Packaging: Italian Nordmeccanica between augmented reality ... · 65% of the global flexible...
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Packaging: Italian Nordmeccanica between augmented reality and flexible packaging by Laura Magna ♦ The company led by Antonio Cerciello had a turnover of 110 million Euro in 2019, 95% of which abroad. The Triplex SL One-Shot laminator developed on Mindsphere combines mechanics, cloud and IoT. Partnerships with Siemens, Dow Chemical, Hp. The President has the floor. Inside Nordmeccanica’s factory The latest innovation is a system to control and set up machines remotely with augmented reality, developed in partnership with Siemens. Nordmeccanica has made the cutting-edge application of technology in electronics, chemistry and sensory engineering its hallmark. Thanks to this, it has taken over 65% of the global flexible packaging machines market for the food and coating industry. It has installed 3400 of them, produced in its 30 thousand square meters of warehouses. It is one of the leading companies in the packaging sector, one of the spearheads of the Italian industry: in 2019, its turnover stood at 110 million Euro, in line with the industrial plan and growing slightly year on year, despite a general decline in mechanical engineering in Italy. After all, Nordmeccanica has expanded its business from the province of Piacenza to the whole world, thanks to exports that account for 95% of its
Transcript of Packaging: Italian Nordmeccanica between augmented reality ... · 65% of the global flexible...
Packaging: Italian Nordmeccanica between augmented reality and flexible packaging
by Laura Magna ♦
The company led by Antonio Cerciello had a turnover of 110 million Euro in 2019, 95%
of which abroad. The Triplex SL One-Shot laminator developed on Mindsphere
combines mechanics, cloud and IoT. Partnerships with Siemens, Dow Chemical, Hp.
The President has the floor.
InsideNordmeccanica’sfactory
Thelatestinnovationisasystemtocontrolandsetupmachinesremotelywithaugmentedreality,developedinpartnershipwithSiemens.Nordmeccanicahasmadethecutting-edgeapplicationoftechnologyinelectronics,chemistryandsensoryengineeringitshallmark.Thankstothis,ithastakenover65%oftheglobalflexiblepackagingmachinesmarketforthefoodandcoatingindustry.Ithasinstalled3400ofthem,producedinits30thousandsquaremetersofwarehouses.
Itisoneoftheleadingcompaniesinthepackagingsector,oneofthespearheadsoftheItalianindustry:in2019,itsturnoverstoodat110millionEuro,inlinewiththeindustrialplanandgrowingslightlyyearonyear,despiteageneraldeclineinmechanicalengineeringinItaly.Afterall,NordmeccanicahasexpandeditsbusinessfromtheprovinceofPiacenzatothewholeworld,thankstoexportsthataccountfor95%ofits
turnover.Nordmeccanica'slaminatingandmetallizingmachinesclaimnottohaveanycomparisonwithothermarketproposals.Thankstosignificantinvestmentsinresearchanddevelopment(about5%ofrevenueseachyear),theyaretailormadeanddeliveredaccordingtoaturnkeybusinessmodelfromdesigntoinstallation,whilstensuringmaintenancethroughouttheirlifecycle.Overtheyears,thepackagingcompanyhaspartneredwithgiantsintheelectronics,chemistryandinformationtechnologyindustry,fromtheaforementionedSiemenstoDowChemicalandHp.
However,thiscombinationofwinningfactorsmaynotbeenoughnowtoovercometheCoronavirusearthquake.SoPresidentAntonioCerciellocannotholdbackhisanger."Wehaveordersthatallowustoworkuntiltheendoftheyear,butthesystemsalreadycompletedthatcouldbeshippedarestuckinthewarehouse,withtheclientswaitingforthem.WecannotsendourtechnicianstomounttheminIndia,SouthAmericaorIndonesia.Wecouldbesweptawaybyforeigncompetition,becauseFranceandGermanyhavenotexperiencedalockdownassevereasours,andwecouldbeovertakendespitebeingtopoftheclassinmachinetechnology.Butmyconcernisthatwewillseetherealimpactofthiscrisisin2021:ifwelose8%ofGDPin2020,theyearafterthedropwillbe15%.”
