SINGLE SERVE
IMA
Ahead of the curve IMA COFFEE UNVEILS ITS FIRST PILOT LAB AND NEW MODULAR COFFEE PACKAGING SOLUTIONS THAT REFLECT THE BRAND’S ETHOS TO CONSTANTLY STAY ONE STEP AHEAD.
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nventing cutting-edge technology is a difficult task. It cannot rely solely on current market trends, but must look to where the market is forecast to grow in order to guide the evolution and development of technology, says Nicola Panzani, CEO of Ima Coffee Petroncini and Sales Director of Ima Coffee. Within the Ima Coffee Hub, including Ima Coffee Packaging and Ima Coffee Petroncini, machines are designed and manufactured for coffee processing and packaging. In this sector, Panzani says it is particularly important to constantly evolve, which the brand does thanks to its top engineers, organisational know-how, and strong market overview. “At Ima Coffee, we initially started with the manufacturing of packaging solutions for single serve paper coffee pods, using a technology similar to our tea bagging machines,” says Panzani. “Overtime, we started to learn more about the market and through a series of acquisitions and internal developments, we have expanded our machine portfolio into single-serve packaging for capsules, dosing and sealing machines of different speeds along with roasting, processing, and end-of-line machineries, contributing to the creation of what is now IMA Coffee.” The company is set to release its newest batch of innovations in late 2021 which, at the forefront, includes its Pilot Lab. Described by Panzani as a “small-scale factory”, the space sees Ima Coffee’s newest technologies combined into a showroom for customers. From early engineering to the building process, the Pilot Lab has been in progress for over a year, with more than US$2.3 million invested into the facility. “It is the first facility of this type in the world because it is a complete small-scale factory where customers can see and test, according to their needs, a range of our technologies and portfolio from processing to packaging,” says Panzani. The new Pilot Lab includes green coffee intake and cleaning solutions, colour sorters, and green coffee storage systems, which demonstrate how coffee can be stored before roasting. The Lab also offers two technologies for roasting: traditional and modular. “In this way, the customer can test both the Nicola Panzani, CEO of IMA Coffee Petroncini and Sales Director of IMA Coffee. technologies in our portfolio and understand
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G C R | S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2021
IMA Coffee’s capsule cartoning machine.
which model is more appropriate for their needs,” says Panzani. Traditional roasting technology uses a drum roaster with an open cycle based on a timetemperature roasting curve or a temperature-totemperature curve to determine end-roast time. “This technology is the right choice for roasters who are looking to create gourmet coffee with a traditional roasting profile,” says Panzani. Modular roasting technology uses convection heating rather than conduction, with only one burner to save energy consumption. “This can save up to 30 per cent energy. The machine has a very precise roasting control which ensures the highest repeatability and precision over time,” says Panzani. “We also showcase a roasted bean storage system as well as all necessary technologies to complete the processing phase, such as grinding and degassing systems, as well as a vertical packer for both whole beans and ground coffee. We also have a capsule packaging machine so customers can [walk] away with their coffee packaged from the Pilot Lab.”
