SMINOW 2013./10 - English Version

ƒ Snow Beer ƒ Volvic

ƒ Nirvana

ƒ Coca-Cola Canners

SNOW BEER

the beer

best-selling in the world

APS 3100 L & 1035

The growing range of Smipal palletizers

the benefits of the last technologies available to everyone

Smycloud

Smipass’ new free service

Magazine 2013/10

Upgrades

www.smigroup.it

T

Improving production line efficiency goes beyond the idea of maintenance

he role of producers of bottling and packaging technology is particularly important to companies of the “food & beverage” sector. In fact, the industrial “packaging” of the product contributes significantly to the success of sales in a sector strongly oriented to the final consumer. Success, intended in the broadest sense of the term, which can be reached only through an optimal combination of competitiveness, cost-performance, efficiency and eco-friendliness of the production process, as well as product and company logo customization and visibility. Creating systems and machinery that allow the achievement of this optimal “blend” is SMI’s main objective. In fact, since the beginning of its activity, over 25 years ago, the company I run has always put the customer’s success behind each new development project and technological innovation of the product range.

In the “installation” section of this sminow issue you will find a number of cases in which SMI products were chosen by the customer-user exactly because they are able to fully meet his/her requirements in the optimal combination between operating flexibility and cost reduction of production lines on the one hand and quotation customization and product marketing strategies on the other. SMI’s ongoing commitment to improve the technological content of its machines has allowed us to make available in recent years more and more advanced and efficient packaging solutions, which were unthinkable even only ten years ago. Hence the need to study, for all of SMI’s installed plants, a series of refresher programs on the latest and “virtuous” developments, which are mentioned in the “information” section of our magazine. In this section, we also talk about Smycloud, an innovative service for the on-line interactive viewing of the machine’s technical handbooks and spare parts manual. Now, SMI customers can have up-to-date documentation and generate their spare parts inquiries quickly and easily since they can “navigate” interactively in the manual of their interest and select the parts they want with a simple click.

Finally, in the “innovation” section, we ‘made room’ for the end of the line, with Smipal’s automatic palletizing systems, for which we have introduced important innovations in the APS series range: the APS 3100 L models with continuous inline pre-composition and the APS 1035 models with the gripper. I hope you all enjoy reading this issue and invite you to contact our sales office for any further information.

Paolo Nava, President & CEO SMI S.p.A.

sminow I magazine Created by: SMI S.p.A. - Marketing Dept.

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Available in: Italian, English, French, Spanish and Chinese.

Enter our web site www.smigroup.it and fill in the form in the section news / smi now magazine and you will get your copy by post as soon as possible.

Paper: Polyedra S.p.A.

Contributors to this issue: Snow Beer - Nirvana Volvic - Coca-Cola Canners

Print Agency: Goisis Services

Product pictures in this issue are shown for reference only.

In this issue

INSTALLATION 4.

China: Snow Beer

18. United States: Nirvana 28. France: Volvic 38

South Africa: Coca-Cola Canners

INNOVATION 56. The growing range of Smipal palletizers

57. Smipal APS 1035 series: palletizer with row pre-composition and gripper

60. Smipal APS 3100 L series: palletizer with continuous in-line layer pre-composition

56.

INFORMATION 62. Smipass: new on-line assistance

64. Upgrades: the benefits of the last technologies available to everyone

66. SmyCloud: some information about Smipass' new free service

62.

Magazine 2013 / 10

By 2013 the target of 2 billion hectoliters of beer will be exceeded - According to the latest “Global Beer Trends� report, by market research company Canadean, beer consumption is growing around the world with an average annual rate of +2.8% between 2009 and 2015. In 2011, 1.9 billion hectoliters of beer were consumed (a 2.8% rise on 2010) and it is estimated that this figure will surpass 2 billion hectoliters in 2013.

SNOW BEER

BEER SECTOR China Resources Snow Breweries (CRSB) WuHu, Anhui, China Group: SABMiller 2 wrap-around casepackers Smiflexi WP 800

VIDEO

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INSTALLATION / Snow Beer

GEO LOCATION

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or three years, the bestselling beer in the world has been the Chinese branded “Snow Beer” that even topped the American legendary “Bud Light” thanks to the exponential increase in the consumption of this beverage in China.

To cope with the high demand from consumers, the producer of “Snow Beer”, i.e. China Resources Snow Breweries or CRSB (joint-venture between SABMiller Group and China Resources Enterprise) has had to increase its production capacity tenfold in a very short time, by investing considerable capital in expanding existing facilities and opening new ones, also in view of having to export its products worldwide.

Thanks to these investments, the sales of the Chinese company in 2011 exceeded 100 million hectoliters.

CRSB's production expansion plans also include the recently installed Smiflexi WP 800 wrap-around casepacker in the Wuhu plant, used for the end of line packaging of the 40,000 bottles/hour system, which makes wrap-around cardboard boxes for the packaging of 0.58 and 0.5 liter glass bottles in 3x4 collation.

The same type of machine was chosen

by CRSB even for the “Snow Beer” bottling plant of Shangqui, where the new Smiflexi system will be installed by mid-2013.

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INSTALLATION / Snow Beer

Snow Beer sales in 2011 exceeded 100 million hectoliters

It's called it's Chinese and is the best selling beer in the world

S

ince 2010, the name of the best selling beer in the world has been probably still unknown to many: it's called “Snow”, is produced in China and, with the Chinese market's 10% increase of beer

consumption per year, will keep record sales volumes for many years to come.

Although less known than other brands on the local market when launched in 1994, “Snow” beer has grown exponentially over the years through

the purchase of production facilities of other companies and the opening of new ones throughout China. Suffice it to say that CRSB started its business with only three breweries, while the current production can count on more

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than 80 active breweries across the country; these plants produce both the “Snow Beer” brand and 30 other regional brands of beer. If you think that the volumes of “Snow” beer produced six years ago were only 1/10 of the current ones, the huge leap forward made by this producer seems even more incredible; today “Snow” beer is available throughout China and is the only national brand of beer in a market that is notoriously fragmented at regional level.

“Snow Beer” today is only a local “phenomenon” and, therefore, known and consumed only within the country where it is produced, with some important exceptions such as Hong Kong, where this beer is not yet available.

Some industry analyses already anticipate an even brighter future for this brand, which, according to CRSB development plans, could soon become one of the major players even in foreign markets.

High efficiency with Smiflexi wrap-around casepackers collisions between the cardboard blank and the containers during the box-forming stage, excellent stability of the pack during palletization, the packages' facilitated logistics management and their remarkable properties of customized graphics for the marketing of the product.

The Smiflexi WP 800 wrap-around casepacker installed by SMI in the China Resources Snow Breweries of WuHu is an automatic machine ideal for the packaging of many types of trays and corrugated cardboard boxes that come in many shapes, are innovative and can be customized to market the product.

Specifically, the packaging machine installed at the WuHu plant packs 0.58 and 0.5 liter “Snow Beer” glass bottles in 3x4 collation inside wrap-around boxes.

Thanks to the wrap-around packaging system, the WP 800 forms the pack in a continuous mode without making any machine stops; as such, the Smiflexi casepacker can reach the maximum speed of 80 packs/minute, all to the advantage of the efficiency of the entire production line.

Besides the fluidity of the packaging process and to the high efficiency of the WP series Smiflexi casepackers, they are characterized also for their wide flexibility of use, absence of

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INSTALLATION / Snow Beer

How “Snow Beer” was born China Resources Snow Breweries was founded in 1994, headquartered in Beijing, for the production, sale and marketing of beer on the Chinese market. Shareholders are China Resources Enterprise Limited, which owns 51% of shares, and SABMiller Asia Limited, subsidiary of the Anglo-South African SABMiller Plc, which owns the remaining 49%. The success of “Snow Beer” begins immediately after the formation of the joint venture when, during a competition among the various Chinese brands of beer, the then-unknown “Snow Beer” won the first prize, beating far better known products in the Asian market.

