Matteo Giardini, Plusline Business Development Director, do you have any news for us about the technological innovations the company has presented to the market in recent months?
The most recent is the technology that integrates secondary packaging and palletising in a unique, highly efficient system, the Overlayer & Tower+, which ensures flexibility, precision and high speed for both bundled products and display-ready pallets (DRPs), ie pallets loaded in such a way that the consumer can access the product from them directly rather than from traditional shelves.
This is an increasingly widespread trend in retail and our solution has garnered significant market share in Europe while gaining traction in North America too.
Can you explain the technology in more detail?
Overlayer & Tower+ optimise the end of line by integrating bundler, layer former and palletiser in a single high-speed, totally automated and super-compact solution (only 15 metres compared to the traditional 40). This optimises space and logistics while ensuring high production capacity, reduced downtime and improved finished product quality at the same levels of performance.
But that’s not all, as it also ensures absolute safety for the entire end of line, with one operator managing multiple lines from a single supervision and control station, minimising the manual operations required.
Plusline introduces a new era in packaging
What about process simplification?
Plusline develops advanced technological solutions that eliminate the complexities associated with primary and secondary packaging for tissue products. The Overlayer fully meets these objectives. Unlike a classic bundler, it forms layers directly (hence the name, which combines the Overpack – our bundler – with the Layer Former) instead of using standalone technology as previously required. The Overlayer is a patented solution capable of forming any layer with both bundled and display-ready products, and of combining different formats to create optimised layer mosaics with no limitations of complexity. It is combined with the Tower+, the only PLUSLINE palletising line that stacks layers from the Overlayer, adding interlayers where required. It can also handle Euro, UK, NA and Australian pallets in both full and half height formats. This results in retail-ready bundles and pallets with any layer mosaic required.
As well as process efficiencies, are there any cost savings?
There are definitely savings, because more machines are integrated in a super-compact solution that optimises space and eliminates certain cases of costly downtime repeated with traditional technologies, reducing energy costs. In traditional systems, when standalone technology is forming the layer for DRP, the bundler is either idle or used only as an expensive by-pass conveyor. In addition, the suppliers of the two technologies are often different: one for packaging and one for palletising. With this solution, the customer has a single point of contact and this translates into optimisation in terms of support, spare parts and commercial negotiations.
The packaging company the future has been waiting for
What do Overlayer & Tower+ have in common with your Together?
They definitely share the same basic approach of challenging the status quo and working to achieve a completely integrated and automated factory. Together was the starting point, the solution that changed the rules of the game, integrating trim cut, log saw and wrapper in a single, super-compact machine and creating a new end of line concept starting from the rewinder. Now we have completed the process through to palletising. All in just 23 metres from log loading to palletising, all managed from a single supervision and control station, and all fully automated and high speed, with a view to achieving the smart, safe factory. Plus all the innovation needed to simplify the user experience, reduce service time, increase efficiency and improve the quality of the finished product.
Are we talking about prototypes or is this technology already in operation?
We’re talking about technologies that have received positive feedback from the market.
The first lines are being shipped to South America in this period. And in June, the system will be installed at the Futura LAB, immediately downstream of our Together in the Andromeda 3 line. Prospective customers will therefore be able to see a complete line in action, fully integrated with converting and packaging functions: from jumbo reel to pallet. The entire Futura and Plusline philosophy is crystallised in this totally integrated, safe and automated line, managed from a single supervision and control station by a sole operator. We have a mission to supply state-of-the-art solutions that contribute to our customers’ success and we’re convinced that by combining our technologies we can bring significant benefits to forward-looking customers with a focus on automation.
