An innovative plant engineering solution for the manufacture of plastic caps - made up of a CCM 48 SC compression machine directly linked to the cutting machine via a timing system – is soon to make its debut appearance in China. Alongside it will be a comprehensive array of technological solutions that is winning ever-greater acclaim within the country: these range from locally made labellers (ARENA RF series) to fillers and the latest developments within the PVS range for in-line and test facility preform quality control
The very best Italian technology will be on show at the 30th edition of Chinaplas (Shanghai New International Expo Centre, 25 - 28 April 2016) and will occupy nothing less than an entire hall (hall E2 – E2B51), ready to welcome the over 130,000 visitors expected at this international exhibition on trends and technology within the plastics-beverage industry. Needless to say, the Sacmi Group will play a starring role, thanks to over 30 years of extensive sales experience in China and, since 2007, the presence of a local headquarters, Sacmi Nanhai, which engages in production and provides after-sales services. More specifically, Sacmi will be exhibiting a new concept of integrated plastic cap manufacturing line characterized by compactness and process optimisation.
The application on display manufactures S30W-standard caps in HDPE, produced by the new CCM 48 SC with a cycle time of just 1.8 seconds. This results in output rates of 1,600 caps per minute. Such production and energy performance has been made possible by compression technology that, compared to alternative technologies, ensures total process repeatability and, therefore, the manufacture of caps with improved weight and size consistency. Lower HDPE extrusion temperatures also mean better energy performance.
Further technological solutions of particular interest to the local market include the ARENA RF labeller, produced directly by Sacmi Nanhai to meet China’s specific needs. One of the most recent additions to the wide range of Sacmi labellers to use roll-fed technology, this solution was developed to meet local producers’ demands for a high performance yet simple machine that combines outstanding flexibility of use with an ability to handle labels and containers in various materials and formats at output rates of up to 36,000 pieces an hour with minimal label and/or size changeover times.
Developed according to Sacmi tradition (i.e. with a strong focus on component quality, design, user-friendly operation and maintenance), the ARENA labeller is steadily gaining in popularity in China, as are innovative container filling solutions of the Bag-in-Box type: available solutions span from innovative MONOBIB filling monoblocs to integrated filling centres – the form-fill-seal FFS range – that can, in one single process, carry out container thermoforming, ultra-clean filling and pack closure with guaranteed efficiency, reliability and product integrity.
Completing the picture, on the eve of this 30th edition of Chinaplas, is the growing success of China’s integrated in-line and test facility inspection and quality control solutions: these include the innovative PVS (preform vision system) for preform quality control. Visitors to the fair will have the opportunity to see the new PVS002 Plus, an evolution of the PVS 2 series, capable of testing up to 1100 preforms and hour with the utmost precision, with cycle times of just 3 seconds. This solution allows execution of all routine lab tests and – thanks to modularity – can also provide additional functions such as weight and body checks via a patented Sacmi system: the latter identifies defects that traditional inspection methods would miss entirely.
From preform quality control, then, to cap inspection systems such as the new CVS052, which visitors to the fair can see incorporated on the displayed CCM. This forms part of a range of solutions developed by Sacmi’s Automation&Service Division for comprehensive control of caps (plastic caps plus decorated aluminium caps and crown caps), labels (LVS) and the entire cap-bottle system. Complete turnkey solutions covering everything from container production to end-of-line, plus decades of experience on this market, make Sacmi a pivotal provider to the local beverage industry. Indeed, Sacmi has facilitated its rapid growth (since 2006 sometimes in excess of 30% a year) and met the industry’s growing demand for reliable solutions that also ensure energy savings.
