The packaging of pasta: types, functionality and how to make it better

The fact that pasta is one of the symbols of Italy is well known. But perhaps not everyone knows that Italians are also the “world champions” in its packaging. The market value of Italian pasta packaging production in 2021 exceeded 20 billion euros, with almost 4 billion tons of packaging for over 300 different formats.

A product such as pasta, which is part of the daily life of people around the world, requires special attention to its production and preservation. And the Italians, who are very attentive to the regulations relating to food production, have specialized over time in the creation of efficient and safe packaging systems. The Italian sector of automatic packaging machines is characterized by a strong impulse to innovation and refinement, which has allowed companies in the sector to be appreciated abroad.

What are the main types of packaging for pasta and why is the packaging of this type of product so important? Let’s see it together.

Types of pasta and packaging

Pasta can be both dry and fresh, and consequently it must be packaged in different ways because its storage requires different precautions. In the case of fresh pasta, plastic trays or buckets are usually chosen, but also shrink film bags.

For dry pasta, which does not need to be kept in the refrigerator, cartons and plastic bags are preferred. Even cardboard boxes usually have a plastic window that allows you to see the contents without opening them. What often varies is the size of the package, which obviously matches that of the pasta: long or short, but also more or less voluminous.

Dry pasta is packaged with box packers and shrinkwrappers that are able to make and close the packages with the right amount of product and optimize the logistics of the plant. With a custom automatic machine it is possible for the manufacturer to have all the options and functionalities he needs, defining them already at the design stage. A machine of this type can also be integrated over time with new operational functions, always tailored to the needs of the plant.

What is the pasta pack for and why is it so important?

Choosing the right packaging for your pasta can determine its success or failure. In fact, the quality of the product is not enough to guarantee that that precise brand of pasta will find its place on the market: competition is very high, and consequently it is necessary that the packaging “speaks” to the consumer to convince him to buy.

The packaging can express the reference values of the company producing dry pasta through the graphics and messages that are conveyed on the package. And also through the choice of materials with which it is made: a pasta, for example, that is based on organic wheat can draw the attention of an audience attentive to the sustainability of what it buys, and therefore it is appropriate to choose eco-friendly materials for its packaging or you may not meet the needs of its potential buyers.

Sustainability is a value that more and more consumers consider important to make their purchasing choices. Thus ensuring a less polluting production is also an important lever for pasta producers who want to win over this type of buyers, who are also willing to pay more to have the security of buying greens. For example, a full electric automatic machine for stuffing and wrapping food products and dry pasta and allows a real energy saving, because full electric machines do not require energy throughout the entire movement, as is the case with pneumatic cylinder solutions. In the course of a year, the energy required for the operation of the pneumatic cylinder can also cause the plant to emit 12 tons of CO2, which is avoided by using a shrinkwrapping machine or a full electric case packer. And that can have a positive image return for pasta manufacturers who want to focus on the sustainability of their product.

In addition to this, when packaging dry pasta it is also important that each pack is made with care, by machinery that can ensure maximum precision and manage with speed the size changes within the same line. No one, in fact, will buy a product packaged in an approximate and even less a poorly sealed.

The most suitable packaging to ensure the success of your dry pasta is the one that allows you to arrive on the shelves quickly and with an intact packaging, exactly as you designed it. For this reason, it is important to select machines that are able to package your product at its best: RL Automatic Industrial System automatic shrinkwrapping and wrapping machines guarantee high performance even in the long term, and being designed and made to measure are able to adapt perfectly to your operational needs.

Call us and tell us about your needs: we have more than thirty years of experience in the field of automation and in particular in solutions for the food industry, so we can design the perfect solution for you.

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Does the customization of shrinkwrappers and case packers really pay off?

On the market today there are plants and machinery of every type and every price, which meet the most disparate needs and guarantee a wide range of performance. The standard solutions are not lacking in the field of automatic packaging machinery, in particular between shrinkwrapping machines and box packers of the latest generation.

With such a wide and diversified offer of solutions, does it still make sense to choose custom solutions when you want to equip yourself with a case packer or a shrinkwrapper for the packaging of food products? Can custom machines and systems really make a difference to your production? Is it really worth buying one?

The answer is yes, for several good reasons. Let’s see them together.

Why a custom car lasts longer

When you choose to rely on a partner who designs a custom packaging machine for you, you are making a far-sighted choice. In fact, a machine or plant designed to your needs will have a longer life than that that can guarantee a standard solution.

This is due to the fact that the custom solution, being designed exactly according to your needs, will not be used improperly, which very often causes faster wear and malfunctions that can lead to machine downtime (or even irreparable damage).