The credit for this success can be attributed mainly to this beer's rich head, as white as snow (hence the name) and also to its unmistakably delicate, fresh, light taste and the brand's strong personality.

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What's the secret of “Snow Beer”?

The answer is simple: it's all in its alcohol structure.

Assuming that most Chinese consume beer to accompany many of their meals, the “Snow” beer was created to meet the need for a fresh, pleasant and light beverage, characterized by low alcohol content (4% Vol.) and an “American” flavor: that's what made it an immediate hit with consumers.

A perfect mix, for a not-very-alcoholic beverage with an intense flavor, which works well with the Chinese palate.

The head of SABMiller Asia, partner of the joint venture that produces this beer, said: "Chinese still see beer mostly as an accompaniment to their meal.

In fact, half of all beer sold in China is drunk in restaurants to accompany spicy food”.

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INSTALLATION / Snow Beer

By 2013 the target of 2 billion hectoliters of beer will be exceeded.

SMI Machinery Beijing Co. Ltd. SMI is constantly committed to ensuring its Chinese customers fast and efficient local support, able to respond adequately to the specific demands of a rapidly evolving market.

SMI's decision to further strengthen its direct presence in China came from this commitment through which it has expanded by establishing a new company in the city of Beijing called SMI Machinery Beijing Co. Ltd. that now is also in charge of the two representative offices of Nanjing (Nanking) and Guangzhou (Canton), whose business and after-sales began more than 10 years ago.

Therefore, SMI's new operational structure in China consists in three multi-purpose centers operating in three of the country's major industrial centers, with the aim to continuously improve its technical and sales service offered both to its many existing customers, who already own more than 500 SMI packaging machines, and potential ones (even more numerous).

According to the latest “Global Beer Trends� report, by market research company Canadean, beer consumption is growing around the world with an average annual rate of +2.8% between 2009 and 2015. In 2011, 1.9 billion hectoliters of beer were consumed (a 2.8% rise on 2010) and it is estimated that this figure will surpass 2 billion hectoliters in 2013, although even this product has been affected by the economic crisis that began in 2008. However, the overall figure masks significant differences at macro-region level: The Asian and African markets should have a 5% average annual increase in consumption between 2009 and 2015, the Middle East market 5.5%, Latin America 3% and Eastern Europe only 1.5%. The worst area seems to be Western Europe, where the Canadean report expects a marginal drop. However, the Asian continent will get the lion's share in the coming years, for which a 38% of the total beer consumption is expected in 2015; the greatest growth should be recorded in the Chinese market, which is expected to soon absorb over 25% of beer produced worldwide.

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The SABMiller Group SABMiller Plc is one of the world's largest beer producers, with interests and distribution in 75 countries on six continents.

Six of the company's trademarks rank among the fifty best beer brands in the world.

The broad product portfolio includes over 200 global brands including Pilsner Urquell, Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Miller Genuine Draft and Grolsch as well as many leading brands in local markets such as Aguila, Castello, Miller Lite, Snow and Tyskie.

Furthermore, SABMiller is also one of the world's largest Coca-Cola bottlers.

The British company is listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and is part of the FTSE 100, which includes the top one hundred companies in the world by market capitalization.

In the year ended 31 March 2012, the SABMiller Group, which employs over 70,000 people, reported revenue of US$ 33.4 billion, with a sales volume

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INSTALLATION / Snow Beer

of 229.3 million hectoliters of beer.

Originally founded in South Africa in 1895 as Castle Breweries and then renamed South African Breweries (SAB), until 1990 the company's operations were limited to the area south of the African continent; in the following decades production and marketing expanded rapidly throughout the world, also thanks to the acquisition of local brands and bottling plants in Europe, Asia and America.

Among SAB's first investments in Europe there was, in 1990, the acquisition of a stake in "Compaùía Cervecera de Canarias SA" , operating in the Canary Islands; then, in 1999, the Anglo-South African company acquired the Miller Brewing Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, and changed its name to "SABMiller".

After the group's reorganization, the major acquisitions of the beer multinational were, in 2003, Bavaria

S.A., the second largest brewer in South America, and Harbin Brewery, the oldest brewery in China; in 2005, even the Italian Birra Peroni brand entered the SABMiller Group.

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The Chinese city of WuHu is located in the south-eastern part of the Anhui Province, on the south bank of the lower reaches of the Yangtze river; the Anhui Province has a long history and a profound culture, and due to these aspects it is considered one of the most important cradles of prehistoric civilization. The name Anhui comes from the contraction of the names of two cities: Anqing, political center, and Huizhou, shopping center; the latter, once known as Shexian, is famous in China for the production of “hui” ink sticks and “she” ink-slabs, considered the best in the country. The Anhui Province is rich in natural resources, beautiful scenery and strong Buddhist and Taoist traditions, and its difficult terrain, divided between the arid plains in the north and the rugged mountains in the south, make this a unique province, a simple place, where you can enjoy the rural China of the past. Not surprisingly, the whole of the Huangshan Mountains, and the ancient villages Xidi and Hongcun in the Yi County, have been recognized as world heritage by UNESCO.

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INSTALLATION / Snow Beer

The city of WuHu and the Anhui Province

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interwiew

THE WORD TO THE CUSTOMER Interview with Yu Jianguo, Managing Director of CRSB Anhui, and Zhou Jaxiang, General Manager of CRSB WuHu CRSB is the largest brewer in China.

What do you ask packaging machine suppliers in terms of operating flexibility? “As the largest company in the industry operating at regional level, China Resources Snow Brewery of Anhui Co. Ltd. has invested hundreds of millions of RMB in the purchase of equipment to be used for expanding and modernizing its production facilities.

This investment has helped to improve industrial processes by reducing costs, always in full compliance with the quality and safety standards laid down by SABMiller.

Thanks to these efforts of continuous improvement and development, now an integral part of our business for the past 10 years, CRSB won the leading position in the densely populated

From the left: Yu Jianguo, Managing Director of China Resources Snow Breweries Anhui Regional Headquarters Co. Ltd, with Joseph Chen, Sales Area Manager of SMI Machinery Beijing Co. Ltd.

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INSTALLATION / Snow Beer

Chinese provinces; leadership that should be considered in terms of market shares, product satisfaction and brand performance".

Which are the main objectives of the beer industry today? In a dynamic market like China, what are the main challenges?

“The continued growth in demand for beer in the domestic market has convinced CRSB to achieve also in 2012 significant investments in new production facilities.

In the factory of Wuhu, a city south of Anhui, we have further increased the production capacity with latest generation machinery commissioned at the beginning of 2013.

In Shangqiu, Henan Province, the most populous of China, we developed a brand new factory, which is expected to be commissioned by the end of the year, which will supply even the central regions of China with the “Snow” beer”.

What role does the partnership with SMI play in the success of your products?

“SMI earned the trust of CRSB by demonstrating its ability and expertise to effectively manage the production expansion projects we involved it in and which led to the purchase of two Smiflexi WP 800 wraparound casepackers for the WuHu and Shangqui plants for secondary packaging high speed operations.

Like all the major brewers in China, China Resources Snow Breweries (Anhui) also has high expectations from advanced technology bottling & packaging machines

and systems proposed by European suppliers, especially as concerns process flexibility and reliability.

