Developed and optimized using direct customer feedback, the system was unveiled at the latest Ipack-Ima in Milan and will serve as a flagship solution at Interpack 2026 in Düsseldorf (Hall 11 – Stand 11G02), where its role in advancing eco-efficient packaging technologies will be highlighted.
by N. S.
Why is the Mini Tray packaging machine widely recognized as a green packaging solution that convinces both manufacturers and consumers?
The answer lies in three fundamental drivers:
- Material reduction: The system minimizes paper usage and supports recyclable or compostable materials, reducing CO₂ emissions and simplifying downstream recycling.
- Energy efficiency: Low-consumption components help decrease overall energy use, lowering operating costs while reducing environmental impact.
- Consumer-perceived quality: Its compact and clean design enhances product aesthetics, showing that sustainability can coexist seamlessly with functionality and strong shelf appeal.
The strong international response achieved at the Milan exhibition confirms that the Mini Tray meets the needs of markets increasingly focused on sustainability, high performance, and dependable after-sales service.
More sustainability by designing machines together with customers
To meet the growing demand for eco-friendly packaging, Gampack presented at Ipack Ima 2025 the new family of machines that produces packs with reduced use of material and plastic, immediately conveying the company’s commitment to sustainability.
“Although custom-designed, these solutions are based on standardized platforms developed in-house; this allows rapid and precise customization without having to redesign the entire system. The line exhibited in Milan packs over 100 pieces per minute in mini trays up to 150 mm in length and can accommodate two, three or four items per pack. Originally created for carton brick juice packaging, the technology adapts with the same efficiency to other beverages and related products, ensuring high production performance and reduced environmental impact,” begins Giovanni Anzani, Sales Director of Gampack. “The design of a machine, especially for mini-tray packaging, always starts from the technical specifications provided by the customer. The first step is the analysis of the product to be packed and how it must be presented on the shelf; only in this way can we shape the solution to the customer’s real needs.
Once the initial data are received, our team works for the producer by defining the details: dimensions, production rate, packaging materials. The choice of paper and its machinability influence production performance as well as the brand’s marketing strategies.”
This close collaboration makes it possible to create a tailor-made machine capable of ensuring line efficiency and a final packaging that meets the expectations of both consumers and retailers.
EU packaging: increasingly uniform formats, increasingly decisive customization
What trends in food packaging standardization are emerging in Europe today, and how can customization be maintained?
Both at the latest edition of Ipack Ima and at Gulfood Manufacturing in Dubai, in which Gampack took part, the two trade fairs confirmed themselves as privileged observatories: analyses of major brands revealed a progressive alignment of formats and types of packaging within their respective market areas, with multinationals generally using the same packs to reduce packaging complexity.
While respecting consumer preferences regarding materials and sustainability, this homogenization generates macro-areas with converging needs. It is in this context that Gampack stands out, thanks to a high level of customization based on standardized platforms: the optimal combination for reconciling common requirements with brand uniqueness. The new machine presented at the Milan trade fair, entirely new and highly innovative, demonstrates this, combining technological advantages with the company’s longstanding pillars: customer proximity, production flexibility, and an after-sales service that ensures continuity and high performance.
Reducing the footprint of plants: a key strategy for sustainability and productivity
It is possible to reconcile sustainability and productivity in the design of packaging lines. Reducing the footprint of plants is not only a logistical choice: it represents a strategic pillar for limiting energy consumption, land use, and packaging material.
“In our feasibility studies we constantly analyze every variable to reduce environmental impact; a compact layout allows producers to increase output even without structural expansions. Lack of space is among the most common critical issues: for this reason, we develop high-density solutions that, with the same footprint, offer higher output. A recent case highlights this potential: a line consisting of more than fourteen machines achieved an efficiency of 99%, whereas similar plants stop at 80–85%. On volumes of 350–400 pieces per minute, a 15% delta amounts to millions of additional units per year, do the math. Such results are possible only thanks to continuous customer listening and meticulous fine-tuning in every phase, from concept to testing, thus ensuring operational sustainability and competitive advantage.” continues Giovanni Anzani. “Gampack was founded as a specialist in secondary packaging and end-of-line solutions, but today it is able to supply complete high-performance lines: from primary-packaging handling to secondary-packaging forming, up to tertiary packaging and palletizing.”
The process always starts from a concrete customer need, bridging the space between the end of the production process and pallet formation, and translates into a plant engineering service that frees companies from the need to involve external consultants or internal technical teams that are often reduced to a minimum. Thanks to a wide range of modules, we can configure the line that best suits each production context, optimizing layout, speed and automation. A decisive competitive advantage is the software development: a single control system for all machines ensures rapid installation, simplified management and maximum operational efficiency even after start-up.”
User experience in packaging: why a user-friendly HMI is worth more than a thousand functions
How can the management of packaging lines composed of heterogeneous machines be simplified, reducing training times and ensuring production continuity? Gampack’s answer is a unified human–machine interface, designed to be user-friendly. This graphic and functional consistency allows seasonal operators or those with basic skills to start, adjust and monitor the entire line without having to rely on highly qualified specialists for each individual operation. The user-friendly approach, combined with the complex underlying control logic, speeds up staff onboarding, reduces set-up errors and ensures consistent efficiency levels (OEE) throughout the entire production cycle, transforming the intrinsic complexity of packaging into an immediate and reliable operating experience.
Green single-serve: less material and energy-saving intelligent systems
Reducing waste depends on saving material and energy. “The Mini Tray was created with this objective. Behind an apparently simple idea lies extensive engineering work that enables a significant reduction in cardboard consumption and, above all, in plastic, thanks to the use of sustainable supports. One of the most evident advantages is the single-serve format: when a single brick is detached, the Mini Tray blanks remains attached to the package. In this way, it does not disperse into the environment but follows the product through the paper collection stream, like plastic caps that are now fixed to bottles. Every detail of the system has been designed to reduce the overall impact and support simple and correct recycling, demonstrating that even small adjustments can produce significant results in terms of sustainability,” Anzani continues. “Energy consumption reduction is also a pillar of our design philosophy. The first step is the use of energy-saving motors, selected to ensure maximum output with minimum expenditure. To this, we add accurate software management: algorithms monitor the status of the line in real time and place the motors or functional groups that are not needed at that specific moment into stand-by. Every “energy-intensive” component is therefore activated only when necessary; in the absence of product or during operational pauses, it remains in stand-by, avoiding waste. The combined effect of these micro-optimization results in a significant reduction of overall consumption, without sacrificing production speed or reliability.”
Brand building and market comparison: the importance of trade fairs for innovation
“Trade fairs remain a fundamental tool in our market, even if the return is not immediately quantifiable in orders: they help build the brand, gain recognition through original stands and distinctive technologies, and cultivate relationships with customers who would otherwise be difficult to reach, especially those coming from distant markets. Beyond the visual aspect, the events provide a direct comparison with competitors: exchanges of ideas that fuel continuous innovation,” continues Giovanni Anzani. “The Mini Tray is a perfect example: a simple and functional solution that is immediately perceived by the market because it meets sustainability requirements without unnecessary complications. After the excellent response at Ipack Ima and Gulfood Manufacturing in 2025, the next main event on the calendar will be Interpack Düsseldorf (May 2026), the “World Cup” of packaging, for which we are preparing top-tier technology and visual appeal to present our very best. Presenting oneself with a recognizable stand, targeted solutions and well-designed machines makes it possible to generate interest, gather real-time feedback and identify emerging trends,” concludes Anzani. “It is a process of continuous improvement that involves customers, partners and even competitors, pushing the entire sector to take a step forward.”
