Refresco is the world's largest independent bottler, working for national and international retailers and brands in Europe, North America and Australia. With over 70 production sites worldwide, the group offers a wide range of soft drinks, fruit juices, alcoholic beverages and other associated products. Refresco Italia represents the Italian business unit, the history of which began in 2011 with the acquisition of Spumador, a major player in the beverage sector. The company then went on to set up two production plants in Italy, one in 2012 and one in 2017. With a focus on its target audience and the integration of cutting-edge technologies, the company soon positioned itself at the top of the industry, including on home soil.
In the production context of Quarona (Vercelli) and Recoaro (Vicenza), the need to find a versatile solution for the secondary packaging of the production lines of returnable and non-returnable glass bottles was becoming a priority for the company. Following in-depth assessments of the most advanced technologies in the industry and a comparison of requirements, the choice was made on end-of-line solutions by OCME and Robopac, the main brand of the Aetna Group.
Specifically, at the Quarona plant, OCME's Leo was introduced, a robot technology designed to optimise operational efficiency and reduce wear and tear on glass bottles.
Craters and decraters, handle the secondary crate packing of bottles.The solution consists of a motorised head equipped with suction cups, and control systems that divide the load into blocks, a motorised mobile guide on the conveyor that accompanies the row of bottles up to the pick-up point, with performance of up to 8 cycles per minute. Thanks to its motorised drive, the bottle centring device raises and lowers during the crating phase according to the height of the format to be processed. This configuration allows a high degree of flexibility on production lines and can be equipped with a motorised self-adjusting head or automatic pick-up head changeover, depending on the application. In the decrater version, the technology involves depositing the bottles on a chain conveyor in rows already prepared for single-lane exit, further minimising wear and tear on the glass bottles. A process that optimises the reuse of bottles while containing the costs of bottle replenishment. Moreover, the simple, robotic design allows for excellent accessibility and maintenance.
On this subject, Andrea Regis, plant director of the Quarona plant, says: “The main benefits we have obtained from this investment include: improved line efficiency; a reduction in stoppages; and a reduction in bottle collisions that will enable us to give our consumers an even better product. We chose OCME as our partner because we have been working with OCME for several years in many plants and they have consistently been able to provide us with customised solutions tailor-made to our high-tech and state-of-the-art requirements.”
OCME's Leo has also been introduced at the Recoaro plant in Vicenza. It was configured to handle dual-track crates with simultaneous input, to meet customer production requirements.
LEO craters and decraters are equipped with dedicated working heads, which operate alternately according to the formats to be processed. During format changes, the heads and crate centring devices are replaced, thereby ensuring greater precision when handling different types of formats.
Regarding after-sales services Andrea Regis adds:
“The after-sales services provided by OCME have been excellent, especially regarding the installation of this new system, as the start-up was quick and efficient.
Even with some minor issues that arose during installation, we had a quick response followed by the prompt resolution of all the problems”.
At the end of the line, Robopac branded wrapping ensure effective pallet protection and stabilisation, Recoaro's main need for its products, due to some problems encountered with the previous technological solution. Robopac's Kratos, a fully automatic robotic wrapping machine, is the latest model presented by the Rimini-based company. It was chosen by Refresco, from among the wide range of automatic pallet wrappers, to wrap pallets of beverage products with stretch film, guaranteeing the integrity of the pallet during handling and transport with effective protection up to the point of sale.
The line consists of an independent pallet top cover system and the robotised wrapping station. The wrapping, thanks to Cube Technology™ with which the pre-stretch carriage is equipped and thanks to the extensive stability tests carried out in Techlab Robopac, is designed to deposit the exact amount of film, in a precise position and with a precise containing force. The combination of Robopac's patented technology and decades of experience gained from more than 6,000 stability tests conducted in the Robopac Technology Centre allow palletised loads to be stabilised while saving up to 50% in material when compared to conventional solutions, resulting in improved packaging quality and increased line performance.
The collaboration between Refresco and the Aetna Group has led to remarkable results in the optimisation of packaging and wrapping lines. The introduction of OCME and Robopac technology solutions has significantly improved operational efficiency, stabilised pallets, reduced bottle wear and optimised bottle reuse. These technological advances have not only simplified operations, but also contributed to a significant reduction in maintenance and operating costs. The synergy between the two companies is an example of how technological innovation can transform industrial operations and support continued growth in the beverage industry.
