ROVEMA
GOING FURTHER WITH SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING TECHNOLOGIES powered by Inside Sustainability
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ROVEMA
I
PROFILE
Rovema is the industry specialist in packaging machines and an international technology leader in the equipment business. With an agile approach to clients’ needs, the German company takes a holistic approach to the modern circular economy, taking into account the environment, the market, the product and the packaging, ensuring efficient and top-of-the-line designs that fully embrace innovation and new technologies. Article by Andy Probert. 2 Rovema
oday, the name Rovema continues to
T
for packaging in cartons or shelf-ready, and
resonate with a widely-held excellent
transport-optimised end-of-line packaging.
reputation throughout the packaging
With subsidiaries and agencies worldwide,
world, as much as it did in the 1960s when
the company, which generated around €127
it made spectacular advances with the
million in sales in 2020, is now present in
invention of the first vertical form fill and
more than 50 countries.
seal (VFFS) machine with rotating belts. Rovema is now a significant specialist in
Rovema offers a wide portfolio for the packing industry. These include dosing
packaging machines and an international
systems with volumetric, gravimetric and
technology leader in the equipment busi-
combined operating principles; vertical form
ness. Almost all leading branded goods
fill and seal machines with an intermittent
manufacturers in the food and non-food
and continuous mode of operation; block
sector pack with Rovema’s innovative
or brick pack machines (Form Fill Seal
technology.
machines with downstream systems for bag and bag closure designs); and car-
Holistic approach
toning machines (vertical and horizontal
At production sites in Fernwald and
end load). Finally, packaging machines and
Reiskirchen in Germany, Rovema manu-
packaging lines and systems that integrate
factures systems for the vertical primary
all devices or technologies into turnkey
packaging of food and non-food products,
systems, are also offered.
Rovema 3
WIPF AG Wipf AG has been developing and producing high-barrier packaging films and pouches for the food, pharmaceutical and non-food industries for more than 100 years. Thanks to Swiss engineering skills and a state-of-the-art production facility, Wipf also supplies disposable degassing valves for a wide range of applications under the WICOVALVE® brand. In the coffee valves market, Wipf AG is the quality leader and recognised by major coffee roasters worldwide. The product range also includes sustainable solutions such as monomaterial laminates, recyclable PE and PP valves, and certified bio compostable valves. editorial mention
4 Rovema
ROVEMA
I
PROFILE
ROVEMA BVC 260 vertical Form, Fill and Seal machine
Ingo Hamel, Rovema’s Head of Innovation and R&D, said the company’s systems suit the complex demands of a modern circular economy. “We think holistically, taking into account
“Custom-fit and individual, they enable us to secure competitive advantages. “With our global network, we are on-site for clients and offer decades’ of support throughout a system’s entire machine life.
the environment, the market, the product
We offer various retrofits and modifica-
and the packaging. We offer a sustainable
tions for existing machines that allow an
solution that fits the characteristics of the
adaptation to new demands, for example,
product to be packed, and its demands in
for paper materials.”
logistics, packaging material, shelf life, and energy efficiency.” Rovema actively searches for possibilities
Machine packaging in its DNA Indeed, Rovema does not shy away from
to save packaging materials and have
developing pioneering technologies built to
prepared machines to process very thin
last. 30 years after the first VFFS machine,
packaging materials.
the company introduced the first Stabilo-
“With profound application expertise, innovative approaches and new technologies, we find the optimum packaging solutions for our clients,” added Mr Hamel.
