by N. S.
Flexible packaging and single-dose sachets for food, pharma and personal care
Universal Pack designs flexible packaging in single-dose sachets starting from a common platform from which solutions are derived for different application sectors. The Italian company was born in the food sector, which today represents about 50% of its projects; 40% of its solutions are dedicated to the pharmaceutical industry and 10% to personal care and chemicals. The shares are indicative and can vary from year to year, but they capture a rather interesting and balanced portfolio.
“Our technological offering is highly specialized for each sector, starting from a technological base that is then developed with the specific variants dedicated to each application area. In food, product variety with very different characteristics prevails. In pharma, extreme precision, quality, validation and documentation. These experiences feed continuous improvement and, when useful, are shared across different application sectors,” begins Marco Nardini. “The secret of Universal Pack, in fact, is based on the ability to cross-fertilize competencies between different fields. On one hand, the experimentation carried out with the large volumes of the food industry accelerates innovation toward maximum production efficiency; on the other, the discipline of the pharmaceutical industry significantly raises the standards of design, traceability and control. In this way, Universal Pack supports customers with flexible and compliant single-dose solutions, optimizing performance, reliability and a return on investment.”
Cross-functional expertise while serving global markets
Universal Pack acts as a bridge between different worlds. The expertise gained in one sector is adapted for the next, respecting the processes, materials, and rules specific to that context. “The transition from food to pharmaceuticals and to personal care requires greater attention: regulations, validations, and documentation change as well, depending on the destination geographic area. Thanks to international experience, Universal Pack designs the machines taking local specifications into account. The result is easy to understand compliance, fast start-ups, and production continuity for the customer,” explains Nardini. “Born in Italy, the company exports to multiple continents with an extensive portfolio of flexible packaging solutions. Europe remains the main installed base also for historical reasons, but sales are also distributed in Asia, Africa, and the Americas. This diversification reduces risks and makes operations more stable over time”.
Tailor-made design: Universal Pack’s customized machines for single-dose packaging
The design of the machines takes shape from the technical–commercial listening of the customer’s needs. “The first phase is led by a sales figure with technical skills, who gathers the product requirements and the project objectives. Based on this information, the solution is defined by combining experiences and configurations already implemented, to build a machine that is 100% optimized for that specific product and for increasingly differentiated batches. Universal Pack’s extensive experience reduces the need for prototypes. After more than sixty years, however, we continue to develop brand-new machines or innovative sections derived from our Research and Development (R&D), keeping high flexibility and the ability to respond to non-standard projects,” continues Marco Nardini.
Machines for single-dose sachets for food and pharmaceuticals
In the food sector the priority is performance: speed, high cycles per minute, real efficiency and production continuity. Robustness and sustainable maintenance matter to reduce costs and stoppages: reducing line downtime means more conforming pieces out.
In pharmaceuticals there is the added demand for greater precision: accurate dosing, sachets compliant with specifications and seal integrity. Alongside this comes the documentation for the validation of the machine’s production process. The goal is to ensure that every sachet meets the requirements and enters the qualification pathway.
Universal Pack designs machines and lines for both markets: high performance and reliability in food; precision, control and validation dossiers in pharmaceuticals.
Simulation of production lines in flexible packaging to optimize performance
“Design starts from direct discussion with the customer to define needs and objectives. Once the most suitable technical solution has been identified, the project is simulated in a virtual environment with the digital twin. The representation makes it possible to verify that the idea meets the requirements, both in terms of performance and functional characteristics. Simulation is therefore a decisive support for evaluating the project before its real operation. Effectiveness increases thanks to the high-performance devices on board the machine, which make the behavior in operation consistent with what was validated in simulation”.
PPWR and materials for flexible packaging: the Universal Pack approach
The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, the PPWR, requires more sustainable and processable material choices. Universal Pack has developed an integrated product–material approach, in which the film, the formulation of the product to be packaged, and the packaging machine are designed as a single system. Long-standing collaboration with multinationals in the sector has accelerated the study of new materials, moving from theory to machine trials.
“To support customers in adapting to the PPWR, we combine application design and experimental validation. In our approach, we start in the laboratory by performing material and powder analysis to verify the compatibility between film and product: some powders may require treatments or different film combinations to ensure flowability, sealability, and packaging integrity,” explains Marco Nardini. “This body of tests has made it possible to develop in advance technological solutions and process measures that allow correct processing of mono-material films and more recyclable structures, while maintaining performance and compliance. Universal Pack machines are configured to have real flexibility on materials: dedicated dosing and sealing set-ups, fine control of thermal profiles, parameterization of draw speeds, and management of friction. In this way, efficiency and pack quality are preserved, while meeting functional and regulatory requirements.”
What is the importance of the laboratory in designing flexible packaging?
“The laboratory makes it possible to validate in advance the pairing between product formulation and film, optimizing machinability and the cost–benefit ratio over the life cycle. We work with major companies in the food and pharmaceutical sectors to measure flowability, doseability, sealability, packaging integrity, and process stability, to transfer to the line repeatable and compliant results. Thanks to a scientific approach and continuous investments we can anticipate material trends. In fact, many films considered new on the market have already been tested by us at the prototype stage together with manufacturers: when the customer requests them, studies already exist on their use in packaging. This reduces start-up times and waste,” explains Nardini, who continues: “Co-design in the laboratory makes it possible to choose the most suitable materials, considering performance, regulatory compliance (also with a view to the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation – PPWR), environmental impact, and economic sustainability. The service continues before, during, and after installation: we support set-up, validation, and optimization to ensure production continuity, packaging quality, and a reduction in total cost of ownership.”
How important is AI in flexible packaging today, and how important will it be tomorrow?
“Universal Pack has been investing for years in Research and Development to integrate the most advanced technologies so that they can support people and processes efficiently and safely. AI does not replace operators but acts as operational and decision-making support, inside and outside the machine. The goal is to develop systems that help the operator analyze information and documentation, leveraging Universal Pack’s experience for the customer. In this way, a structured knowledge base is built, with videos, photos, files, recordings, consultable in a guided way to diagnose recurring problems, identify causes, and apply the most suitable solutions quickly. The expected result is easier machine use, shorter downtimes, and smoother start-up today and in view of AI’s growing pervasiveness in the coming years.”
Sixty years of knowledge and history in flexible packaging at the customer’s service
“In our work, the ability to ‘talk’ quickly with the machine is central to being able to prevent problems arising in production and, if necessary, to solve them immediately. For this reason, Universal Pack uses artificial intelligence to filter and make accessible an incredible heritage of technical knowledge: a database built over sixty years, born on paper and today completely digital,” continues Marco Nardini. “AI speeds access to the right information and supports maintenance by checking data and suggesting effective actions. It’s a conclusion consistent with Universal Pack’s identity: putting experience and technology at the operator’s service, to simplify work, improve efficiency, and guarantee production continuity.”
