A technological breakthrough in pouch

At the end of June, the headquarters of Volpak - company part of the Coesia Group - held the “Innovation Days”, a major event that the Spanish company dedicated to show its latest technological advancements. But not only.

Stealing the spotlight was the SC+, an innovative continuous motion machine with industry leading performance and flexibility, capable to double the current production rates of all main market applications for a whole variety of pouch styles. However, the Barcelona event was not just focused on technology and products, but represented also an opportunity to put forward key drivers of Volpak strategy, based on a constant attention on market needs, which translates into a sustainable and customer-centric approach. We discussed this with Santy Witarsa, CEO of Volpak.

Santy, the last time we saw you at Interpack 2017, you told me there was something coming up, finally we find out what it was.
The launch of every new machine is critical, but this is more important than most. We think the SC+ is a real technological breakthrough, the likes of which is seen only every ten/fifteen years.

Who is the new machine aimed at?
The SC+ was designed to cover a wide range of industries, from Dairy and Confectionery to Pet Food and Chemicals, and so on. It is a top-of-the-range solution, which means it’s aimed at a target clientele looking for extremely high performance, but the machine’s flexibility allows for a truly diverse usage. A proof of this is the wide range of pouches that can be produced: from the simple “flat” to the “top cap” and “corner cap,” with sealing and capping systems that are customizable depending on the client’s needs.

How has corporate support influenced the development of the new machine?
Coesia’s engineering was critical. Recently, corporate has reorganized the R&D activities by creating a pool of brilliant engineers that can be engaged by the different companies in the group, to help them with big challenges, such as with the development of the SC+. Thanks to their efforts and to our internal staff we managed to design, build and introduce a cutting edge machine on the market in record time.

The Innovation Days event didn’t just highlight the machines, can you talk to us about the other projects that are underway
We surely wanted the event to be an opportunity for the clients to experience our technology, but also our customer-centric approach - truly designed around the client. In the last few years, all of the solutions developed by our company are the result of a mindset which seeks to create simple solutions to complex challenges. A good example of what I’m talking about is ARA, the innovative support system that was launched three years ago and is now standard on all of our machines: the system allows for remote assistance by our technicians through a simple network connection. The most recent example is the “Coesia Web Shop”, for the easy and quick ordering of machines’ spare parts through a dedicated platform, similar to the portals we all use in our private lives for online shopping. 

And the much talked about “Industry 4.0”?
It’s Industry 4.0 done our way: a process which entails, on one side, the development of increasingly more advanced, interconnected and automated machines and systems, while, on the other side, greater ease of operation and user-friendliness for the “other party”, be it clients, who are increasingly looking for turnkey solutions, or even end users, who are going to use our pouches every day.

It seems like a truly complex challenge...
It is, but thankfully we aren’t tackling it alone. In addition to corporate, we can count on the support of our technology partners, including B&R, FESTO, FlexLink, Datalogic, SMC, Rockwell Automation, Endress+Hauser. These companies are a key asset in this journey and we wanted to showcase it by having them take part in the Innovation Days through the development of a dedicated area.