6 Rovema
Seal pouches patents forming on the filling tube, and later at the reel carrier. A great advantage in output rate for the coffee industry and ideal for processing
The
steps of seam quality testing
mono-materials, the Stabilo seal module for the reel carrier also allows the reduction of the machine height and a gentler packaging of products. Product drop height and auger length can also be optimised. In 1999, Rovema developed Sense and Seal technology, the most accurate product detection during the sealing process and then successfully introduced the BVC series. This BVC machine was honoured to win the German Packaging Award 2014. Equipped with Premiumseal technology, it sets the sealing force at the HMI and delivers additional flexibility to alter the sealing pressure along the sealing process according to the settings the material requires. In 2022, Rovema will launch the new valve applicator for button valves. Over the last five years, the 700-strong company became part of the Haniel Group, developed a new 3,300 sqm production hall at Fernwald, invested in expanding its production capacities and introduced a complete ERP system and a modern CRM. It has also acquired DL Packaging to strengthen second life and retrofit business; bought Hassia India as a reliable service and assembly location; expanded the Life Cycle Service concept for Africa and Asia; and acquired in 2021 Inno-tech GmbH to expand its competencies for the frozen food and fresh produce sectors.
A cup of quality Mr Hamel said Rovema had provided more than 500 coffee packaging machines to the sector, underlining its competencies and experience in the industry.
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ROVEMA
I
PROFILE
“We know how to pack coffee, and that
coffee packaging. New materials need
has been one of many key strengths. The
longer weld times, so the applicator has
replacement of the traditional vacuum pack
been re-designed so they now allow
with the sealed pack in the 1990s gave
packing at a faster speed while having a
Rovema a lot of application know-how in
longer sealing window to meet packaging
the coffee industry for which we have
material demands.
been present for at least 40 years. “What we have done in the last couple of
“We focus on the sealing technologies, as well as the folding process of the side
years is to look at the sustainability factor.
tools. It has always been one of our
We have spoken and worked with film pro-
strengths and helps to provide total con-
ducers who offer paper packaging with a
trol of the sealing process – not only for
barrier inside, which is entirely sustainable
paper but for mono-materials as they
and biodegradable.”
need the longest weld time possible.”
Mr Hamel confirmed Rovema is not only
He said: “We have worked on the serra-
focusing on the paper materials but other
tion of our sealing tools and the design of
materials too.
the jaws to enable an even temperature
“When we started with our testing of
distribution. We go further, as we have
alternative packaging materials, we soon
sought to integrate third-party compo-
found out that we need an improved valve
nents for the sealing tools to benchmark
applicator to meet speed demands in
our sealing tools.”
8 Rovema
According to Mr Hamel, the staff at Rovema discovered the importance of
material. Additional light protection through metallisation is available as an option.
having very stable temperature controls
Mr Hamel said: “We build our own dosing
and long-weld times for mono-materials
systems and are able to dose, for example,
and paper.
ground coffee and coffee beans. One of the
“These findings are spoken about
points why consumers buy our machines
transparently between us, the film pro-
is because we have a brickpack machine,
ducer and the client, to ensure we give
the SBS. We are the leader in SBS brick pack
the best-in-class machine. We are com-
machines in the market, offering more than
pletely flexible in our approach and adapt
30 different top shapes, from a gable top
our development, particularly in coffee,
to a brick pack.
to the consumers’ requirements.” Until now, coffee beans have been
“What certainly gave us an advantage in the coffee industry is that we offered
packed in classic PET/aluminium com-
the first SBS brickpack machine which
posite packaging materials due to their
had a fully automatic 3D changeover
high barrier requirements. But Rovema’s
in width, length and height of the pack
tested polypropylene packaging material
on the system’s conveyor section.
offers excellent aroma protection com-
Versatility and flexibility enable our
bined with a fat, oil and oxygen barrier and
machines to adapt to industry trends
can be fully recycled as a mono packaging
and consumers’ demands.”