A shrinkwrapper or an automatic case packer designed specifically for your company is designed to guarantee the performance you require in the exact conditions in which it will operate. And if by chance these should change, over time you can integrate its functions by adding new ones, provided that you rely on a partner able to design a scalable machine for you. This feature will allow you to upgrade over time your shrinkwrapper or your case packer when they start to give signs of obsolescence, because custom solutions lend themselves not only to integrations but also to revamping.

Finally, a custom automatic machine guarantees you on average a level of assistance higher than that offered by a standard solution, protecting you from the risk that any critical issues will not be resolved in a short time and can be transformed, because of the time that passes, in irreparable damage. You can therefore also save on maintenance, as well as the costs of downtime.

Format changes are more efficient

With a custom automatic machine you can optimize the time even in case of production reconfigurations, because the system is realized with a flexible approach ad hoc for what may be your needs.

Tailor-made design allows you to get the most out of your machinery by relating it to the product you need to make, your operating spaces, the precise needs of your company. In short, it takes performance to the highest possible level for your situation, and you don’t have to adapt to the maximum performance of a pre-defined machine.

Whether it is an ordinary format change linked to your production cycles or the introduction of a new format in your production line, with a shrinkwrapper or a custom case packer you will be able to handle both situations in a simpler and more efficient way than the one that guarantees you the standard solutions.

Energy costs are lower if you choose full electric!

Probably if you choose to invest in a custom automatic packaging machine you will have to expect a higher initial cost than that required by a standard machinery. But this should not scare you, because the right solution can allow you to return the investment faster!

A shrinkwrapping machine or a full electric automatic case packer machine can guarantee a real energy saving compared to pneumatic cylinder solutions. This is because the full electric does not require energy during the entire arc of the movement of its components. The energy cost of a compressed air machine can be from 30% to 60% higher than that of a fully electric automatic machine, and the impact on bills is therefore significantly different.

Equipping your company with a custom and full electric automatic packaging machine can be a competitive advantage, because it protects you from the risk of malfunctions, allows you to optimize your productivity and also save on electricity bills.

RL Automatic Industrial System automatic shrinkwrapping and case packer machines are chosen by companies operating in the food sector, in particular in the dry pasta sector, precisely because they allow them to revolutionize their production system and to work in a simpler, faster and more critical way.

Do you want a custom solution that takes your company’s performance to the next level? Let’s talk about it: we have over thirty years of experience in the automation industry and in particular in solutions for the food industry, so we can find the perfect solution for you.

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How to make food stuffing more sustainable

Consumers are increasingly choosing sustainable products. In our country, for example, the Green Observatory led by Compass reported that in 2022 the issue of sustainability was reported as a priority by 48% of Italians in determining their purchases. Not only that, 80% of respondents said they were willing to pay more to make sure products are eco-sustainable. How much more? Even up to 20%, for 7% of the sample.

This means that to be sure of having a market today, producers of goods of any kind must make an important effort towards greater sustainability for their work. And when it comes to nutrition, the sustainability of the product is immediately associated by the consumer with its higher quality.

Beyond the choice of ingredients and production systems, packaging also plays a leading role in determining how green a food product is. For large retailers, such as dry pasta packages that need to be packed with shrinkwrapping machines, is it possible to find solutions that reduce the environmental impact of packaging?

Fortunately, the answer is yes.

A full electric automatic shrinkwrapper is a green choice

Industrial compressed air filling machines can generate up to 12 tons of carbon dioxide in a year. This is due to the energy required for the operation of the pneumatic cylinder, which is not present in full electric solutions.

An electric automatic shrinkwrapper in fact completely eliminates the emissions related to the operation of the cylinder: in practice, by switching to such a solution it is possible to avoid producing the 12 tons of CO2 per year that are generated by the use of a compressed air machinery.

In addition, full electric machines for filling produce less waste to be disposed of, because on average the pneumatic components wear out in three months and must be replaced, which is not the case in solutions without a pneumatic cylinder. And even the use of polluting oils to lubricate the parts in continuous motion is zeroed, eliminating the need to dispose of this type of waste.

Finally, a full electric automatic shrinkwrapping machine is also able to guarantee a considerable energy saving compared to a compressed air machinery: the latter in fact can offer a yield equal to about 30% of the energy used, while with an electric solution you can reduce consumption by up to 60%.

Even the film counts

To make food stuffing more sustainable, it is also possible to choose green packaging materials: in fact, there are more and more biodegradable and compostable films compatible with the latest generation shrinkwrapping machines. And research in the field of this type of materials is in constant turmoil.

