The IMA Coffee Hub reaches every corner of the coffee handling, processing and packaging universe. IMA can address any issue facing coffee producers, starting from when green coffee is delivered to when bulk-packaged capsules, pods and ground coffee or beans are shipped to retail outlets. (video: IMA)
Coffee packaging is part of IMA Coffee Hub together with the processing. Able to ensure market-leading competences, industry experience and application-specific know-how encompassing all stages of coffee handling, processing and packaging, IMA has created the hub in an aim to leverage expertise at every step of coffee processing or packaging and be the one-stop answer to large and small coffee producers worldwide.
IMA Coffee Hub, the cluster of specialist brands with experience and expertise from A to Z
Packaging is the group’s key expertise since IMA was founded nearly 60 years ago and knowledge of the coffee industry dates back a couple of decades and spreads well across the globe.
World-leading designer and manufacturer of automatic processing and packaging equipment for numerous industries, IMA Group has recently established the Coffee Hub, a cluster of specialist brands, each providing a key slice of the experience and expertise needed to serve the coffee industry from A to Z.
Coffee capsules and soluble products with IMA COFFEE Spreafico
Spreafico Automation is part of IMA Coffee Hub, headquartered in Calolziocorte, Lecco in North Italy, offers a selection of solutions with different speeds and features in order to be suitable to respond to any production need. With a well-established reputation for the reliability and strength of its machines, the company takes advantage of the mechanical skills available in the region in which it is based. Spreafico is highly specialised in designing machines for the packaging of coffee capsules and soluble products.
Filling and sealing capsule machines by IMA COFFEE Spreafico: from 120 to 600 per minute
Spreafico designs and manufactures last generation linear machines, from 2 up to 10 production lines.
Capsules can be closed at the top with aluminum film, micro perforated, filter paper, triplex coupled, PP lid.
Possibility of inserting filters and diaphragm into the capsule and on its bottom. According to the machine configuration, speed can vary from 120 to 600 capsules per minute.
Together with capsule-filling equipment, Spreafico is renowned for building special machinery to customise standard capsules according to specific requirements and is the undisputed leader in this field thanks to consolidated mechanical expertise and unmatched technical competences.
Capsule producer with thermoplastic, compostable or biodegradable materials
Working close to capsule producers, Spreafico has implemented a wide range of technology to assemble all capsules according to customer and market needs. The Spreafico capsule preparation machines can be fitted to work with all kinds of capsules, self-sealing or non self-sealing, with different thermoplastic, compostable or biodegradable materials.
The company’s flexibility allows it to manufacture units for the insertion of plastic filters or for the cutting and sealing of paper or aluminum filters, alternatively on the bottom or on the outside of the capsule.
Filling and packaging Nespresso compatible aluminium capsules
Spreafico, has unveiled at Host 2019 the brand new machine for the filling and packaging of Nespresso compatible aluminum capsules. Being one of the most common capsule styles on the market, it guarantees both a top quality final product as well as its recyclability, as the capsule is completely free from plastic laminates.
Based on the afore mentioned features, that have made its success, the aluminum capsule requires dedicated packaging machines, guaranteeing a particularly gentle process, starting from the feeding phase up to filling and sealing.
Spreafico Automation boasts a unique know-how in this specific segment being also supported by the experience gained in IMA Coffee GIMA where applications for compatible aluminum capsules have been developed on high-speed machines. These machines are perfectly tailored to the market needs – medium-high production speed encompassing at the same time all the Spreafico’s well known technological features guaranteeing great reliability and top quality product with extended shelf life thanks to less than a 1% residual oxygen within the capsule.
The first Spreafico modular machine will be presented soon. Encompassing a host of clever upgrades and innovative solutions providing the highest efficiency and guaranteeing the best product quality, the machine will be presented with the Nespresso compatible aluminum capsules version. The line will be completed with a dedicated cartoner.
Production planning and turnkey solutions for dosing, filling, sealing and cartoning
Since the time IMA decided to enter in the coffee market, it has consistently been able to impress its customers with extremely innovative technical solutions, utmost flexibility and reliability. Its custom tailored solutions make IMA COFFEE GIMA, part of the Coffee Hub, the ideal strategic partner for industry leaders who constantly strive to meet new market trends.
Now IMA COFFEE GIMA occupies a leading position in the global coffee market and it covers all aspects of the packaging process, from consultancy and design to production planning and turnkey solutions: it provides equipment for dosing, filling, sealing and cartoning.