The products of our suppliers must not only satisfy the needs of current and future outputs efficiently, but should be able to easily adapt to new, changing and often unpredictable market demands; to this you must add an excellent after-sales technical service, provided by local staff in a timely and efficient manner.

Yu Jianguo – Executive General Manager of CRSB – has great respect for the work performed by staff of the SMI branch in China and for its organizational system.

In fact, for our company it is of fundamental importance to be able to count on immediate technical assistance in case of emergency and a fast delivery service of spare parts”.

An old Chinese saying goes: “it is always better to wait and open your field of vision”.

Yu Jianghou, CRSB General Manager in Anhui, thinks that suppliers should have a long-term strategic vision to make them aware of the fundamental importance of the quality of service assured locally to its customers.

Also, packaging machine and equipment manufacturers should approach the customer-user in a flexible and pro-active manner, offering mutually beneficial solutions and harbingers of winning results”.

How important is it to CRSB that SMI be present in China with a local staff?

“During the recent visit to the Executive General Manager of the CRSB plant in Wuhu, the Nanjing Branch Office Manager of SMI Machinery (Beijing) Co., Joseph (Xiaofei) Chen, was able to see for himself how the “Snow Beer” brand has ragingly grown in recent years to gain the leadership of the Chinese beer market; a remarkable achievement, made possible by the willingness of our company to provide only high-quality products on a large scale and use technologically advanced machinery.

Future competition among beer producers will be comprehensive and will involve more and more important aspects such as capital, brand and technology.

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Nirvana WATER SECTOR Nirvana Inc. Forestport, NY, USA • • • •

36,000 BPH PET LINE Smiform SR 20 Stretch-blow moulder Smiflexi SK 450T Shrinkwrapper Smiline Conveyor belts Smipal APS 3070 automatic palletizer Smipal APS 3050P automatic palletizer

GEO LOCATION

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INSTALLATION / Nirvana

T

he water bottling industry in the United States has always been in the forefront in promoting the recycling of plastic containers to reduce the environmental impact of this business.

In fact, in recent years companies working in this sector have progressively reduced the weight of the plastic resin preforms used for the production of PET bottles.

Nirvana Natural Spring Water enthusiastically married this best practice, faithful even to the corporate motto that defines the spring as the “cradle of the purest spring water in North America�.

In order to implement more and more eco-friendly production plants, this American company has relied on SMI technology and the project was born from this collaboration for a new bottling line that entails the use of ultra-light 0.5 liter PET bottles.

The new system was added to those already provided by SMI in the early 2000s, when Nirvana had chosen the experience of the Italian manufacturer to purchase a number of secondary packaging machines and a rotary stretch-blow moulder for the production of large-capacity containers.

The new complete turnkey line recently installed by SMI in the Forestport factory includes a Smiform SR 20 stretch-blow moulder which can produce up to 36,000 bottles per hour, a Smiflexi SK 450T shrinkwrapper, Smiline conveyors for the handling of empty and packaged bottles and a Smipal APS 3070 automatic palletizing system.

Nirvana's investment in SMI technologies also includes a second Smipal APS 3050P automatic palletizer for the palletizing of packs arriving from a second bottling line.

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NIRVANA eCO-friendly spring that loves the environment

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he “source of pure water” of Nirvana Inc. is at the foot of the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York, in the town of Forestport (Oneida County).

Unlike what happens to other bottlers that use water transported from external sources, Nirvana water emerges naturally to the surface and is bottled at the source; therefore, no tankers are needed to transport the water from the spring to the production facility, with obvious benefit to the authenticity and purity of the product and environment protection.

Nirvana's natural water is “green”, i.e. environmentally friendly, as highlighted by the “naturally green” label applied to the product.

Surrounded by a 2,000-acre park of unspoiled beauty, Nirvana Inc. knows very well the importance of preserving the purity of the source and the surrounding area during the entire water bottling and packaging process.

Bottles marketed under the “naturally green” and “positively pure” brand are

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INSTALLATION / Nirvana

produced by the new Smiform stretchblow moulder with 20 cavities, that uses 11.5-gram PET preforms for the production of the 0.5 liter containers.

So, thanks to Smiform technology, Nirvana is able to obtain much lighter bottles compared to those commonly used for this collation, without

affecting the integrity and quality of the finished product.

Less plastic in each bottle means, of course, less consumption of material of petrochemical origin, less pollution during production, fewer empty containers to be disposed of and recycled by consumers; all to the direct and immediate benefit of the environment and public health.

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Adirondack Mountains the beauty of nature

T

he Adirondack Mountains are a crystal clear massif that crosses New York State.

Its surface area of 6.1 million acres (25,000 km²) are part of Adirondack

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INSTALLATION / Nirvana

Park, which in turn is part of the New York Forest Preserve.

Once inhabited by the Mowhak Indians, the area was transformed in 1892 into one of the largest national

parks of the United States.

There are thousands of streams and lakes within the Adirondack Park, among which the best known are Lake Placid, adjacent to the homonymous

village that hosted the Winter Olympic Games in 1932 and 1980, Lake Saranac and Lake Raquette.

This park, which is among the largest in the United States, is a favorite destination for canoe and kayak lovers, who can find all kinds of paths and can also enjoy a pristine natural environment.

The territory of Andirondack Park includes 46 mountains above 1,230 meters, 325,000 acres of wetlands, the springs of 5 major rivers, thousands of lakes, ponds and streams, a thriving population of deer, bears and beavers as well as vast forest areas in their natural state, protected by the Constitution of the State of New York, which prohibits its cutting, removal or destruction.

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Technological innovations for the environment

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ver the last few years, Nirvana Inc. has been involved in a process of rapid expansion, allowing it to achieve a leading position in the bottled water market. One of the most significant stages of the aforesaid growth process is the recent investment made by the American company in a new 36,000 bottle/ hour bottling line for the production of 0.5 liter PET bottles of “positively pure” and “naturally green” Nirvana

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INSTALLATION / Nirvana

water and the expansion of an existing line for bottling 3-liter and 1-gallon containers.

Specifically, the new 36,000 bottle/hour system supplied by SMI includes a Smiform SR 20 stretch-blow moulder, a Smiflexi SK 450T shrinkwrapper

for the tray + film packaging of the 0.5 liter bottles in 5x4, 6x4 and 7x5 collations, and the Smiline conveyor belts designed for the handling of bulk containers and finished packs.

Whereas for the modernization of the existing line, Nirvana purchased the new automatic Smipal APS 3000 palletizing system from SMI. The line engineering solution proposed by SMI allows Nirvana to optimally manage production flows, thanks to the accurate study on the accumulation, distribution and handling dynamics of the products to be packaged, performed by SMI engineers when designing new systems. SMI machines installed in the Nirvana Natural Spring Water plants ensure maximum operational flexibility, a constant and fluid production process and efficient management of any product flow variations due to unforeseen situations. Furthermore, the use of a latest generation automation and control system, equipped with sophisticated sensors, allows the user to maintain high-level efficiency of the systems during all stages of the production cycle. All the machines supplied by SMI are designed in full compliance with the requirements specified by Nirvana Inc. as concerns respect for the environment and energy saving; for example, all the motors are equipped with inverters for the reduction of electricity consumption and the Smiform SR 20 stretch-blow moulder fits a device that recovers blown air. Moreover, Smiline's chain conveyors are lubricated with silicone material, which allows a considerable saving of water and reduced release of organophosphates residues in the drains, while the air conveyors are equipped with filters to prevent contamination of empty transferred bottles.

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interwiew

THE WORD TO THE CUSTOMER Interview with Mozafar Rafizadeh, Chairman & CEO of Nirvana Inc.

