ACMA, a Bologna, Italy-based company of the Coesia Group specializing in the design, manufacturing and marketing of highly-automated solutions for fast-moving consumer goods, has recommitted itself to improving its technology and is moving toward a path that will lead them to comply with Industry 4.0 principles.

At the recently held ProSweets exhibit in Cologne, Germany, the company launched two sweets and chocolate wrapping machines for the confectionery industry. 

As a result, the company will focus on extending its presence also in the North American market — an area important both for its consumption levels and as a platform to develop new products. In particular, the U.S. market is where the new confectionery trends are born and developed, and it also houses some of the leading companies in this field. 

In 2018, the company will focus on research and development, aiming at improving the quality of its manufacturing processes and supporting the digitalization process under way. Among the goals, ACMA will apply new technologies to make after-sales support faster and prompter globally.

An example of this was the foundation — four years ago — of the ARA (Advanced Remote Assistance) project, which provides remote support by expert ACMA personnel through a simple network connection. Today, this device is equipped as a standard accessory on all the machines produced, and it proves ACMA’s ground-breaking role in developing high-tech solutions. Speaking of support, the company is also developing specific custom packages, tailored on the customer’s specific needs. 

Solving confectioner’s needs with the CW 800 R and HW 900 

With more than 90 years of experience in this field, ACMA is one of the leading players on the market, and can count on a wide range of solutions, combining technology and flexibility. An example of this is the CW 800 R, an intermittent motion machine dedicated to oval and spherical chocolate — among the most requested shapes — characterized by its sturdy and compact frame and by its high-quality wrapping. CW 800 R can manage two wrapping styles (double-twist round as well as eggs and spheres) with quick changeovers. 

The latest addition is the HW 900, a fold wrapper for high-speed, double-twist round candy packaging. It follows the footsteps of the 1100 machine, boasting top performance (with a packaging speed of up to 900 pieces/minute), a renewed design and improved efficiency and productivity. Given the reduced quantity of format components, changeovers can be made quickly. The vertical paper unwinding plane allows manufacturers to employ a wide range of wrapping materials, including high-quality and low-cost products.

For more information, visit www.acma.it  

tna’s robag 5 doubles packaging speeds

tna has launched its robag 5, an ultra, high-speed vertical/form/fill/seal (VFFS) bagger, the final element in the company’s complete ultra-high speed packaging solution. Boasting speeds of up to 300 bags per minute on a single tube design, the new robag 5 comes with a new high-performance scale, continuous motion ultrasonic back seal technology and a new advanced controls platform. 

Together with the recently released ropac 5 case packer, the new robag 5 will transform production line efficiencies by more than doubling the industry’s current average packaging speeds within a single, fully integrated and highly compact packaging solution. 

Specifically designed to deliver the fastest packaging speeds in the industry, the robag 5 has been equipped with a range of innovative features. This includes the intelli-weigh 0220 omega high-speed scale. Featuring 20 weigh heads, this ultra-high precision scale is capable of combining different products, while offering fast and accurate product transfer with minimum waste.

In addition, the integration of ultrasonic back seal technology has enabled tna’s engineers to overcome the thermal transfer limitations of traditional heat seal methods to provide superior seal integrity — even at high speeds. Together with the new intelli-date 5 date coder, these new innovations enable the robag 5 to operate at unsurpassed speeds of up to 300 bags per minute from a single tube, while reducing the amount of waste, ensuring that each bag meets the highest quality standards. 

The robag 5 is manufactured in a high-grade stainless steel to reduce the risk of corrosion and deliver an advanced level of food safety and superior equipment longevity. In addition, the unit is equipped with the latest controls technology, including a new real-time CXE controller that reduces maintenance costs and downtime by supplying manufacturers with instant, highly detailed system diagnostics. At the same time, tna’s intelli-sys software provides a single point of control for the complete line, whether that’s for a central controls center within the plant as part of a remote management solution.

“The food manufacturing industry is changing rapidly at the moment,” comments Alf Taylor, tna’s ceo. “In particular the packaging end of the production line has seen some huge increases in speed in the last decade. 

“When we released the first tna robag in 1984, nobody believed that we’d be able to double packaging speeds with the launch of a single innovation,” he adds. “Fast forward 34 years and we’re about to show the industry that we can do it again. With its ultra-high bagging speeds, intuitively designed smart technology, faster changeovers and advanced equipment integration, the new tna robag 5 will once again re-define industry standards. More importantly, it will do so within a single, highly compact VFFS system. This basically means that the tna robag 5 is capable of the same, and in some cases, even higher levels of throughput, as two individual baggers, opening up a whole new world of possibilities for snack and confectionery factories that are limited in floor space.

“But we’ve also been around long enough to know that it’s not all about speed or being the fastest,” Taylor emphasizes.” Packaging technology needs to deliver a significant economic advantage, whether that’s a low reject rate or a small factory footprint; ultimately the system has to generate gains at the bottom line. With performance 5.0, we’re able to provide a fully integrated packaging solution that is not only fast, compact and intuitive, but that also delivers the industry’s lowest cost of ownership by enabling manufacturers to convert twin lines to single packaging lines. We’re incredibly proud of how far we’ve taken the industry up until now and can’t wait to demonstrate the results to our customers.”

Launched at the beginning of last year, tna performance 5.0 is a revolutionary, fully integrated packaging solution, which consists of the robag 5 VFFS system and the ropac 5 case packer. Together, these ultra high-speed solutions deliver the industry’s fastest packaging speeds at the smallest factory footprint.

For more information, visit www.tnasolutions.co