Rovema 9
ROVEMA
I
PROFILE
The new Rovema button valve applicator allows higher output rates and a calmer film run for longer bag shapes. It is also prepared for more flexible sealing times when applying button valves to new alternative packaging materials
Sustainable focus
tages and growth opportunities for us
Mr Hamel said the company’s efficient,
today,” he added.
innovative and sustainable packaging
“It is a particular concern of ours to not
solutions have contributed to the global
only underline the importance we attach
supply of safe, hygienically packaged
to sustainability at a product level but in
food for decades.
our cultural interaction and to constantly
By joining the United Nations Global Compact in 2020, Rovema officially committed to integrating ten principles from
drive forward the diverse opportunities for change with clear targets.” Annual progress reports describe
human rights, labour standards, environ-
Rovema’s approaches and measures to
mental protection, to anti-corruption in its
continuously improve the integration of
corporate strategy and reporting annu-
the Global Compact and its principles into
ally on its progress.
its business strategy, corporate culture,
“Sustainability is an elementary part of Rovema’s corporate strategy, and that has already secured competitive advan-
10 Rovema
and daily operations. Mr Hamel the business was fully mobilising to meet the challenges of today
Rovema undertakes more than 130 packaging material tests annually at its in-house technical centre in close cooperation with customers and packaging material suppliers. “We seek alternative sustainable packaging materials in the application test,” Mr Hamel explained. “Finding the suitable packaging material for the product is rarely possible without the manufacturers of the packaging materials and their indepth expertise.” Rovema continues to test a variety of alternative packaging materials for coffee and other fatty products, with some positive alternatives. Four alternatives include coffee beans in polypropylene (PP) with EVOH oxygen barrier; ground coffee safely packed with particularly thin PP packaging material; coffee powder in PE Mono material; and coffee powder packed in polyolefin composite with sealing medium made of 85% renewable raw materials. Rovema said not all of the options currently offer flexibility in bag design, but issues of product protection seem to be solved even with the sustainable variants. At the IPACK-IMA 2022 trade fair held in and the future – notably new packaging
Milan in early May, ROVEMA presented a
materials and the higher demand for
fully recyclable coffee pack with button
sustainable packaging solutions.
valve that can also be conveniently
“We are more agile and have been
retrofitted to existing BVC machines. Both
preparing our machines for maximum
valve and the packing material itself are
flexibility and speed for decades. This
made of a polypropylene mono-material.
enables us to meet new expectations
Wipf's recyclable WICOVALVE® W109PP
quicker and more reliably.”
disposable degassing valve for
Rovema 11
ROVEMA
I
PROFILE
bean-to-cup coffee is ultrasonically applied
dedicated to paper packaging material
to Hatzopoulos all-PP (89my) packaging
testing. Here, tests are undertaken on the
film designed for recycling, based on the
latest developments based on specific
converter’s X-CYCLETM technology.
customer requests or in direct cooperation
On the challenges and opportunities of packaging demanding products in plastic
with packaging material manufacturers. “This way, we can support customers
and paper, Mr Hamel said: “The demand for
at an early stage in the decision-making
sustainable packaging solutions is growing
process for machine-compatible paper
continuously. Consumers today like to buy
packaging materials,” Mr Hamel con-
their products in paper packaging, which
tinued. “A pack is only as good as its
presents packaging machine manufacturers
seal, so we continuously develop them
with a number of challenges.
further, such as through unique geome-
“Rovema has been working on packaging solutions made of alternative packaging materials for years and is continuously developing and testing.” For the past three years, the company has been using a machine in its test centre
12 Rovema
tries, better heat distribution and heat transfer of the sealing tools. “The optimised motion control of the sealing and side gusseting tools as well as the sealing force control of our machines enable us to realise the longest
possible sealing times per cycle. We
Asserting its dedication to detail and
also consistently adapt our machine
clients with its range of turnkey solu-
software to the special requirements
tions, systems, testing facilities, and
of new packaging materials.”
offering a local presence, Mr Hamel
Rovema boast a large selection of sealing
commented Rovema would continue to
tools at its technical centre for this type of
push forward and break new ground in
application test. As part of these tests, staff
the packaging field.
also coordinate with packaging material
He concluded: “While modern corporate
manufacturers to make the respective
values and an open and fair company
packaging materials even more efficient
culture form the basis for our sustainable
to process on machines.
successes and healthy economic growth,
The company also has a global service
Rovema is also determined to position itself
presence and even buys back machines
as a leading global partner of sustainable
to retrofit with new technology.
packaging solutions.”
n
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