The Italian Pavilion, located at Hall 10 and organized by AMAPLAST (Italian Plastics and Rubber Processing Machinery and Moulds Manufacturers’ Association), houses more than 40 companies. These exhibitors showcase their most advanced technologies that facilitate smart manufacturing and green production.

OMIPA’s new PP & PET foam line for sustainable food packaging

OMIPA (Booth: 10J61) has developed a PP & PET foam line to meet the emerging demand for producing more sustainable, recyclable, and lightweight food packaging as well as thermoforming products.

The new line features foam technology, a process which insufflates natural gas (CO2 or N2) during the extrusion, in order to achieve a reduction in PP density up to 50% of the nominal value.

According to the tests carried out at OMIPA, when compared with a nominal value of 0.95 kg/dm3, density reduction up to 0.58 kg/dm3 (PP 0. 90-0. 92 kg/dm3) can be achieved for monolayer product, and up to 0.65 kg/dm3 (PP 0.90-0,92 kg/dm3) for multilayer product (BAB).

These parameters are just a starting point, and further developments can further reduce the density of the final product, the company explains.

According to OMIPA, the main advantages of PP foam technology are lower consumption of material and weight reduction, thanks to a lower density for the same surface.

When compared with conventional PS, which is now widely used in the food packaging application, PP foam is totally recyclable and has a lower environmental impact during the processing procedures.

All in all, PP foam technology meets the requirements from the market which emphasizes sustainability and increasing investment. OMIPA, therefore, strongly believes in the enormous potential of the new line.

SACMI introduces multiple advancements for capping line

At its booth at the Italian Pavilion, SACMI (Booth: 10H41) presents new technological developments for the latest-generation of CCM presses that deliver greater energy savings and more advanced controls. Several products developed by SACMI Laboratory, including the market-ready neck+cap and tethered-friendly solutions, are also showcased.

The CCM press presented onsite is the latest model equipped with the brand new CM-Flow extruder. The extruder achieves energy savings of up to 9% and fewer black specks of up to 50% compared to the same resin processed with traditional extruders.

CMFLOW technology produces caps that have the same resistance to stress cracking as those produced with traditional extrusion technology and operates at lower temperatures. It also allows quick and easy maintenance because, unlike conventional extruders, the motor is coupled directly to the screw without the need for a gear motor.

SACMI’s CCM presses can be equipped with SACMI Smart Pack, a digital control package that integrates advanced sensors and on-board controls, for simplifying operation and reduces line stoppages.

To provide users with better support, SACMI has begun producing its CHS “smart vision” cap inspection systems at one of its Chinese plants. The inspection is no longer simply about controlling individual defects/caps, it’s also a tool to gather valuable information to improve processes and predict drifts.

Key innovations here include a patented SACMI solution that inspects tamper band slitting on the new tethered caps. The tethered standard is catching attention in China, and SACMI offers a range of ready-to-use solutions, such as simple slitting of the tamper band in post processing.

The Italian manufacturer also provides fully integrated cap-preform production with a new generation of SACMI IPS preform machines. The SACMI CCM+IPS combination represents a comprehensive portfolio covering each stage of the processing

Through SACMI Laboratory, each development is accompanied by a series of customized, ready-to-use caps. Some of these are showcased to visitors to demonstrate their versatility for meeting different production requirements.

Frigel introduces latest cooling and mold temperature control solutions

Frigel (Booth: 10J69) introduces the company’s latest developments in cooling and mold temperature control solutions at the company booth located in the Italian Pavilion area.

One of the highlights is the new portable water chillers of Microgel Series. They are suitable for plastic processing such as injection molding, blow-molding, extrusion, technical molding, as well as multiple applications including automotive, packaging, medical, household appliance and industrial components.

The patent pending Microgel SYNCRO technology, process synchronized mold temperature control technology with onboard chiller, revolutionizes the temperature control method of injection molding technical parts. It allows up to 40% reduction in cycle time and ensures high product quality.

Digitally synchronized with the molding process, Microgel SYNCRO provides cold water only during the cooling phase, reducing significantly the cooling time, while keeping the mold cavities hot during the injection phase.

The Microgel SYNCRO product line features more than 10 models, with cooling capacities from 16 kW to 56 kW and heating capacities from 12 kW to 24 kW.

The new Microgel SYNCRO features process synchronized mold temperature control technology with onboard chiller. (Booth: 10J69)

At the same time, Frigel also presents some of its recent highlights in centralized system solutions. Among them, the advancements in its patented adiabatic cooling solutions contribute to water and energy savings in process cooling.

Frigel expands its adiabatic product family by introducing the Ecodry MDK range, which allows flexible configuration of modular adiabatic solutions for small to large factories.

Ecodry MDK is characterized by a high efficiency humidification system (COOLPAD) and a new generation of EC fans. Combined with a more effective dry cooler, the result is a more compact and powerful new adiabatic cooler.

The Italian manufacturer emphasizes that its modular, scalable and flexible central chiller solutions are designed to be installed anywhere with Industry 4.0 controls and connectivity platforms.

Moretto’s green, smart, and advanced auxiliaries in the spotlight

Italian automated auxiliary equipment manufacturer Moretto (Booth: 10F45) showcases its products and technologies that offer the advantages of green, smart, and advanced production. Modern dryers, dosing units, and conveying systems are some of the highlights. 

X COMB is an extremely compact and high-energy efficient mini dryer suitable for lower throughput of technical polymers in demanding applications, such as medical, optical and electronics. It is fully electric and does not require compressed air, a mini dryer specifically designed to efficiently process hygroscopic technical polymers.

The X COMB is a mini dryer suitable for lower throughput of technical polymers. (Booth: 10F45)

With automatic airflow adjustment, Mini Dryer XD TX automatically manages the necessary airflow to process the material in a self-adaptive way. Only the parameters of polymer type and hourly throughput need to be set. 

Batch gravimetric dosing unit DGM Gravix ensures production flexibility and high dosing accuracy even in the presence of vibrations thanks to VIS (Vibration Immunity System). Therefore, the unit can be installed directly on the processing machine. With Modbus, RS485, USB and Ethernet connections, it enables traceability of material consumption and recipe certification.

Dedicated to micro-dosing, the compact loss-in-weight dosing unit DPK stands out for its high level of dosing precision. Like the other range models, it is equipped with a hopper made of transparent shockproof acrylic material that makes the material content and loading level immediately visible. The hopper is easily interchangeable without tools for quick recipe changes.

Dolphin automatic manifold is a conveying system which automatically feeds materials to every processing machine, avoiding any risk of contamination and human error. It is a modular solution and can be easily configured according to customer needs.

For the control of centralized conveying systems, Moretto offers the PLC-based One Wire Software. The intelligent software allows for remote programming and control of the conveying systems. It is simple to use and displays the status of the system in real-time.

Moretto has been present in Shanghai, China since 2017. The local branch, with experienced staff, responds to the need of being closer to the plastics converters, ensuring a prompt on-site after-sales service.