MacPlas International September 2023

MACPLAS INTERNATIONAL

CONTENTS 12 29

EDITOR’S LETTER

10 The four days of Milan

MARKETING

12 Massimo Margaglione is the new president of Amaplast

18 From here to the next two years

23 Automation, creativity and technology

26 Ambienta acquired the majority of Previero

26 All Novamont to Versalis

PLASTICS AND ENVIRONMENT

29 Sustainability between economy and trust relationships

34 Making the European Green Deal happen

37 Calculate your company’s carbon footprint

39 Investments drive EU recycling

MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT

40 Attention to technological details simplifies delicate process steps

44 An offer spanning over 40 years

47 How to deal with the green transition

50 Say goodbye to the unpleasant smell of post-consumer recycled plastic

54 New modular solution for different needs of PET recycling

58 Corona and plasma treatment made in Italy

62 Top-quality corona treatment

64 Getting industry and nature to live together

66 A concentrate of pipe extrusion technology

70 Advanced technologies for precision applications

74 A combination in name and in fact

76 Towards a more ethical and sustainable way of doing industry

80 A virtual journey through real technologies

81 Regeneration and compounding line with co-rotating twin-screw extruder

85 Technologies for responding to changing needs

87 Fast corrugator

88 Over seventy years of experience at the service of printing and decoration

89 Robots for every need

91 Robotic solutions for extrusion

93 High efficiency and a major redesign coming soon

96 Two is better than one

97 Innovating the rotomoulding and mixing tradition

99 Press and hardness testers on display

102 Two injection moulding machines in a big way

102 72 Stations for wine closures

103 Two “new” novelties for converting

105 Automatic and semi-automatic coilers for all types of pipe

105 Recycling wet waste is no longer a problem

106 The eight colours of sustainability

107 Welding the socket to the end of the pipes

107 Everything for calendering 4.0

108 The second generation

108 Energy-efficient electric multi-layer extrusion blow-moulding

109 Electric drive for process precision and reliability

109 Custom rotational moulding

MATERIALS AND APPLICATIONS

112 Doubling production under the banner of environmental and social sustainability

116 Chemical recycling, an option for the ecological transition

120 New life for PVC: the sustainability challenge

121 The environmental impact of TPE

122 Composite for injection moulding from SLS powder recycling

123 Masterbatches, additives and biocompounds for all resins and particle sizes

125 Insights into three major domains

TRADE FAIRS AND CONFERENCES

127 Plast 2023: focus on sustainability

129 The first edition in Bologna

131 Kielce trade fair endures

131 Dynamism and cohesion in Barcelona

New generation of dosing machines for maximum process stability

With the Sonderhoff technology portfolio, Henkel (owner of such a trademark) offers customized sealing, bonding, and potting system solutions with the Formed-In-Place (FIP) technology. The user thus receives material, machine, and process automation from a single source. These solutions are specified for a wide range of industrial applications in a variety of sectors.

The user can choose between the configurable DM 50x dosing systems for 2 to 4 material components, the Smart-L, or the smaller Smart-M dosing cell, and the standardized 3E PUR or 3E SIL dosing cells for various applications. All the Sonderhoff mixing and dosing machines are equipped with the new DM 50x technology achieving the highest process stability due to many innovative features. For example, the efficient mixing head cooling, improved valve technology with process monitoring and operator interfaces with informative visualization of process data. One of the core competences of the Sonderhoff technologies from Henkel are the quality and precision of the Sonderhoff mixing heads. Greatest possible material homogeneity after mixing 2-component material systems with different viscosities can only be achieved with dynamic mixing, especially in the case of demanding asymmetrical mixing ratios.

Henkel presents the Sonderhoff Smart-M (pictured on the cover) dosing cell with the new DM 50x technology and the newly developed MK 825 PRO mixing head in the version for two material components and with ecological high-pressure water rinsing of the mixing chamber at Fakuma 2023. The Sonderhoff Smart dosing cell is available in two sizes to process parts in different sizes: the Smart-M with the traverse range of 500 x 600 x 250 mm (X, Y and Z axis respectively) and the Smart-L with 1,000 x 800 x 250 mm (X, Y and Z). The new MK 825 PRO mixing head features many measuring sensors providing the machine operator with a comprehensive database on the entire FIP application process: axial position of the agitator shaft in the mixing chamber; the positioning of the dosing needle; the material pressure directly at the valve; the temperature in the mixing chamber.

Summarising, the many measuring sensors installed in the new MK 825 PRO mixing head provide the machine operator with a comprehensive database on the entire FIP application process: the axial position of the agitator shaft in the mixing chamber; the positioning of the dosing needle; the material pressure directly at the valve; the temperature in the mixing chamber.

www.sonderhoff.com

THERE IS ONLY A PLAN

17 - 21/10/2023

Hall A3, stand 3101

Friedrichshafen Germany

The Italian plastics and rubber processing machinery and moulds manufacturers’ associations has a new leader for the period 2023-2025. The election took place at the annual assembly of its members, where the most topical issues of the moment were also discussed and industry data presented. In addition to launching the final sprint to Plast 2023.

BY STEFANIA ARIOLI AND LUCA MEI

There is a new President at the Amaplast helm for the two-year term 2023-2025: Massimo Margaglione (Gefit), who was Vice President for the past four years and now receives the baton from Dario Previero. Also elected were the two Vice Presidents: Barbara Ulcelli (IMG) in her first term and Gabriele Caccia (Syncro) re-elected for a second term.

The new leadership was elected at the annual member assembly, which took place on 28 June 2023 at the Ca’ del Bosco winery in Erbusco (Brescia, Italy).

Topical issues

In additional to the elections, the Assembly was also the occasion for a broad overview of the sector represented by the association. In his talk, the departing president Dario Previero illustrated the performance of the Italian plastics and rubber processing machinery industry, commenting on the results of the third edition of the National Statistical Survey carried out by the Mecs-Amaplast Statistical Studies Centre of 397 manufacturers (representing 14,447 employees) who generated revenues of 4.35 billion euros in 2022, for an impressive 8.1% gain over 2021 with 72.7% going to exports. This is the second-best performance of all time, achieved in spite of the fact that the sector had to cope with numerous difficulties during the course of the year, such as limitations on exports to Russia, shortages of

raw materials and components, and increases in energy costs, just to name a few. Some of these difficulties have yet to be fully resolved, but probably a constantly changing world situation is the new paradigm to which companies will have to adapt, carefully balancing due caution with a healthy willingness to take risks. And indeed, this is a mindset well represented in recent years by businesses in the sector, which have ably parried many of the economic repercussions of world events occurring during the pandemic and afterwards, always ready to continue moving forward with their eyes on the future.

Dario Previero then reaffirmed the efficacy of the inter-association synergy with Acimac (the association of the Italian manufacturers of machinery and equipment for ceramics) and Ucima (the Italian packaging machinery manufacturers association), which has provided associated companies an increasingly broad range of services to support them in their day-to-day operations. In particular, there is a new environmental service for the drafting of sustainability reports and consulting services to guide the implementation of best practices to reduce a company’s environmental impact. Furthermore, an intensive corporate accreditation project is underway with Ucima to promote the line of thinking of the Italian plastics and packaging industry, especially as regards the new European packaging directive (SUP), which favours reuse of packaging over recycling.

New president Massimo Margaglione laid out the guidelines of

his presidency: “As newly elected president of Amaplast, I feel it is my duty first and foremost to choose continuity with the major initiatives undertaken by my predecessor. To this end I shall undertake to promote, support, and implement the spirit of collaboration that has taken form between Acimac, Ucima, and our association so that we can set up a federated body that strengthens our position within Confindustria. The safeguarding of the interests of the plastics industry and its operating assets is now an unquestionable necessity and priority. We will have to work with governments, institutions, and national organizations in order to guide policies that are favourable to our goals and to counteract the negative perception of our industry, often and unfairly seen as responsible for the adverse environmental impacts that are all around us.

In addition to this, Amaplast will continue providing support services in order to inform and often also train its member companies on such sensitive and now inescapable issues as the sustainability and social responsibility of companies, ecological transition, the circular economy, the SUP Directive, and the upcoming amendments to the European packaging directive. It will also continue to be an informed and active agent assisting member companies in negotiating the shifting legislative maze and in facing the challenges posed by the market while also reaping the opportunities offered by the market. I would like to thank my predecessor, Dario Previero, for the exceptional work he has done over the years. I inherit from him a stronger, more dynamic association, one that plays a greater role in providing quality services to member companies, and unquestionably one that has gained in stature vis-à-vis our national institutions.”

The Assembly was followed by an interesting round table discussion addressing current issues for the industry - economic context, servitization, carbon neutrality - with Marco Fortis, Director and Vice President of Fondazione Edison, Marco Taisch,

President of Made Competence Center Industria 4.0, and David Giraldi, Sustainability and Innovation Division Manager for Am-

Industry figures

According to the results of the third edition of the National Statistical Survey conducted by the Mecs-Amaplast Statistical Studies Centre, the plastics and rubber processing technology industry closed the year 2022 with revenues of 4.35 billion euros, the second highest ever, for an 8.1% increase over 2021. The main factor in this achievement was exports, which recorded a further upturn toward the end of the year and a total val-

TOP 10 MARKETS FOR ITALIAN EXPORTS IN 2022

biente.

Handover at Amaplast: general manager Mario Maggiani (centre) with newly appointed president Massimo Margaglione (left), who will remain in office until 2025, and outgoing president Dario Previero (right), who led the association from 2019 to 2023.

SHARE OF EXPORTS PER MACHINE FAMILY IN 2022

ue exceeding the threshold of 3 billion euros (3.16 to be precise, +8.5% over 2021).

In detail, exports by Italian manufacturers - which represent 72.7% of total production - show sustained growth toward the main geographical zones: EU (+8%), North America (+6.6%), non-EU Europe (+8%), and the Far East (+9%).

As regards exported product categories, extrusion systems hold the lead, bringing in 20.8% of the entire Italian business volume (up 13.7% over 2021), followed by auxiliaries (13.7%), and injection machines (9.5%), with the remaining categories collectively amounting to 24.2%.

The domestic market grew by 6.8% with respect to 2021, with a business volume exceeding 1.18 billion euros.

The top three client sectors are packaging (40.6% of total revenues), automotive (15.9%) and construction (11%).

The year 2023 opened for the entire Western industrial complex in a relatively uncertain climate, both due to the fact that the post-Covid rebound was less pronounced than hoped and because of the continuing conflict in Ukraine. This situation is further compounded by rising interest rates and inflation, which have depressed global demand. However, there is a strong sense of optimism among manufacturers of plastics and rubber processing machinery, equipment, and moulds, well above the level suggested by economic indicators: 39% of interviewees expect further improvements in results for 2023, 43% expect stability, while only 18% expressed a pessimistic outlook.

Plast 2023

The plastics and rubber industry is gathering at the Fiera Milano fairgrounds in Rho from 5 to 8 September: Plast, the international exhibition for plastics and rubber industries. Organized by Promaplast, Amaplast service company, the event focuses on plastics and rubber processing technologies and materials. Expectations are riding high for one of the keystone fairs with over 1,200 exhibitors, many of them appearing for the first time and approximately one third coming from other countries.

Plastics and rubber technologies ended 2022 with a turnover of 4.35 billion euros, an increase of 8.1% compared to 2021.

Previero/Sorema

The turnover achieved in 2022 by Italian plastics and rubber machinery manufacturers is the second best ever.

Oima

The international stature of the exhibition - taking place five years after the previous edition due to the delay inflicted by the pandemic - is further affirmed by the return of the Chinese and Iranian collectives, and the debut of their French counterpart. There is also a major presence of foreign delegations.

Promaplast has also signed a synergy agreement with Ipack-Ima to boost promotion of Plast among operators in the packaging sector, one with close ties to the plastics industry, with close to 40% of demand coming from the packaging industry.

The three satellite fairs dedicated to three related sectors is hosted again at the 2023 edition of Plast: 3D Plast (focusing on additive manufacturing and associated technologies), Rubber (as the name suggests), and Plast-Mat (dedicated to innovative polymers).

The moments of conviviality that marked Amaplast’s members’ meeting day, held at the Ca’ del Bosco winery in Erbusco (Brescia, Italy), were also useful for participants to meet partners and network.

This year’s fair features a new layout with demo areas outfitted with operational production lines and spaces for company presentations. In parallel, The Innovation Alliance - a partnership between Plast, Ipack-Ima, Print4all, and Intralogistica Italia - proposes a new concept: in response to the upheaval in tradeshow calendars caused by the pandemic, the organizational teams are hard at work on a new interpretation of the initiative, with sub-events focusing on specific issues of current relevance in the various sectors, thus consolidating the message of a harmonious interoperating value chain.

The calendar of side events - conferences, workshops, and exhibitor press conferences - is still in the development phase but the organization team is working to offer visitors many significant novelties.

A moment of the Amaplast assembly during which, in addition to the new president, vice-presidents Barbara Ulcelli (newly elected) and Gabriele Caccia (reappointed) were also chosen.

A moment of the round table during which topical issues such as economic framework, servitization, carbon neutrality were discussed. In the photo the protagonists who animated it: from left, Marco Taisch, president of Made Competence Center Industria 4.0, David Giraldi, head of sustainability and innovation sector of the company Ambiente, Marco Fortis, director and vice-president of Fondazione Edison, and the moderator Giuseppe De Filippi, deputy director of TG5 newscast.

EXCITING INNOVATIONS UNVEILED

EXCITING INNOVATIONS UNVEILED

by Comi Group at Plast 2023

by Comi Group at Plast 2023

HIGHLIGHTS

HIGHLIGHTS

Large-scale 3D printing milling machine for industrial use, revolutionizing additive manufacturing capabilities.

Large-scale 3D printing milling machine for industrial use, revolutionizing additive manufacturing capabilities.

ACF820 thermoforming machine, this state-ofthe-art system boasts four stations, providing unmatched efficiency and versatility for the production of containers, trays, lids, and much more.

ACF820 thermoforming machine, this state-ofthe-art system boasts four stations, providing unmatched efficiency and versatility for the production of containers, trays, lids, and much more.

The keynote presentation of the new president of Amaplast, interviewed immediately after his election. Acknowledgments and news on upcoming commitments and the issues to be addressed in anticipation of an interesting term in an increasingly integrated value chain and, because of this, one capable of generating opportunities and shared values.

BY LUCA MEI

During the Amaplast annual meeting on June 28, association positions were renewed and Massimo Margaglione, CEO of the mould & assembly division at Gefit, was elected as president of the Italian plastics and rubber processing machinery and moulds manufacturers association for a two-year term. We took this opportunity to ask him some questions about his new role, his agenda and his opinions on the current geopolitical and general economic and industry situation. Let us get right to the new Amaplast president’s answers, which are certainly more interesting than any introduction.

Let’s get right to the point: what did you inherit from your predecessor, Dario Previero, as the head of Amaplast?

“During his tenure, Dario Previero demonstrated an undeniable ability in running and guiding our association through crises and difficulties that were unprecedented in our recent history. The pandemic, the disruptions in the supply chain, the sharp rise in energy prices, the increase in the cost of raw materials and all the components that are essential for our value chain, inflation that soared to nearly 10% and the increase in interest rates,

these are only the major things that happened during Dario Previero’s term.

There is no doubt that Dario demonstrated excellent leadership that lead him, among other things, to define and pursue a path of collaboration with two other important industry associations, Acimac and Ucima. From Dario Previero, to whom I express my sincere gratitude for his extraordinary work, I inherit a stronger association that is more dynamic, more present in the supply of qualified services to its members and undoubtedly more accredited with national institutions.

As the new president, what are your goals and how do you intend to manage your term in order to achieve them?

“As the new president of Amaplast, I believe I have to first of all provide continuity to the important initiatives launched by my predecessor and for that I will be committed to promoting, sustaining and implementing that collaborative spirit that has developed between Amaplast and the other two associations I have already mentioned, in order to create a federation that will without question strengthen our position within Confindustria.

I am absolutely convinced that individually, each of us repre-

sents a vigorous force, but I am equally sure that working together we can become an unbreakable strength and be recognised as a qualified and authoritative organization by leading national institutions. Safeguarding the interests of the plastics industry, and the capital goods sector that it serves, is today an undeniable priority and need. We need to work with governments, institutions and national organizations in order to drive favourable policies for our sector and to counter the negative perception of our industry, often and improperly seen as the cause of the environmental scars that surround us.

Apart from this, Amaplast will continue to provide support and assistance in order to inform and often also to train member companies on the delicate and now vital topics such as sustainability and social responsibility of enterprises, ecological transition, circular economy, SUP rules, and modifications to European directives on packaging, and it will continue to be an attentive player and an active support in the maze of regulatory changes and help them, to the extent an association can, to face the market challenges and develop opportunities deriving from the same.”

Since

“In 2000 Acimac, Amaplast and Ucima launched a project of integrated services aimed at improving the quality and scope of the services they offer to their respective members. The project was extremely ambitious from day one and, thanks to the commitment and tenacity of the presidents involved and the fundamental and valuable support from both Mario Maggiani and Giampaolo Crasta, taking centre stage and individualism have been replaced by a collegial and federal spirit which, while preserving the characteristics of the three organizations, has enabled them to work towards common goals. Limiting the path undertaken to solely the integration of services would, however, be reductive, because the vigorous work of advocacy and lobbying the three associations have undertaken and which have enabled us to take on a more impactful role within both Confindustria governance as well as toward stakeholders is clear and undeniable. To cite an example, the important success achieved in regard to the postponement considered under the Milleproroghe Decree, which moved the term for completing investments in 4.0 capital goods from 31 December 2022 to 30 November 2023.