The tumble of mechanics
ThebacklashforItalianmechanicscouldbetremendous,ifweyoudonotgetbacktoworksoon.Wearetalkingaboutasectorthat,asweallknow,supportstheentireItalianeconomy.Inourcountry,mechanicsemploysabout1,600,000people,produceswealth(measuredbyaddedvalue)forover€120billionandexportsgoodsworthover€220billion,representingalmosthalfthetotalturnover.Itsexchangeassets(over50billionEuros)contributetothetotalrebalancingoftheItalianbalanceoftrade,whichisstructurallydeficientintheenergyandagri-foodsectors.
Italianengineeringproductionfrom2008to2018.Despitearecoveryafterthecollapsein2009,productionneverreachedpre-crisislevelsagain.Source:FedermeccanicaonIstatdataprocessing
Onebillionsevenhundredmillionperday:thisisthelossaccumulatedduringthelockdown,becausemachiningofsteel,bolts,valves,machines,automation,componentsandelectronicswerenotincludedintheessentialAtecocodesandwerestoppedfor90%duringtheweeksoflockdowntocontainthespreadofCovid-19.Ablowthataddsuptothealreadynotbrilliantperformanceof2019:accordingtoFedermeccanica,itregisteredanaveragedecreaseof3%comparedto2018,withheavylossesforinstrumentalmechanics(-2.8%),metalproducts(-4.4%)and,inparticularfortheautomotiveindustry,whichlostabout10%ofproduction.Overall,productionlevelswere27.6%lowerthaninthepre-recessionperiod(firstquarterof2008)andwearelastinthecomparisonwiththemaincountriesintheEUarea,outgrossedevenbySpain.Estimatesfor2020areterrible:theturnoverisexpectedtodropby40%permonth.Fortheentireindustrialsystemarea,Federmacchineestimatesanaveragedecreaseinrevenuesin2020of27%,over13billionEuro.Packagingrelatedmachineryshouldexperiencethemostlimiteddecrease(-15%)becauseitisaserviceindustrytootheressentialindustriesandthereforeitdidnotstopcompletely.
Laminating machines and hi-tech metallisation
Nordmeccanicacouldbeoneofthoseessentialcompanies,becauseitsmaincustomersworkinthefoodchain.Foundedin1978inPiacenza,itwastakenoverin1998byAntonioCerciello,aNeapolitanmechanicalengineer,bornin1940,withasolidmanagerialexperiencedevelopedfirstinstateholdingsandthenasanentrepreneur.Cerciellohasledthecompanytowardsworldleadershipinthemanufacturingofmachinesfortheproductionofpackagedfoodbags,pharmaceuticalblistersandawholeseriesofhigh-techproductions,suchasthosenecessarytoreproducehologramsoncreditcardsandbanknotes,filmsthatprotectphotovoltaicpanels,reinforcementsystemsforhelmetsandbulletproofvests.
Nordmeccanicapackagingmachine
"However,ourcorebusinessremainsthelaminatingmachines:theycombinethedifferentmaterialsthatmakeupthepackaging.Ourcustomersarethereforepackagingmanufacturers,theso-calledconvertersthatmakethepackagingforthefinalcompanies,andinourcase,80%ofthemoperatesinthefoodmarket,"Cercielloexplains.
Theproductionhasbeenenrichedovertimewithvacuumsystemsforplasticfilmmetallisation."Between2014and2015,wehavetakenovertheVacuumSystemandtheskillstobecomemetallizersfromtheGalileoGroup;wehavemovedproductionfromPratotoPiacenzaandinvestedtenmillioneuros".Themetallizerswillcoverotherindustries,suchasthephotovoltaic,imitationwoodandprotectivefilmsector."Overtime,wehavetriedtorespondtothegrowingdemandfortailor-madeproducts,whichrequirespecialisationandcontinuousrenewal.So,forinstance,wecreatedsolutionsusedintheproductionof
imitationwoodpanellingforflooringlargesurfaces,forthefurnitureandtheautomotiveindustry,whichemploysimitationwoodtocovercardashboards.”TheR&DlaboratoryoftheEmilia-basedgroupalsohousestheprototypeofamachineforcoatingtestsondifferenttypesoflacquer,tomeetthetechnicalrequirementsofeachcustomer.
