April 20th, 2011 Written by Pat Reynolds, Editor-in-Chief Now in its third year, AIMCAL’s Sustainability Competition recognizes equipment, materials, or processes that reduce environmental impact, minimize energy usage or waste, and’or increase recycling. Taghleef Industries SpA, makes the Nativia flower sleeve film from a renewable resource, corn, at its San Giorgio Di Nogaro, Italy, facility. The compostable material not only protects the flowers during transport and handling but also presents an eye-catching appearance. Compared to petroleum-based polymers, PLA offers a smaller carbon

The Italian plastics and rubber machinery and equipment manufacturers association Assocomaplast said the sector saw production value increase by more than 9% in 2010 - higher than the 8% growth figure predicted in December last year. The association says overall production value, according to information from its 170 members, increased 9.1% to €3.6bn. “All five of the main indicators for the sector reveal decidedly positive trends, recovering the losses suffered in 2009 compared with the record year 2008,” says Assocomaplast. Imports increased 17.2% to €567m, while exports went up 9.7% to €2bn

CHICAGO – The Italian Trade Commission's Chicago Office (ITC), represented through its project Machines Italia, will be one of the major sponsors of the World Business Forum 2010 (October 5 th and 6 th). On the second day of the Forum (October 6th) during the official program itself, Dr. Luca Majocchi, former CEO of Unicredit, one of Italy's major commercial banking institutions, and currently managing director of Meccano SpA as well as an advisor to FEDERMACCHINE (Italy's National Federation of Associations of Manufacturers of Capital Goods Intended for Industrial and Handicrafts

In the world of consumer products, shelf appeal is becoming increasingly important and packaging has become a major product differentiator. But sometimes the marketing geeks come up with a packaging geometry that is not compatible with automated equipment, which sets up some interesting design challenges, says Michele Falsini, export sales manager for RONCHI Mario, a manufacturer of flexible packaging machinery in Gessate, Italy. DN: How important is packaging to today’s consumer product companies? Falsini: As a huge element of brand awareness and promotion, packaging can literally be the key

Italy produces approximately 50% of the machinery used to produce footwear and leather goods around the world and 80% of tanning machinery globally, according to Assomac, an association that represents Italian manufacturers of machines for footwear, leather and tannery industries. Many of the manufacturers are small, with the entire industry employing approximately 6,200 people in Italy. There are three basic tanning centers in Italy, says Peter Helfer, a managing partner at Campex LLC, an Exeter, N.H., a company that sells Italian leather-making machinery in North America. Whole hides and

It might not be the first place you think of when it comes to high-tech machine tools, but Italy has a long history of producing equipment that helps manufacturing plants operate efficiently. For instance, The Sacmi Group has been doing it since 1919. The US$1.7 billion company provides machinery for the packaging, beverage, ceramics, food processing and plastics industries. The company has come a long way from its beginnings as a staff of nine mechanics and blacksmiths. Sacmi has survived dictatorships, wars and economic hardships in its 90 years to grow to a worldwide staff of more than 3

Bologna might be best known abroad for its meat sauce and for being home to the oldest university in the western world, the University of Bologna. But this city, situated between Italy's Po River and the Apennine Mountains, has earned the nickname the "Packaging Valley." Packaging machinery has become one of the dominant industries throughout Italy. Though the United States, China and Japan all produce automatic machinery, Germany and Italy produce two-thirds of all packaging machinery sold internationally, according to a study by the Confederation of Packaging Machinery Associations. Italy