Initial collaboration between Acimac, Amaplast and Ucima was

not only strengthened and consolidated during these three years, but it has also been considered by Confidustria to be a virtuous example of beneficial cooperation. The successes achieved do not, though, represent a finish line but a veritable starting point for creating an industry federation, Confindustria Macchine, the contents and provisions of which were presented during our meeting. In a nutshell, the federal project assumes strategic importance for Amaplast as well as for Acimac and Ucima, and the nascent federation, being open also to other capital machinery and value chain sector organizations, will undeniably become a key “association” for our entire sector, in terms of the provision of services given to member companies as well as the recognition it will without doubt enjoy with Confindustria and the various government institutions.”

2020, there has been a strong connection between Amaplast and the associations Acimac and Ucima, which represent the manufacturers of ceramics machinery and packaging machinery, respectively: what is the initial outcome that you see after three years of working together and, in particular, what are the future prospects?

The newly appointed president of Amaplast, Massimo Margaglione, will lead the association for the period 2023-2025.

Massimo Margaglione in his introductory and programme report immediately after his election at the Amaplast members’ meeting; with him in the photo his predecessor Dario Previero, under whose chairmanship he served as vice-president.

What can you tell us about current issues such as production sustainability, ecological transition, and corporate digitalization? How should an association like the one you have been called upon to lead and the companies that form its basis approach these issues?

“These are very complex issues, and I don’t pretend to have a comprehensive response in terms of the work that companies and associations should take on in order to be part of the change. In regard to sustainability, I like to think that it is linked to another term that is, in my opinion, more pressing, that gives us an immediate sense of urgency, namely “durability”. Our individual and collective actions must be carried out with the ultimate aim of preserving the world in which we live and making it liveable and lasting for those who come after us. I do not want to philosophize nor delve into inconclusive sophisms, but each of us must play our part to correct the environmental ruin we find ourselves in and without doubt companies are being called upon to act immediately to reduce the negative impact on society and the health of the planet.

The European Directive 95/2014 and the Italian Legislative Decree 254/2016 call for sustainability reporting to be submitted by not only companies listed on the stock market and public bod-

ies but also by large enterprises and this regulatory change will elevate the number of companies involved from a little over 300 to more than 6,000.

Sustainability is often erroneously associated only with purely environmental and climatic issues, but in reality it equally pertains to people and their wellbeing within our companies, the work place, digitalization, research and development, the supply chain, territorial enhancement and, in general, ESG criteria. We find ourselves facing a change that has to represent a real revolution. In this scenario, Amaplast will play a supporting role to member companies wanting to undertake the path of sustainability and, in synergy with the services offered together with Acimac and Ucima, it can help provide highly professional assistance to member companies.

In regard to digitalization, the recent Industry 4.0 national plan and incentives associated with it have encouraged Italian companies to invest in new capital goods, both tangible (machinery) and intangible (software), to improve production and quality processes. Amaplast has sustained and will continue to sustain the digital transition, maintaining relationships with all relevant stakeholders, providing members with assistance, constant and punctual information, webinars, courses, and highly qualified advice. The new frontier of digitalization today is connected to introducing our member companies to artificial intelligence and it is undeniable that sustainability and artificial intelligence will have to work together to improve energy efficiency and use of resources, reducing waste, monitoring production process and more still.”

“The digital and ecological transition represents, as we said, one of the main challenges that our companies have to face, but it also offers great potential for growth. Unfortunately, the international geopolitical panorama does not help companies to tackle the technological changes that are coming.

In addition to the ones you have told us, can you identify other hot topics that are expected to be particularly challenging in the coming months?

The newly appointed Amaplast president will lead an association grouping around 170 companies.

The synergy between Amaplast, Acimac and Ucima initiated under the chairmanship of Previero will be one of the main themes of Margaglione’s term of office, which, as he announced at the shareholders’ meeting, he intends to develop and merge into a new federation that will take the name Confindustria Macchine.

The war in Ukraine is still ongoing and inflation, though levelling off, remains very high, at about 6%. Christine Legarde has just announced a further 0.25 point increase in the interest rate (the eighth since July 2022), which raises the base interest rate to 4%. The increases are not over though and at the president of ECB’s own admission, rates will continue to increase “as long as necessary”, meaning until they settle inflation to a rate of about 2%, which is not currently expected to happen until the end of 2025. Undoubtedly, such a rapid rise in rates from zero in early July 2022 to today’s 4% has inevitably had a strong impact on

the real economy: Germany, the driving force of Europe, will record zero growth, if not a recession, but generally the European Commission’s forecasts suggest growth of less than 1% for the entire Eurozone.

Thanks to the drive of tourism, services and PNRR funds, the Italian economy is performing better than its European neighbours and appears to be recording growth of around 1, 1-1.2%. The rise in rates will very probably have a strong impact on household consumption and financial expenses on Italian companies, including our members, and this could create a strong disincentive for new investment and cause stagnation.”

How do you assess the health of the Italian plastics industry and, in particular, the machine and equipment manufactures, against a 2022 that exceeded all expectations?

“In actual fact, 2022 figures exceeded expectations and the first months of 2023 saw Italian GDP rise, although the second quarter 2023 opened and is drawing to a close with weak signals, even for Italy, which is recording a slowdown to some extent across all industrial sectors. The Italian economy is resilient, but recent data and the trends of recent months are certainly worrying, with industrial production down. The state of health of our value chain remains positive, but I cannot fail to mention the concern expressed by the Centro Studi Confindustria, which believes it is improbable for the decline in industrial production in the first two quarters to be compensated by the slight recovery forecast for the second half of the year.

In the opinion of Confindustria’s president, Carlo Bonomi, for the sake of the wellbeing of our value chain, we also need to see the application of structural measures to support the industry, like, for example, the permanent extension of fiscal benefits linked to Industry 4.0, as tax and fiscal measures, including permanent ones, to support work, investment and research and development.”

A mould for test tubes.

Massimo Margaglione is CEO of Gefit’s Mould&Assembly division - in the opening photo a stack mould, above an assembly system for the food industry.

Gefit

Gefit

Polynt: Polimeric PVC Plasticizers based upon 100% Renewable Raw Materials

Polynt confirms its leadership in Special Purpose Plasticizers by extending its product range with an innovative polymeric Plasticizer formulated with 100% renewable raw materials. The new Plasticizer, identified by the brand Polimix RNew, allows 50% Carbon Footprint reduction compared to the functionally equivalent fossil-based Plasticizer.

Polimix RNew, being already listed in the main global Inventories, can be commercialized in any regional market interested in its innovative properties.

Polimix RNew can be utilized without any change in manufacturing technologies, from compounding to the other typical PVC transformation processes.

Polimix RNew inherent efficiency in manufacturing process combined with its ability to maintain adequate flexibility in a wide range of operating temperatures and good solvent resistance, makes it suitable for use in the Automotive and Construction sectors and PVC articles that come into contact with foodstuffs.

Exports:

There is an export potential of 16 billion euros for Italian capital goods incorporating automation, creativity and technology. The possibility of expanding the exports of highly sophisticated machinery is equally distributed between more developed countries and emerging countries, approximately eight billion in each area, suggesting Italian enterprises to increase their market shares in both of them.

These figures are part of the first Ingenium study “Il potenziale dei beni strumentali italiani nel panorama internazionale (The potential of Italian capital goods on the international scenario)” conducted by Centro Studi Confindustria, the main Italian organisation representing industrial manufacturing and service enterprises, with the financial support of Federmacchine, the trade association that brings together Amaplast, Acimac and Ucima, among others, and the contribution of Sace above all for its focus on ASEAN countries, in particular Vietnam, the Philippines and Thailand, whose markets offer a great deal of opportunities for Italian manufacturers.

The importance of made in Italy

The machines included in the study are defined through three distinctive elements: automation, creativity and technology. Hence the acronym ACT that covers 202 product categories on which Italy can rely to face the international challenges. These machines feature high accuracy, increasingly pervasive use of electronics compared to mechanics, agility in adopting tailor-made solutions and a growing content of services included in the supply scope. In many categories of goods, Italy boasts a competitive edge in terms of prices and, at the same price, of the higher volumes of units sold. As a result, it is not surprising that

the country is world leader in the production of many categories of machines.

“In relation to the absolutely important role that “made in Italy” assumes in the global and the Italian domestic economy as a fundamental asset for growth, capital goods are the robust backbone of Italian excellence exported abroad. Without them, many of the consumer goods which in our imagination represent Italy in the world, such as fashion, furniture and food, would be simply unfeasible,” said Barbara Beltrame Giacomello, vice president for internationalisation at Confindustria. “Machines always occupy a top position among the Italian goods sold abroad and represent a significant share of our exports. The latest export figures show signs of a slowdown after the record levels reached in recent years, which supported the competitiveness of Italian industry in an extremely challenging and uncertain international context - one more reason to continue betting on “made in Italy” and commit ourselves to strengthening it fearlessly. Also because, as shown by these figures, there is a great potential that we must be able to tap through a real system policy aimed at supporting enterprises on international markets, especially the small and medium-sized ones.”

“Widely recognised for its excellent performance, the Italian machinery industry has always made a decisive contribution to the trade balance of the country. In fact, this sector, that also includes the members of Federmacchine, records the largest trade surplus. Now, thanks to the Ingenium report, enterprises operating in the sector have at their disposal an additional tool to understand how and where to direct their products, taking into account the markets with the greatest potential as well as some strategic suggestions in order to better cover the outlet areas”, said Alfredo Mariotti, secretary general of Federmacchine.

Italy world leader in machinery, 16 billion potential. Barbara Beltrame Giacomello, Confindustria: “A system policy that supports enterprises on international markets is necessary”.

Barbara Beltrame Giacomello, vice-president for internationalisation, Confindustria.

Confindustria

Goglio

The potential of the markets

The Ingenium report shows that among the more developed markets, those that offer the greatest potential are the USA (with an additional export potential estimated at about 1.7 billion euros), France and Germany on equal merit (600 million euros) followed by Austria and Canada. The additional potential in emerging markets is driven by China, where 52% of the total export potential is still available, for an amount of around two billion euros. This potential in China is largely due to the size of the market. China is followed by Turkey (700 million) and India (600 million), then Mexico and Brazil.

Italy is also among the top exporters in terms of market share and competitiveness among international suppliers of ACTs. In 2020, our country ranked fifth, behind China, the United Kingdom, Germany and Austria. The main importers of ACT machinery from Italy are the United States, followed by Germany and China.

ACT exports are worth almost 28 billion euros. The value of Italian ACT machinery exports to the world can be broken down by destination markets. The greatest share is taken by the more developed markets, which together are worth over 18 billion euros.

The value of exports to emerging markets, on the other hand, is more limited, accounting for just over nine billion euros. The exports of ACTs grew above all in America, as well as in the European continent: these markets recorded the greatest growth during 2022 compared to the previous three years.

Finally, the report also indicates the way to activate this potential, suggesting initiatives in various areas for increasing the competitiveness of enterprises, such as servitisation (i.e. the provision of additional after-sale services), adopting more sustainable behaviours, favouring international treaties, stimulating innovation.

HALL 13 - STAND B36

The acronym ACT - i.e. automation, creativity and technologyidentifies the three distinctive elements of the machinery and systems covered by the report, published with the support of Federmacchine and the contribution of Sace.

Gimatic

Ambienta acquired the majority of Previero

Ambienta SGR, one of Europe’s largest asset managers entirely focused on environmental sustainability, acquired the majority stake in Previero. The company, which is currently led by the third generation of the founding family, will still benefit from Previero’s distinctive experience in the recycling arena going-forward as they will retain a significant stake in the business. Founded in 1922 and based in Anzano del Parco (Como, Italy), Previero is the pioneer in the plastic mechanical recycling space, driving market innovation and delivering benchmarking quality standards. As of today, the company is among the few players capable of offering turnkey

recycling solutions covering the entire preprocessing phase and addressing all types of feedstocks. With a workforce of 110 employees approximately, Previero focuses on R&D, engineering, and assembling/testing activities, which over the years led to a differentiated and integrated value proposition, matching the increasing need of global recyclers to identify technological partners capable of supporting them in the design and commissioning of the full recycling line. Previero solutions represent a key enabler of the transition towards plastic circularity, a process which is still in its early days as only 15% of plastic waste generated worldwide is actually recycled - ratio which is expected to almost double by 2040 driven by tightening regulations and brand commitments. This makes Previero an ideal fit to Ambienta’s investment strategy, representing both a Pollution Control and a Resource Efficiency investment. Previero’s turnkey recycling solutions turn post-consumer and post-industrial waste into high quality flakes, with positive impacts on: materials recycled, CO2 emissions reduced, energy saved and landfill saved. Technological and regulatory advancements, the already

Acquisition in renewable chemistry All Novamont to Versalis

Versalis - Eni’s chemical company and a shareholder of Novamont (36%)and Mater-Bi - a company controlled by Investitori Associati II and NB

Renaissance - recently announced the signing of an agreement for Versalis to acquire the remaining 64% of Novamont’s shares currently held by Mater-Bi. Next steps and the timing of closing are subject to approval by the competent authorities.

Versalis is the largest Italian chemical company and leader at an international level, whose strategy hinges on its product portfolio specialization, including the chemistry from renewables. Novamont is a B Corp-certified

Benefit company and a leading player in the circular bioeconomy sector, as well as a leader in the market for biodegradable and compostable bioplastics and biochemicals. Its acquisition represents a great opportunity for Versalis to accelerate its strategy through the integration of a technological platform which is both unique and complementary. This will significantly contribute to the decarbonization of Versalis’ product portfolio.

The deal will strengthen the Novamont platform by accelerating the growth of high value-added, multi-product supply chains and local projects. The goal is decoupling the use of natural

visible acceleration of the investment in additional recycling capacity worldwide and increasing demand for high-end solutions delivering foodgrade recycled quality, all represent significant opportunities for Previero.

Ambienta aims to support the company in seizing these opportunities, providing financial and managerial resources, promoting further investments in fixed and human capital, and more broadly partnering with the three Previero brothers in making the company an even stronger player in the global market.

Previero is the first platform investment from Ambienta’s most recent fund, Ambienta IV. Hitting its hard cap of 1.55 bilion euros, Ambienta IV is the largest European Private Equity fund ever raised solely focused on companies that enable positive environmental change in their respective sectors.

“In Ambienta we found a partner capable of understanding the history and the potential of the company, whom we believe will provide complementary industrial and international expertise that will enable us to capture the many opportunities we see ahead more quickly and effectively”, Flavio Previero, chairman of Previero, commented.

resources from economic growth so as to keep doing more with less.

Founded in 1922, Previero is now led by the third generation.

Pictured, from right, Adriano Alfani, CEO of Versalis, Catia Bastioli, CEO of Novamont, and Marco Cerrina, senior partner NB Renaissance of Mater Bi.

Extrusion lines for profiles

CUSTOMISED TURN-KEY SOLUTIONS FOR THE EXTRUSION OF PLASTIC PROFILES

The extrusion lines for profiles aim to satisfy a wide range of purposes in the fields of extruded profiles, such as technical profiles and window profiles for the building sector, thermal break profiles with fiberglass and cable ducts, by using a great variety of raw materials.

Extrusion lines for medical tubes

speeds) and allow to produce different diameters (even micro-tubes) with a wide variety of medical grade materials.

extrusion lines for spiral smoothbore medical pipes

A broad and interesting all-round scrutiny of what is currently a very pressing issue, sustainability, laid out in one of the most sensitive contexts in terms of public opinion as well as market, meaning enterprises, having become for the latter an added value for improving investment, economic performance and the perception of operations on a social level. With a closer look at the situation in Italy.

BY GIROLAMO DAGOSTINO

There is a well-established need for sustainability today on the economic and production panorama, and it influences the way enterprises are operating. Particularly after the so-called “circular economy package” published by the European Commission in 2018, the arm of lawmakers on the entrepreneurial panorama is predominant and imposes an about turn in the modus operandi of enterprises or, even more so, it requires an adjustment in their regular daily work, including sustainability in their development plans. Environment and sustainability are always considered very “high” concepts, the prerogative of policy makers far removed from business operators. At the beginning of the third millennium, corporate sustainability remains a stimulus for actions most often voluntary, without

substantially conditioning production. Even from a legal standpoint, the right to the environment has a unique configuration. There is no effective basis for environmental protection to weigh directly on business activity. The right to the environment, in fact, is among the so-called “widespread interests” and it is defined from a legal standpoint as being those interests not belonging to a particular entity, latent in the community, as being common to all the individuals in a social group and not identifiable as a particular interest. The legal doctrine subsequently made a small step forward, transforming widespread interest in “common interest”, namely belonging to a representative body of a not casual group, interest that is common to all parties who are part of the community, which, being common, become subjective to the same

body. From here it follows that this interest does not constitute a subjective individual position, but rather the actual position of the exponent body, as written in the TAR Lazio, section II, sentence no. 6861 of 30 May 2019. This suggests that only bodies or subjects representing the community, namely those which are recognized by national regulations, such as those appointed on an institutional level to protect it (environmental associations, public bodies, institutions), and not the individual citizen, can hold up in court the right to the environment and they can only do this in the event of environmental damage, therefore after the fact. To instil sustainability in the production world and create an effective balance between business activity and the environment, avoiding environmental damage to the greatest

Gerd Altmann by Pixabay

One of the actions for companies for reducing their environmental impact relates to the efficient and sustainable management of energy and transportation, thanks also to the incentives policies of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) and energy efficiency pursued in Italy in recent years.

The implementation of practices aimed at developing social and environmental sustainability among businesses could also potentially drive growth and economic performance.

extent possible, something was needed that would translate into the practice the “precautionary principle”, identified by European lawmakers as being one of the pillars of policies aimed at protecting the environment.

