specialist in packaging machines and an international technology leader in the equipment business. With an agile approach to clients’ needs, the German company takes a holistic approach to the modern circular economy, taking into account the environment, the market, the product and the packaging, ensuring efficient and top-of-the-line designs that fully embrace innovation and new technologies. Article by Andy Probert.

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oday, the name Rovema continues to

T

for packaging in cartons or shelf-ready, and

resonate with a widely-held excellent

transport-optimised end-of-line packaging.

reputation throughout the packaging

With subsidiaries and agencies worldwide,

world, as much as it did in the 1960s when

the company, which generated around €127

it made spectacular advances with the

million in sales in 2020, is now present in

invention of the first vertical form fill and

more than 50 countries.

seal (VFFS) machine with rotating belts.

Rovema is now a significant specialist in

Rovema offers a wide portfolio for the packing industry. These include dosing

packaging machines and an international

systems with volumetric, gravimetric and

technology leader in the equipment busi-

combined operating principles; vertical form

ness. Almost all leading branded goods

fill and seal machines with an intermittent

manufacturers in the food and non-food

and continuous mode of operation; block

sector pack with Rovema’s innovative

or brick pack machines (Form Fill Seal

technology.

machines with downstream systems for bag and bag closure designs); and car-

Holistic approach

toning machines (vertical and horizontal

At production sites in Fernwald and

end load). Finally, packaging machines and

Reiskirchen in Germany, Rovema manu-

packaging lines and systems that integrate

factures systems for the vertical primary

all devices or technologies into turnkey

packaging of food and non-food products,

systems, are also offered.

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WIPF AG Wipf AG has been developing and producing high-barrier packaging films and pouches for the food, pharmaceutical and non-food industries for more than 100 years. Thanks to Swiss engineering skills and a state-of-the-art production facility, Wipf also supplies disposable degassing valves for a wide range of applications under the WICOVALVE® brand. In the coffee valves market, Wipf AG is the quality leader and recognised by major coffee roasters worldwide. The product range also includes sustainable solutions such as monomaterial laminates, recyclable PE and PP valves, and certified bio compostable valves. editorial mention

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ROVEMA

I

PROFILE

ROVEMA BVC 260 vertical Form, Fill and Seal machine

Ingo Hamel, Rovema’s Head of Innovation and R&D, said the company’s systems suit the complex demands of a modern circular economy.

“We think holistically, taking into account

“Custom-fit and individual, they enable us to secure competitive advantages.

“With our global network, we are on-site for clients and offer decades’ of support throughout a system’s entire machine life.

the environment, the market, the product

We offer various retrofits and modifica-

and the packaging. We offer a sustainable

tions for existing machines that allow an

solution that fits the characteristics of the

adaptation to new demands, for example,

product to be packed, and its demands in

for paper materials.”

logistics, packaging material, shelf life, and energy efficiency.”

Rovema actively searches for possibilities

Machine packaging in its DNA Indeed, Rovema does not shy away from

to save packaging materials and have

developing pioneering technologies built to

prepared machines to process very thin

last. 30 years after the first VFFS machine,

packaging materials.

the company introduced the first Stabilo-

“With profound application expertise, innovative approaches and new technologies, we find the optimum packaging solutions for our clients,” added Mr Hamel.

6 Rovema

Seal pouches patents forming on the filling tube, and later at the reel carrier.

A great advantage in output rate for the coffee industry and ideal for processing

The

steps of seam quality testing

mono-materials, the Stabilo seal module for the reel carrier also allows the reduction of the machine height and a gentler packaging of products. Product drop height and auger length can also be optimised.

In 1999, Rovema developed Sense and Seal technology, the most accurate product detection during the sealing process and then successfully introduced the BVC series.

This BVC machine was honoured to win the German Packaging Award 2014. Equipped with Premiumseal technology, it sets the sealing force at the HMI and delivers additional flexibility to alter the sealing pressure along the sealing process according to the settings the material requires.

