Flexible and sustainable solutions characterised by “Greenmation”

Modularity and attention towards the environment underpin the design of the solutions presented at interpack by the Coesia Group. Machines for applications ranging from packaging in the pharmaceutical field, to e-commerce to high-end paper converting production, are presented by Federico Testarella and Valerio Soli, who focus on a number of specific solutions, ideal for communicating the spirit of the Group.

M. Costanza Candi

A stand organised into three areas (Food & Beverage, Pharma & Personal Care and Cross Industry Automation), numerous machines and working lines, an offer which is the maximum technological expression of the companies of the Group… all of this under the umbrella of the GREENMATION project, testifying to the Group’s commitment to provide responses to market challenges through sustainable automation.

Federico Testarella, CEO Consumer Markets Solutions Division and Valerio Soli, CEO Industrial Markets Solutions Division of the Coesia, told us more.

Infinite modularity with BRIXX^®

As a response to requests for flexibility and adaptability to the market, the BRIXX^® system developed by FlexLink is a solution designed to follow consumer trends, which push co-packers and e-commerce operators to meet the growing demand for differentiation and personalization. This intelligent and dynamic solution is based on conveyors and robots, which make it possible to automate manual and repetitive packaging processes (also third-party), thereby offering a valid support in managing product variants and rapid changes. Thanks to the modular design and click-and-play based on an intuitive software, BRIXX^® allows for the rapid change of machine setting, facilitating the management of work peaks and transforming operations into an extremely user-friendly experience. «

«With this solution, - Federico Testarella begins, – we aim to cater for the widespread demand for flexibility, an increasingly important element also considering how and how much the methods for distributing products are changing. I’m referring, in particular, to the progressive and constant evolution of the e-commerce channel, in which high volumes are replaced by targeted and personalized shipments. BRIXX^® makes it possible, in fact, to manage ever smaller lots and continuous format changes, guaranteeing reconfigurations of the line layout in 10-15 minutes both in relation to hardware and software».

Valerio Soli remarks:

«With BRIXX^® we have developed an ad hoc technology valid for e-commerce, but it should be said that also traditional channels are today more oriented towards producing smaller lots. For this reason, the module is expandable, ensuring long life for the investment; where the traditional conveyor belt has always, instead, been a fixed “cost”, this paradigm, thanks to BRIXX^®, is revolutionized, moving from rigidity to flexibility».

Sustainability and digitalisation in the pharmaceutical sector

Coesia pays great attention also to the pharma world, in which solutions designed to combine high safety standards with the ever-increasing demand for sustainability and process optimization stand out. The Hapa 382 hybrid printer and the Enflex PH-11 machine for pouches, designed to produce compliant pharmaceutical pouches with an agile process, fit into this context.

In the case of Hapa 382, starting from a white or standard coil, hybrid inline printing combines flexographic and digital technology to guarantee the consistency of the fixed data and the artwork, while allowing for the updating of variable data, such as use-by date, lot number or product lot ID in real time. It’s a solution that simplifies logistics and eliminates uncertainties linked to the supply chain of pre-printed coils.

Compliant with the 21 CFR art. 11 regulations, the Enflex PH-11 line is suitable for pharmaceutical contexts and products and is equipped with a new powder dosing system, redesigned to meet high hygiene standards. Thanks to its extreme flexibility, the system makes it possible to handle small lots, enabling rapid distribution in the market, also because it can resolve problems associated with low volume productions and multi-market launches.

«Sustainability is becoming of key importance also in the pharma context» Federico Testarella points out. «This is why, in this regard, we make our PouchLab structure available to customers and producers of materials who can analyse the behaviour and evolution of different types of materials, gathering, at the same time, important information on packaging performances. It’s a place where our expertise on materials and automation is concentrated, but is, most of all, a space made available to customers and suppliers to develop recyclable or low environmental impact pouches. On the back of this experience, - the manager continues – we are studying an LCA-type method that tracks sustainability in a broad sense, starting from the Coesia machines and arriving at the customer’s production cycle. This is an important development, which will soon be reported in detail and will make the Group a pioneer in the definition of an effective method for measuring sustainability.».

Sustainable luxury

Given that a key element of packaging is, precisely, “sustainability”, the entire sector is moving towards eco-design solutions that reinforce recycling opportunities, without renouncing on the objective for which a packaging is chosen, whether that is to guarantee the integrity of the product or to package luxury items. An example of a response to this challenge is the Emmeci MC2020 DIGITAL, a new-conception digital line for the production of high-quality boxes developed thanks to a sustainable automated process.

Optimised and designed to reduce material waste (ink included) and the consumption of water, the machine processes paper and cardboard and is able to handle embossed sheets, opening up new possibilities in terms of design; the selective gluing system, moreover, makes the box soft to the touch. The result is a unique packaging, sustainable and high-quality, obtained with high production performances and great versatility, able to satisfy the demand for ecological packaging also on the part of luxury brands.

«The concept - concludes Valerio Soli – is always the same: a more flexible approach to automatic format change, checking panel operations in 3-5 minutes, while the machine carries out all the adjustments according to the instructions. The management of format change with software responds to the logic of small-scale productions, optimising productivity. In addition, the machine handles the box, made with double coupled layers and with very few glued points, in a “gentle” manner. It’s a particularly sophisticated form of packaging, therefore, guaranteeing, at the same time, an economic advantage and respect for the environment».