Clambering through the intricacies of legal sciences that risk getting bogged down in the configuration of a law that still presides today only over collectives, the EU lawmakers decided at some point to impose behaviour that had the objective of redirecting flows of capital to sustainable investment, in order to create sustainable and inclusive growth, manage financial risks from climate change, resource depletion, environmental decline and social questions as well as promoting long-term transparency and vision in economic-financial activities.

Communication, by some categories of business, of pertinent, comparative and reliable information on sustainability becomes a preliminary condition for achieving these objectives.

Production activity must be “sustainable”. A series of political orientations were adopted then transformed into European laws that have elevated care for the environment and sustainability to be an element that carries weight when doing business, and conditions business and financial relationships between private individuals. The attention to aspects linked to corporate sustainability becomes an element that sets bodies apart and contributes to better management of

corporate risk and provides a guarantee to stakeholders and protects the integrity of the resources involved in relationships with third parties. For this reason, the attention to sustainability must be clearly laid out, at least for those categories of economic subjects that currently are identified by law.

Demonstrated commitment in regard to the concepts of sustainability becomes an “added value”, a passkey to access dedicated credit facilities, a lever to building brand reputation, which makes doing business with an economic player more appetizing. The need for sustainability is driven, therefore, on the one hand by law, which in this case anticipates the market dynamics and inverts a mechanism that generally sees the relationship between supply and demand as a factor that regulates the markets, and on the other hand, the market itself, which must make a virtue of necessity and ultimately considers caring for environmental aspects and sustainability to be an added value. Implementing corporate sustainability leads to new practices, potentially ones that combine growth and economic performance, social and environmental sustainability. In this context, economic-financial aspects are set into a broader framework, which considers the dimension of sustainability set out in measurable corporate behaviours and practices: it therefore becomes increasingly important to verify advances in ESG criteria (Environmental, Social, Governance), assumed as the legal basis for investment sustainability. Measuring sustainability becomes a challenge also for sectorial analysis because on a company level measuring statistics is not yet primarily oriented to monitoring strictly economic performance. Sustainability indicators (KPI) multiply and today number more than 500, organized into environmental, social, and governance aspects.

Although sustainability indicators measure the performance of enterprises and the way they implement their plans, it becomes important to select the right

parameters, which are closely connected to the proposed objectives and relevant to the particular entity in terms of how results are intended to be measured in terms of the achievabilty of the sustainability objectives. It is clear how vital it is to identify sets of indicators that can provide key information to adequately measure sustainability in each sector. Otherwise, much of their effectiveness is lost. Because the application of these indicators is voluntary, there is nothing to say that an enterprise cannot come up with its own package of indicators.

How widespread is sustainability among Italian enterprises?

The virtuous mechanism by which the market rewards those enterprises that demonstrate care for the environment and sustainability are beginning to take on a precise profile. According to surveys on the Italian manufacturing industry, in 2018 about seven companies out of 10 adopted sustainable behaviour. The latest Istat findings show that out of a representative sample of Italian enterprises, 712,000 (68.9% of businesses with three or more employees) claim they engage in activities aimed to improve well-being in the workplace for their employees; 688,000 (66.6%) undertake actions that reduce the environmental impact of their operations; 670,000 (64.8%) have taken measures to improve the level of safety within their premises or the area where they have operations. On the whole, 84.3% of enterprises have completed at least one socially sustainable action and 75.8% have performed at least one environmentally sustainable action. However, detailed analysis of the number of actions reveals that businesses pay more attention to environmental sustainability: 10.3% have performed more than 10 environmentally sustainable actions, 2.7% have performed more than 10 and 50.4% just one.

The commitment to reducing the environmental impact is more marked in in-

Gerd Altmann by Pixabay

Elisa by Pixabay

dustrial enterprises in the strictest sense (71.6%) and construction (71.1%) compared to service providers (64.5%), those most active in the health and social assistance sector demonstrate the highest levels (73.1%). Detailed business activity reveals a commitment to improving well-being in the workplace among companies operating in health and social assistance (77.1%) and education (76.1%). Focus paid to safety within a company or in the area where it operates (which is part of the social aspects of sustainability) is greater among industrial enterprises (74.0%) compared to service providers (61.0%). Sustainable behaviours rise in line with the size of enterprises. Large enterprises (250 or more employees) are more than 10-20 percentage points higher than the national average in all macro areas: +24 points in safety, while for the initiatives implemented in the area, the percentage was 25% higher for common interest initiatives and 20% higher for those involved in the fabric of local production. The differences in reducing the environmental impact (+18%) and for initiatives aimed at wellness in the workplace (+13%) were also significant.

In the Istat survey, the morphology of sustainability presented other dimensional differences: micro enterprises (3-9 employees) showed a more marked orientation to improving well-being in the workplace while companies with 500 and up employees were more attentive to safety and reducing the environmental impact. Another important aspect driving enterprises to implement actions targeting sustainability is reputation. In fact, improving reputation among customers and suppliers is the leading motivation for reducing environmental impact for 32.1% of enterprises.

Social sustainability

In terms of social sustainability initiatives, the data shows that two thirds of enterprises are involved in operations to improve well-being in the workplace and professional development. The majority of enterprises who have stated that they have implemented measures to improve well-being in the workplace (712,000, 68.9% of participating companies) undertake this commitment mainly by adopting more flexible working hours (coming in, leaving, breaks, and so on)

or good practices associated with professional development (measures for economic progress, formative growth, changing positions, and so on). Between 2016 and 2018, these measures were implemented by between 68.6 and 65.6% of enterprises.

More limited, but still significant, has been the adoption of good practices associated with protecting equal opportunities for employees (61.9%), as well as involvement in defining company objectives (59.4%). An additional element garnering attention in company policy aimed at well-being in the workplace is maintaining high levels of staffing even if it means lowering profits (52.4%).

Istat data from the period prior to Covid shows that smart working and working from home was only practiced by 10.3% and 3.7% of enterprises (118,000 in absolute value, taking into account one of the two or both forms of work). The pandemic then drove a strong acceleration in the adoption of these measures. In general, smart working or working from home were closely linked to the size of the company and the business sector where companies operate while no substantial dif-

Material

saving, reuse of raw material and the use of recycled raw materials are good established practices among manufacturing companies to limit consumption and exhaustion of resources.

Annca by Pixabay

Quadro d’insieme

ferences on a territorial level emerged. Identifying the number of enterprises who have adopted these tools out of the total number of enterprises surveyed, there was a decline of about 10 percentage points between large (24% smart work and 15% working from home) and medium (13.3% and 8.4%), small enterprises (10.2% and 4.9%) and micro enterprises (10.2% and 3.2%). This figures are common to all economic macrosectors. On an industry level, the difference is also seen within the same segments, confirming how the possibility of using flexible workforce practices is connected to the product/service offered or the production process followed.

Environmental sustainability

chose thermal insulation of buildings and/or the construction of low energy use buildings and almost 10 out of 100 incurred the expense without receiving incentives. In Italy, the management of water resources presents various critical factors, especially in some more vulnerable areas, to a large extent linked to the growing pressures in demand compared to natural availability, inefficiency in the water distribution network and the relevance of pollutant loads deriving from anthropic activity.

An environmental and sustainability advising service provided in an associative context draws on the advantage, compared to the sea of advising services proposed, of knowledge of the sector and representation, promotion and protection of its members by the assocation.

the water supply business, management of waste and reclamation (45.9%). Even manufacturers stand out with above average levels: 35.6% have used recycled raw material, while 67.3% have adopted measures to limit the use of production materials, with limited differences linked to the area and size of enterprises.

Communicating sustainability

Although communication plays a fundamental role for underscoring a companyʼs commitment to implementing actions aimed at sustainability, in Istatʼs 2018 findings, sustainability statements and/or reports were limited.

Comportamenti “sostenibili” per sette imprese su 10 Nel 2018, 712 mila imprese (68,9% delle imprese con 3 e più addetti) dichiarano di essere impegnate in azioni volte a migliorare il benessere lavorativo del proprio personale; 688 mila (66,6%) svolgono azioni per ridurre l’impatto ambientale delle proprie attività; 670 mila (64,8%) si sono attivate per migliorare il livello di sicurezza all’interno della propria impresa o nel territorio in cui opera no.

Rispetto al rapporto con altri soggetti e c on il territorio, quasi un terzo (31,3%, ossia 323 mila imprese in valore assoluto) sostiene o realizza iniziative di interesse collettivo esterne all’impresa ; una quota analoga di imprese supporta o realizza iniziative a beneficio del tessuto produttivo d el territorio in cui opera (303 mila imprese, pari al 29,4%)

L’attenzione alla sostenibilità sociale (che include le azioni realizzate per il benessere lavorativo e la sicurezza) e ambientale (azioni per ridurre l’impatto ambientale delle proprie attivit à) assume intensità diverse osservando il numero di azioni realizzate tra il 2016 e il 2018 (Figura 1)

Nel complesso, l’84,3% delle imprese ha portato a termine almeno una azione di sostenibilità sociale e il 75,8% ha realizzato almeno una azione di sost enibilità ambientale Tuttavia, analizzando il dettaglio per numero di azioni, le imprese dedicano maggiore attenzione alla sostenibilità ambiental e: il 10,3% ha realizzato più di 10 azioni di sostenibilità ambientale, il 2,7% ne ha compiute più di 10 e il 50,4% solo una.

One of the areas of intervention for companies for reducing their environmental impact relates to the efficient and sustainable management of energy and transportation, seeing strong growth thanks also to the incentives policies of Renewable Energy Sources (RES), and energy efficiency pursued in Italy in recent years. To reduce energy consumption, 40.1% of enterprises have installed efficient machinery, plant and/or equipment; 32.2% did this without drawing on incentives. Of the investments targeting energy saving, 13 companies out of 100

Valori percentuali sul totale imprese con tre e più addetti. Anno 2018

Italian enterprises have placed in the forefront measures to curb water withdrawal and consumption, implemented by six companies out of 10 in the three-year period from 2016-2018. Next come wastewater treatments to control pollutants, possibly only in the context of some manufacturing enterprises, implemented by a fifth of enterprises, and that of reusing and recycling water (8% of enterprises). Production sustainability also manifests in saving materials used in production processes, relevant for 52.8% of enterprises, and in using raw material seconds (waste that is recovered and reenters production), implemented by 21.3%). Saving materials and reusing raw materials is higher than average in the extraction sector (56.1% and 40.6% of enterprises) and, with reference only to the containment of production materials, in

E SOCIALE

Low (1-4 actions) Medium-low (5-9 actions) Medium-high (10-14 actions) High (15-18 actions)

The recent publication of the Directive 2022/2464/EU which governs the obligation for certain categories of enterprises to draw sustainability reports has placed a greater focus on evaluating and communicating environmental performance. Companies have gained a greater awareness of these instruments that are an important checkpoint for the verification and consolidation of the companyʼs reputation, even for strategic programming that is more attentive to the effective risks and environmental impacts. Moreover, the market increasingly requires the clarification of risks linked to shortfalls of an environmental and social nature that influence the possibility of establishing lasting business relationships.

In the three-year period 2016-2018, 12.4% of enterprises have obtained voluntary environmental certification for products or processes. It is a much more widespread practice among large enterprises (57%), in some cases subject to regulatory obligations, and medium (39.1%), as well as small enterprises (19.0%) or micro enterprises (9.7%).

L’impegno verso una riduzione dell’impatto ambientale è più accentuato tra le imprese dell’industria in senso stretto (71,6%) e in quelle delle costruzioni (71,1%) rispetto alle imprese dei servizi (64,5%) tra le quali quelle attive nel settore della Sanità e assistenza sociale mostrano percentuali elevate (73,1%).

Rispetto al miglioramento del benessere lavorativo non si evidenziano significative differenz e tra macro settori di attività economica (70,0%, 70,4% e 68,4% rispettivamente le quote nell’industria in senso stretto , nelle costruzioni e nei servizi) Osservando i dettagli per attività economica, si rileva un impegno nel miglioramento del benessere lavorativo tra le imprese che operano nella Sanità e assistenza sociale

Fewer than 4% of enterprises report drawing environmental and sustainability statements and/or reports, but the figure rises to 30.8% among large enterprises. The evaluation of environmental sustainability initiatives is, on the other

Enterprises based on the number of environmental and social sustainability actions (percentage of all enterprises with three or more employees - source: Istat).

FIGURA 1 IMPRESE IN BASE AL NUMERO DI AZIONI REALIZZATE PER LA SOSTENIBILITÀ AMBIENTALE

Gerd Altmann by Pixabay

hand, practised by 13% of enterprises (almost 50% of large enterprises).

The added value of association advising services

Increasingly, companies require sustainability advising services. As a result, the market has become populated with the most diverse proposals based on the fact that attending to certain aspects linked to sustainability is today a commercial and strategic driver.

Measuring a companyʼs sustainability often involves algorithms that pay little consideration to the specific requirements of the governing organization and even more often, the economic needs of the proposal, regardless of the unique features of the activity sector. The result sometimes shows a certain uniformity and standardization in the proposal and a depersonalization of the analysis. What differentiates the proposal and performance of an environmental and sustainability advising service in an associative context from the vast sea of advising proposals can be inferred: knowledge of the sector of which the association historically provides representation, promotion and protection for its members.

Knowledge of company specifics is certainly a useful element for identifying the right path for ecological transition or identifying the most appropriate tool for implementing sustainability within a company. A vital element is the trust that the member has for the association and the loyalty that the latter must necessarily establish with the member for a long-term relationship of reciprocal convenience.

It is true that the “Big Four”, namely the biggest general auditing companies carry a certain weight on the market, which is where this appellation comes from, but the strict relationship between association and member, at the base of which obviously needs to be key skills and professionalism, can deliver a tailored result not so easily available from other sources.

Valori

(*

* Il quesito permetteva risposte multiple.

Is coherent with the business operations

Is part of the strategy and/or mission

Improves the client/supplierʼs reputation

Consolidates links with the local community

Previsti in crescita g

Is advantageous for specific taxation/subsidies

Other reasons

Ridurre l'impatto ambientale

Reducing the environmental impact

a sostenibilità n trova un riscontro negli investimenti per responsabilità ambientali e soc

Improving well-being at work

Migliorare il benessere lavorativo

T e 4.1, 4.2 e 4.3 dell’appendice statistica) Il24,4%% delle imprese ha pianificato investimenti

L iali (T in questo ambito n 2021)

Is coherent with the business operations

Is part of the strategy and/or mission

Improves the client/supplierʼs reputation

Consolidates links with the local community

-2018, quota che sale al 29,0% nelle previsioni del triennio successivo (2019% delle imprese con 500 addetti e oltre ma solo dal 20,9% delle micro (3-9 addetti).

La dimensione aziendale gioca ancora una volta un ruolo importante: tali investimenti sono stati infatti realizzati dal

Is advantageous for specific taxation/subsidies

Other reasons

Sostenere o realizzare iniziative di interesse collettivo

Supporting or implementing initiatives of collective interest

Is coherent with the business operations

Is part of the strategy and/or mission

A livello territoriale 2018 non fanno registrare differenze rilevanti: del Nord le imprese del Mezzogiorno e del Nord

gli investimenti in sostenibilità ambientale e so ciale effettuati nel periodo 201625,3% di quelle est Per il triennio successivo si prevede un aumento più accentuato tra est (rispettivamente 29,9% e 29,8%)

Improves the client/supplierʼs reputation

Consolidates links with the local community Is advantageous for specific taxation/subsidies

Other reasons

%

o, il Farmaceutico, la Raccolta, trattamento e smaltimento dei rifiuti, il Recupero dei materiali,

Is coherent with the business operations

Is part of the strategy and/or mission

Improves the client/supplierʼs reputation

Consolidates links with the local community Is advantageous for specific taxation/subsidies

Other reasons

Is coherent with the business operations

Is part of the strategy and/or mission

Improves the client/supplierʼs reputation

Supporting or implementing initiatives of economic development

Sostenere o realizzare iniziative di sviluppo economico

Increasing safety levels

Incrementare livelli di sicurezza

le più scelte da imprese del Mezzogiorno e del Centro per obiettivi di sostenibilità strumenti, finanziari e non, utilizzatiperperseguire obiettivi di sostenibilità nel 2018 il 13,8% delle imprese ha fatto ricorso ad attività interne svolte

% si è avvalso di finanziamenti economici di progetti o iniziative, il 9,7%

I settori economici che investono maggiormente in queste attività, con oltre delle imprese, sono il C le A A Considerando ambientale e sociale a titolo gratuito o agevolato dal personale ha impiegato uso gratuito o agevolato di beni dell’impresa (macchinari, tecnologie, immobili, ecc.).

Consolidates links with the local community Is advantageous for specific taxation/subsidies

Other reasons

Un fattore discriminante nell’adozione di misure per il benessere lavorativo e per la conciliazione dei tempi di vita-lavoro è la dimensione aziendale: la loro implementazione aumenta al crescere del numero di addetti in quasi tutti i tipi analizzati. In particolare, un maggiore scarto è osservabile nell’offerta di un asilo aziendale gratuito o a condizioni agevolate, negli strumenti di sostegno economico e nelle estensioni della durata dei congedi parentali o per gravi motivi.

Per gli obiettivi di sostenibilità, le imprese del Mezzogiorno e del Centro hanno optato per attività interne a titolo gratuito utilizzando personale dell’impresa (rispettivamente 14,2% e 14,1%) mentre quelle del Nord-est e del Nord-ovest si sono orientate maggiormente verso finanziamenti di tipo economico di progetti/iniziative (12,6% e 11,3%) (Tavola 6 dell’appendice statistica).

