ACMA 95 years – a journey through the origins to discover ACMA future!
(video: ACMA)
by Industrial Meeting
Packaging was created in Bologna a century ago
“Today, ACMA is a part of a global market with ever-changing demands.” The Italian company is an important part of the history of Italian packaging, which began in Bologna nearly 100 years ago. In the same city, there is the Museum of Industrial Heritage (which we highly recommend visiting, ed), where a beautiful representation clearly explains the beginnings of the packaging industry in 1924, with the establishment of our company. Gaetano Barbieri (1881-1959) founded ACMA, Anonima Costruzioni Macchine Automatiche, to mechanize the packaging of the famous Idrolitina powder, launching the incredible production district that is now present all over the world from Bologna.
“With over a century of experience, ACMA works in a wide range of industries, though the most important markets are undoubtedly food, beverage, home and personal care, and tea,” says Daniele Ponzinibbi.
How important it is to have a global vision for different sectors
Working globally aids in understanding the economic trends in various geographic areas and sectors. Despite the pandemic’s slowdown, continents such as America and Europe have positive dynamics in the confectionery and chocolate industries, as well as the tea industry, the world’s most consumed beverage. In developing markets, on the other hand, home and personal care are growing, thanks to a surge in consumption of soaps and detergents due to the increased need for hygiene due to the pandemic: if we talk about developed countries, we have interesting data in these two sectors for the consumption of premium products.
“Home care and personal care are met with solid products (soaps), liquids, and powders in a variety of sizes ranging from small to large drums. In terms of soap bar packaging, ACMA sees this as a growing historical market in which our added value is provided by gentle product handling and perfect packaging for even the most delicate soap bars. Let us not forget our tea packaging machinery “explains Daniele Ponzinibbi, who goes on to say: “In terms of confectionery, while on the one hand the packaging of transversal products such as candies is very widespread, on the other hand, those such as chocolate are clearly affected by climatic conditions: in Southeast Asia, it is problematic, whereas on the African continent, it is still growing strongly despite the unfavorable climate for its conservation. In all cases, regardless of continent or product, ACMA is a partner to its customers, whether they are small businesses seeking to expand or multinational corporations looking to improve their production performance “.
Great opportunities in distant continents for the customer
Working globally necessitates having a global perspective. Knowledge of the characteristics of various geographical areas is strategic, as demonstrated by the ASEAN area (Association of South East Asian Nations). Indeed, import duty between ASEAN and China were recently eliminated, creating an enormous population basin in one of the most interesting areas on the planet.
“It is not always easy for a European company to work in such remote locations. ACMA is a member of the Coesia Group, whose global presence allows us to engage in international markets by staying close to our customers wherever they are. Knowledge of a market is strategic and critical: sharing information and strategies within our group is critical,” says Daniele Ponzinibbi. “In all cases, our approach is oriented on the customer; he is our focus and the focal point of our work. With our innovative manufacturing systems, we are close to the evolution of the products they require. Our customers are partners with whom we research the market as drivers of innovation, and with whom we research the best solutions to assist them in anticipating market demands.”
The Material Gate: technology at the service of sustainability and packaging materials
Companies must find the best packaging solutions for their products in order to compete on the shelves and meet the new sustainability demands. ACMA developed the Material Gate within the Sustainability Lab, a patented system that allows you to test wrapping materials with various twists without the need for a full machine and verify their performance before going into production with sustainability and packaging materials.
“It gives you a double advantage: it gives you the best indications for making new sustainable wrappers machinable, assisting material producers who want to offer green wrapping on the market, and it helps customers modify and calibrate their machines in the best way, ensuring that the quality of the wrapping during production with the selected innovative materials remains fantastic. Furthermore, testing activities can eliminate any future issues that may arise during daily production. ACMA is a packaging industry pioneer that puts a high value on issues of sustainability and innovation. Today’s consumer is extremely careful, demanding, and increasingly prefers more environmentally friendly products. Furthermore, he desires product quality and a consumer experience that is equivalent to, if not better than, the previous one. Furthermore, regardless of the materials used, pleasant packaging is essential,” continues Daniele Ponzinibbi.
Ecoshell, an original solution for sustainability is green packaging ready for use
The Ecoshell green packaging project is one of ACMA’s award-winning innovations. “A solution that enables the creation of shapes that are currently impossible to achieve with sustainable packaging, which is typically made of paper. In addition to the functional and technical aspects, the Ecoshell packaging is particularly appealing, a testament to our ability to design a technical, efficient, and pleasant solution for our customers’ products,” says ACMA’s CEO.
The key to everything is the search for the best possible solutions achievable for the customer: “The skills developed over a century of history help us in the advantages we can give to our customers; in addition, the exchange of information and contamination with the Coesia Group are essential to find the best solutions for our customers “continues Daniele Ponzinibbi.
What are the best packaging materials?
Material with a lower environmental impact is always preferred. Today, it is common to work with sustainable materials that are even 95 percent compostable, with few declaring 100 percent. The key point is that, in addition to having a low environmental impact, the same material must also have certain characteristics that are compatible with the technical requirements of the plants. Among the materials with sustainability characteristics, it is necessary to select those with the capabilities to be used in a sustainability and packaging materials process.
Packaging requires rapid processing, excellent product wrapping quality, minimal maintenance, and few production interruptions. “The significant variables are numerous, and each element must be carefully checked for each individual application,” continues Daniele Ponzinibbi, who concludes: “the strength of ACMA is the ability to integrate all of the elements in the same project: from the material to the technology to create the desired consumer experience with a solution created by an efficient, high-performance production line to be successful together with our customers.”
