The tale of a successful case study featuring our Packaging Line – an innovative production line that optimises the Finishing processes – and Rotolito, a leading company in book and magazine production and printing, which has installed the first Packaging Line in Europe in one of its production hubs.
Today’s news is dedicated to the producers in the GraphicArt sector who have always been committed to the search for new automation solutions to optimise production processes. It is the story of a concrete case study featuring our Packaging Line – an innovative concept that revolutionises the workflow from Binding to Finishing – and Rotolito, a leading company in book and magazine production and printing.
Packaging Line, the working isle dedicated to Finishing
Solema’s Packaging Line is the ultimate solution that revolutionises the workflow of the GraphicArt sector.
An innovative concept that optimises the production flow between the binding and packaging processes, allowing for a single, fully customisable workstation that incorporates all the machinery needed to fully manage the Finishing process.
An idea born in 2022 from continuous research into solutions to improve and optimise work in the Graphic Arts sector, which led to the definition of a new production philosophy based on the ‘working isle’ concept, with the aim to make the Production and Finishing phases distinct and independent, so that one does not interfere with the other.
In practice, the ‘Packaging Line system’ represents a clear separation between the operational stages of binding and packaging – with binding and sewing machines operating separately at their maximum speed and for less time – eliminating delays and stoppages. This makes the Finishing process entirely independent of production, allowing it to extend across multiple shifts without production being active, optimising costs, time, and speed.
A line that optimizes other lines
Solema’s Packaging Line is a true revolution that optimises and speeds up pre-existing automation lines in a bindery, because packaging machines are no longer downstream of binding machines and hard cover line, thus avoiding interference in their operation and eliminating downtime in production lines.
The result is an innovative line that optimises pre-existing lines, with the added advantage of being able to be designed according to the specific needs of each customer, who, with Packaging Line, can customise their Finishing process with specific treatments tailored to their needs, to offer maximum flexibility in utilising their existing machinery.
Rotolito, the first in Europe to believe in the Packaging Line
The first company to believe in the potential of the Packaging Line was Rotolito, founded 49 years ago in Pioltello, near Milan, which became the undisputed leader in Europe in the industrial printing and binding sector and is still regarded today by experts as one of the main pioneers of automation.
In February 2022, Rotolito officially became the first company in Europe to install a Packaging Line within its production lines, standing out as the first production entity to concretely believe in the innovative potential of a concept destined to completely revolutionise the Finishing process.
Solema and Rotolito, a successful partnership
The relationship between Solema and Rotolito began over thirty years ago. At the time, the Pioltello-based company was looking for new solutions to elevate the level of automation of production lines, and the encounter with Solema was decisive in meeting this demand. Since then, Solema has become Rotolito’s regular supplier for automation for transport systems, drying towers, automatic loaders and stackers, and, over time, even boxing and palletising systems.
The continuous exchange of information led to the development of the Packaging Line and its subsequent installation at Rotolito’s Capriate production hub.
The decision to install Packaging Line proved successful, enabling Rotolito to streamline the management operations of the entire production cycle and optimise the number of workers assigned to the line, who were then reallocated to other activities.
The concrete benefits of the Packaging Line
The concept of the Packaging Line is based on 5 key advantages:
- Performing binding at maximum speed by shifting the Finishing processes to a second stage of production.
- Reducing downtime for binding machines by removing in-line Finishing processes.
- Optimising labour costs on Binding lines, for example by organising production over a single shift instead of three.
- Obtaining a flexible Finishing line.
- Organising more easily the production flow of the plant to improve the quality of the final product.
A system of machines that communicate with each other
The Packaging Line is a production line so versatile that it can accommodate the machines in Solema’s Graphics portfolio.
Here is the list of Solema machines compatible with the Packaging Line:
- VENUS - Automatic depalletizer
- TURNING STATION - Turning machine
- UP-RIGHT UNIT - Up-right machine
- HCS3 - Automatic stacker
- CARTÓ - Automatic feeder
- SMART BOX - Semi-automatic boxing machine
- PLUTON - Automatic palletizer
These machines manage the production flow by connecting even non-Solema machines, which Solema has managed to integrate with the work of its machines by making them communicate with each other both mechanically and via software.
Packaging Line also meets the needs of Industry 4.0
Packaging Line is also an advanced example of Industry 4.0 application. It is a technological solution that optimises productivity and flexibility, designed to manage a packaging line composed of 10 interconnected machines.
At the core of the system is a supervisory PC acting as a bridge between the AS400 ERP management software and the machines’ PLCs. When a production order is created in the ERP, the system sends the PC the general production recipe containing the parameters needed to configure the entire line. The PC processes the recipe, breaking it down into instructions for each machine and transmitting them to their respective PLCs.
During production, the system collects real-time data from the machines, monitoring operational status, production parameters, and reporting anomalies. This enables continuous process control and swift responses to any issue.
At the end of the production cycle, the PC notifies the ERP of the order’s completion, updating the status of the company processes.
If you are interested in the Solema Packaging Line or would like further information, please write to info@solema.it or call 035 654111.