Iniziative e misure di sostenibilità ambientale

Verso infrastruttu

Well-being in the workplace

La s hanno scelto i finanziamenti economici per le iniziative le microimprese ha fatto ricorso ad

Flexible working hours

Good professional development practices

Good equal opportunity practices

Involvement in defining business objectives

Uno degli ambiti di intervento per la riduzione degli impatti sull’ambiente attiene alla gestione efficiente e sostenibile dell’energia e dei trasporti, in forte sviluppo grazie anche alle politiche di incentivazione (FER) e dell’efficienza energetica portate avanti dal nostro Paese negli ultimi anni

High employment levels

Authorization/leave/part time for maternity/paternity (beyond legal requirements)

Per i in modo autonomo, in congiunzione con soggetti misti (pubblico, privato, terzo sett con soggetti del terzo settore (Tavola Infine, il mentre il 7,8%

Authorization to enrol children in nursery school

Internal communication on rights of parents

Per ridurre i consumi energetici e macchinari, impianti e/o apparecchi efficienti li investimenti finalizzati al risparmio realizzazione di edifici a basso consumo energetico

Extension of the length of leave for serious reasons

Smart working

Extension of the length of maternity/paternity leave

5 to caso si è indagato il tipo di finanziamento economico utilizzato per gli investimenti in termini di ripa

P nella produzione di energia da fonte rinnovabile elettrica (7,2%) o termica (4,4%) e 7 (2,8%). Per queste iniziative, circa la metà degli investimenti ll’erogazione di incentivi.

Economic support for workers and families

Acquisition of disadvantaged people (beyond legal requirements) Working from home

Subsidized or free company nursery

Ancora poco diffuse imprese su 100 hanno acquistato automezzi elettrici o ibridi.

Measures for well-being in the workplace and reconciliation of work life balance between 2016 and 2018 (percentages of all enterprises with three or more employees - source: Istat).

Per smart work e telelavoro incide molto la dimensione aziendale

Al momento del censimento, lo smart working e il telelavoro risultavano utilizzati solo dal 10,3% e dal 3,7% (Prospetto 1) delle imprese (118 mila in valore assoluto, considerando una delle due forme di lavoro o entrambe). La diffusione della pandemia da Covid-19 ha poi impresso una forte accelerazione nell’adozione di queste misure

Il ricorso allo smart working o al telelavoro risulta fortemente legato alla dimensione aziendale e al settore di attività economica in cui le imprese operano mentre non emergono sostanziali differenze a livello territoriale Rapportando il numero delle imprese che hanno adottato tali strumenti al totale delle imprese censite si registra uno scarto di circa 10 punti percentuali tra grandi imprese (24,0% smart work e 15,0% telelavoro) e medie (13,3% e 8,4%), piccole (10,2% e 4,9%) e microimprese (10,2% e 3,2%). Tale dinamica è comune a tutti i macro settori economici (Prospetto 1).

A livello settoriale le differenze si ravvisano anche all’interno degli stessi comparti, a conferma di quanto la possibilità di utilizzo del lavoro agile sia correlata al prodotto/servizio offerto o al processo produttivo seguito.

In particolare, sono i settori dei Servizi di informazione e comunicazione, soprattutto quello della Produzione di software e della consulenza informatica, delle Telecomunicazioni e delle Attività di produzione cinematografica, televisiva e musicale a distinguersi per il maggiore utilizzo: tra il 2016 e il 2018 il 26,8% delle imprese attive in questi settori ha adottato lo smart working e il 20,8% il telelavoro (Figura 7).

Il ricorso allo smart work è significativo anche nel settore dell’Istruzione (19,7% delle imprese, con una incidenza più elevata per corsi post universitari, ricreativi o di formazione), nelle Attività professionali, scientifiche e tecniche (18,2%, in particolare quelle impegnate nella ricerca e sviluppo, pubblicità e ricerche di mercato, design e interpretariato), nel settore della Fornitura di energia elettrica, gas, vapore e aria condizionata (15,5%) e nelle attività di Servizi alle imprese (14,1%, con valori particolarmente elevati per le agenzie di selezione e ricerca del personale). Le Attività pro fessionali, scientifiche e tecniche, così come il settore delle Utilities, presentano valori superiori alla media nazionale anche per il telelavoro

Companies who have made investments in the sustainable management of energy and transportation between 2016 and 2018, by type of investment and presence or lack of incentives (percentage of total companies who have implemented actions to reduce the environmental impact of their operations - source: Istat).

energetica hanno dato luogo, tra il 2011 e il 2018, a risparmi ener getici pari al 54%, dell’obiettivo nazionale al 2020 previsto dal Piano nazionale di Azione per l’Efficienza Energetica nel settore industriale, al 42% nel settore trasporti e al 26% nel terziario (Cfr. ENEA, “Rapporto Annuale Efficienza energetica” 2019). Nel corso del 2019 il Gestore dei Servizi Energetici ha riconosciuto alle imprese incentivi per oltre 10 miliardi di euro destinati principalmente al sostegno delle fonti rinnovabili ne, settore elettrico; tali interventi hanno generato un risparmio di emissioni di CO 2 in atmosfera stimato in circa 31 milioni di tonnellate (fonte GSE).

7 Gli impianti di cogenerazione sono finalizzati alla produzione combinata di energia elettrica e calore, quelli di trigenerazione alla

Motivations by type of sustainable action (percentage points out of all enterprises with three or more employees - source: Istat).

FIGURA 4 MOTIVAZIONI PER TIPO DI AZIONE SOSTENIBILE.

percentuali sul totale imprese con tre e più addetti (*). Anno 2018

FIGURA 10. IMPRESE CHE HANNO EFFETTUATO INVESTIMENTI PER LA GESTIONE SOSTENIBILE DI ENERGIA E TRASPORTI (*) TRA IL 2016 E IL 2018, PER TIPO DI INVESTIMENTO E PRESENZA O MENO DI INCENTIVI. Valori percentuali sul totale imprese che hanno intrapreso azioni per ridurre l’impatto ambientale delle proprie attività.

*oltre gli obblighi di legge

6 Le numerose misure finanziarie e fiscali per l’efficienza

FIGURA 6 MISURE PER IL BENESSERE LAVORATIVO E LA CONCILIAZIONE DEI TEMPI DI VITA REALIZZATE TRA IL 2016 E IL 2018 Valori percentuali sul totale imprese che hanno realizzato tali misure.

*oltre gli obblighi di legge

VinylPlus Sustainability Forum 2023, Florence, Italy

Making the European Green Deal happen

The VinylPlus Sustainability Forum 2023 was recently held in the city of Dante, where the Progress Report 2023, taking stock of the European PVC industry, was presented. The event was attended by over 160 delegates from 21 countries.

On May 11, Florence provided the venue for the eleventh VinylPlus Sustainability Forum, organised by VinylPlus. The event saw the presentation of the Progress Report 2023, listing the main achievements and progress achieved by the European PVC industry in 2022, which Karl-Martin Schellerer, President of VinylPlus, summarized in his opening address. Two years after the launch of the VinylPlus 2030 Commitment, the annual forum, this year entitled “Making the EU Green Deal Happen”, attracted more than 160 delegates from 21 countries to the Tuscan capital to discuss sustainable ways to promote carbon neutrality, circularity in the building and construction sector, developments in green procurement and certification of sustainable products.

A milestone year towards the 2030 sustainability goals

In terms of circularity, 813,266 tonnes of PVC waste were recycled within the VinylPlus framework in 2022, representing around 27% of the total PVC waste generated during the year in the EU-27, Norway, Switzerland and the UK. Since 2000, 8.1 million tonnes of PVC have been recycled and reused in new prod-

ucts, preventing the release of 16.2 million tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere. Heavy investments have been made in research and development projects aimed at removing legacy additives from waste and increasing chemical recycling of PVC waste that cannot be mechanically recycled in an eco-efficient manner. In addressing the issue of legacy additives, the industry is also looking to future-proof additives used today: a key tool to achieve this is the Additive Sustainability Footprint methodology, which enables companies to proactively assess and promote the sustainable production and use of PVC additives throughout the entire product lifecycles. The methodology was shared with European PVC converters and presented at several events in Europe and abroad. VinylPlus’ vision is to broaden the use of the Additive Sustainability Footprint. Throughout 2022, VinylPlus also launched a series of initiatives aimed at supporting member companies’ efforts in reducing water and energy consumption, increasing the use of renewable energy and raw material, and minimising any accidental spillage of PVC into water and the environment.

As for the VinylPlus Product Label, the sustainability certification for PVC products for the Building and Construction sector, was updated and included in the Italian GPP CAM (minimum environmental criteria). The Label’s criteria are currently under assessment by the Swiss organisation Ecobau. In addition, the first five companies have obtained the VinylPlus Supplier Certificates, the sustainability certifications for additives suppliers and compounders.

The state of the art and the future of PVC

Moderated by Frédéric Simon, Senior Editor of EurActiv, the first session of VinylPlus Sustainability Forum 2023 focused on the upcoming European policy initiatives on plastics and PVC and the regulatory challenges of the EU legislative framework. Significant contributions to the debate, and inspiring perspectives, were provided by Francesco Virtuani, Circular Economy and Sus-

The work of the VinylPlus Sustainability Forum 2023 in Florence

tainable Development Division of the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy; Paola Migliorini, Deputy Head of Unit, European Commission DG Environment; and Simone Doyle, Head of Risk Management Unit at the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA).

“The European Chemicals Agency’s objective – observed Simone Doyle – is to implement legislation to ensure the protection of human health and the environment and we look at chemicals more holistically, across lifecycles in a less fragmented way, also considering sustainability. The current investigation work on PVC and PVC additives, requested of ECHA by the EU Commission, gives us the opportunity to develop a framework to compare circular economy aspects of PVC and alternatives and their wider environmental impacts throughout the lifecycle. We hope this approach for PVC can be used in other impact assessments in the future.”

“VinylPlus is fully committed to supporting a rigorous, comprehensive, and science-based investigation process – commented Brigitte Dero, Managing Director of VinylPlus – to ensure the European PVC value chain a fair transition to a sustainable future. Our Forum 2023 shows that the European PVC industry can work jointly with policymakers and industry partners to address sustainability challenges. The recent publication of the REACH restriction on lead in PVC, for example, is the result of fruitful discussions between regulators, industry, and other stakeholders and builds upon the industry’s efforts to reduce the use of hazardous substances in PVC products and further enhance the circularity of the PVC industry. This regulatory measure will restrict the import of lead-containing PVC products from third countries where lead is still used as a stabiliser and will enable the PVC industry to meet its ambitious recycling targets in a way that is safe for human health and the environment.”

The event’s second session focused on accelerating circularity in the building and construction sector. Discussions revolved around the Construction Product Regulation, currently under revision, and to the implementation of the Eco-Design for Sustainable Products Regulation, as well as architects’ and industry’s perspectives on how circularity in construction can be achieved.

In the last session of the Forum, speakers analysed the path towards sustainable development through certified and traceable products and the future of Green Public Procurement (GPP) in

Europe. The contribution to more sustainable products for GPP provided by the VinylPlus Product Label for PVC converters and the VinylPlus Supplier Certificates for PVC additives suppliers and compounders is increasingly recognised by stakeholders. An award ceremony was dedicated to the companies that were certified in 2022: Akdeniz Chemson, Baerlocher, IKA, Polymer-Chemie, Reagens, Salamander and Sattler.

Closing the forum, Karl-Martin Schellerer commented “I am very proud to announce that the PVC industry is on track to deliver the first targets of VinylPlus 2030. We are continuously working to improve our sustainability performance. Still, a clear and supportive regulatory framework is essential to set even more ambitious targets and continue to play a significant role in enabling the EU Green Deal. To this end, we are ready to work collaboratively and constructively with regulators in line with a scienceand evidence-based approach. I am sure that the enthusiasm and the engagement of our partners seen during the Forum will continue to contribute to the achievement of VinylPlus 2030 targets and to make the EU Green Deal happen.”

813,266 tonnes in 2022

8.1 M tonnes since 2000

Recycled PVC, in tonnes, 2022

Karl-Martin Schellerer, president of VinylPlus.

Listen to the present and look to the future

Since 1982 we have been reliability, competence, innovation, research

We produce extrusion systems for regeneration of post-consumer/ post industrial waste

• high energy efficiency

• quick installation • user friendly

easy maintenance A new range of machines is borning.

SEE YOU AT

September 2023 | Milano - Italy | Hall 15 Booth B51-C52

The Brescia-based company continues to invest in sustainability: after the presentation of the first full-electric injection moulding machine for the rubber world (REM 300), it publishes its first sustainability report and undergoes the CFP (Carbon Foot Print) certification.

One of the main Italian manufacturers of presses for elastomers and thermosets injection moulding, IMG continues its path towards sustainability. After the presentation of the REM 300, also exhibited at Plast 2023, the world’s first full-electric injection moulding machine, in 2023 the company has published its first sustainability report to present the company’s commitments and performance in the field of sustainable development, also in view of the statutory change that will enable IMG to be a Benefit Corporation.

A shared sensitivity

Among the most relevant aspects, the environmental one is certainly primary, Just think about the recent installation of the new photovoltaic system that makes production completely autonomous, as well as the responsible management of company waste and, when possible, the search for zero-kilometre suppliers or, alternatively, in the local area.

“A change of approach that has become standard practice at IMG”, Barbara Ulcelli, CEO of the company, said. “A sensitivity that is shared at all levels in the company, as shown by our internal survey carried out in January with Nomesis, which highlighted the positive and collaborative climate in all departments, in which confidence in IMG’s ability to face future challenges is high: 73% of the employees rated it between 7 and 10 on a scale ranging from 1 to 10”.

To concretise its environmental commitment, IMG carried out a study on the machine GUM Horizontal Hydroblock 300 Ton 620 cc, with reciprocating screw, in order to calculate its Carbon Foot Print (CFP): the scope of this elaborate analysis is to assess the potential environmental impacts related to greenhouse gas emissions, as described by the UNI EN ISO 14067:2018 standard, associated with the life cycle of the machine itself. The period between January and December 2019 was taken as a reference for data collection. The same study was applied to the new REM 300 full-electric model, a highly innovative machine from a technological point of view. Assessing the potential impacts of the machine is important from an eco-design perspective too, which is why it was decided to study its life cycle.

As a further step in the direction of continuous monitoring of its facilities for ever greater energy efficiency, IMG accepted Amaplast’s proposal to undergo the calculation of the process C.F.P. of the entire organisation. The study (limited to “Scope 2”), through the analysis of direct and indirect emissions will allow the determination of a CO2 emission value for the year 2022. The transition to Industry 4.0 is also taking place, on the one hand with Light Machine Learning, and on the other hand with the broader realisation of self-adaptive machines and the modelling of the rubber moulding process. IMG is also committed to

Barbara Ulcelli, CEO of IMG, has led the company in a transformational step towards sustainability, and has succeeded in internalising a sensibility that is now shared at all levels.

continuous investment in R&D on the applications of applied artificial intelligence dedicated to machines, as a complement to Machine Learning IoT programmes.

A future-oriented perspective

All the studies for the creation of increasingly high-performance products point in the direction of resource efficiency. In a future-oriented perspective, in which the focus is on the spin-offs that industrial production generates, IMG has succeeded in bringing to the market an unprecedented product with a high level of innovation, with consumption reduced by 20% compared to a usual hydraulic press.

This is an absolute novelty in the rubber moulding sector, boasting a clamping force of 3,000 kN and numerous improvements. After decades of using hydraulic machines (from the 1950s to the present), IMG’s R&D wanted to focus on the best technologies available today to prepare a machine capable of concretely reducing the environmental impact of industrial elastomer moulding activities.

REM 300 works without hydraulic oil, a substance that usually has to be changed every 5,000 hours. A major cost saving in terms of procurement and disposal, as with REM 300 it will no longer be necessary to dispose of a waste that is considered special.

A big step forward also in terms of performance: the electronics of this innovative machine allow extremely precise monitoring of

all its functions and, therefore, a decidedly higher level of performance in mould quality, handling of internal pieces and the measurement and setting of working times. The set-up is easy and intuitive, and the electric actuation allows greater speed and precision, less production waste and repeatability of actions to avoid discrepancies.

REM 300 is equipped with new IoT (Internet of Things) devices such as vibration sensors, IO-Link transducers and drivers with predictive diagnostics database for performance detection and control, even remotely. The machine also guarantees a reduction in energy consumption thanks to ‘plug and play’, which allows power to be used only when needed. All this translates into a significant reduction in production costs.

“A new technology that already exists in the world of plastics, but not yet in the world of rubber, which is the result of the company’s considerable investment in research and development”, Barbara Ulcelli explained. “Environmental impact, cost control and safety are today the three elements on which the market has become extremely sensitive and which therefore open up important spaces for growth. A paradigm shift that IMG is maturing towards sustainability: a green vision that finds concrete expression in a product with revolutionary features. A highly differentiating novelty in the elastomer machine sector that, once again, demonstrates IMG’s focus on continuous technological innovation to support its customers”.

Last but not least, the aspect of noiselessness: in a working environment where noise is a disturbing factor, the REM 300 has a lower impact in terms of noise emissions, another element of attention to the operator. But the development goes beyond the product: IMG, in fact, guarantees a continuous assistance service for every eventuality.

Thanks to its high rate of innovation, REM 300 is one of the winners of the Region Lombardy’s tender Tech Fast.

The new REM 300 exhibited at Plast 2023.

A production department of the Brescia-based company.

Luca Corti Communication

aromatici e dei contaminanti tossici. Il grafico 1 mostra i valori dell'altezza dei picchi ottenuti dai cromatogrammi e scalati come riportato nella parte sperimentale per ciascun esperimento.

aromatici e dei contaminanti tossici. Il grafico 1 mostra i valori dell'altezza dei picchi ottenuti dai cromatogrammi e scalati come riportato nella parte sperimentale per ciascun esperimento.

