Innovation and energy efficiency

How the partnership between N.E. Engineering S.r.l. and Lenze has transformed material handling in the corrugated cardboard sector, thanks to the use of a decentralised drive technology in conveyor systems.

The market for automated handling systems is expanding rapidly, driven by the rise of e-commerce and the increasing demand for flexible, efficient and sustainable packaging solutions.

Corrugated cardboard, with an annual growth rate of 4%, is at the centre of this development. In this dynamic environment, N.E. Engineering S.r.l. and Lenze have joined forces to meet the challenges of the industry with innovative solutions.

Reasons behind a choice

N.E. Engineering, an Italian global market leader for logistics solutions for feeders, stackers and palletizers for the corrugated cardboard industry, designs systems that are precisely tailored to the specific needs of its customers whilst retaining maximum flexibility.

«Our strategy for success is to offer tailor-made solutions to our customers. Innovation plays a key role in this and was a decisive factor in choosing Lenze as a partner» explains Roberto Bonini, CEO of N.E. Engineering. The shared enthusiasm for finding new innovative approaches led, for example, to the use of decentralized drive technology in the conveyor systems. «We opted for the i-series motec frequency inverters from Lenze. With this decentralized drive solution including connectivity, we were able to reduce installation costs and the need of control panels, as well as simplifying the wiring - making the installation more efficient. We also need less space in the control cabinet and fewer cables. This results in cost savings for our customers»

adds Technical Director Maurizio Belluomini, who also represents the second generation of the owner family at N.E. Engineering. In this regard, a good example of the successful cooperation is a joint project set up in a factory in Poland, where 470 Lenze drives with an output of 1.5 to 4 kW were installed. The decentralized approach made it possible to save around 50% of the cable length and the associated installation costs.

Reducing costs, consumption and environmental impact

Energy efficiency is another hot topic in the industry. The regenerative solution in Lenze's drives offers concrete benefits in terms of energy savings and the associated reduction in operating costs, as well as a lower environmental impact.

«Reducing energy consumption is a concrete priority for us concludes Bonini – and for the future, together with Lenze, we are aiming for a further increase in performance. After all, the search for sustainability is a core value for N.E. Engineering, as demonstrated by our production site, which obtains most of its energy from solar cells».

Also in this sense, the i-series motec fits perfectly with N.E. Engineering's goals, with its energy recovery capability and high efficiency, made possible by a new motor technology that promises to revolutionize the entire industry.