Catering for all requirements in the coffee sector, and with decades of specific experience, IMA COFFEE GIMA plays a role as primary technological partner and business advisor in all areas of coffee packaging. Alongside the world’s most comprehensive range of coffee packaging equipment, specially conceived tailored solutions are developed to respond to the market’s fast evolving needs. Thanks to such experience, IMA COFFEE GIMA is able to provide state-of-the-art solutions perfectly tailored around product and process specifications.
Different production capacity for pods packaging machine, from 130 up to 800 pods per minute
Both soft and hard coffee pods are processed at different speeds in equipment designed to ensure precision, but also significant flexibility enabling customers to respond rapidly to diverse market requirements.
In order to provide the utmost in terms of longer shelf-life, packaging can be conducted in a modified and conditioned atmosphere, and pods can be stacked individually protected in heat-sealed envelopes and packed into heat-sealed vertical pouches or cartons.
IMA Coffee GIMA offers a wide range of solutions with different production capacities. The CA6 runs at 130 compressed pods per minute, the CA3, both for soft and hard pods, produces 250 pods per minute while CA1, which represents the most innovative solution, offers the highest levels of efficiency by packaging up to 800 pods per minute.
IMA COFFEE GIMA: primary packaging for capsules filling and sealing machine
IMA Coffee GIMA machines can package every kind of capsule present on the market both in protected atmosphere and non.
Primary packaging of the capsule ensures maximum hygiene and prevents the aggression of external agents, such as moisture, heat and air. In the single-serve capsules filling, IMA boasts a wide and complete range, able to satisfy all customer needs, from low and medium speed production (from 70 to 220 capsules per minute) to high-speed ones, up to 600 capsules per minute.
The secondary packaging from IMA COFFEE GIMA for cartoning machine
Secondary packaging ensures product protection and product integrity when it leaves the production site to reach the final consumers.
Different secondary packaging methods are usually utilized according to the original capsule nature. IMA Coffee GIMA offers a wide range of cartoning solutions from oriented to bulk configurations, designed to ensure the maximum flexibility and higher productivity:
- the FTB577-C for oriented capsules packs up to 80 cartons per minute while its scaled version;
- the FTB608-C reaches 40 cartons per minute;
- the FTC570 for bulk capsules and FTB584-C for oriented capsules are suitable for lower production volumes.
IMA, supplier of the main players and leader on the market, has a strong and constant interest in the development of innovative solutions as well as in the upgrade of existing technologies aimed to improve its products’ performances.
Among the latest solutions, part of IMA development plan, IMA offers its cartoning unit, FTB608-C, equipped with a latest generation Delta Robot.
The versatility and flexibility of the new pick & place system allows higher speed of capsules insertion into the cartons while maintaining high performances and allowing different configurations of the capsule layers. Among the most requested configurations, the “flower”one, single- or multi-layer, ensures a better space optimization and greater stability of the capsules inside the carton itself.
IMA COFFEE TECMAR and IMA COFFEE MAPSTER: synergies for flexible packaging
Founded in 1994 and based in Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Tecmar S.A. is a company dedicated to the design and manufacture of vertical packaging machines for coffee beans and ground coffe as well as cartoning systems.
It maintained a clear commitment to technological development and innovation, marking a clear regional leadership and gradually increasing the presence at international markets. The vertical form-fill seal expert company has a full array of machines handling dosed filling of flexible, sealed packages in all shapes and sizes. Part of IMA Group since last April 2019, Tecmar contributes to integrate IMA Coffee Hub offer with solutions that offer excellent ermetic filling systems, special valve systems for freshness and reclosable solutions for consumer convenience.
The range of machines produced by Tecmar for the coffee sector therefore includes vertical packaging machines for coffee beans or ground coffee in three side seal bags from 50 cc. to 5,000 cc. at a production speed that varies from 60 up to 150 packs per minute.
Tecmar also offers vertical multiline packaging machines to produce stick style pouches suitable for liquids, powder and granulated products at a production speed of 70 sticks per minute.
The integration process of Tecmar into IMA Coffee Hub has also led to the development of synergies, and in particular with the production range of IMA Coffee Mapster brand, with the precise aim to guarantee a global coverage and bridge the gap between Argentina and the old country for example.
In fact, in times when production efficiency and constant quality are fundamental to the business, IMA Coffee Tecmar and IMA Coffee Mapster brands open up new horizons to marketing as well as the supply of a skilled technical assistance service.
In South America, IMA Coffee Tecmar, thanks to the collaboration with IMA Coffee Mapster, is now also able to manufacture packaging machines for single serve capsules for coffee and soluble products as well as offer a skilled technical assistance service.
In Europe, the well consolidate sales network of IMA Coffee, based in Italy – is now ready to market Tecmar’s flexible packaging machines and to offer a prompt technical assistance as well as the supply of spare parts guaranteeing more suitable timing and conditions.