Come si può vedere dall'istogramma, il processo messo a punto da Maris riduce drasticamente la presenza delle sostanze organiche e la sua efficienza varia al variare dei parametri di processo. In particolare, l'elevato profilo termico, la presenza del degasaggio del vuoto e l'iniezione di acqua aumentano l'efficienza del processo, mentre la velocità della vite ha un effetto legato al grado di riempimento delle viti, che influisce sulle prestazioni di degasaggio del vuoto.

Come si può vedere dall'istogramma, il processo messo a punto da Maris riduce drasticamente la presenza delle sostanze organiche e la sua efficienza varia al variare dei parametri di processo. In particolare, l'elevato profilo termico, la presenza del degasaggio del vuoto e l'iniezione di acqua aumentano l'efficienza del processo, mentre la velocità della vite ha un effetto legato al grado di riempimento delle viti, che influisce sulle prestazioni di degasaggio del vuoto.

Per verificare che l'HDPE non sia stato degradato a causa del processo sono state eseguite analisi di caratterizzazione meccanica, chimica e fisica (dinamometro, DSC e TGA), le quali hanno evidenziato che tutti i campioni prodotti non hanno mostrato un degrado apprezzabile.

Per verificare che l'HDPE non sia stato degradato a causa del processo sono state eseguite analisi di caratterizzazione meccanica, chimica e fisica (dinamometro, DSC e TGA), le quali hanno evidenziato che tutti i campioni prodotti non hanno mostrato un degrado apprezzabile.

Lo studio ha dimostrato che l'innovativo processo di estrusione di Maris può essere un eccellente modo per riciclare i polimeri quando il limite di applicazione è l'odore sgradevole.

Lo studio ha dimostrato che l'innovativo processo di estrusione di Maris può essere un eccellente modo per riciclare i polimeri quando il limite di applicazione è l'odore sgradevole.

DIDA GRAFICO: Grafico 1 - Valori dei picchi ottenuti dai cromatogrammi e scalati come riportato nella parte sperimentale per ciascun esperimento.

DIDA GRAFICO: Grafico 1 - Valori dei picchi ottenuti dai cromatogrammi e scalati come riportato nella parte sperimentale per ciascun esperimento.

TRADUZIONI

TRADUZIONI

Total=Totale

Total=Totale

Total aliphatic=Totale alifatici

Total aliphatic=Totale alifatici

Total aromatic=Totale aromatici

Total aromatic=Totale aromatici

Total toxic=Totale contaminanti tossici

Total toxic=Totale contaminanti tossici

SUSTAINABILITY

TECHNOLOGICAL ATTITUDE

CONNECTED NETWORK

Our “customer oriented” philosophy guides us in offering high innovative solutions able to optimize production processes and energy efficiency, to reduce carbon footprint and treat recycled materials, ensuring digital connection throughout the production chain.

From this perspective, Sustainability, Technology and Digitalisation are the pillars that set us apart in the plastics processing industry.

DECORATING MACHINES

• Screen printing up to 10 colours

• UV LED drying

• Reduced consumptions

• Co2 savings

• Flexo printing up to 9 colours

• Flexibility configuration

• Dry Offset printing lines

• Digital printing

www.omso.it

SB SB021

VANETTI. IN ANY COLOUR YOU LIKE.

Vanetti s.p.a., founded in 1971, produces Masterbatches, Biomasterbatches®, Additives, MasterbatchRecy® for plastic materials. Colour communicates and conveys extraordinary emotions and feelings. With almost fifty years experience in the industry, Vanetti specific products are

used to colour and additivate all thermoplastic resins and new biopolymers. Passion for colour, experience and customers service are the company’s strengths. Technologically advanced equipment and carefully selected raw materials guarantee products that deliver peak performance.

60027

50076

7707

100288

13598

RECYCLE GREEN VANETTI

RED PASSION VANETTI

BLU RELAX VANETTI

SIMPLE WHITE VANETTI

BLACK STYLE VANETTI

reduce

Thrilled by electric challenges.

We use our expertise to develop high-performance solutions. Whether it’s materials for thermal and power management, for battery system components or for recharging infrastructure, you can count on the best products to make journeys more efficient and sustainable. Let’s get you e-future ready.

www.radicigroup.com

The fact that Bausano products are following the path of sustainable extrusion, in all its forms, is confirmed by the company’s exhibition concept at Plast 2023. The event sees the company unveiling solutions in which performance and efficiency go hand in hand with the environmental sustainability of products, processes and services.

Tradition, innovation and respect for the environment are the core values of the company Bausano. As well as providing the backdrop to its participation in Plast 2023, these values also offer a path that celebrates sustainable extrusion in all its forms. The company’s stand at the fair is designed as a combination of noble materials and multimedia contributions, in which outdoor and indoor spaces merge, drawing visitors into a green factory, where nature and industry coexist. In this setting, Bausano, during the four days of the event, presents its E-GO 60/37 extruder for PP/PE pipes, equipped with a head for producing 250 mm diameter single-layer pipes, with IPC (Internal Pipe Air Cooling) included, and the MD118/30 series, with induction system and double outlet head for producing PVC pipes.

As explained by the company’s vice president, Clemente Bausano, the birch tree was chosen as the symbol of the company’s distinguishing qualities: resilience, versatility, perseverance, adaptability and tenacity. It is a symbol perfectly in line with the sustainable growth strategy of this Piedmontese manufacturer, which is actively committed to measuring the environmental footprint of its processes, products and services, so as to be able to reduce emissions and promote a more rational use of natural resources, such as water and energy, for the benefit of future generations.

E-GO 60/37: a preview

The E-GO 60/37 extruder is equipped with a loss-in-

weight gravimetric blending system, an advantage that allows complete control of production, for final outputs of excellent quality. This system, compared with a standard volumetric one, is self-calibrating and can therefore measure, in real time, the weight of the material processed by the extruder, sending continuous feedback to the Digital Extruder Control 4.0 (PLC). The latter determines the rotation speed of the screw, according to changes in the material flow and the mass detected, keeping the weight/metre of the pipe constant.

In this way, Bausano lines are able to extrude every meter of tubing in accordance with predefined specifications. Other distinguishing features of EGO 60/37 are its IP23-rated, three-phase asynchronous and low power consumption AC motor, which is directly coupled to the three-stage gearbox with ground helical gears, bimetallic screws and rifled mouth barrel, guaranteeing maximum wear resistance. This innovative extruder is also characterised by its screw geometries, which are designed ad hoc according to the processor’s requirements and the variety of polymers processed, allowing high outputs in terms of kg/hour, without excessive mechanical stress.

The E-GO 60/37 extruder is equipped with 250 single-layer head with IPC (Internal Pipe Air Cooling). This is a system in which air, flowing against the direction of the extrusion, cools the pipes in an intensive, uniform and 360-degree way, directly in the extrusion head, thereby promoting higher productivity, greater quality of the finished product and higher energy efficiency. With its compact design, it takes up little space in the installed line, which, at the same time, is also reduced in length thanks to the IPC system.

The double outlet head showcased at Plast 2023.

MD118/30: performance and energy efficiency

Bausano’s flagship innovation is the MD118/30 Nextmover extruder in which Smart Energy System technology (patent pending) makes plastic extrusion processes more sustainable and more efficient. It is an induction system for heating the barrel that works without contact and by means of an alternating electromagnetic field. As well as significantly reducing the wear of the components, thus extending the life of the machine, it also cuts energy consumption by 35%.

Made of carbon steel with chromed surfaces, the double outlet head exhibited, which is fully thermoregulating both externally and internally, completes the PVC pipe extrusion line, based on the MD Nextmover range of extruders. Thanks to optimisation of the internal head volumes and compression ratios, high throughputs of up to 2,000 kg per hour can be reached, with significantly lower than standard temperatures and melt pressures.

The Smart Energy System granulator goes to Holland

Bausano’s Smart Energy System has been picked by PlastChem, a Dutch company specialising in the production of PVC granules for extrusion and injection moulding, for the granulation lines installed in its production plant (among the most modern in Europe), with the aim of ensuring high output in terms of kg/hour, constant quality and reduced energy consumption, as well as faster and more uniform heating of the barrel and the processed material.

Bausano operates as a single partner capable of meeting all the customisation needs linked to the processing of PlastChem’s particular blends. “We have embarked on a long-term journey with Bausano, which sees our two companies collaborating to find the best solution, according to virtuous practices and using advanced and efficient technologies, in order to increase our competitiveness on the market”, remarks Tom Baveld, COO at PlastChem.

An E-GO extruder.

We do not provide only quality robots and automations but we also have 40+ years of experience in the market. We also have a team that works together in order to offer customized solutions for our all different types of customers. Each unit in our factory works together with the others in order to share ideas, experience and knowledge about our product range. This allows us to always have a better product and more efficient solutions. It is a great advantage, that allow us to stand out from many other competitors.

Excellence in customised solutions for industrial production for forty years

BOOST YOUR EXTRUSION

To achieve perfection and continuous improvement, Tecnomatic chooses maximum specialization and concentrates its efforts on the development of

extrusion lines for the production of polyolefin pipes with diameter up to 3 000 mm. Technical knowledge, constant research and great passion allow Tecnomatic to offer

high-performance solutions fulfilling all possible customer requirements since 1977.

The HARSHMAX pressure sensor (HPS) is primarily designed to measure pressure in extrusion or compounding machines where controlled melt conditions are mandatory for a reliable and consistent process.

Patented (granted in US, Canada, Europe, Brazil, China, Japan): pressure measurements performed by optical means without contact between internal mechanical parts, allowing no mechanical stress for superior reliability;

Eco-friendly: fully RoHS compliant, no need for mercury, oil or other toxic elements, typically found in piezoelectric sensors;

Passive head: no electronics inside the sensor head for better reliability; the head is made of stainless steel and optical fiber, all suitable for operation in HARSH environments with high temperature and high pressure conditions (up to 1 kBar, up to 300°C). Insensitive to Electro-Magnetic Interference (EMI);

Remote electronics: an Optical Fiber is used to transmit the pressure signal far from the HARSH environments such as extrusion machines. Electronics can be placed in a safe distance up to dozens of kilometers from the sensor head;

Low maintenance cost: thicker deformable pressure sensing diaphragm allows for longer operating lifetime. Absence of toxic materialsin the sensor head guarantees no contamination in the extrusion chamber. No need for electronics replacement when changing the sensor head.

For further information www.harshmax.com or silvano@silvanosicco.com

HARSHMAX MELT PRESSURE SENSOR

The way of doing business today can no longer ignore the times in which we live, between individual and collective responsibilities, between reconciling personal and environmental needs. Gefit has understood this well and has adopted a way of producing and relating to employees and collaborators that is marked by sustainability, no longer understood as a mere philosophical concept, but as a set of precise practical rules on which to base behaviour and actions. Looking from the present to the future.

There is no doubt that the world now recognises that climate change has become an emergency that can no longer be postponed. And that our present and future actions must be designed to preserve the world we live in and the environment that surrounds us for the future of generations to come.

Sustainability has gone from being an almost philosophical concept to a concrete and significant need, and every individual and company is called upon to make their own contribution to reducing climate change.

Gefit has been on the road to sustainability for several years with firmness and determination.

Limiting the environmental impact, raising awareness, changing the mindset of the company and its employees, developing new sustainable business models for production and consumption, studying new product designs, developing and adopting recyclable materials, reusing packaging, improving the well-being of people and contributing to the health of the planet in a transparent way: this is the great commitment and challenge that Gefit has set itself.

But what exactly is Gefit doing to address the delicate and broad issue of sustainability?

Decarbonisation

In order to define concrete targets for decarbonisation, from 2021 Gefit calculates Scope 1 and Scope 2 according to the GHG (GreenHouse Gases) Protocol, while the analyses for the

calculation of Scope 3 are underway. In 2022, several actions have been taken in many directions and new technologies have been adopted to reduce total CO2 emissions, leading to a significant reduction in direct and indirect GHG emissions, thanks to a massive use of clean energy replacing energy obtained by burning fossil materials and natural gas.

The installation of solar panels on the 10,000 square metre roof of the Mould&Assembly plant produces a total nominal capacity of 850 kW and provides 65-70% of the division’s energy requirements.

Energy efficiency, R&D, eco-design, digital transformation

GEFIT is redesigning its assembly platforms with the aim of achieving a significant reduction in overall mass, floor space and, above all, energy consumption.

In summary, the main results of this huge research and development effort include the reduction of:

• the total mass used by 40-50%;

• the total installed power by 40-50%;

• the floor space occupied by about 40%;

• the total mass used with values between 40 and 50% and the total installed power with values between 40 and 50%.

Moulds

Gefit’s approach is highly analytical and scientific. Gefit has long used Mold Flow, FEM and ANSIS simulations to predict with high precision the rheological behaviour of the plastic inside the

Gefit mould to produce water bottle caps, with parts falling during a machine test.

mould cavity, the fatigue stress to which the elements of the cavity itself are subjected and the dynamic stress to which the plastic component is subjected during the extraction phase. These three virtual analyses make it possible to simulate the behaviour of the mould very accurately and to anticipate the emergence of possible design limits.

Partnership with customers and innovation

This capacity is further enhanced by the ability to study the design of components with the customer, offering concrete support in the study of the item with the aim of reducing weight or improving performance.

Sustainable packaging

Gefit works in the perspective of ecodesign, ensuring a lower consumption of raw materials and energy to power the lines, and has equipped itself with a Research & Development department that studies the potential that new technologies, such as AI, can offer to make the product more efficient, more productive, more competitive and, in general, more sustainable. In addition to the energy efficiency of the machines, digital transformation paths have been taken that have led the company to almost completely replace machine tools and integrate devices and equipment with a 4.0 perspective.

Sustainability reporting: a cultural process

Gefit has developed GECO, the Gefit Energy Consumption Optimizer, an analysis of energy data and detailed assessment of specific consumption, for a true sustainability balance and a reliable calculation of the carbon footprint.

R&D and PFAS

A new major initiative has been launched to research PFAS (polifluoroalchiliche substances) in the components used to make its own moulds and assembly machines, with a view to reducing, if not eliminating, these substances from its production.

Gefit is on the waiting list for Neoplants, a Paris-based start-up developing the first generation of bioengineered plants to combat air pollution.

Circular economy, sustainable path

Since 2022, Gefit has embarked on a path of circular economy, reuse of production waste and reuse of materials: iron and aluminium processing waste is selected and reused. The reuse of these materials is on average 95%.

E-mobility

Other initiatives include the approval of a new company car policy, which includes the use of hybrid or fully electric company cars, and the installation of some charging points for the

cars themselves, using the energy produced by the photovoltaic system mentioned above.

Ethical supply chain

A detailed analysis is also carried out on suppliers to check what their environmental footprint is and to ensure that their business is also driven by a code of sustainable ethics, even if they are not required to adopt the sustainability report due to their size.

Certifications

Since 1997, Gefit has been certified by Bureau Veritas and complies with the ISO9001 standard, is certified as a Safe Contractor (operational safety), Ecovadis 2022 Bronze Rank, A&O (for outbound and inbound processes), Legality Rating.

Employee wellbeing and growth

Gefit believes in people, which is why the company continually invests in training. Thanks to the GefitAcademy, created in 2022, there are now 130 courses with over a thousand hours of internal training.

Sustainability culture

Sustainability training has been introduced for all employees.

Machine for the assembly of two components, cap and spout, for flexible packaging, with monitor displaying quality tests on the part and machine data.

This has made it possible to raise awareness of small individual behaviours that can help reduce CO2 emissions, and to create awareness and participation in the policies adopted by the company to reduce its environmental impact.

Also in the context of sharing projects and initiatives, the company organises “Innovation Days” with all employees, aimed at providing information on the motivations behind certain strategies and promoting a concrete and effective spirit of cooperation.

AI and human-machine integration

The SIMPLE project, an acronym for Senseful Intelligent Man Process Leading Eyes, represents a holistic approach to different areas and problems in industrial realities thanks to the use of artificial intelligence and human-machine integration in the workplace.

Gefit firmly believes that AI will be a crucial element in consolidating sustainability, and that it will undoubtedly be essential in improving the efficiency and effectiveness of decisions, increasing the speed of analysis, reducing energy consumption,

improving production and quality processes and, in general, introducing more sustainable behaviours.

Gefit on the territory

Gefit’s subsidiaries in the United States, Mexico, Hungary, India, China and Russia are essential to serve local markets effectively, but Gefit is also deeply rooted in its territory: the two Italian plants, Headquarters and Automation in Alessandria and Moulds & Assembly in Fubine Monferrato, are the main production sites. The company also collaborates with high schools and technical institutes and promotes partnerships with the academic world and local universities.

Step by step, plans for the future

Other strategic objectives and many other initiatives are under evaluation and Gefit is structuring a plan with long-term actions to act proactively and responsibly. For the biennium 2023-2024, the development of the materiality analysis, the Sustainability Report and the UNI EN ISO 14001 certification are planned.

Detail of the solar panel roofing of Gefit’s headquarters, completed in recent months.