A tablet for remote control of large machines (and other innovations)
NordmeccanicaDuplexCombiLinear
Differentskillsfromelectronicstomechanicstochemistryarerequiredtobringtheirperfectmachinestolife.Thisiswhythecompanyhasprivilegedcommercialagreementswithgiants,suchastheAustraliangroupAmcor,andexclusivetechnologyagreementswithSiemensforthedevelopmentofaugmentedrealitytechnologies.ThemostrecentandextraordinarilyinnovativemachineintherangeistheTriplexSLOne-Shot,whichputsCloudandIoTinthepackagingmechanics,thankstoitsdevelopmentonMindsphere,Siemens’cloudplatform.Theselargemachinesareequippedwithanaugmentedrealitytablet.Thetabletallowsthedisplayandsettingofmachineparametersinrealtimeonsitewithouthavingtoreturntotheoperatorpanel,andtheidentificationofthedifferentworkareas,givingtheoperatorormaintenancetechnicianallthenecessaryinformation.Bymeansofalinktoanapplicationitispossible,byframingspeciallabelsonthemachine,todisplayorlaunchtheprintingofareportwiththedataoftheidentifiedobject.
Theadvantagesareobvious:thepersonnelworkingonthemachineequippedwithatablethavethepossibilitytoworkalongtheentiremachineandarenotboundtotheareaswheretheHmi(HumanMachineInterface)arelocated.Thisavoidsmovingcontinuouslyalongathree-storeymachine;quicklyidentifythepointorgroupofthemachineconcernedandactimmediately;and,reduceerrors,becauseidentificationiscertain.Thankstothisoperatingsystem,itispossibletoanalysedatawhich,today,areconsideredthetreasureofindustry4.0andcompaniescanmakethemostofthemwiththeuseofdigitaltechnologies."WearepartofthecompaniesthatfoundedtheMindsphereWorldItaliaassociation-explainsCerciello-tomanagedatathroughasecurecloudandanimportantpartnerlikeSiemens.Datathatallowustonetworkthemachinesandinformcustomersiftheyareperformingasexpected.”
Partnerships with the giants
NordmeccanicamovesintotheterritoryofCloudandIoTpackagingmechanics,thankstothedevelopmentonMindsphere,Siemens'cloudplatform.InFebruary,shortlybeforetheItalianlockdownwasmadeofficial,Nordmeccanicapresentedthelatestultra-technologicalmachinedevelopedincollaborationwithHpIndigo:asolventlesslaminationsolutionthatcanbasicallyprinton-demandvirtuallyanysizeandvarietyofflexiblepackagingtosupportthegrowingmarketdemandforfastdelivery.Theability,throughlamination,ofprotectingtheprintandimproveitsmechanicalandchemicalproperties,increasesthevalueofthefinishedproductandexpandsthepossibilityofgrowthforconvertersattheserviceoftheircustomers.ThenewlaminatingmachineisalreadyoperationalattheUSe-PacFlexiblePackagingconverterplants.
"Notonlyelectronicsandmechanics:chemistryisfundamental,sincewealsodealwithadhesives.Todevelopthemachines,wehaverelationshipswiththeworld'sleadingadhesivemanufacturerssuchasDowDuPontandHenkel,bybringingourownmachinestotheirlaboratoriessothattheycantestmachineandadhesivetogether.Thankstothismodel,ourmachinesremainattheforefrontforatleastfiveyears.”WithDowChemicalinparticular,Nordmeccanicahascreatedamachinethateliminatesthetechnicaltimerequiredtocooltheadhesives,abolishingstorageofthematerialinthewarehouseforcooling:theconvertercansendthepackagesdirectlytoproduction,reducingthetimefrom3-4daystojust90minutes.
A company made in Italy
NordmeccanicaisanentirelyItalianproduction,andisproudofit;"ourknow-howisallItalianandwedependonaregionalsupplychain.InItalythereare260employees(outofatotalof340)and130peopleemployedinsatelliteactivitiesinPiacenza,comprisingmostlymechanicalworkshopownerswhoworkalmostexclusivelyforusonourdesign.WeareapointofreferenceforPiacenza’seconomy.Wedothemechanicalandelectronicdesigninhouse,supportedbySiemens:alltheengineeringisours,andintheendwetakecareoftheassemblyandtesting,aswellastheinstallationatthecustomercompany.Theserviceweprovideisturnkey:weleavethecustomerwhenthemachineisrunningatfullcapacityandthenweprovideafter-salesupportthroughouttheproductlifecycle".AconsolidatedmodelthathasalsobeentransferredtotheShanghaiplant,"wherewehavetaughtthemechanicalworkshopsintheareaourmethodsandtechnologies,andnottheyarecapableofsupplyingthenecessarycomponentsforourmachineswiththesamequality.”
