Sacmi will be at the USA's key brewery event to showcase its latest technological developments for labelling, inspection and filling. Taking centre-stage will be the LabelCheck-360, a precise, versatile solution for total inspection of labelled bottles
In the USA beer brewing is worth over 108 billion dollars a year (of which 23.5 billion is generated by the emerging craft beer segment). So it's only natural that Sacmi should be taking part in the 35 th edition of Craft Brewers Conference & Brewexpo America which, after being held in Philadelphia and Washington D.C., now heads to Nashville, capital of the State of Tennessee. At the centre of one of the country's most dynamic industrial areas, Nashville expects to host, from 30 April to 3 May 2018, over 15,000 industry professionals intent on getting a close look at the full range of brewery solutions developed by the international industry's leading players.
Sacmi will be there with a 200 m 2 exhibition area (booth 2715), the centrepiece of which will be the Group's integrated labelling and labelled bottle inspection range. After winning over producers worldwide (especially in the wine and beer sectors) with the new Sacmi KUBE modular labellers, the company has now launched the LabelCheck-360, the latest model to join the all-round labelled bottle inspection range.
Developed by the Sacmi Automation & Inspection Systems Division, this solution features a renewed framework (lightweight alloy instead of the traditional stainless steel). Moreover, it allows, thanks to tried and tested CVS360-3D software, total quality control of both the label (presence-absence, positioning, incorrect or mixed applications, colouring, etc.) and the entire bottle body, cap included. The system's ability to identify all and any defects and operate smoothly on the line together with the labelling machine means that the Sacmi solution provides the perfect response to the needs of manufacturers, who are always on the look-out for new solutions that combine versatility, efficiency and total quality control.
On the US market, the expansion of the craft brewer sector is arousing considerable interest. It has, in fact, grown by over 10% since 2015 and the number of brewers recently passed the 5,200 mark (in 2011 there were less than 2,000). Beer enjoys stable popularity among US consumers (a recent GALLUP poll showed that 40% of interviewees indicated beer as a favourite in the alcohol and spirits category); craft beer continues to have the highest development potential and has now reached and surpassed a yearly production/sales volume of 3 million litres.
Alongside the labellers and inspection systems, the Sacmi Group provides a complete range of filling solutions. For example, we recently introduced a combined filling system for bottles (glass or aluminium) and cans, specifically designed for Craft Breweries. This monobloc solution consists of a rinser and a filler which, thanks to a fast size changeover system, can handle both bottles and cans. These units are followed by a capping unit for bottles and a standard seaming machine for cans.
Two-in- one filling has been made possible thanks to an innovative four-in- one machine block (rinser + filler + capper + seamer). The system (patent pending) has a range of fillers featuring from 12 to 50 filling valves and can provide output rates from 10,000 to 24,000 bph/cph (33 cl format). Equipped with every possible device and process needed to ensure perfect beer quality – such as flushing and pre-evacuation – the system is electronicallycontrolled by flow meters; consequently, it offers outstanding hygiene, flexibility and user-friendliness. In keeping with Sacmi tradition the monobloc is hard-wearing and easy to maintain. It is, moreover, compatible with the seamers produced by all the leading constructors.
Developed to provide the perfect response to the needs of the typical Craft Brewery, this solution stands alongside the comprehensive range of traditional Sacmi fillers for bottled or canned beer and wine; the latter come with both electronic control (flow meter filling) and electro-pneumatic control (level filling). In this area, Sacmi has recently acquired new orders. For example, a key customer in Oregon, near Portland, has decided on the purchase of a can filler for still and sparkling wine; this is a 24-valve unit, with a 141 mm centre-to- centre, coupled with a 4-spindle seaming machine. It has a guaranteed output rate of 200 cpm with sparkling and/or still wines when used on 375 ml and/or 12 oz cans.
Sacmi will be heading to Nashville knowing it can count on a far-reaching presence across North America. That presence pivots around Sacmi USA and a network of dedicated branches that provide constant customer support right from the design stage. More specifically, Sacmi Total Care ensures customers can rely on assistance from the Sacmi team 24/7 and use advanced learning programmes that focus on machine use and maintenance. Completing the picture is the smooth synergy with the Group's Beverage R&D facility, certified by the international industry's main players.