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Arburg

at Plast 2023

Technologies for responding to changing needs

Arburg’s expectations for the second half of the year in Italy are based on an increase in industrial production and rising investments. With its presence at Plast 2023, Milan 5-8 September, Arburg is responding to its customers’ desire to save energy and the country’s growing need for sustainability by presenting its entire range of technologies. Arburg is responding to changing needs in Italy with future-oriented exhibits and has traditionally valued Plast as the key local trade fair for the plastics industry. “The market is moving towards electric machines and drives, mainly for reasons of precision, energy efficiency and sustainability,” observed Raffaele Abbruzzetti, Managing Director of Arburg Italy. “After the summer break, it’s the right time for players in the plastics industry to make a fresh start, look around and find ideas that can make them more competitive.” In particular, with the Allrounder 470 H,

the German multinational is launching a new machine generation that not only combines an electric clamping unit and a hydraulic injection unit, but also significantly reduces acquisition and operating costs as well as the carbon footprint. The machine presented in Milan has a special configuration and produces solid silicone parts for the first time. An ACH Turnmix feeder is used as a peripheral device, while a Multilift Select 8 linear robotic system places the parts on the conveyor belt. Furthermore, a typical packaging application is shown on an electric Allrounder 570 A Comfort producing flip-top closures from Exxon Mobil PP for bottles in the beauty care sector. Italian mould maker Giurgola Stampi is responsible for the complex mould. The Gestica control system provides a range of support functions, including aXw Control CycleAssist. The process is conveniently managed via OPC

UA interfaces to the hot runners and cooling system. Moreover, the electric Allrounder 720 A Ultimate, an energy-efficient and sustainable alternative to thermoforming, celebrates its Italian premiere at the show. Equipped with a size 1300 injection unit, the machine uses injection compression moulding to produce environmentally friendly, thin-walled IML cups from PP mono material. A Brink 4-cavity mould is used to demonstrate the ICM process. The mould is equipped with four compression stroke sensors for process monitoring. The plastic is biomassbalanced and ISCC-certified. A Brink side-entry robot is integrated into the production cell to apply the labels, remove the finished cups and stack them on a conveyor belt.

Arburg is launching a new generation of machines with the Allrounder 470 H milestone machine.

New model from Itib Machinery Fast corrugator

The new high-capacity corrugator recently developed by Itib Machinery is the fastest in the company’s range, making it particularly suitable for the high-speed, no-compromise production of small-diameter pipes. The name FV32/112HP sums up all its main characteristics: FV stands for the vacuum forming system, 32 for the maximum outside diameter in mm that can be produced, 112 for the number of pairs of moulds that make up the chain and HP for High Performance.

The main feature of the FV32/112HP is its high production speed: 80 metres per minute is its maximum mechanical speed; high enough to meet the most demanding performance requirements to produce PVC, PP and PE pipes. The corrugator features a completely new design: each half-mould chain is moved by separate gears, driven by a single brushless motor with gearbox and torque limiter to avoid damage to the mould in case of jamming. In addition, the optimised length of the forming channel and the cooling on all four

sides of the moulds are essential keys to making production faster and more efficient, ensuring a consistently highquality pipe and guaranteeing a constant and perfect shape during the forming process. Openable inlet covers allow easy access to the closing channel in the event of a material jam. This reduces downtime on the extrusion line.

The optimised path of the moulds in the closing section allows a very reduced die length, reducing the head pressure and allowing the high cooling capacity of the machine to be fully utilised. Additional central free-running gears, together with independently controlled cooling and right/left channel temperature adjustment, prevent problems with chain thermal expansion.

FV32/112HP is Industry 4.0 ready: it can be connected to other systems and key areas of the production process, making data collection and decision making easier and more efficient. The attention to small but important details, together with the well-known Italian design, make the FV32/112HP corrugator stand out

in the extrusion line. Of course, not only performance, but also safety and energy saving are key points of Itib Machinery’s corrugators: consumption, temperatures and transmission torques are constantly monitored by the on-board monitoring systems.

The new HMI display allows the operator to interact directly with the FV32/112HP: just one touch to start and stop the machine, control any ancillary equipment, change the main operating parameters, and interact with the PLC.

The system stores all data and alarms and can of course be synchronised with the extruder to control all components of the production chain directly from the same display panel.

The company’s R&D activity never stops, and new projects are underway to provide ITIB Machinery’s customers with equipment that is always up to date with the high expectations of today’s market.

A detail of Itib Machinery’s new corrugator, now the fastest model in its range, particularly suitable for high speed corrugation of small diameter PVC, PP and PE pipes.

Over seventy years of experience at the service of printing and decoration

Coinciding with the 70th anniversary of the company’s foundation, which was celebrated IN 2022, Omso was included in the special register of historical trademarks of national interest, an important recognition of the company and its long history of success. The register was created to protect and promote Italian excellence, and inclusion in it recognises the contribution the company has made to the economic development and industrial culture of our country. More specifically, it is an opportunity to celebrate the history and excellence of a company that has distinguished itself and established itself in the printing machines sector.

Omso manufactures and develops machines specialised in the printing of three-dimensional objects in plastic (but also in metal and glass). Founded in 1952, the company has gained extensive experience in the industry and continues to be at the forefront of developing innovative solutions. Known for its attention to innovation and for adopting the latest generation technologies, Omso has developed machines that allow the personalisation of containers and objects of different shapes and sizes, including bottles and multi-format containers, glasses, capsules and much more. This opens many possibilities in the field of personalisation and enhancement of primary packaging. Its current printing machines, which are becoming more and more versatile, make it possible to extend the possibilities of use and to obtain high quality results. One example is the new SB021 screen printing machine for up to three colours. Designed for the cosmetics industry, it is equipped with automated systems that simplify the printing process, allowing you to reduce time and increase productivity.

The use of advanced technologies such as servo motors and automated adjustments ensures greater accuracy in colour and detail adjustment. This enables complex, high-resolution images to be printed with excellent quality.

The company continues with the development of the new hot stamping station for the Servobottle screen printing machine, which opens new advanced finishing possibilities. It is a fully integrated and modular hot stamping station that allows you to transform the screen-printing machine into a complete decoration line. In fact, thanks to the extreme freedom of configuration, it is possible to provide up to seven screen printing colours, a hot stamping station and a high-precision final vision system for quality control, guaranteeing zero-defect production.

In addition to the versatility of printing on objects, Omso is committed to developing sustainable solutions and reducing the environmental impact of its machines. The company has implemented strategies to reduce energy and material consumption in the printing process. The company has also worked to reduce harmful emissions and responsibly manage production waste. The introduction of UV LED lamps on ink drying machines dramatically reduces energy consumption compared to machines using traditional mercury lamps. But that’s not the only advantage of this technology. In fact, UV LED lamps last on average 50 times longer than mercury vapour lamps and their disposal is much less harmful to the environment.

These and other innovations for decoration and printing are presented by Omso at Plast 2023.

The hot stamping station for the Servobottle screen printing machine is characterised by modularity and integration possibilities to transform the screen printing machine into a complete decoration line.

Novelties and confirmations from Star Automation Europe Robots for every need

At Plast 2023, Star Automation Europe presents several applications from its range, starting with the XW-1000VIP model, part of the new XW-VIP series of Cartesian robots that will replace the XW-VI series, installed on a Toyo Si-180-6S press. The new range, an upgrade of the VI series, hence the “P” in its name, features several mechanical improvements aimed at increasing the overall rigidity and performance of the robots, as well as some new software functions. The most important innovation, however, is the “servo-head” system, which incorporates three servo-driven rotations on the robot’s wrist. This accessory transforms a threeaxis Cartesian robot into a six-axis machine, guaranteeing versatility and fluidity of movement in all directions, thus increasing the range of operations that can be carried out by the same robot, from palletising to insert loading to sprue cutting at different angles. At the exhibition, the robot removes eight polypropylene syringe bodies from the Ruhla mould, which are passed under a vision system to detect the presence of any contaminants before being deposited. The cell is completed by a Frigel

temperature controller and a Vismec plastic loading system.

Two high-speed robots are also on show. The ZXW-1000VIP model, also part of the new VIP series, features hardware and software implementations that allow automatic switching between two gripping hands with even greater speed and precision, demonstrating the versatility achieved with the introduction of a quick coupling. The XL size of the high-speed robots is represented by the ZXW1600VI model in 2V configuration, equipped with two vertical axes and suitable for stack moulds. This model, which can be installed on presses with clamping forces between 350 and 850 tonnes, meets the speed requirements for high tonnages and is particularly suitable for IML applications on medium to large containers. The robot simulates such a process cycle in a single-cavity mould, driving a 13-litre bucket on the two vertical axes, gripper hand and spindle.

The fourth and final robot presented by the company is an Es-1400II model, which works in conjunction with an M-70IVSII pallet changer, also from Star Automation Europe to palletise ladle rests on trays which, once full, are

moved by the robot in an infinite cycle. There is also space for Eins components, in particular the wide range of quick connectors for cartesian or anthropomorphic robots from any manufacturer. An island with a Fanuc LR Mate 200iD robot with four different grippers (one with a magnetic gripper, one with a suction pad with sponge, one with a three-finger gripper and one with a pad-in-pad system for handling perforated products) is presented here to illustrate the range of possible applications for Eins products.

At the show, Star Automation Europe also presented other applications of its robots on partner stands.

At Shibaura, an XW-1000VI robot works on an EC130SXII press with an integrated Stec-620A on the machine controller to load two inserts into the mould; at the Toyo stand, an XW1200VI 2V robot works on a Si-450-6S press for an IML application on a 10. 8-litre bucket; at BMB, a ZXW-1600VI robot works on an eKW85Pi press for a pick-and-place application of a 1 kg transparent container; at the Ripress stand, an XW-1500VI robot is installed on an IT HES 700 press for a pick-andplace application of a picking box.

A “P” has been added to the name of the new XW-VIP series of Cartesian robots to emphasise its upgrade from the XW-VI series it will replace.

Bring out the potential of advanced materials.

We design and manufacture integrated lines and machines for the machining of technological materials, plastics, and composites to simplify the production process for customers in the automotive, aerospace, marine, transport, construction, signage and graphics, technical and defence sectors.

Discover our product range

More than just moulding for Campetella Robotic solutions for extrusion

A new range of products developed by Campetella Robotic Center for the world of extrusion is presented at Plast 2023. Campetella’s offer is further extended with the introduction of the Gyre series, real wrapping platforms that can be modulated and configured according to the customer’s needs, with remarkable user-friendliness, robustness, reliability, simplicity, and packaging speed. Although winding requires different robotics from injection moulding, the downstream automation is the same. This is where the company’s Scara and top-entry robots come in, ideal for pick-and-place and palletising operations. Thanks to the synergy between the winder and the robotic component responsible for palletising and/or handling the finished coil, a complete package is proposed that is not limited to the mere winding process, but extends from extrusion to final packaging, for a turnkey solution that optimises not only the entire process, but also the processor’s investment. The company also exhibits a Roland plotter, the SP3R Prime, the RHEA Prime, a top-of-the-range Cartesian plotter designed to offer high performance at the best quality/price ratio, and the Spin 1 X-Series, an innovative high-speed Scara. Using the latest materials and technologies, including carbon fibre and additive printing, the Spin 1 guarantees low weight, high performance, and low power consumption. Agile and compact, it is designed to ensure short cycle times in fast pick-and-place with payloads up to 2 kg. Compact and functional, the SP3R Prime is a rotary demoulding machine in profiled aluminium, recommended for presses from 20 to 300 tonnes. Its three servo-controlled electric axes, two

linear and one rotary, allow high speeds of movement, which translates into higher productivity. In addition, the RHEA Prime ensures fast and accurate multi-cavity demoulding in small presses with minimal floor space.

Campetella’s exhibition programme also unfolds on the stands of various partners. Aquila Service, Campetella’s distributor, presents the MC2 X-Series top-entry Cartesian robot in the MC2-2H X-Series and MC2-2L E-Series versions. Designed for small and medium tonnage presses, this vertical entry industrial robot combines performance, accuracy, and reliability with a high level of control and productivity. Tederic presents the new CX0, a compact, functional and robust top-entry for small tonnage presses; a CL2 E-Series, characterised by high positioning accuracy; and the bestselling GS2 X-Series, with fast and precise movements. An uncompromising model designed for ultra-fast extraction operations. Powerful servomotors combined with innovative design technologies and materials such as carbon fibre and light alloys ensure high speed and acceleration, with total cycle times down to 2.5 seconds. Finally, Toyo offers the MC3 X-Series, a high-performance Cartesian robot for medium to high tonnage presses and a fully automated system for IML applications. At the heart of the automation is the SM2 X-Series side-entry robot, a fast and flexible robot for medium tonnage presses that combines productivity and versatility. The unprecedented architecture, with a solid floor base and axes with large travels in all three directions, represents a paradigm shift in the flexibility of side-entry robots.

A robot from the Spin series.

Gyre has just sparked to life coil it up

ZMS

ZAMBELLO Monitoring System

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Hall 24P Booth B25

Hall A4 Booth A4-4006

New Gibitre products at Plast Press and hardness testers on display

The new Drive press with five-position loader is presented at Plast 2023 by Gibitre for the automation of the compression moulding process of rubber and thermoplastic specimens and plates. With a clamping force of 25 t, the machine can produce, handling, cooling and packaging sheets up to 200 x 200 mm. The Press-Check software identifies the products, prepares the label to be applied to the plate, prepares the machine by setting the expected moulding cycle for the product and records the actual moulding conditions. Automation of the plate production process reduces the time spent by the operator in preparing the specimens, increases the repeatability of the production process and eliminates errors in identifying and setting the moulding conditions. The company also showcases its new generation of automatic Shore and IRHD hardness testers in a Drive version for the first time. The mechanical design of the new hardness testers allows for quick head changes, resulting in increased speed and accuracy. IRHD (Micro, Normal, Hard, Low hardness) and Shore (A, D, 00, Micro-Shore) are the measuring heads applicable to the

instrument. The new hardness testers feature an integrated display for direct reading of measurements, motorised specimen rotation for multiple tests and Accredia calibration.

Gibitre’s new generation of manual Shore hardness testers for direct and bench use are also on display, with numerous innovations to improve ergonomics and ease of use. The new instrument incorporates two sensors to measure the ambient and surface temperature of the specimen during the test run. All new hardness testers are prepared for Accredia calibration at the customer’s premises, eliminating the need to handle the instrument. The MD rheometer with automatic loader, the dynamometer with Accredia calibration, the densimeter and the De Mattia flexometer for high and low temperature tests equipped with artificial intelligence software for the acquisition and analysis of specimen images are also displayed at Plast. All instruments are connected to the new version of Gibitre’s Datagest_11 software for data acquisition with SQL databases.

Gibitre instrument range.

CORES

Mainly

COMPOUND

Intended

They

A hybrid and an electric for BMB Two injection moulding

in a big way

At Plast 2023, the Brescia-based company BMB focuses on its flagship products, the 8,500 kN eKW85PiWP/8500 hybrid press and the 2,800 kN eKW28Pi/1300 Full Electric electric press, designed for high performance and low consumption.

The first machine, with a column spacing of 1120 x 1120 mm, is offered in the WP (Wide Plates) version and mounts an SCS mould to produce a large-size, transparent, thin-walled container for the home in a 20-second cycle. The high injection speed under accumulators, the long opening stroke of the Hybrid series and the KW toggle

machines

are among the strengths of the machine, making it suitable for both “single face” and “stack” moulds with a single injector or two “piggy back” injectors. Perfect parallelism is guaranteed by the KW clamping system, essential for applications with deep males and very heavy moulds, which, together with the high injection speed, ensures thin thicknesses and repeatability, as well as reduced mould maintenance. The eKW85PiWP/8500 Hybrid press is also equipped with the new Heidennhain control system with SP250 CPU and 21-inch touch screen, capable of new functions that are increasingly based on the 4.0 standard. With the second press, the manufacturer is responding to the trend towards

all-electric solutions for greater energy savings, but also for more environmentally friendly production with high precision. All movements are independent and overlapping, driven by direct motors and recirculating roller screws, guaranteeing precision, speed and durability over time. The characteristics of the electric machine are very similar to those of the hybrid press, as the two versions differ only in the injection drive. If in the very advanced packaging sector, injection speed is an essential requirement and can only be achieved with the Hybrid or HP series, in many cases it is better to choose the electric machine, a condition that has allowed BMB to gain important market shares, particularly in the medical sector and in caps and closures.

New model from Presma

72 stations for wine closures

Increased productivity for all products requiring large dimensions or thicknesses with long moulding cycles and the possibility of working with several different moulds are two of the main advantages offered by the multi-station rotary presses proposed by Presma. In short, this is the result of this press configuration, which has made it possible to produce models for applications in various sectors that are difficult to achieve with traditional technology.

The main sectors for which Presma has developed various models with multi-station rotary tables over the last

few decades range from shipbuilding and road safety for high-volume and heavy items made of recycled PVC from power cables, to industrial and domestic cleaning for discs and bases to be brushed in mixtures of recycled materials, from natural rubber gaskets to solid silicone insulators for high voltage pylons, from logistics for bi-material industrial wheels (in PP or PA for the hub and TR or TPU for the tread) for trolleys with different load capacities to the wine industry for the production of closures in thermoplastic resins or cork/plastic blends. To name but a few.

Specifically for the wine closure sector, the manufacturer presents at Plast 2023 a new 72-station mould-holder model (144 single-cavity moulds), electrically/ mechanically operated with two independent injector units. At the same time, in other sectors where insert moulding is required, Presma’s proposals have always consisted of work cell solutions made up of several static presses, equipped with horizontal injection units with punching screws and vertical clamping units operated by anthropomorphic robots; in this case, the moulds are of the sprue ejection type, which are less expensive than those equipped with hot runners. Multi-coloured parts are made by transferring the mouldings from one cavity to another. These solutions have particularly interested the tooling sector.

View of a Presma rotary press.

The eKW28Pi/1300 Full Electric electric press, one of the two that BMB spotlights at Plast 2023.

Colines and NoEl

Two “new” novelties for converting

Two of the latest innovations for the converting industry are presented by Colines at Plast 2023 in further improved versions after their launch at K 2022. One is the ALLWrapper, which uses stretch film for the secondary packaging of virtually any product, and the other is the PRE-1000-3R offline pre-stretch line from NoEl, a company that became part of the Colines Holding Group in 2022. ALLWrapper offers significant savings in material usage, in the order of 50% compared to shrink wrapping. Even greater is the saving in power consumption, which is up to 90% compared to using the “shrink tunnel”. The new ALLWrapper range uses Colines’ innovative patented motorised pre-stretch system with magnetic transmission, no energy transfer in the rotating part and no mechanical contact, with clear benefits in terms of wear and tear. The distribution of the film on the bundle is accurate to the millimetre,

which guarantees the possibility of wrapping any product while ensuring adequate final tension of the film on the product. At the same time, the patented hot cutting system, with eccentric wheel movement and no moving masses, allows very high frequencies to be worked in a very small space. The ALLWrapper range meets a wide range of requirements in terms of cost and production speed: the low-speed version processes 12 bundles per minute, the medium-speed version up to 24 bundles per minute and the high-speed version over 70 bundles per minute.