For single-use plastic made of organic polymers of synthetic origin, a Plastic Tax of a fixed value of 0.45 euro cents per kilo sold is expected from 2024, to be borne not only by the manufacturer but also by those who buy and use it for their work. The new film solutions produced from recycled plastic, 100% recyclable, biodegradable and compostable to be used for shrinkwrapping machines are therefore an illuminated choice both from an ecological and an entrepreneurial point of view.

Equipping your company with a custom and full electric automatic machine for the packaging of food products is concretely a competitive advantage, because it not only allows you to optimize your productivity and save on electricity bills, but it ensures you work more sustainably. A value that you can share with your audience, and that will make you appreciate more and more even from that group of consumers willing to pay even 20% more to be sure to buy green.

Want to work more sustainably and improve your productivity?

The RL Automatic Industrial System automatic shrinkwrapping and wrapping machines are the result of over thirty years of experience in the automation sector and in particular in solutions for the food industry.

Contact us now without obligation and find out what we can do for you!

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The advantages of 3D design for shrinkwrapping machines and case packers

Have you ever thought about how much a design error can cost you for your industrial machinery? In the case of shrink wrappers and case packers for the food sector, for example, a solution that is not suitable for the processing to be carried out can turn into a real nightmare that makes you lose production hours and, consequently, important orders.

Choosing a custom machine is the best way to make sure you get the most out of your productivity and have all the features you need, adapting the shrinkwrapper or the case packer to the spaces you have available, also facilitating the work of the operators.

But to ensure all this, it is essential that the machine is made with the utmost care, and therefore designed without neglecting anything. 3D design offers you many guarantees in this regard.

Guaranteed compliance

Industrial machinery is an extremely complex ecosystem. Not only are there hundreds of components and they must all work in predetermined logical sequences, but together they must also meet the requirements required by the customer at the time of purchase and current regulations in terms of machine construction.

The 3D design of industrial machinery allows you to create a compliant product, because it is based on an in-depth analysis and investigation that protects you from the risk of having to stop your production due to malfunctions and unexpected events.

The feasibility study carried out by the designer will also highlight all the peculiarities of your environments and your production, so as to design a machine that is able to adapt perfectly to your working conditions, the needs of users and maintainers with excellent results in terms of efficiency and effectiveness in the medium/ long term.

Reduce the time of realization

The use of 3D design software allows you to integrate many different data related to the different components of the machinery you want to use, the mechanical and electrical design as a whole and all the sensors and the electric control actuators necessary for the automatic and full electric solutions.

In this way the designer is able to put into system all the many variables to be taken into account in the implementation of the machines.

Data integration allows you to be faster in your design, because this data is managed simultaneously and does not have to be imported, exported, converted or rebuilt from different sources. In this way, in addition to limiting the risk of errors, it also facilitates the management of changes. And if the design is speeded up with the use of the right 3D software, it is therefore possible to move first to the realization of the machinery and have it available as soon as possible.

Maximum flexibility

Are your production needs really very specific? Then you will need an even more critical approach at the design stage.

3D design allows you to more easily identify any critical aspects of the models being processed, and to customize the solutions to the maximum without risking to build a machine that does not work as it should and does not meet customer expectations.

Each emerging problem will then be analyzed in detail to find the best solution for your needs, because a 3D design software also provides all the flexibility you need to think of custom solutions.

3D design reduces costs

Do you fear that equipping yourself with a custom machine for stuffing and wrapping is an excessive investment? In fact, this is not the case, because a tailor-made solution is able to bring you back faster than the capital invested thanks to the fact that it optimizes your productivity. And if you choose a custom full electric automatic machine you can also make sure you save on the cost of energy needed for its operation, reducing consumption by up to 60% compared to a pneumatic solution.

Moreover, if you rely on a partner who designs your industrial machinery in 3D, you can minimize the risk of design errors, as we have seen above, and this will protect you from the danger of continuous downtime, sudden stop to production and unexpected maintenance.

Equipping your company with a full electric shrinkwrapper or automatic case packer can completely revolutionize your productivity and also the costs you have to bear for your energy bill. Provided, however, that the machine you choose is exactly the best for your solutions.

Do you want all these risk-free benefits? RL Automatic Industrial Systems is the only company that designs and manufactures automatic machines with electrical and non pneumatic components for the food industry. We have over thirty years of experience in the fields of automation, precision mechanics and industrial plant design and construction. We use advanced 3D design software, reducing inefficiencies and reducing construction costs.

We are so confident in the performance of our systems that we offer you the flexibility of the try&buy formula for your new machine. We personalize the commercial offer, we design and manufacture your custom machine, and you have all the time to try it to decide whether to buy it.

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