Nirvana is the US leader in the production of natural mineral water. What do you expect from the manufacturers of your bottling line machines?

“For our company, it is essential that suppliers become an integral part of our growth process, share goals and principles and help us in the pursuit of our “mission” by manufacturing high-tech machinery, with low environmental impact and low operating and maintenance costs.

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INSTALLATION / Nirvana

In the specific case of the new bottling line recently commissioned to SMI, these requirements were applied even more carefully, because we wanted an innovative integrated solution capable of handling the entire production process at high efficiency levels, from the blow-moulding of the bottles to the end-of-line packaging in different types of packs".

How important is the “packaging” for the success of your products?

What role does the partnership with SMI play in Nirvana's competitiveness on the market?

“The packaging is definitely one of the main aspects to be taken into account for the success of our products; in fact, the first contact established between the consumer and us is visual and, therefore, the outer wrapping that encloses Nirvana water takes on a strategic importance to attract new customers.

Dozens of studies have shown the importance of “emotional buying”, i.e. that emotional impulse that drives consumers to choose certain products instead of others; therefore, as goes a famous motto, if “there is no second chance to make a good first impression” you must rely on experts to choose the most suitable packaging solution to meet both our expectations and those of our customers.

The collaboration between Nirvana and SMI, which began at the beginning of 2000, has developed over the years in this direction and today represents significant added value in the consolidation and expansion of our market share.

Thanks to the advanced technology and operational flexibility of the systems supplied by SMI, Nirvana Inc. can look with confidence to the future, knowing that we will be able to face and overcome the challenges that the market will pose".

What factors led Nirvana Inc. to choose SMI as a partner in implementing a new bottling line of 36,000 bottles per hour?

“For this new water production system in 0.5 liter PET bottles, Nirvana was looking for a reliable partner able to

deal with a turnkey installation.

After careful analysis of the various proposals on the market, we chose SMI's project both for the originality of the technical solutions adopted and for the ability of this manufacturer to provide us with a latest generation turnkey system in a very short time not forgetting, of course, their competence shown to us with previous supplies".

How important is it for Nirvana Natural Spring Water for SMI to be present in the US with a branch and staff dedicated to local technical support and the supply of spare parts?

of the production facilities, which should be more efficient, reduce costs and not damage the environment and natural resources.

Also, the bottling industry is often required to make sudden changes in marketing and production strategies to keep pace with the trends and demands of the market, which also require new and innovative solutions with regard to the final packaging of the product.

In the face of these challenges, I think that the beverage industry is destined to progress substantially in the next 5 to 10 years, adopting a model of responsible and sustainable development”.

“SMI's direct presence in the United States through its subsidiary SMI USA is of paramount importance for us and is one of the key factors underlying the long-term collaboration between the two companies; without SMI USA, Nirvana would hardly have chosen SMI as a business partner for the aforesaid project.

For any company in any sector, technical service and spare parts on hand are a must in the choice of trusted suppliers; in the case of SMI, for example, we know we can count on a well-organized local structure at any time, which responds effectively and in a timely manner to our requests, and on a staff consisting of skilled American technicians, trained at SMI's headquarters in Italy".

Looking ahead, which role do you think sustainable development will have in the next 5 to 10 years in the beverage industry?

“The beverage industry in the United States is constantly evolving from two points of view: the enlargement of the offered product range and the reorganization and modernization

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VOLVIC

WATER SECTOR Société des Eaux de Volvic SA BP 35, Volvic, France Group: Danone Smiflexi WP 400 wrap-around casepacker Smiline Conveyor belts

GEO LOCATION

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INSTALLATION / Volvic

V

olvic natural mineral water is unique from every point of view; its uniqueness is due to the land from which it springs, i.e. the French region of Auvergne.

Auvergne is a pristine territory, rich in minerals and substances that contribute to enrich its 109 sources of natural mineral water: among these, Volvic water is the most celebrated and well known worldwide.

The SociĂŠtĂŠ des Eaux de Volvic SA, which since 1992 is part of the French food group Danone (water division), has always been very attentive to sensitive issues such as sustainable development, respect for the environment, quality and purity of the product.

For this reason, the entire bottling, packaging and distribution production process of the Volvic plants is designed according to these values.

Speaking of product quality, for example, the French company recently installed a Smiflexi WP 400 wrap-around casepacker in its lines, capable of packing up to 40

cardboard boxes per hour containing 24 PET bottles of 0.33 and 0.5 liters of natural water intended mainly for the Japanese market.

As known, Japanese consumers are very demanding and want a very high quality product, both from the point of view of its organoleptic properties and that of the packaging used to pack it.

As such, for this project Volvic aimed at an advanced technology SMI system capable of effectively responding to the expectations of the Japanese market.

Below and to the left The Volvic production plant is located in the green volcanic region of Auvergne (Photo: Xavier Lefebvre).

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The quality of the package: a priority

T

he Smiflexi WP 400 wraparound casepacker installed at the Volvic plant was chosen to provide above-average performance in terms of operational efficiency, protection of the finished product, high reliability of the packages during logistics and distribution.

The corrugated cardboard boxes made by the WP 400 casepacker must in fact face a long series of steps within the distribution system without ever compromising the quality of the product; not an easy task, considering that Volvic water is exported all the way to Japan, a very demanding

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INSTALLATION / Volvic

market where the slightest flaw, such as a bottle with a slightly crooked label or a slightly damaged package, will lead consumers to immediately reject the product.

Therefore, the protection of the bottles from shock and breakage and the resistance of the packaging are the key objectives that the Smiflexi packer must ensure, both during the packaging process, transport and distribution to the points of sale.

For this reason Volvic decided to install a casepacker with the wraparound system, the only one which “builds� the cardboard box around the product and encloses it within; thanks to this system's continuous operation, the finished pack is formed inside the bottle-grouping station, with no machine downtime.

This system avoids collisions between the blank and the product and the result is an aesthetically perfect package, more stable and durable, with clear advantages in terms of logistics and optimization of space occupied by the packaging materials.

The wrap-around system, furthermore, allows you to create diversified packaging as regards shape and appearance, with a high level of customized graphics, all to the advantage of the marketing of the product; in addition, many containers can be packed both in completely closed cardboard boxes and in open trays.

The WP series of Smiflexi packers can even create cardboard boxes with the side flaps open, overlapping or matched, with preformed cardboard separators placed in between the bottles and easy opening (as well as various types of special boxes and trays).

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the eco-sustainable commitment

Y

ou can even experience the pristine environment from which Volvic water springs through guided tours organized by the company.

To cope with this activity, over 50 years ago Volvic created an information space that welcomes over 80,000 visitors each year, from which fascinating routes and trails start, to discover the secrets of this unique water, whose bottling company has always operated fully respecting its environment and surrounding ecosystem.

Utmost attention to issues such as sustainable development and

the protection of land resources are central to the research & development of this French company, which adopts eco-friendly production processes and distribution systems.

For example, the Société des Eaux de Volvic uses plastic bottles among the lightest in the industry whose weight has been reduced by over 30% in the last 15 years; in addition, the bottles were produced using recyclable PET with no less than 25%.

The “eco-packaging” concept is part of Volvic's history as it was, in fact, one of the first companies to: • introduce PET for bottling its own water; • use recycled plastic material (rPET) to produce the bottles; • produce environment-friendly formats, such as the 8-liter “Fontaine” bottle and the 3-liter “Eco” bottle; • introduce plastic of partially vegetable origin in France.

Thanks to these innovations, the carbon footprint of Volvic's packaging dropped 35% between 2008 and 2011.