NoEl’s PRE-1000-3R is proposed as the ideal solution for the production of off-line pre-stretched film, capable of working with jumbo reels from 400 to 1000 mm wide. The machine boasts several patents, including the separately adjustable multi-roll pre-stretch system, adjustable neck shrinkage control and automatic diameter control of the reels

produced. The line can run at speeds of up to 1,100 m/min, producing up to 150 reels per hour.

The ALLWrapper, launched by Colines at K and also exhibited at Interpack, is presented at Plast 2023 in an improved version, the result of the continuous technological development and updating of the Novara-based company.

FB Balzanelli for over 25 years

Automatic and semi-automatic coilers for all types of pipe

Operating in the automatic and semi-automatic coiler sector for over 25 years, FB Balzanelli is synonymous of state-ofthe-art and high-quality technology. More and more large and technological pipe manufacturers choose FB Balzanelli because they are sure to find the best solution for their production lines.

The heart of the company mission is the continuous technological research and improvement, possible thanks to the over 100 automatic coilers produced and installed every year around the world. FB Balzanelli can satisfy new customers’ needs and to answer with innovative solutions to a continuously evolving market. The company has always been at the forefront in its proposals for the automatic coiler market with solutions such as side-by-side reels, the fully pneumatic strapping unit, or the special haul-off to reduce the pipe ovalization.

Alongside its know-how, it offers a customer care service that is attentive and close to customer production needs. Fifteen years ago, FB Balzanelli was the first company in the sector to introduce an online catalog for spare parts and remote connection, to respond as quickly as possible to any customer

request. With FB Balzanelli customers are sure to always find, in its range of coilers, the best solution in terms of both processing efficiency and rapid payback on investment. Today, the company can offer the largest range of automatic coilers, and automatic palletizing systems, and follow its customers during the entire production project with the best and most appropriate automatic coiler and fully automatic solutions for coil handling.

Tecnova also presents Liontek at Plast Recycling wet waste is no longer a problem

After its debut at K 2022, Tecnova also presents at Plast 2023 the new Liontek inline densifier, designed to extract residual moisture from post-consumer or post-industrial waste from washing plants, in a closed cycle and without the usual “batch” treatment. This densifier is the result of a project dating back to 1997, never really abandoned and now realised under market pressure.

In fact, it is almost impossible to find a moisture content lower than 5-10% in the materials coming from the washing plants, which is very high to feed them directly into the extruders and to regenerate them in order to guarantee good pellet quality and, consequently, adequate production. The new densifier enriches Tecnova’s product range with a solution that makes it possible to process scraps that are difficult to treat, improving

production processes based on wet materials and solving many of the problems associated with them. The main beneficiaries of the Liontek are regenerators who own washing plants or processors who buy material from such plants. Its special features include ease of operation and versatility of use, which translate into performance, and it can be supplied as part of a complete Tecnova line or individually as an upgrade to existing lines. This is helped by the many ways in which it can be adapted to meet individual requirements, with no limits or restrictions on customisation. Adding Tecnova as an integrated component to a new line or as an upgrade to an existing line, even from a third party, makes it a versatile device and gives both the manufacturer and the user a real competitive advantage.

The Liontek system installed inline.

A view of the production department of FB Balzanelli.

Flexographic printing according to BFM

The eight colours of sustainability

At Plast 2023, BFM exhibits a W400-AXL single-station winder for blown extrusion lines, complete with a new multi-reel cutting system with automatic knife positioning, a new interface and a new design.

BFM also showcases its Stack Sirio 8-colour S-Plus flexographic printing machine, which features important innovations in terms of sustainability, such as energy savings and the

use of water-based inks. The 1,200-mm wide machine is demonstrated in operation throughout the show at BFM’s Demo Centre in Solbiate Olona (Varese, Italy).

The machine to be demonstrated is equipped with a hydraulic loader unwinder capable of handling reels up to a maximum diameter of 1,000 mm, an 8-colour printing unit with motorised counter-printing axis and electric grinding, and automatic inking/washing via pneumatic pumps. The drying unit includes an inter-colour system, a drying hood, gas heating and the Eco Dry energy-saving system. An automatic turret winder completes the configuration.

Easygear, automatic print presetting and print setpoint are just some of the features that make job changes on the Sirio S-Plus very fast and accurate. Also new on the machine is the new 22-inch graphic interface, which is simple and intuitive, yet complete for managing all the machine’s functions.

Other new products to be unveiled by the manufacturer at the show include industrial bag printing lines with gusseting and embossing units, 6, 8 and 10-colour gearless central drum printing machines and stacking machines to be positioned directly in-line with extruders.

The Stack Sirio 8-colour S-Plus flexographic printing machine is exhibited by BFM at its Demo Center in Solbiate Olona (Varese, Italy) for the duration of Plast 2023.

and IAM-S from Baruffaldi Plastic Technology

Welding the socket to the end of the pipes

One of the relevant projects recently developed (and patented) by Baruffaldi Plastic Technology is represented by the SRM and IAM-S machines (both Primac branded) for joining the socket to the end of the pipe.

Both machines can work inline after the cutting saw and offline. In the inline version, the pipe is diverted from the extrusion line onto the machine bench, where an automatic pick-andplace unit positions the socket at the end of the pipe. The SRM (the model that Baruffaldi presents at Plast 2023) is a welding machine for corrugated pipes, that welds the socket to the pipe by means of a single-screw extruder affixed to a stationary arm, while the IAM-S. is a friction welding machine for both smooth and corrugated pipes, that inserts and welds the socket onto the pipe end by means of a spin welding system in which the socket rotates around the pipe, kept in the right position by means of the special clamps. Moreover, the machine is equipped with a device for automatically testing the welding quality, rejecting the defective pipes. To complete the range, the welding machine can be equipped with the IAG automatic unit for picking a rubber seal from the storing unit and inserting it in the first corrugation groove.

Baruffaldi Plastic Technology offers various pipe handling

Latest news from Comerio Ercole

systems according to the customer’s specific production needs and its production spaces such as, for example, the unloading under the machine or the palletizer. SRM and IAM-S machines weld the sockets in a fast and reliable way. The welds will keep their integrity even if the pipe is stored for a long time or laid incorrectly, the rigidity of the socket also prevents ovalization. These socket welding machines cover, in the various versions/dimensions, a wide range of pipe diameters ranging from 32 to 630 mm for the IAM-S and from 110 to 1,400 mm for the SRM. Pipes can be long up to 12 meters. Moreover, the machines can be customized to meet the specific needs of the customer. Last, but not least, all Baruffaldi machines are equipped with the Smart Industry platform, the company Industry 4.0 platform, which allows the customer to easily read production data and receive immediate remote assistance in case of problems.

Everything for calendering 4.0

A company specialising in the manufacture of machinery and equipment for the processing of rubber and composite materials, Comerio Ercole has launched the new Hercules40 digital platform to provide converters with a data-based analysis tool for continuous improvement of the production process, including optimisation of energy consumption and value-added after-sales services. By sharing data, Hercules40 enables new digital services to increase machine efficiency and optimise the transformer process.

Increasingly focused on supporting the end user of its solutions, Comerio Ercole also presented two new products for the “on site” cylinder maintenance process. In fact, the cylinders represent the “heart” of every calendering process and with the two new Sandblaster and Polisher tools it is now possible respectively to maintain and/or restore a certain roughness on the cylinders themselves and to clean and restore their surface.

Comerio Ercole has also recently introduced some important technological innovations. The Flexi calender offers a solution for the production of PVC sheets, with 4 or 5 cylinders depending on the type of product to be processed (soft or rigid PVC) and a hydraulic device for their high-precision positioning. The new inverted “L” configuration allows a wide range of applications as it is designed to work with 4 rolls and 3 tables or alternatively with 5 rolls and 4 tables, maintaining the same post-calender section consisting of stretching-embossing and cooling unit.

For a manufacturer of PVC articles in the Far East, the

manufacturer has recently built a 5-roll calendering plant with a 2,400 mm table for applications in the pharmaceutical and graphic fields. The calender is equipped with the high precision Hydrogap device patented by Comerio Ercole for the hydraulic adjustment of the cylinders. The calendering line consists of an innovative take-off and stratching unit, an “in-line” embossing unit with quick change device and a mobile cooling unit. The supply also includes an automatic wrapping station, a thickness gauge, an automatic bench control system based on thermal cameras and all the thermoregulation units for the calendering line.

Finally, Comerio Ercole manages the engineering of the entire plant, guaranteeing the Master Plus service package, complete with mechanical, electrical and fluidic diagrams and technical data sheets.

Comerio Ercole is one of Italy’s leading international manufacturing and engineering companies, with a history of more than a century to its foundation in 1885.

Socket and pipe welded by the SRM machine.

Automatic weighing system The second generation

Founded in 1970, Lawer is an Italian company specialized in industrial weighing systems. It has developed advanced technologies and know-how in the automatic weighing of powder products as pigments, additives, and

chemicals, as well as single or multiweighing systems, and equipment for the preparation of compounds and masterbatch, handling and packaging systems. Products, solutions and services from Lawer are destined to technical rubber products, tire, and masterbatch industries.

In response to customers’ needs to improve quality and reduce costs in their production, the company launched the second generation of the fully automatic Supersincro weighing system for coloured masterbatch. Supersincro consists in a horizontal automatic weighing system customised according to the different materials stored in silos, hoppers, big-bags, and interchangeable silos and weighed in a variable size bag produced automatically.

Compared to the first generation, Supersincro V2 is characterised by:

• higher productivity, up to one bag every 30 seconds;

• higher accuracy, up to a tolerance of ±0.1 g;

• higher repeatability, CPK over 1.67;

• higher OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness);

• higher flexibility and modularity, thanks to the possibility to customise the configuration and the different sizes of bags; - less labor;

• environment respect, thank to the latest version of components that reduces equipment consumption and footprint;

• lower consumptions, which, using the latest generation of servo motors, are up to 30% lower.

At Plast 2023, Lawer proposes the new generation of the Supersincro automatic weighing system.

Plastiblow proposal for Plast

Energy-efficient electric multi-layer extrusion-blow moulding

The PB15ES all-electric blow moulding machine exhibited by Plastiblow at Plast 2023 is now more robust, reliable, and powerful thanks to the recent upgrade of the carriage clamping system on linear guides. The machine is available in both single and double carriage versions, with strokes ranging from 480 to 800 mm and a mould clamping force of 15 tonnes,

allowing very flexible production. In particular, the Coex3 model with three extruders and a single carriage presented at the show has a 700-mm stroke and a double head for producing 4-litre bottles with handles in a twocavity mould. The machine, which is also equipped with a scraps recovery line with a volumetric system for dosing and feeding the resins to the three extruders, is intended for a producer of bottles ranging from 55 ml to 2 litres for various sectors such as chemicals, food, cosmetics, oil etc.

Plastiblow develops electric machines for low energy consumption extrusionblow moulding, capable of co-extruding up to seven layers and using recycled material to produce “green” containers, where the recycled material of the inner layer does not come into contact with the contents because it is between

the two outer layers of virgin material, and where the aesthetic aspect is not compromised. The thickness of the inner layer of recycled plastic represents 60-70% of the total, while the inner and outer layers of virgin material, usually high-density polyethylene, represent around 10-20%.

The decision to exhibit an all-electric co-extrusion multilayer line, which allows the use of recycled plastic in the bottle intermediate layer with minimal energy consumption, confirms the manufacturer commitment to developing processes that conserve resources, limit waste, and reduce environmental impact. Indeed, the reduction of energy consumption, maintenance costs and environmental impact, as well as the implementation of control systems for the remote diagnosis of processes from an Industry 4.0 perspective, characterize the development of al Plastiblow blow moulding machines.

The PB15ES Coex3 model exhibited by Plastiblow at Plast 2023.

Welding machines from Sirius

Electric Electric drive for process precision and reliability

Italian company specialized in thermoplastic welding technologies, Sirius Electric at Plast 2023 presents the latest news for ultrasonic, vibration, hot plate, and spin welding systems. The use of ultrasonic, vibration, hot plate, and spin welding systems with brushless motors allow to solve the most common problems related to pneumatic systems. The thrust pressure is a basic parameter for ultrasonic, vibration, hot plate, and spin welding. All welding systems displayed by Sirius Electric are equipped with electric movement instead of pneumatic. Several applications require high precision and reliable process, and the variability of pneumatic systems can negatively affect the welding process.

The use of electric brushless motors and their drives allows to considerably

Rima Team machine in Wales

improve the quality of the final weld. Indeed, the welding depth, speed and thrust pressure can be controlled in a very accurate way. These parameters can be saved as a welding program and can be recalled at any time without the need to repeat the initial setup.

In detail, Sirius Electric displays the new Dynamic ultrasonic welding unit, with brushless motor with power of 0,75 kW - 2,4 Nm and stroke of 400 mm and equipped with the new SE ultrasonic generator with power of 2000 Watt20 kHz; the VSP 405 circular vibration welding system with 3,5-kW brushless motor and welding depth control; the brand-new cutting edge totally electric SWP Mini spin welding system is also presented for the welding of small parts, especially in the medical sector, where precision and accuracy of the

Custom rotational moulding

Rotational moulding equipment manufacturer Rima Team recently supplied a Maxima carousel machine (one of those that it proposes at Plast 2023, together with the other two machine families, Suprema, a swing type, and Maxima, a shuttle type), with a spherical diameter of 4,000 mm and two carriages (with two straight arms and one square arm in addition), to a Welsh processor to produce fuel tanks. Due to the low height of the production department, the thermal chamber has been lowered by 500 mm and consequently lowering the flame guard pipes by splitting the intake ducts. Because of the smaller size of the chamber, there was a risk that the 1000 kW burner would get too hot and deform the protections, and therefore the chamber was coated with stainless steel, resistant to high temperatures. In this way the heat has been concentrated in the oven, improving heating times that, in addition to a double intake system to maintain constant air flows with telescopic manifolds, allows a

considerable energy savings. Since the lower placing of the burner, an intermediate staircase was created to access to it and a staircase from the gallery was also created to access the oven roof and to the fumes extraction chimney. Moreover, as the floor of the customer was not perfectly flat, with a gap of more than 10 cm from one side to the other, additional adjustable plates have been realised to level the machine. All the modifications made to this special version add to the standard characteristics of Rima Team machines, such as the sliding doors of the oven, used for machines of 4,000 mm upwards, which are more resistant to prevent deformations, the robust structure of the moulding chamber made of structural steel to limit heat deformation, and the high-efficiency heat-insulating panels, treated with special paints that increase heat retention inside the chamber. Correctly directed air flows directly onto the mould, thanks to the baffles on the delivery manifold, together with the latest generation burner type, with

machine are top requirements; the SWP 062023 spin welding unit equipped with new 10-inch touch screen and auto tuning system to calibrate the brushless motor gain according to the dynamic load of each spindle. With this welding machine, the welding graph can be displayed on the control panel; the new D 2023 hot plate welding unit, with brushless motors and relative drives for the horizontal movement of plate and upper mould, available in different sizes according to the dimensions of the parts to be welded.

The SWP 06-2023 Spin Welding Machine is capable of welding most thermoplastic materials and circular geometric shapes.

near-zero emissions, allow operating temperatures to be reached in a short time, with a marked improvement in cooking times. Temperatures reached approx. in 10 minutes with a cold oven and approx. in 4-5 minutes with a hot oven grant, over the day, 4-5 extra production cycles, depending on the necessary timing of the cycle.

The “Welsh” version of the Maxima machine from Rima Team.

The Italian group’s presence in Asia is strengthened to serve a growing local market for engineering plastics. A new 36,000-square-metre industrial site that focuses on sustainability, safety and health in every aspect. The largest in terms of space and capacity among RadiciGroup’s eight high performance polymers plants worldwide.

The new RadiciGroup industrial site in Suzhou, China has been officially opened. Designed to double capacity for manufacturing engineering polymers, the area will significantly step up the Group’s presence on the Asian market as a key player serving numerous sectors - from the automotive and electrical/electronics industries to consumer and industrial goods. The Group has had production operations in China since 2006, when it first opened in a small factory in Jiangsu Province. In 2012 it moved to a larg-

er site, to then start on the construction from the ground up of this new fully-owned facility, designed for future scalability, as required. RadiciGroup invested 35 million euros in the development of the new complex, sited on 36,000 square metres of land, around half of which is occupied by production and research and development facilities. The rest houses offices, meeting rooms and communal areas, along with gardens and parking areas.

A state-of-the-art manufacturing facility

The state-of-the-art complex features the most advanced green building technologies available today, for which it is LEED Gold (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified. This international standard for high-performance green buildings incorporates parameters such as benefits for the environment and human health, the reduced consumption of water, energy efficiency and the use of environmentally-friendly building materials and solutions. Notable features of the Suzhou site include the installation of a continuous monitoring system to ensure the energy efficiency of the building, rooftop solar panels to

The new Suhzou plant has been designed and built using the most advanced construction methods available today to ensure both productivity and health and safety for the 120 people who currently work there.

2023 marks a turning point for RadiciGroup in China, where it has been present since 2006 and where, with the doubling of production capacity, it aims to definitively establish itself as a reference point for the Asian engineering plastics market.

produce renewable energy, and a rainwater recycling system to meet the water needs of the site.

