Digital and sustainable rigid packaging
On October 18 and 19, November 2023, Sacmi Imola hosted Green & Digital, a global networking event to discuss the sector’s present and future prospects. With contributions from international experts, focusing on the main technological and market trends, with an in-depth look at new solutions and services developed in Sacmi departments and laboratories. 250 registered participants from 60 countries joined the event.
On the morning of Wednesday, October 18, visitors attended lectures in the Auditorium, focusing on the main market trends and the profound changes that digitalisation is bringing to the men and machines involved in manufacturing. There were some practical demonstrations on the advantages of digitalisation in the manufacture of caps and preforms. Examples of technologies, new products and services, such as the new Sacmi Smart Pack and Smart Care, were presented live from the Sacmi workshop.
Smart Pack hardware and software are designed to ensure fast, precise action in the production process. Sacmi said that for example on a CCM, Smart Pack has the following effect: a significantly shorter dose insertion adjustment time, lower preventive maintenance costs for the hydraulic system, and a longer mould lifespan through effective prevention of condensation. It also prevents problems caused by coolant mixture decay and identifies any loading of an incorrect resin. With a user friendly HMI the operator has an inline product -and process control with a self-adjusting feature to ensure production stability. Smart Care is an in-cloud IOT platform that performs continuous, in-depth medium-term health checks of machines. Sacmi said that it increases the machine performance thanks to precise info on conditions. The precise operating data ensures that necessary maintenance work is carried out at the right time to guarantee minimum downtime.
In the afternoon, customers visited the production areas. At five different stations, customers learned about process and quality controls, in particular the production and testing departments of the caps and preform presses, the computer vision systems development lines, and the technological laboratory. The control and vision system Classy-AI for caps and preforms was presented. Classy-AI is the CVS22 Artificial Intelligence platform that classifies detected defects and displays them in a user-friendly way, simplifying correction of any process drifts. The system is available on every Sacmi cap quality control system. Applied to the PVS preform quality control range, the system accurately classifies defects by family, allowing the worker to quickly trace the source of the problem.
The rigid packaging and beverage lab can simulate how an object will perform and produce a 3D prototype. The process continues with the mould design and the making of the actual product, which is certified after passing strict approval protocols. Every step to develop a new product is accompanied by the Lab. Sacmi has test protocols for the most important beverage brands, such as Coca-Cola.
In the IPS manufacturing department an IPS 300 injection preform system was presented. It benefits from an internal cooling system (Cool+ post-cooler) which is claimed to ensure fast lock-to-lock and cycle times. The IPS 300 can operate with 24-cavity moulds for 48 mm necks, 96-cavity for 30 mm necks and 128-cavity (MHT nano-pitch patent) for 26/22 mm necks. Three different plasticising unit sizes are available: 625 hg/h, 900 kg/h and 1225 kg/h.
The second day was held entirely in Sacmi Imola’s 1919 Auditorium and took a practical look at technological developments that are functional from the 3Rs perspective (reduce, reuse, recycle). At the heart of Sacmi’s strategy for years, this approach has translated into the development of increasingly lightweight, high-performance caps and preforms, saving energy and raw materials. The company has also conducted advanced research into new materials, such as new cellulose-based biopolymers. Generally, the solutions offered are capable of accompanying the customer in the transition, such as technologies for the adaptation of plants to the production of tethered caps. The presence of international guests, including brand owners, converters, and representatives of organisations specialising in market analysis, reinforced the inclusive nature of the initiative, conceived by Sacmi to facilitate a common approach to the new challenges affecting the entire supply chain, from cap and preform manufacturers to bottlers and regulatory authorities.
“What we are facing,” noted Sacmi President Paolo Mongardi, “are epochal transformations. We are talking about the environment, our common home, but also about digital, a tool that pervades our lives and that we can use to our advantage to improve process efficiency, product quality, and sustainability. As always, our main focus is on technology, and we are proud, once again, of the prompt and broad response from our international customers and partners. Our aim is to provide the right stimulus to tackle common challenges and projects together.”