In 2022, Rovema will launch the new valve applicator for button valves.

Over the last five years, the 700-strong company became part of the Haniel Group, developed a new 3,300 sqm production hall at Fernwald, invested in expanding its production capacities and introduced a complete ERP system and a modern CRM. It has also acquired DL Packaging to strengthen second life and retrofit business; bought Hassia India as a reliable service and assembly location; expanded the Life Cycle Service concept for Africa and Asia; and acquired in 2021 Inno-tech GmbH to expand its competencies for the frozen food and fresh produce sectors.

A cup of quality Mr Hamel said Rovema had provided more than 500 coffee packaging machines to the sector, underlining its competencies and experience in the industry.

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ROVEMA

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PROFILE

“We know how to pack coffee, and that

coffee packaging. New materials need

has been one of many key strengths. The

longer weld times, so the applicator has

replacement of the traditional vacuum pack

been re-designed so they now allow

with the sealed pack in the 1990s gave

packing at a faster speed while having a

Rovema a lot of application know-how in

longer sealing window to meet packaging

the coffee industry for which we have

material demands.

been present for at least 40 years.

“What we have done in the last couple of

“We focus on the sealing technologies, as well as the folding process of the side

years is to look at the sustainability factor.

tools. It has always been one of our

We have spoken and worked with film pro-

strengths and helps to provide total con-

ducers who offer paper packaging with a

trol of the sealing process – not only for

barrier inside, which is entirely sustainable

paper but for mono-materials as they

and biodegradable.”

need the longest weld time possible.”

Mr Hamel confirmed Rovema is not only

He said: “We have worked on the serra-

focusing on the paper materials but other

tion of our sealing tools and the design of

materials too.

the jaws to enable an even temperature

“When we started with our testing of

distribution. We go further, as we have

alternative packaging materials, we soon

sought to integrate third-party compo-

found out that we need an improved valve

nents for the sealing tools to benchmark

applicator to meet speed demands in

our sealing tools.”

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According to Mr Hamel, the staff at Rovema discovered the importance of

material. Additional light protection through metallisation is available as an option.

having very stable temperature controls

Mr Hamel said: “We build our own dosing

and long-weld times for mono-materials

systems and are able to dose, for example,

and paper.

ground coffee and coffee beans. One of the

“These findings are spoken about

points why consumers buy our machines

transparently between us, the film pro-

is because we have a brickpack machine,

ducer and the client, to ensure we give

the SBS. We are the leader in SBS brick pack

the best-in-class machine. We are com-

machines in the market, offering more than

pletely flexible in our approach and adapt

30 different top shapes, from a gable top

our development, particularly in coffee,

to a brick pack.

to the consumers’ requirements.”

Until now, coffee beans have been

“What certainly gave us an advantage in the coffee industry is that we offered

packed in classic PET/aluminium com-

the first SBS brickpack machine which

posite packaging materials due to their

had a fully automatic 3D changeover

high barrier requirements. But Rovema’s

in width, length and height of the pack

tested polypropylene packaging material

on the system’s conveyor section.

offers excellent aroma protection com-

Versatility and flexibility enable our

bined with a fat, oil and oxygen barrier and

machines to adapt to industry trends

can be fully recycled as a mono packaging

and consumers’ demands.”

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ROVEMA

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PROFILE

The new Rovema button valve applicator allows higher output rates and a calmer film run for longer bag shapes. It is also prepared for more flexible sealing times when applying button valves to new alternative packaging materials

Sustainable focus

tages and growth opportunities for us

Mr Hamel said the company’s efficient,

today,” he added.

innovative and sustainable packaging

“It is a particular concern of ours to not

solutions have contributed to the global

only underline the importance we attach

supply of safe, hygienically packaged

to sustainability at a product level but in

food for decades.

our cultural interaction and to constantly

By joining the United Nations Global Compact in 2020, Rovema officially committed to integrating ten principles from

drive forward the diverse opportunities for change with clear targets.”