The site has also earned GBL-2 Star certification, a Chinese standard for building sustainability, demonstrating the attention China focuses on green building solutions. A choice perfectly in keeping with the RadiciGroup’s sustainability strategy, designed to build industrial and business growth on the responsible use of resources and a commitment to human rights, labour rights and individual rights.

“Working in harmony with the environment and people runs deep in our veins,” Angelo Radici, President of RadiciGroup, explained. “That’s been true ever since the 1940s, when we first opened in Italy as blanket manufacturers, to then diversify our operations and move closer to our customers around the world. Since starting up manufacturing operations in China more then fifteen years ago, we have grown immensely, together with the local market. Our materials are used by customers that in turn manufacture in China to satisfy the needs of local consumers. If years ago there was a shortage of skilled workers, today the Suzhou district is highly developed and people are skilled and specialised in various fields. In our case, that has also enabled us to retain our workers, drastically lowering turnover compared to the past, and so some of the solutions that we research and develop in China become benchmarks for the entire group, thanks to our international network.”

30 thousand tonnes more per year

Looking back over the RadiciGroup time in China, the motivations underlying the decision to operate in the country have not changed, remaining essentially the same three: the positive economic trend and future outlook for growth; the concentration of global customers in the area, who demand the same guaranteed product standards throughout the world; and a customer service approach to guarantee fast turnaround times and develop innovative solutions together.

“The new site,” Alberto Sessolo, Country Area Manager for RadiciGroup High Performance Polymers in China, said, “puts us in a position to serve the market even better, thanks to the new R&D labs and wide open spaces that are fully automated and efficient from all points of view. Even the production facilities are state-of-the-art, to best meet the needs of our current market, but also the potential market. In recent years,” Sessolo added, “we’ve grown in terms of turnover and volumes, and so even the manufacturing area needed to be expanded. The current layout has boosted production capacity by thirty thousand tonnes per year, and it’s been designed so that both production and the warehouses can easily be scaled up, as required. This facility is today the biggest, by space and capacity, of the eight in total around the world serving RadiciGroup High Performance Polymers. Today our people show a strong sense of belonging to the Group, underpinning our sustainable and shared growth.”

Health and safety at the centre

The facility currently employs around 120 people. The commitment to the health and safety of workers is of central importance and was a key focus for the design of the new building, in terms of wider spaces for the safer handling of goods, safety improvements in the loading of raw materials and a reduction in manual work and exposure to dust. To promote the wellness of workers, design details also focused on aesthetic elements and comfort, creating premises that are welcoming and soundproof, with lots of greenery surrounding the building, which can be enjoyed from inside thanks to large windows overlooking the grounds.

“Today we are celebrating a major milestone of our growth in China since 2006,” Maurizio Radici, Vice President and COO of RadiciGroup, remarked, “another step forward on the path of shoring up the RadiciGroup around the world, and on the Asian continent in particular. International expansion, as a’ strategy bringing us closer to our customers, has rewarded us and we want to push ahead with this chapter of our growth with greater determination and effort, demonstrating to our partners that we are willing and able more than ever to take up new challenges on global markets. The investment in China is part of a global growth plan which over the last two years has seen more than 85 million euros of investments made in our High Performance Polymers business area, distributed across manufacturing sites in North America, Europe, and Asia. The objective is to expand our total production capacity, and in doing so guarantee growth, sustainability and innovation in our high performance polymers business.”

A moment from the recent inauguration ceremony.

La prova di resistenza alla fiamma è un tema scottante. Con il Flammability

Check di Gibitre Instruments potete essere certi della vostra bruciante qualità.

Finnish multinational, Neste is one of the world’s leading players in the chemical recycling of polymers. Its goals for 2035 are to achieve zero-emission production and to establish itself as a provider of renewable and circular solutions. To this end, the company has started a series of investments in research and development, as described in the following columns.

BY GIAMPIERO ZAZZARO AND LUCA MEI

The wide and varied stage of the latest Plastics Recycling Show Europe (PRSE), the event that each year brings together in Amsterdam an exhibition, various conferences and awards for the European recycling industry, was also graced by Neste. A global player in plastics recycling, the Finnish multinational has recently been very active with a strategy of projects and investments in research and development to reach the two priority goals it has set for 2035: to achieve zero-emission production and to establish itself as a supplier of renewable and circular solutions. In the wake of the growing international appeal of the Dutch event, we put a few questions to Heikki Färkkilä, Vice President of the company’s Chemical Recycling Division, who told us how things are going and gave us some interesting insights into one of the most topical issues for the entire plastics industry.

What was the news from Neste at PRSE in Amsterdam?

“At the show we showcased many of our latest chemical recycling initiatives, including the second tranche of liquefied plastic waste processing at our refinery in Porvoo, Finland. To date, a total of 3,000 tons of liquefied hard-to-recycle plastic waste has been successfully converted into a high-quality raw material suitable for the production of new polymers. Another important initiative of ours promoted at the show is

Pulse, a project funded by the European Union Innovation Fund for the construction of a new 400,000 ton waste pre-treatment and upgrading capacities in Porvoo. This is an important step in expanding our capacity to process liquefied plastic waste. At PRSE we also launched a chemical recycling project in partnership with WasteWise, Borealis and Uponor. This initiative is a model for the chemical recycling value chain as it involves cross-linked polyethylene, a difficult material to process, which once recycled can also be used in sensitive applications such as drinking water distribution. At the show, we also exhibited the results of an LCA study on chemical recycling which highlights the environmental benefits of our technology, backed up by independently audited and verifiable data”.

What other products did you present at the show?

“On the first day of the event, we gave a detailed presentation of Neste’s approach to chemical recycling. It was useful for the audience to visit our stand and see how Neste’s technologies actively contribute to the circular economy of plastics. In addition to recycling, our journey towards producing more sustainable plastics was highlighted by the presentation of our latest collaborations focused on renewable polymers. Recycling and renewable solutions must go hand in hand if we are to turn our ideals into reality and move away from fossil resources. PRSE was an

Heikki Färkkilä, vicepresident of Nesteʼs Chemical Recycling Division

important forum for all stakeholders to discuss the path to renewable resources”.

What were your results in 2022 and what are your expectations for 2023?

“Neste Group’s total sales in 2022 will be 25.7 billion euros, with an EBITDA of 3.5 billion euros. In terms of operations, and especially chemical recycling, the most important turning points last year were the European Innovation Fund’s decision to support our Pulsee chemical recycling project in Porvoo and the acquisition of the licence to use Alterra Energy’s liquefaction technology exclusively in Europe. Liquefaction is a key process in chemical recycling and we believe that Alterra’s proprietary technology is one of the most compelling on the market. Pulse, on the other hand, can eliminate any difference between liquefied waste plastic recycling feedstocks and high-quality petrochemical feedstocks.

In addition, we will be pursuing several initiatives in 2023, including increasing our current liquefied plastic waste processing capacity and continuing other projects such as Pulse”.

What is your approach to the green economy? And as far as the chemical industry is concerned, do you think we are on the right track to address the environmental issue?

“It is quite clear that if we want to continue to use plastics in a more sustainable society, we have a double challenge: to re-

place fossil resources in the production of plastics and to combat the pollution that can result from their careless use. Neste offers both renewable and circular drop-in solutions to replace fossil resources. Chemical recycling can help in both areas: we can replace virgin fossil resources with recycled materials and valorize those plastic waste streams that currently cause problems. The results of our LCA analysis of chemical recycling show that although it is a process that requires some effort and energy, it has advantages in terms of both CO2 footprint and fossil resources compared to today’s plastics value chain. I am therefore convinced that technology will play its part in moving towards more sustainable and circular plastics, and thus towards a green economy. I believe we are moving in the right direction, but not yet at the right speed. That is why we at Neste welcome every like-minded value chain partner and brand owner to accelerate the green transition, and why we also need more attention from legislators to support faster and more decisive change”.

The Neste refinery in Porvoo, Finland, where liquefied plastic waste is processed.

Neste RE: renewable and recycled raw materials, which are produced without the use of fossil resources and can replace conventional raw materials in polymer production.

MASTERBATCH E PREDISPERSI

Chimar S.r.l. | www.chimar.com via E. Majorana 24, 35010 Cadoneghe PD

T +39 049 8885211 | info@chimar.com

DROP

PE blend

Pipe diameters: 12/16/20/22 mm.

Pipe thickness: from 0.15 up to 0.4 mm.

Line speed: 250 mt./1 min.

Pitch: 10 cm. min.

Extruder type: Diam. 65 mm.

Water output: From1 up to 2 Lt./h CV=3%

Drilling machine: Mechanical or laser, on request

Marking system: Inkjet or laser

Coiler: Automatic

Coextrusion: On request

Greenhouse tests

Retained Elongation at Break of 200 µ LLDPE/EVA thermic films, exposed in Morocco, Sicily or Almeria and treated with S fumigation or Cl-pesticides, and polluted with sand (Fe), on LL/EVA/LL 3 layers (Versalis: LL Flexirene FG 20 F, EVA Greenflex FC 45) plus a basic stabilization of AO Blend

0.15% and

see

M.D.C.

The future of plastics and rubber passes through Milan Plast

2023: focus on sustainability

The major themes that are characterizing the entire plastics and rubber industry and its market are a focus at Plast 2023, scheduled from 5 to 8 September at the Fiera Milano fairgrounds in Rho (Milan). The spotlight is on innovation and opportunities offered by developments in production paradigms in a circular economy perspective that, together with sustainability and energy savings, represent the key themes at Plast 2023. These themes are central not only in the products, services, and systems on display, but also as regards the fair itself, this year aiming to achieve the best performance in terms of sustainability. A part of this process has been made possible by Fiera Milano, which has taken a sustainable event management system approach involving control of logistics, wastes, and food services to reduce the environmental impact, including CO2 emissions, associated with the organization and conduct of events at its fairgrounds.

Promaplast, the organizer of Plast, aims to represent a virtuous example of this concern and to observe the core rules of sustainability that are now considered an objective that can no longer be postponed. One of the aspects characterizing this approach is fittings

that meet standards of ecodesign and food services such as those put forward by the Fondazione Banco Alimentare, which is closely attuned to the associated issues.

And that is not all. For the first time, Promaplast offers the possibility of implementing a carbon footprint assessment process in time to allow companies to announce their initial results already at Plast 2023. The calculation of a company’s carbon footprint is the most immediate and universally accepted method for representing and communicating the environmental impact of an organization. The process uses the parameters developed by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), applying internationally recognized protocols (GHG Protocol and ISO 14064).

Expressing a company’s activities in terms of atmospheric carbon dioxide equivalents is a measure of concern for the environment and demonstrates the commitment to meeting the core rules of sustainability that are now considered an added value.

Together with technological innovation, the theme of sustainability pervades the six halls of the fair, part of an exhibition

that covers everything from materials to processing, from finished products to services and the most advanced solutions developed by manufacturers of plastics and rubber processing machinery, equipment, and moulds.

After having introduced in May 2022 the exhibition-convention Greeplast - focused on the sustainability of materials, technologies, and transformation processes for plastics and rubber - Plast 2023 too showcases excellence of innovation in the key of green: from increasingly sustainable and environmentally friendly materials to machinery with reduced energy consumption for processing bio-based and recycled polymers and from processes that make it possible to use less raw materials without compromising on performance to sorting and recycling systems.

The calendar of side events will be an opportunity for further depth and exchanges on the state of the art and the challenges to evolving towards an increasingly sustainable economic model.

Plast is also one of the major international trade fairs that is returning to the scene after the forced break imposed during the years of the pandemic. And it is doing so with great attention to the most pregnant issues of our time, starting with sustainability.

The first edition in Bologna

The first edition of JEC Forum Italy, the exhibition and conference on composite materials organised by JEC in collaboration with Assocompositi, took place in Bologna on 6 and 7 June. The aim was to promote meetings between national buyers and suppliers and to stimulate new contacts outside Italy. In addition to professional meetings, the programme included technical conferences and company presentations, the Startup Booster competition and a visit to an important composites company in the region. Pre-selected suppliers and buyers were able to organise both structured business meetings through the platform provided by JEC and networking opportunities during the side activities. During the two-day event, the 400 attendees were able to organise more than 1,000 professional meetings and many more informal ones. Participants included leading companies from the composites industry and various application sectors: Bucci Composites, Ducati Motor, Enea, Esercito, Falk Porsche Technik, Ferrari, Ferretti Group, Fiat-Stellantis, Fincantieri, Forvia, GS4C, HP Composites, IMCD Italia, Italdesign Giugiaro, Lamborghini, Leonardo, Maserati, MC Works, Permare, Perpedes, Proma, Pininfarina, Rassini Europe, Scuderia Alpha Tauri, Selle Royal Group,

to name but a few in alphabetical order. Automotive, aerospace and construction were three of the main themes highlighted in the conference programme, with innovation and sustainability as the common thread running through each session. Around 20 industry experts discussed the use and benefits of composites in specific application areas and how to implement processes and create value with sustainability in mind. “We are very proud to have contributed to the success of this event together with our privileged partner JEC. We believe that the content of our conference programme matched the impeccable organisation of JEC, and that together we have provided a new opportunity for the Italian composites industry to meet at a high level to discuss technical developments and new market strategies,” commented Assocompositi president Roberto Frassine. Capturing and promoting innovation is JEC’s first objective. For the first time, the JEC Composites Startup Booster competition was held exclusively in Italy to highlight innovative projects developed in our country in the field of composites. Among the five finalistsGraphene-XT, Hikari, MAch3D, Recarbon and SphereCube - selected to present their projects in front of experts and operators in the sector, Recarbon

emerged as the winner for having given new value to carbon fibre waste by creating, producing and offering innovative ready-to-use intermediate products based on recycled carbon fibre.

The first edition of JEC Forum Italia, inspired by two successful editions of JEC Forums in the DACH region in 2021 and 2022, brought together the main players of the composites industry in a dynamic spirit, demonstrating the commitment of Italian operators to develop their markets and pointing to a bright future for the Italian composites community.

“We are very pleased with the outstanding success of the JEC Forum Italy: an exceptional platform that brought together the key players of the Italian composites industry and facilitated fruitful networking. The passion and commitment shown by all participants and attendees embodies the spirit of the Italian composites community, an inspiration to be drawn upon,” said Anne-Carole Barbarin, JEC regional events director and JEC Forum Italy director.

JEC Forum Italy, whose first edition was held in Bologna, added to the range of “glocal” events - local but with international appeal - on composite materials.

Plastpol 2023

Kielce trade fair endures

Over 600 exhibitors from all over the world enlivened the 27th edition of Plastpol, which took place from 23 to 26 May at the Targi Kielce Exhibition Centre in Kielce, Poland. The fair opened with the presentation of the annual report on the state of the Polish processing industry, published by the PlasticsEurope Polska Foundation. Although the foreign trade balance of the

Polish plastics industry was negative in 2022, the result was still better than in 2021, as polymer imports fell by around half a million tonnes and exports of plastic products grew systematically. The employment rate in the sector also increased.

Plastpol 2023 has also been awaited with particular interest, given the geopolitical changes in Europe that are affecting

supply chains and export markets. In this context, Poland appears to have strong potential to replace Russia and Belarus as an export market for foreign trade in plastic and rubber products from various countries. This is why this year’s Polish show attracted exhibitors from 29 countries, including China, South Korea, Germany, Japan, India, Italy, Portugal, Taiwan and Turkey.

Equiplast 2023

Dynamism and cohesion in Barcelona

Dynamism and a commitment to sustainability were the main features of the latest edition of Equiplast and Expoquimia, held at Fira de Barcelona in Barcelona from 30 May to 2 June, which, according to the organisers, marked a turning point in the cohesion of the plastics and rubber industry to face the ecological and digital transitions. A happy organisation, with 590 direct exhibitors, more than 1,500 brands represented and 18,882 attendees. For his part, the President of the Equiplast Organising Committee, Bernd Roegele, was very positive about the outcome of the show, which he described as “one of the best in recent years, with machinery and technologies for producing, processing and recycling plastics and accelerating their circularity”. Roegele highlighted the “good turnout of professionals who generated new business opportunities

and boosted projects and operations for the sector”.

The more than 100 meeting, knowledge and networking activities that took place over the four days of the fair were well attended, confirming the value of the themes proposed and the focus on the circular economy, digitalisation and technology transfer as the main levers that will ensure a sustainable future for the industries in the sector.

This year’s activities included the “Industry Showcase” knowledge area, which showcased the success stories and experiences of companies using chemical and plastic solutions. In the same vein, the “Best in class” awards presented at the event to H2Site, Inditex, Repsol and Fuelium stood out as examples of the application of chemical innovation in different sectors. Feique’s “Smart Chemistry Smart Future” forum also showcased projects by leading

companies to meet the challenges of the European Green Deal.

After the 2023 edition, Plastpol will return to the Targi Kielce exhibition centre from 21 to 24 May 2024.

The next editions of Equiplast and Expoquimia will also be held at Fira de Barcelona in June 2026.

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DID YOU KNOW THAT MANY COMPONENTS OF A SCOOTER CAN BE MADE WITH RECYCLED PLASTIC?

From the selection of mixed heterogeneous plastics, coming from the separate collection, counter shield, platform, plate holder, under seat compartment, mudguard and side are made. A perfect combination to get the circular economy in motion!

BMB Full Electric, machine for high productivity and respect for the environment.

HIGH TECHNOLOGY AT THE SERVICE OF THE ENVIRONMENT In a world where energy saving and waste elimination become a necessity for everyone, BMB offers you the Full Electric Series.

Machines characterized by water-cooled, direct drives plasticizing screws with innovative profiles that allow homogeneously moulding with new vegetable resins, recycled in flakes and other innovative composites.

The BMB Full Electric machine is the answer to the new standards with which the production departments must face today.