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INSTALLATION / Volvic

Volvic's history

Recognizable by the green cap, the 0.5 liter and 1.5 liter Volvic bottles were the first in France to be produced with a type of plastic 20% of which was of vegetable origin (which does not mean, however, biodegradable); this product favors the use of renewable materials and allows at the same time to restrict the use of fossil fuels such as oil for

The name “Volvic” is the contraction of the Latin Volcani Vicus, meaning “land of volcanoes”, used by the Romans to designate the region where the source is located. The riches of the hydrological basin of Volvic were already known in the late nineteenth century but only in 1927 an important water source was discovered further to the initiative of Dr. Moity, Mayor of Volvic. An underground 700-meter long tunnel was built to reach the source (Goulet source). The first bottles of this water were marketed in 1938 by a local company, which became the Societé des Eaux de Volvic in 1958; back then the annual production was 200,000 liters. In 1961, mountain Puy de Dôme was perforated and the Clairvic source was discovered, from which the Volvic water still flows out; in 1965 the French company began to diversify by creating Oasis, a soft drink made from fruit and natural mineral water, while in 1969 the classic glass bottle was replaced by one of the first PET plastic bottles used in Europe for bottling water. While the production of Volvic water was up to 200 million liters in 1984 (France and export), the Perrier Group bought the Sellier-Lebranc company, owner of the Société des Eaux de Volvic. In 1993 Volvic became part of the Danone Group and in 1997 the company launched the first recyclable PET bottle. Thanks also to its packaging in the 0.5 liter and 1 liter sizes and the 8-liter water bottles, Volvic has become the major player of the French natural water market.

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the production of the traditional PET, which is composed of two molecules: 70% terephthalic acid (PTA) and 30% mono ethylene glycol (MEG).

In the case of the “vegetable” bottle, MEG is produced using the syrup of sugar cane and this allows to replace one of the two molecules with a vegetable substance without altering the final chemical composition of the PET. Even Volvic's entire bottling system was designed and fully automated to preserve the qualities of this natural water, which covers a very short route from the deep volcanic aquifers where it originates up to the sealed internal environment of each bottle, thus preserving purity, taste and properties.

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INSTALLATION / Volvic

The Danone Group and the water market Danone is a multinational company of the “food & beverage” industry which boasts the world record in the fresh dairy products sector and the second market share (by volume) in the bottled water sector.

The company packages approximately 18 billion liters of water every year for a specific turnover of about € 4 billion (one fifth of the total turnover) and monitors internationally distributed key brands, such as Evian and Volvic and a large portfolio of very strong brands at regional level as Aqua in Indonesia, Bonafont in Mexico and Žywiec Zdrój in Poland. Danone is very active in the field of water coolers, where it operates through the Danone Eden Springs joint venture, second in Europe in this specific sector.

Puy de Dôme

surroundings

The thermal water of Auvergne

The icy peaks of the Puy de Dôme (1,465 meters) are the top of the most important mountain of volcanic origin of the Regional Park of Volcanoes of Auvergne. Snowcapped from September to May, this mountain was formed after a volcanic eruption of about 10,000 years ago and later became a place of worship for the Romans, who celebrated here with religious rituals; the ruins of the

temple of Mercury are still visible, along with the breathtaking view that sweeps across the Alps. Now the black lava mountains are covered by plains and surrounded by beautiful natural lakes that appeared in the extinct craters. To get to the top you have to walk a trail; however, as of June 2012 there is a new railway line with a mountain lift that offers an unforgettable experience.

Part of Auvergne's thermal waters is effervescent natural and contains carbon gas: this phenomenon is due to the region's “recent” (fourth millennium BC) volcanic activity; other waters contain salts that are beneficial to the body.

The many sources and springs in the Auvergne region are due to the quality of the environment and to the exceptional properties of its volcanic rocks and, specifically, to the cinder that filters the surface water.

By crossing the “pozzolanic ashes”, this is how rainwater is cleaned of all harmful elements, partially demineralized and then charged with rare elements that it absorbs during its passage.

Flowing beneath the lava, these very pure mineral waters can be captured when they emerge to the surface, as is the case for the Volvic water.

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If you're looking for a new world, you will find it in Auvergne!

For nature lovers, the quality of Auvergne's natural environment will certainly satisfy every desire: lakes, volcanoes, valleys, forests, ponds, incredible fauna and flora.

Auvergne is a region in south-central France, near the Massif Central, which was formed at the end of the Paleozoic era; it is a plateau interspersed by deep valleys with some volcanism episodes, occurred in the Cenozoic era, which gave rise to the mountainous areas that characterize the entire region.

Auvergne is named after the Gallic

36

INSTALLATION / Volvic

population of Arverni, powerful confederation of tribes, who lived in this region as early as the second century BC and who were one of the richest people of the time thanks to the many mines of gold, silver and other precious metals they were able to find and exploit.

Of the Arverni people, history remembers them above all for one of their kings, Vercingetorix, who in 53 BC began to attack the Roman troops with increasingly insidious guerrilla operations, until he was defeated by Julius Caesar in the famous battle of Alesia.

109 sources (including that of Volvic), almost a hundred volcanoes, more than 20,000 kilometers of rivers… Auvergne is one of the largest protected areas in Europe, a perfect destination for outdoor enthusiasts: skiers, hikers, mountain-bikers and paragliders.

This vast territory, which includes peaks hidden in the clouds, snowcovered plains and green valleys, makes up the “Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d'Auvergne”, which includes much of the western Massif Central; with its 395,000 hectares, it is the largest natural regional park of France and spans two departments: the Puy de Dôme and the Cantal.

The source of the Volvic water is within this fascinating region, characterized by remarkable flora and fauna; this is why they say that Volvic water is born from the heart of the Regional Park of the Auvergne Volcanoes and that, due to such privileged origin, it stands out for purity and quality.

All thanks to nature and the nearby volcano of Puy de la Nugère that overlooks the ancient surrounding valley with its 1000 meters above sea level.

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Coca-Cola Canners

CARBONATED BEVERAGES SECTOR Coca-Cola Canners of SA (Pty) Ltd. Epping, Cape Town, South Africa Group: Coca-Cola Smiflexi SK 1200HS F Shrinkwrapper

GEO LOCATION

38

INSTALLATION / Coca-Cola Canners

T

he partnership between SMI and Coca-Cola began in 1994 with the supply of a shrinkwrapper and then expanded in subsequent years.

Today there are more than 20 SMI packaging machines installed in the South African plants of the Coca-Cola bottling companies and Coca-Cola Canners.

The local manufacturing and distribution structure includes 4 major bottlers and the CocaCola Canners of SA that, thanks to continuous investments in new technologies and systems, are able to meet the growing market demand for carbonated soft drinks.

Coca-Cola Canners has steel can packing plant in the industrial suburb of Wadeville, near Johannesburg.

This plant, one of the biggest in the world in terms of size and production capacity, bottles a wide variety of Coca-Cola products, both carbonated and natural.

It is in this large manufacturing plant that SMI installed the first shrinkwrapper in 1994, followed in later years by numerous other shrinkwrappers, a combined machine and two wrap-around casepackers.

Coca-Cola Canners of SA owns a second production facility in Cape Town, in the industrial district of Epping, the southern tip of the African continent.

The fruitful collaboration between SMI and Coca Cola Canners of SA led to the recent installation in this plant of the fastest shrinkwrapper of the “southern hemisphere�: we're speaking of a high-speed SK 1200 HS F machine that can pack up to 120 packs/minute in single lane and 240 packs/minute in double lane, which was added to the SMI machines already purchased by the Epping facility in the past.

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The experience of Coca-Cola Canners in Epping

T

he factory in Epping cans CocaCola and packages the canned soft drink in shrink film in a variety of pack configurations.

