SNACKS & CONFECTIONERY
Control boosted by flexible connected machines in state-of-the-art chocolate operations Complete control from field, through the factory and out to the consumer proves how important data can be, every step of the way.
O
ne of the most powerful things any
“The new plant, which started production in
company can possess is knowledge.
December 2010, was designed with global
However, not just any knowledge.
certifications in mind. For the new plant,
We’re talking about in-depth, under the skin,
the decision was made to invest in the best
very-beginning-to-very-end knowledge. A
possible machinery and equipment industry
lot of this is the result of years of experience.
could provide. We wanted to make sure
However, in this day and age, Industry
that everything was under control, fully
4.0 is delivering so much new operational
traceable and managed by a comprehensive
knowledge that it is also creating whole new
supervision system, which would rely heavily
ways of doing things.
on operational data. Indeed, it was the early
One company that is blessed with
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data collection that set the foundation for
With the Agostoni family at the helm of
us earning one of Northern Italy’s very first
the business since it was founded in 1946,
Industry 4.0 certifications. We chose the
the company is a worldwide ambassador
best technology on the market!” says Ercole.
for outstanding Italian quality in the art
from the Cama Group. Cama was always
fruit of a long-standing family tradition that
going to be involved in our new project,” he
has invested in the idea of monitoring the
continues, “Thanks to the equipment and
chocolate production chain every step of
support we’ve had in the past, including
the way.
the installation of our first Cama machine in 1995, which is still going strong thanks
ICAM to offer an indisputable guarantee of
to new updates with more advanced
quality – with an emphasis on transparent
technologies. For secondary packaging,
production processes and complete
we need maximum flexibility,” explains
traceability of the finished product – as the
Ercole. “This is why Cama is so good for us.
best way to respond to the growing food
Our production lines often work 24/7, and
safety demands on the part of consumers.
each day, on each line, we can change the
Thanks to this thorough approach, the
product type up to six times. In addition to
company has succeeded in creating a
this flexibility, we also need traceability. We
continually updated platform of international
must have full connectivity, which Cama’s
certifications to help guarantee its total
machines provide.
quality model. According to Antonello Ercole, industrial
We currently have two projects running with Cama,” he elaborates, “one is packaging
director at ICAM, “Globally we have around
cocoa powder into a box and the other is
400 employees involved in the production of
for a US company that produces a special
chocolate and derivatives, such as powder,
bar called PaleoVegan. This is a complicated
butter, praline and creams. We produce
line, comprising nine recipes. The flow-
25 000 tonnes of products per year, more
packed chocolate bars need to be packaged
than 3 000 different bars, in more than 500
in pouches, then in cartons and in a wrap-
different recipes.
around case. Cama’s machines sit between
ICAM hired me to oversee the production
May 2022 | FOOD REVIEW
“Our secondary packaging solutions come
of chocolate-making. Its products are the
This beginning-to-end process allows
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stipulation for this interconnectivity and
beginning-to-end knowledge is ICAM.
us and the customer, so we have to trust that
capabilities in its new, larger and more
Cama will deliver what we want and what the
modern plant in Orsenigo,” explains Ercole.
customer needs.
