Reading time 1’30’’
Interview to Andrea Schiavina – Head of Machine Engineering
and Hendrik Jan Bartels – Director Global Sales & Marketing of Gruppo Fabbri.
Why has Gruppo Fabbri recently chosen to invest in this new line of packaging machines?
Hendrik Jan Bartels: With the new Automac machines, Gruppo Fabbri aims to meet the precise and increasingly challenging market requirements in terms of higher performances for industrial production lines. In our target markets, customers require packaging machines to offer two key features: an increase in current production capacity and greater flexibility. Automac 75 and Automac 95 have been developed with these two purposes, and I think that our researchers and engineers have fully achieved this goal.
Andrea Schiavina: Automac 75 and Automac 95 represent the development, in technical, functional and aesthetic terms, of Automac 55 Più, one of our most popular stretch machines sold to medium and large-sized packaging centres. The names of the two machines already indicate that there has been a remarkable step ahead compared to the previous version.
What are the technical features that make the new Automac machines so innovative?
Andrea Schiavina: The main prerogative of these machines is packaging speed.
However, Automac 75 and Automac 95 also feature other important innovations, such as film unwinding for better print centring and a new film tensioning system designed to improve packaging performance.
The electronics has also been perfected, as well as other factors such as resistance to humidity, ease of maintenance, and the lines of the machine itself.
Hendrik Jan Bartels: In short, these machines ensure speed, flexibility, safety and reliability.
What sets these two machines apart?
Andrea Schiavina: Automac 75 ensures higher performance levels in terms of tray size, reaching a maximum speed of 75 packs per minute. Automac 95, instead, is perfect for high yields, since it can pack up to 90 packs per minute. Furthermore, both machines reach the maximum levels achievable in terms of applicable safety standards and ensure a comfortable working area.
Hendrik Jan Bartels: As I was saying, our new line meets any requirement for greater production speed and flexibility: today, a machine that allows the tray format and size to be changed easily and quickly has no competitors on the market. Moreover, the opportunity to work with printed stretch films up to 10 colours with such high speeds is a further remarkable advantage for anyone who wants to combine branding and efficiency in a single production process.
Could you describe them briefly?
Andrea Schiavina: As soon as you see them, you will notice that the new Automac machines have been designed specifically for the food industry, thanks to the covers made entirely of stainless steel, which makes them much sturdier. Thanks to a practical touch screen, these machines become easier and quicker to use for the operator.
Hendrik Jan Bartels: Aesthetically speaking, Automac 75 and Automac 95 are particularly well designed. However, their user-friendliness is what makes them especially suitable for this sector. They can be operated intuitively and learning how to use them is easy. Our Technical Support team always makes sure that our maintenance technicians and operators are fully and thoroughly trained.
What are the target markets for these machines?
Hendrik Jan Bartels: First of all, packaging industries dealing with poultry, red meat and white meat, fruit (especially apples), vegetables and mushrooms. Of course, Automac 75 and Automac 95 are supplied to customers all over the world, in particular in Italy, France, Russia and the USA. Gruppo Fabbri provides a technical support network guaranteed worldwide, either directly or through specialised distributors, which allows our machines to be fully productive on a daily basis.
Andrea Schiavina: We are incredibly proud of Automac 75 and Automac 95, since innovation and research have always been our mainstays. Right now, there are no other alternate motion stretch machines with a range of performance features like these.
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