The end of line packaging is done by three automatic Smiflexi shrinkwrappers, models SK 600T, SK 600F and SK 800F, which were installed in 2004 and 2006.

for the supply of a new high-speed shrinkwrapper, the Smiflexi SK 1200HS F, which produces 0.33 liter cans in the 3x2 collation in film-only packs, at a max speed of 240 packs/ minute working in two lanes.

At the end of 2012, these machines' technology was upgraded with the latest innovations.

As a result, the packers were equipped with a new device for tensioning the shrink film, thus reducing production costs, saving on packaging material and simplifying maintenance.

Caltech Agencies, the company that represents SMI in South Africa, also recently concluded the negotiation

40

INSTALLATION / Coca-Cola Canners

This automatic packaging system has a newly-designed shrink tunnel inside which the heat generated by the heating elements is distributed homogeneously and uniformly on all sides of the pack thanks to an innovative airflow control system, ensuring perfect shrink even from an aesthetic point of view.

During the FAT (Factory Acceptance Test) held in the testing department of the SMI's head office in Italy, Paul Gooding - Packaging Manager of Coca-Cola Canning of SA in Epping – was able to see for himself the high quality of the purchased machine and the team of testers with whom he interacted.

At the end of the FAT, Paul, a passionate member of the CocaCola family since 1988 with great experience in the packaging sector,

said: “The team of SMI technicians that performed the tests has proved to be very familiar with the SK 1200HS, performed various tasks with extreme skill and responded promptly to my questions and requests during the FAT�.

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Caltech Agencies SMI is represented in South Africa by Caltech Agencies, whose expertise and experience ensure local customers the highest technical and commercial assistance in the study of customized solutions for bottling and packaging up to 36,000 bottles per hour.

Caltech Agencies has an organizational structure based on three operational offices located in the most important centers of the country (Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban), from which it also provides spare parts and technical service with local staff to over 50 SMI machines installed in South Africa. This approach to the customer was very much appreciated by Coca-Cola Canners of SA, for example, that in a few years bought over 10 SMI-manufactured packaging machines for its own plants, thus demonstrating trust and appreciation for the work done by Caltech Agencies. “We believe it is extremely important to provide adequate support to all our customers in South Africa which, at any time, can count on comprehensive and timely technical support� says Calvin Christy, Managing Director of Caltech Agencies.

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INSTALLATION / Coca-Cola Canners

The film-cutting system of the Smiflexi SK 1200HS shrinkwrapper has brushless motors that ensure high efficiency and utmost accuracy during machine operations.

Furthermore, the automatic format changeover device at machine inlet greatly simplifies the operations to be carried out when switching from one format to another, as it drastically reduces the required manual interventions and, consequently, the likelihood of errors and damage.

South Africa: the kingdom of diamonds

T

hroughout history, people have always been fascinated by beauty and mystery when it comes to these precious stones.

The ancient Greeks believed that diamonds were splinters of stars fallen to Earth while others said they were the tears of the gods.

In every age, the diamond was the symbol of perfection, the emblem of virtue and love.

The Romans appreciated its hardness, the Greeks its resistance to fire while for the Chinese what mattered was its color in order to identify the caste of the person who owned it.

Historically symbol of romance and love, the diamond is, by definition “a gem among gems”.

an enormous hole in which over 30,000 people were digging; of that legendary hill all that remains is the “Big Hole”, a crater 463 meters in circumference and 240 meters deep,

which is the symbol of that adventure and the greatest work ever produced with only the manual labor of man: it is said that the enormous cavity is even visible from the moon.

South Africa is one of the most famous countries in the world for its diamond mines, historically concentrated in the region of the town of Kimberly.

Kimberly, which used to be an unknown village, suddenly became popular one day when, at the end of the last century, near a farm, a young boy happened to find one of these sparkling and precious gems.

Within a few days the news had spread throughout Europe and that's when the real “diamond rush” started in the literal sense of the term: in those days the gems were so close to the surface that it sufficed to have strong arms and a spade to get rich.

The hill on which the farm stood was taken by storm and quickly became

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The Smiflexi SK 1200/SK 1202 HS (High Speed) packers

C

ontinuous investments in research and technological innovation have enabled SMI to launch, during its 25 years of business, a large number of new technically advanced products;

44

among the more recent machines stands the new SK 1200/SK 1202 "HS" (High Speed) series of Smiflexi automatic shrinkwrappers, which can package cans of different sizes in multiple pack configurations at a max speed of 450 packs per minute working in three lanes (depending on the size and characteristics of the product to be packaged).

Given the very high performance in terms of production capacity, process reliability, quality of the final package, reduction of operating costs and energy consumption, these new Smiflexi packaging machines feature a series of technical innovations of great interest.

For example, in the inlet area, the thrusts of the accumulating product are managed in an optimal way by means of a conveyor belt made up of two 2-meter modules, each of which has its own motorization.

INSTALLATION / Coca-Cola Canners

Furthermore, the Smiflexi SK 1200/SK 1202 HS shrinkwrappers are equipped with an automatic format changeover system that minimizes manual adjustments, greatly easing the work

45

of the machine operator.

The design of this packaging machine line is ergonomic and functional and allows the operator to easily and safely perform all the activities related to the use and maintenance of the system; another innovative aspect is represented by the “pit� cardboard blanks magazine, designed to: facilitate the loading of the blanks; make the feeding of the cardboard blanks more linear and smoother (fewer thrusts); allow out the loading operations to be carried out automatically by means of a robot (optional); increase the autonomy of the magazine through additional modules.

Also to be mentioned is the new shrink tunnel for cans, equipped

46

INSTALLATION / Coca-Cola Canners

Below Paul Gooding, Packaging Manager of Coca-Cola Canning of SA in Epping (to the right) with Calvin Christy, Managing Director of Caltech Agencies, during the FAT (Factory Acceptance Test) held in the testing department of the head office of SMI in Italy.

Smiflexi SK 1200 / 1202 HS shrinkwrappers can pack cans at speeds up to 450 ppm

with special devices that shrink the packs at the sides, which direct the flow of hot air generated by the heating elements also to the sides of the packs in transit in the heatshrinking chamber; this improves the quality of the packaging process and, consequently, the aesthetic appearance of the produced packs.

From the left John Moretti, Plant Manager of Coca-Cola Canners Cape Town and Calvin Christy, Managing Director of Caltech Agencies.

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Coca-Cola South Africa and sport When it comes to Coca-Cola in South Africa, it is inevitable to think of the Football World Cup 2010, which took place right here.

The Coca-Cola brand and the sports world are bound by a long-standing partnership, particularly with football, and shares the same values of fair play, solidarity and teamwork.

With this collaboration, Coca-Cola wants to affirm the importance of celebrating and enjoying the fun of the games, loving sports and leisure activities passionately.

The Coca-Cola brand and its famous soft drink have a long history of success in South Africa; in fact, the first

48

bottling plant and distribution center in this country dates back to 1928 after which the company has since expanded to other areas of the African continent.

South Africa is now the largest African market for the products of this brand and, through continuous investments in new facilities, keeps growing and growing among the most “performing� countries of the Coca-Cola world.