...with the aim of conquering the world..
Nordmeccanicahasfiveproductionplants,threeinItaly,oneinChinaandoneintheUnitedStates(inNewYork)andanetworkofrepresentativescovering87countriesaroundtheworld. Inparticular,NordmeccanicahasbeenpresentinChinasince2006andinShanghaisince2009,witha1,500squaremeterplant,subsequentlyexpandedin2012tomeetthegrowingneedsofthemarket.Thenumberofemployeesincreasedfrom6in2009to28in2013,to50today.Today,inChinaNordmeccanicacovers65%ofthemarketshareofthesector.
Amiraclethatwasachievedfocusingonqualityandfittinginwiththegrowingdemandforfoodsafety,drivenSafetyFoodLawby2015,whichalsoinvolvedpackaging,which,forinstance,mustbefreeofpotentiallycontaminatingsolvents."Thelaminatedmaterialsinfoodpackaginghavedifferentfunctions:oneprotectstheproductfromlightormoisture,andtheotheronecarriesthebrandnameontheoutside.Thesematerialsarebondedthroughadhesives,whichcanbewithorwithoutsolvent.Obviously,thelatteraresaferandweareleadersinthese,"Cercielloexplains.
Expansionintherestoftheworldhasgonehandinhand:thecompanyistheleadingexporterofthesectoralsoinNorthAmerica,withaplantinNewYork,IndiaandLatinAmerica,andtwodirectcustomersupportofficesinMumbaiandBuenosAires."Todayweexport15%totheUS,and50%toSouthEastAsia;weareallovertheworldincludingJapan.Italyrepresentsonlyaresidualpartintermsoftradingmarkets".
The world after Covid-19
NordmeccanicaheadquartersinPiacenza
Foranentrepreneuraccustomedtobeingintheworld,itwaspeculiartoseethelinesclosedduetotheCoronavirus.Butdespitethis,Nordmeccanicahasmadeamassiveefforttocomplywiththerulesforsafeguardingthehealthofitsemployees."Wearereadytocomply100%withthefullsecurityregulations,byusingthenecessarydevices,andresortingtosocialdistancingandsmartworkingwhereverpossible.Thecompanyisalsowillingtopayforserologicaltestsontheemployeestoallowthemtoworkassafelyaspossible.Weareequippedfromdayoneandwehaveexpandedouroffices,movedthelinessoastoguaranteeaminimumdistanceoftwometersbetweentechnicians,andcompletelysanitizedtheenvironment.Alotofcompanieshavedonethesamething.Wewanttoreassurethepublicthatwecare
aboutprotectingourpeoplemorethananyoneelseandweareequippedtomakethemworksafely,"concludesCerciello,whoaccusesthegovernmentofputtingtheItalianindustryanditsreputationintheworldatrisk."It'sparadoxical:everythingstopped,exceptforbureaucracy,whichwasn'ttheleastaffectedbythepandemics.Itisabsurdthatacraftsmanhastopresent19documentsinordertoget25,000euros.InFranceandSwitzerland,theprocedureismuchmorestreamlinedandmuchlargeramountsgetcreditedonbankaccountsinjustafewdays".Andit'sabsurdthattherearenocertainties.
"WehaveinformedallourcustomersandagentsthatwehaveimplementedalltheactionsrequiredbytheItalianGovernmenttopreventandcontrolthespreadofthevirus,whileensuringthecorrectassistanceanddeliveryofspareparts.Butwearestillpenalizedbytheclimateofsuspicionthatthereisabroad:betweenrevocationsofmeetings,refusalstowelcometechniciansarrivingfromPiacenza,andpostponeddeliveries,wehave4-5millioneuroscurrentlywaitingforsomethingthatispostponedwithoutacertaindatetoresumetesting".
https://www.industriaitaliana.it/packaging-nordmeccanica-imballaggi-confezionatrici-cerciello-industria/