Annual progress reports describe

human rights, labour standards, environ-

Rovema’s approaches and measures to

mental protection, to anti-corruption in its

continuously improve the integration of

corporate strategy and reporting annu-

the Global Compact and its principles into

ally on its progress.

its business strategy, corporate culture,

“Sustainability is an elementary part of Rovema’s corporate strategy, and that has already secured competitive advan-

10 Rovema

and daily operations.

Mr Hamel the business was fully mobilising to meet the challenges of today

Rovema undertakes more than 130 packaging material tests annually at its in-house technical centre in close cooperation with customers and packaging material suppliers.

“We seek alternative sustainable packaging materials in the application test,” Mr Hamel explained. “Finding the suitable packaging material for the product is rarely possible without the manufacturers of the packaging materials and their indepth expertise.”

Rovema continues to test a variety of alternative packaging materials for coffee and other fatty products, with some positive alternatives. Four alternatives include coffee beans in polypropylene (PP) with EVOH oxygen barrier; ground coffee safely packed with particularly thin PP packaging material; coffee powder in PE Mono material; and coffee powder packed in polyolefin composite with sealing medium made of 85% renewable raw materials.

Rovema said not all of the options currently offer flexibility in bag design, but issues of product protection seem to be solved even with the sustainable variants.

At the IPACK-IMA 2022 trade fair held in and the future – notably new packaging

Milan in early May, ROVEMA presented a

materials and the higher demand for

fully recyclable coffee pack with button

sustainable packaging solutions.

valve that can also be conveniently

“We are more agile and have been

retrofitted to existing BVC machines. Both

preparing our machines for maximum

valve and the packing material itself are

flexibility and speed for decades. This

made of a polypropylene mono-material.

enables us to meet new expectations

Wipf's recyclable WICOVALVE® W109PP

quicker and more reliably.”

disposable degassing valve for

Rovema 11

ROVEMA

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PROFILE

bean-to-cup coffee is ultrasonically applied

dedicated to paper packaging material

to Hatzopoulos all-PP (89my) packaging

testing. Here, tests are undertaken on the

film designed for recycling, based on the

latest developments based on specific

converter’s X-CYCLETM technology.

customer requests or in direct cooperation

On the challenges and opportunities of packaging demanding products in plastic

with packaging material manufacturers.

“This way, we can support customers

and paper, Mr Hamel said: “The demand for

at an early stage in the decision-making

sustainable packaging solutions is growing

process for machine-compatible paper

continuously. Consumers today like to buy

packaging materials,” Mr Hamel con-

their products in paper packaging, which

tinued. “A pack is only as good as its

presents packaging machine manufacturers

seal, so we continuously develop them

with a number of challenges.

further, such as through unique geome-

“Rovema has been working on packaging solutions made of alternative packaging materials for years and is continuously developing and testing.”

For the past three years, the company has been using a machine in its test centre

12 Rovema

tries, better heat distribution and heat transfer of the sealing tools.

“The optimised motion control of the sealing and side gusseting tools as well as the sealing force control of our machines enable us to realise the longest

possible sealing times per cycle. We

Asserting its dedication to detail and

also consistently adapt our machine

clients with its range of turnkey solu-

software to the special requirements

tions, systems, testing facilities, and

of new packaging materials.”

offering a local presence, Mr Hamel

Rovema boast a large selection of sealing

commented Rovema would continue to

tools at its technical centre for this type of

push forward and break new ground in

application test. As part of these tests, staff

the packaging field.

also coordinate with packaging material

He concluded: “While modern corporate

manufacturers to make the respective

values and an open and fair company

packaging materials even more efficient

culture form the basis for our sustainable

to process on machines.

successes and healthy economic growth,

The company also has a global service

Rovema is also determined to position itself

presence and even buys back machines

as a leading global partner of sustainable

to retrofit with new technology.

packaging solutions.”

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