INSTALLATION / Coca-Cola Canners

has seen the installation of a water infrastructure

system

for

10,000

villagers in the Mopani District of Limpopo. CCSA, TCCAF and USAID have been working together for the past year to equip the village of Ramotshinyadi with boreholes, lay down pipelines Water stewardship is a priority area for

and

Coca-Cola South Africa (CCSA), as water

collaboration, which forms the Water

scarcity is an increasing issue in the

and

nation. Water demand in SA is expected

initiative, is investing a total of US$1.6

to rise by 52 per cent over the next 20

million over a three year period for

years while supply is likely to decline

villages in the Limpopo region, as well

due to poor usage habits, physical and

as the North-West and Eastern Cape

commercial water mismanagement and

provinces. In addition, since 2010, The

the loss of wetlands. In addition to

Coca-Cola Company (TCCC) has worked

improving local water efficiency and

with the SA Department of Education,

reducing SA wastewater, replenishing

the Mvula Trust, the CCSA system, and

local communities is an important

H2O for Life (a local NGO) on the Water

aspect of Coca-Cola Canners South

Legacy Programme for The FIFA速 2010

Africa water stewardship activities.

World Cup, RAIN water for schools. This

Progress

WASH project (Water Access, Improved

has

been

made

under

provide

new

Development

standpipes.

Alliance

The

(WADA)

Replenish Africa Initiative (RAIN) in

Sanitation

South Africa, in partnership with The

will reach 100 schools in South Africa,

Coca-Cola Africa Foundation (TCCAF)

benefiting

and the USA International Development

learners. To date 36 schools have been

Agency (USAID). The Water for Health

equipped with WASH amenities and

programme, a component of RAIN,

receive regular maintenance checks.

and an

Hygiene

Education)

estimated

60,000

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Cape Town a unique blend of tradition and modernity

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INSTALLATION / Coca-Cola Canners

S

et in an incomparable setting between the “Table Mountain” and the beautiful bay, Cape Town is a lively and modern city, which enjoys a mild climate all year round and offers a unique combination of stunning scenery, great outdoor life and cultural experiences. Considered one of the most beautiful cities in the world, Cape Town is the most charming South African metropolis, a milestone for those who visit this country.

Founded by the Dutch in 1652, this city was the first European settlement in Africa and became a true legend in the course of history. The “Tavern of the Seas”, as the city had been defined for the large number of ships it drew from all over Europe, it soon became a crowded crossroads of merchants

and settlers: the first in search of refreshment and supplies after months at sea on the route that “rounded” the legendary Cape of Good Hope; the others looking for breathtaking landscapes and fertile farmland. A testimony of the different colonial legacy, Cape Town is now a beautiful mosaic of cultures and architectures: traces of Boer and English domination survive next to skyscrapers and botanical gardens. As such, you can see neoclassical and Victorian mansions mingle with “cape dutch style” buildings, the Dutch colonial style of the Cape, characterized by buildings that combine Dutch, French and Indonesian architectural and decorative elements. Considered in the past a “provincial fishing village”,

today Cape Town is the most exciting and creative city of South Africa, to the point that its charm and scenic beauty attract the biggest names in the international fashion and film industry. Cape Town is also considered the South African capital of good food: the traditional restaurants of the wine estates located in the interior are quite outstanding but you should neither miss the new trendy places downtown nor the panoramic restaurants from which to enjoy breathtaking views.

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South Africa: a show of unique landscapes

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INSTALLATION / Coca-Cola Canners

W

ildlife and fauna and flora fascinate anyone who visits South Africa where, in addition to the “Big Five” (elephant, lion, rhino, leopard and buffalo) you can always spot giraffes, zebras, hippos, antelopes, birds and crocodiles.

The protected natural areas, concentrated mainly in the provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga, are divided into national parks, wildlife reserves and private reserves. Among the most visited parks, the Kruger National Park is the oldest in the world while the Pilanesberg National

Park has a picturesque location in an extinct volcano, surrounded by four circles of mountains. In addition to its lush vegetation, South Africa is a spectacle of breathtaking views, at times unexpected, such as those you can see in the Blyde River Canyon, 700 meters deep and carved by the Blyde

River for 20 kilometers. There are also other cities to be explored, even small ones such as Port Elizabeth, in the Algoa Bay, which is connected to Cape Town by the picturesque Garden Route, a costal road dotted with towns and beaches, considered among the most beautiful of South Africa.

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INSTALLATION / Coca-Cola Canners

From today, SMI catalogs and magazines are also available on your tablet!

Download our APP on your device and you will

always

have

the

latest

multimedia

documentation on SMI’s product range and latest innovations.

SMIPAL S

mipal palletizing systems are the result of continuous investment in the search for innovative solutions and establish a new standard in robotic palletizers with man-like movements.

These systems, made up of basic modules configurable in 18 different models according to specific user

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INNOVATION / Smipal

needs, are able to optimize end of line operations of multiple sectors: beverage, food, chemical, pharmaceutical, detergents, glass, paper and many others.

Smipal's main novelties in 2012 are related to the development of the APS 3100 L series, equipped with a continuous in-line layer pre-

composition system, and the APS 1035 series, equipped with row precomposition and gripper. Both new systems are very flexible and easily adapt to any logistical condition of the end of line area, both in existing and new installations.

Smipal APS 1035 palletizer with row pre-composition and gripper

T

he APS 1035 series consists of automatic palletizers with man-like movements for palletizing cardboard blanks, bundles, trays and packs in general, up to 35 packs per minute. The new Smipal installation is a single-column system with two Cartesian axes, where the vertical axis consists of a fixed column on which the horizontal beam slides on guides with recirculating balls; instead, the horizontal work axis consists of the beam on which the gripper slides also on guides with

recirculating balls. Packs arriving on the single-lane infeed belt (located at operator height) are grouped in the row pre-composition area and are arranged in one line, oriented in the same direction (all are fed either on the long side or the short side), therefore creating the palletizing row. The row thus formed is picked up by the gripper that, with fast and precise movements, places it on the pallet in the desired point; the sequential repetition of this operation allows you to form a complete layer

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in a very simple way. An accessory device, if provided, turns the pallet 90° to change the orientation of the row of packs. Smipal's APS 1035 series is made up of a basic model, which includes the fixed central column, the infeed of the single-row with simple pre-composition, the pallet conveyors and the pallet magazine, and the APS 1035 P model that, besides the standard equipment, includes the pad-inserter and the pads magazine. • Harmonic and precise trajectories The central column of Smipal palletizers of the APS 3100 L and APS 1035 series is driven by brushless motors that ensure harmonic and precise movements

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INNOVATION / Smipal

of all the machine's operating axes.

System automation and control are performed by a PC-based system called MotorNet SystemÂŽ, which is based on Sercos fieldbus and industrial Ethernet communication protocol. The use of this technology in the field of palletizing systems, characterized by repetitive actions, is

synonymous with high reliability, less maintenance and low operating costs.

In addition, system management is facilitated by a simple and userfriendly human-machine interface panel, with advanced 3D graphics, touch-sensitive screen and a wide range of diagnostics and technical support in real time. Each module of

Smipal's automatic palletizing systems is designed as a standalone unit connected to the central column; therefore, the entire system is easy to transport and can be installed and started up in a short time. • Strength and reliability The accurate sizing of the central column and the horizontal beam, together with slides on ball recirculating guides, ensures smooth, continuous and precise motion, with minimal bending dynamics and virtual absence of vibration. All this allows to reduce the wear of the mechanical components and, therefore, ensures great operating reliability, less maintenance and low operating costs during the machine's entire life cycle.

For more information on Smipal APS 1035, scan this QR code.

