A history of innovation: Zambelli Packaging

An international benchmark in the design and construction of packaging machinery, the brand has been renewed under the leadership of new Sole Director Andrea Alessandrini.

For more than 55 years, Zambelli has been offering custom solutions for highly complex sectors such as food & beverage, coffee, pet food, household & personal care, and industry, supporting customers with a highly customised, bespoke approach that encompasses the entire process: from design to ongoing technical support and advanced after-sales, all on a global scale.

The Zambelli network, present in 60 countries and with more than 2500 machines installed, is made up of solid partnerships based on relationships of trust and able to offer customers efficient operations and constant innovation.

Andrea Alessandrini tells us about the latest innovations at Zambelli, highlighting how innovation is not just limited to technological aspects. 
"The company is undergoing significant organisational development, resulting from the new managerial skills brought on board. This process has strengthened our already solid in-house capabilities, complementing them with strategic functions that aim to further consolidate the visibility and authority of the Zambelli brand on the international market."

Zambelli is a long-established name in the packaging world. Tell us about your machines on the market.
"Zambelli Packaging's portfolio stems from a solid industrial experience that started in the late 1960s," Andrea Alessandrini explains. "Today it offers a wide range of solutions designed to meet the needs of FMCG companies around the world, which seek to optimise their packaging processes by combining efficiency, flexibility and quality.

Our range includes energy-efficient shrinkwrappers, continuous motion case packers for wrap-around or tray cartons and intermittent motion case packers for wrap-around or American (RSC) cartons, and both horizontal and vertical cartoners." Alessandrini goes on to say that "We also offer COMBI solutions for wrap-around, high tray or combined tray with film, robotised pick & place systems and complete turnkey lines, designed for maximum efficiency and flexibility in different production situations."

An established, renowned brand, bringing important innovations in business ethics and organisation. Can you explain your vision for us?
 "I strongly believe in the importance of building relationships based on trust," says Alessandrini. "Every Zambelli project is designed to integrate seamlessly with the customer's production process, offering flexibility and constant technical support. When I joined the company in 2024, we embarked on a strategic renewal process that began with the restyling of the logo and visuals, symbolising a new phase of growth oriented towards internationalisation, sustainability and innovation. Our technological solutions are based on four fundamental pillars: efficiency and energy saving, constant updating and quality, global support, and custom solutions. We took over a company with over 50 years of history, an established brand in packaging that needed a boost in terms of organisation and process management. Zambelli was already a benchmark for reliable, quality solutions. Today, alongside shrinkwrappers, the company also offers complete, integrated, turnkey lines designed to meet the most complex packaging requirements.
The new management has given a significant boost to R&D and internationalisation, which have brought Zambelli back to the forefront at major industry trade fairs, and we will be taking part in Pack Expo Las Vegas 2025, Drinktec Munich 2025 and Interpack, in 2026. Our aim is to strengthen our presence in key markets and at the upcoming trade shows we will be presenting complete end-of-line solutions, with a focus on modularity and robotisation. We are seeking to create new relationships to engage more closely with existing and prospective customers, presenting ourselves as a reliable partner for those in search of quality, innovation and sustainability."

You mentioned the pillars of a new approach able to guarantee continuity while looking to the future of Zambelli: can you give us more details?
"Partnership and trust are our keywords," continues Andrea Alessandrini, "and they are linked to a brand that has long been recognised on the market for its reliability and ability to design robust, durable and efficient machines and solutions, thanks to the collaboration with a network of highly qualified partners.
If we look in detail at the pillars the evolution of the Zambelli brand is based on, what emerges is a strong orientation towards efficiency and energy saving, with energy efficiency technologies capable of outperforming the industry average. A case in point are Zambelli's heat shrink tunnels, which are more efficient than the market average thanks to the use of advanced systems to reduce heat loss.
In terms of technological upgrades and quality, the company offers impressive solutions such as rapid format change automation with servomotors, Industry 4.0 connectivity, and remote control and CAT3/PLD security level. These technologies ensure high performance, able to keep pace with market developments, so Zambelli is set to remain a benchmark going forward.
Our strength has always been our ability to offer tailor-made solutions, following every step of the process: from design and engineering to development and installation of machines customised to the customer's specific production requirements. This modular, scalable approach guarantees maximum integration and adaptability.
Also of fundamental importance is the vast assistance network on a global scale, ready to respond 24/7, with constant maintenance activities, spare parts service, remote assistance and direct support, also thanks to offices located worldwide in strategic markets."

Sustainability is a key issue for the packaging market, to which Zambelli adds the concept of a human-centric model.
"I am convinced that innovation, customisation and sustainability represent Zambelli's true added value," Alessandrini continues, "what makes it a solid, competent and forward-looking technological partner. The packaging market is in effect increasingly oriented towards sustainable, connected and versatile solutions. We respond with an industrial vision in which automation means not only efficiency, but also design intelligence at the service of the user. It is in this context that the philosophy behind the 'Human-Centric Company', which guides Zambelli Packaging's choices, is brought on board, putting people at the centre of innovation pathways, from design to production, as well as customer service.

A human-centric company aims to build relationships based on trust and focused on the value of people, whether they are customers or employees. With this in mind, Zambelli is introducing the same welfare initiatives that have already been successfully developed in other group projects, such as in-company childcare, the in-house gym and the canteen, with the aim of creating a working environment that is increasingly focused on well-being and quality of life.
This philosophy also extends to the customer, to whom we provide reliable lines, continuity of service and attention over time. The human-centric approach is also evident in the ergonomic design of the machines, with fully inspectable shrinkwrappers that offer easy access and complete safety for the operator.

We firmly believe in engagement between the worlds of business and academia, and we have embarked on a structured collaboration with the Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna, involving both the Department of Engineering and the area of Communication. We have recently started a journey in which we will be welcoming more and more students into Zambelli to work on innovation and development projects.
For us, opening up to the new generations means not only offering concrete opportunities for professional growth, but also bringing enthusiasm, curiosity and new visions into the company, which are fundamental elements for facing the future with energy and awareness.
Finally, sustainability and the central importance of the human factor also emerge in the organisational continuity guaranteed at Zambelli, where the extraordinary expertise of the staff, the founder, the second generation and the people in the company has been enhanced and systematised, combining a passion for their craft with new managerial skills geared towards the future.”