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Smipal APS 3100 L palletizer with continuous in-line layer pre-composition

T

he APS 3100 L series includes four models of automatic palletizers with man-like movements for the palletizing of cardboard blanks, bundles, trays and packs in general, up to 100 packs per minute. The new Smipal installation is a single-column system with two Cartesian axes, where the vertical axis consists of a fixed column on which the horizontal beam slides on

60

INNOVATION / Smipal

guides with recirculating balls; instead, the horizontal work axis consists of the beam on which the gripper slides also on guides with recirculating balls; instead, the horizontal work axis consists of the beam on which the gripping head arm slides also on guides with recirculating balls. The gripping head picks up the layers of packs from a conveyor belt at operator height and places them where required on the pallet with fast and accurate movements. The special feature of the APS 3100 L series is the continuous in-line layer pre-composition system; in fact, using an innovative "multi-way diverter", the loose bundles arriving on the belt in a single row are turned or shifted and arranged on more than one row in the position shown in the palletizing diagram, thus pre-forming the layer. An appropriate mechanical actuator separates the newly-completed layer from the accumulating bundles,

while the "multi-way diverter" prepares the next layer. The layer thus formed is then pushed into the roller-fitted gripping head by a motorized bars system. The infeed with the continuous in-line pre-composition is very compact and reliable and stands out from traditional ones for its one-way motion and for the possibility of orienting the bundles in any position.

To each his/her own ideal model Smipal's APS 3100 L series includes four models: these consist of four preconfigured solutions, capable or responding to specific production requirements in terms of palletizing speed and patterns.

The APS 3100 L basic version includes the fixed central column, infeed with continuous in-line layer pre-composition system, the pallet conveyors and the magazine (adjusted by forks) for the empty pallets.

The series also has three more versions that, in addition to the basic equipment of the APS 3100 L model, include the following additional modules: • pads magazine and pad-inserter (model APS 3100 LP); • gripping head rotation (APS 3100 LR); • pads magazine, pad-inserter gripping head rotation (model APS 3100 LPR, the most comprehensive one).

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SmipaSS new on-line assistance services

S

• SmyCloud: this is a digital multimedia library, which SMI customers can access 24/7/365 to interactively consult operating and maintenance manuals, spare parts manuals and wiring diagrams, and also download documents and save them in their PC for off-line use; also, via SmyCloud the user can automatically generate spare parts inquiries by clicking on the picture that depicts them.

Smipass is an area of the Smigroup website created to bring together all on-line after-sales services in the same place, where SMI customers can login, in real time, to view a constantly updated database of technical information concerning their machine. In addition, Smipass also provides users with the following services free of charge:

• SmyReader: this is an app for Android devices enabling you to scan the QR code of SMI's original spare parts to be able to check their price and generate RFQs to be sent to SMI's Spare Parts Dept. via the Internet.

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INFORMATION / After Sales Service

• remote assistance: the operator panel of the customer's machine and the computer of the SMI technician can be connected remotely in real time via internet to manage “remotely assisted” operations.

• machine upgrades: SMI machines already installed can be upgraded to the latest technologies through the implementation of new applications, additional size changeovers and new accessories.

• SmiCall: this is a telephone support service provided free of charge for all SMI machines under warranty; for systems out of warranty the user is subject to the payment of a modest annual fee that allows him/ her to keep using the immediate telephone support of skilled SMI technicians, in case of need or emergency.

Finally, the Smipass platform also offers additional packages for:

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UPGRADES the benefits of the latest technologies available to everyone

S

MI designs, develops and manufactures packaging machines and complete hightechnology bottling lines intended mainly for the “food & beverage” sector.

These systems are constantly innovated thanks to intensive research & development, with the introduction on the market of models and versions that are more and more efficient, functional and ecofriendly, in order to propose a range of machines always up to date with the latest developments.

Besides the new production models, these new developments and

applications can also be applied, through a series of upgrades and by skilled technicians of SMI's after-sales service, to machines already installed in the customers' facility.

This allows to progressively improve the operation and working efficiency of SMI's systems during their entire life cycle. A wide range of machine upgrades is available in a reserved area, called “Smipass”, of the www.smigroup.it website, accessed with a special user name and

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INFORMATION / After Sales Service

Smiform SR HP Stretch-blow moulders at 2000 bph per cavity

password; this is where SMI packers, stretch-blow moulders and palletizers users can choose the type of “upgrade� that best suits their needs: greater production efficiency, cost reduction, energy saving, new processes, changeovers, etc.

Among the machine upgrade services available for Smiform systems installed in the past, an important feature is that you can increase the production speed of rotary stretchblow moulders fitted with 4, 6, 8 and 10 moulds of the SR series, ideal for blow-moulding containers from 0.25 to 3 liters.

The upgrade will increase the production capacity of each machine mould from 1800 to 2000 bottles per hour; this speed, which is already reached by all new Smiform SR HP (High Performance) stretch-blow moulder models up to 10 cavities, can also be implemented in existing systems, subject to technical testing by Smiform's engineering departments, by simply making the request to SMI's spare parts department that will send the inquirer the relevant listing if the

upgrade is feasible.

Speed can be increased from 1800 to 2000 bottles per hour per cavity, thanks to a series of technical improvements which optimize the kinematics of some of the stretchblow moulding processing stages.

More specifically, a machine upgrade consists in a change to the opening/ closing and locking/unlocking devices of the mould-holders, which prevents both the wear of the bottom's up/ down cam and that of the mouldholders' opening/closing device.

Through the use of advanced technologies, the excellent quality/ price ratio and low maintenance and management costs, Smiform stretchblow moulders of the SR series are ideal for the blow-moulding of plastic containers of different sizes and shapes, from the simplest to the most complex.

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Some information about the new free Smipass service

F

rom today, SMI customers have access to SmyCloud, an innovative service for the interactive viewing of machine technical manuals and spare parts lists, with the option of automatically generating inquiries. SmyCloud is found in Smigroup's website in the Smipass section (www.smigroup.it/ smipass), accessed with a special user name and password.

SmyCloud may be used by: • all SMI customers who purchase a machine from the 1st of January 2013. As of that date, technical manuals will be provided by SMI through the SmyCloud service, to

which the customer should login using the custom access codes sent by e-mail before the delivery of the machine ex-works; • all SMI customers who purchased a machine in 2011 and 2012, by requesting a user name and password through a special on-line form.

What does SmyCloud offer?

• Real-time consultation of machine technical manuals, updated automatically by SMI in the case of new features, upgrades, new accessories, new components, etc.

• Possibility of downloading machine technical manuals in pdf and saving

them on your PC or tablet.

Spare parts manuals you can browse through, with synopses and enhanced graphics for the immediate identification of the spare parts of your interest.

• Possibility of selecting spare parts on-line, viewing their price and adding them to a dedicated "shopping list" to request your quotation to SMI. • Quick feedback from SMI's Spare Parts Dept., which generates an official quotation complete with all information.

• View of RFQs sent, orders generated, etc.

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For more information on SmyCloud, scan this QR code.

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INFORMATION / After Sales Service

How does SmyCloud work? • Consultation of operating and maintenance manuals and wiring diagrams The on-line consultation of the machine's technical manuals is simple and user-friendly; in addition, the wiring diagrams are always updated to the latest version and all the technical documentation can be saved on your PC or tablet in pdf for viewing off-line. • Consultation of spare parts manual and creation of RFQs The consultation of the spare parts manual (always updated to the latest version) and the creation of a RFQ through SmyCloud is very simple, thanks to interactive synopses that

allow users to view different machine areas in 3D on their own PC screen.

In fact, when you position the mouse on any machine area you will be able to see the technical drawing of the spare parts connected to it, bearing the relevant identification code and, where possible, even the price. Then, when you click on the codes of your interest, the selected spare parts are automatically added to a "shopping list" and you can also choose the courier to which to entrust the shipment of your goods. Finally, with a simple click the generated list is sent to SMI Spare Parts Dept., which will promptly send you a spare parts quotation complete with all information.

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ENGLISH

www.smigroup.it

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