Quality codes for new coffee packaging configurati

In the grips of strong structural growth and, because of this, worthy of being watched carefully, the Mokapak plant (Lavazza group) is moving ahead with an important development. Concentrating on the production of coffee pads, in many ways it represents the state of the art in packaging technologies, and among its many suppliers is Markem, which, with its coding and marking systems, rounds off the system of quality and efficient production.

Everything which happens in the Lavazza “world” seems to have the flavour of a well put together story, where the reader appreciates the details and nuances because, deep down, he is stimulated by the curiosity which spurs him to go further and, above all, by the intellectual honesty of someone who believes strongly in a project to be developed over time. Much of what has happened from the end of the 19th century until now is the result of positive ideas linked to the “magic bean” and the best way of processing it, packaging it and causing it to be appreciated, which have been synthesised into careful technological development and market awareness. Thus, with a balance of bravery and entrepreneurial pragmatism, of industrial discipline and the flexibility to adapt to the new (even anticipating it), today Lavazza occupies sixth place among the world’s biggest coffee producers but is the biggest single product company in the sector, a leader in the purchase and processing of coffee beans. It is the national leader in the ‘Home Sector’, with more than 47% of the total share, and is present in the Old and New Worlds with seven associated companies. However, production is concentrated in Italy with its four plants in Turin (73,000 sq. m, the largest in Europe), Verres (AO), Pozzilli (IS) and at Mokapak di Gattinara (VC). So, coffee. Coffee is always coffee… in granular form and ground but also in pads. Over the last few years, this last way of packaging has assumed strategic importance, thanks to its service content which can be transferred to consumers everywhere, by reducing the variables linked to the preparation of good coffee: no need for measuring, constant organoleptic properties of the product, quality guaranteed by careful blending and, obviously, the Lavazza trade mark. These features are very much appreciated abroad, where the ‘good coffee culture’ is less widespread than in Italy, and where it is necessary to make it easy to prepare a stimulating drink, with a flavour unchanged over time.

QUALITY ACHIEVED THROUGH EFFICIENCY

The production of Lavazza coffee pads takes place entirely in the Mokapak plant, which comprises an overall area of 50,000 sq. m, about 30,000 of which are under cover. The production site dates from the 1980s, the initiative of several local entrepreneurs who saw the potential of a ‘pad/machine for coffee preparation’ system, developed according to innovative criteria. In 1989, Lavazza acquired technology and equipment, taking advantage of its knowhow of coffee processing and distribution in a narrow sense. The consolidation of innovation and brand name did the rest, contributing to rising awareness of the practical aspects of this system, supported by the guarantee of a quality product. “A very positive consolidation,” says factory director Fulvio Godio, “and the statistics confirm this: we have gone from a few hundred thousand pads produced in the 1980s to 1 billion 350 million. And given that, between 1995-2000, Mokapak saw significant growth in production, even reaching 20-25% annually, we have been obliged to rethink our attitude, as well as the physical layout of the plant”. The pads produced at present can be divided into two large groups: the classic ‘single dose’ intended for OCS, (Office Coffee Service - the system includes pads, table top machines and consumer kits, that is, spoons, sugar, cups etc); the so-called ‘dual dose’, which dispenses a double measure of coffee and comes into the ‘Home Line’, for consumption in the home, which represents about 20% of Mokapak production. These are not sold through organised distribution channels but on an ad hoc basis. The standardisation of formats does not limit the offer: there are many variations where espresso coffee is concerned (different blends to satisfy ‘even the refined palate’ of Italian consumers, as well as foreigners’ tastes with all the small difference, which exist from country to country) to which must be added the soluble products (Lipton brand tea and camomile, ‘white drink’, Knorr stock granules etc). Although having to cater for such a wide range of products, the results obtained by the Mokapak plant are an example of how the intelligent use of technology can lead to more and better products. “Working well today,” explains Godio, “means understanding how to overcome the critical issues, thus obtaining maximum performance in every situation”.

A LONG PRODUCTION CYCLE

The production, filling, packing and packaging processes for single dose pads is complex, and this has involved the creation, for the handling of part-worked materials, finished products and packaging, of an involved network of automatic handling systems, pneumatic conveyors, overhead conveyor belts, elevators, roller tracks and LGVs. Working on the basis of ideally shared logistics of all the Lavazza plants, the setup and management of Mokapak’s production/logistics system has been studied in the smallest detail. “The development has been considerable,” explains Godio, “but now we have arrived at a position of great freedom of action: for example, from every pad assembly and packaging line, it is possible to reach any bundling machine and, from every one of these, to get to the various palletisation stations”.

Everything starts with the moulding department (connected to granule storage silos), equipped with injection moulding machines (BMB), where the bodies and covers of the polypropylene pads are manufactured. The moulded pieces arrive at a storage container (there is a dedicated silo for every press), where they stay for a few hours to encourage complete structuring of the polymer.
A battery of automatic machines inserts the filter into the base of the body of the pad, before transferring them to the line, where a measure of coffee is dispensed into them and the cover is bonded on (Tecmes/Optima system) and then they are packaged, two by two, by a vertical machine (Rovema) with the insertion of an inert gas. The material used to protect the pads is the ‘classic’ triple-bonded laminate with an internal layer of aluminium, normally used by Lavazza for its whole product range.
The printing of variable data onto each individual package is carried out by heat transfer coding machines onto film, by the Smartdate model from Markem.
The bags (50 at a time) are then placed in a box, which is first labeled and then marked with a Markem Series 5000 coding machine which, as well as the sellby date, prints the lot number and the producer’s name, adding a barcode with the information needed by the logistics management and the warehouse. In this case, the Markem systems are driven by in line PCs which at the moment are stand alone, but a network is being developed which will facilitate dialogue between the marker and the central system.
An elevator takes the boxes to a storage area, forming a homogeneous group of six units. After the barcode has been read, to verify that the boxes all come from the same packaging line and that they contain the same product (in other words, that they are suitable to make up a single bundle), the loads reach the bundling machine (MAF) which wraps them with heat shrink film.
Before reaching the palletisation areas (Euroimpianti), each equipped with 5 pallet stations, two readers once again check the information contained in the barcode printed on the boxes, so that the robots can correctly make up a load.
Once the pallets are completed, the data is transmitted to the LGV system, which automatically internalises the information about the nature of the load, collects the pallets and transfers them to the pallet wrapping system.
Finally, two A5 format labels are affixed to the sides of the pallets, before an operative picks them up for placement in the despatch area.
From here, the completed pallets are immediately taken to Lavazza warehouses for despatch.

THE VALUE OF GOOD CODING

On the road towards ‘productivity without hitches’, the choice of Markem solutions for coding directly onto and marking of the boxes was dictated by motives of efficiency and reliability, confirmed by the ‘historical’ experience gained in a company environment.

Continuously, on flexible packaging

“When Mokapak acquired its first vertical packaging lines,” explains Godio, “it needed to be able to continuously mark the flexible bags; it was Markem who provided a suitable response right from the start, installing Touch Dry markers. The subsequent inclusion of Smartdate, used extensively today on almost all packaging lines, has improved efficiency: easy to use, flexible and accurate, they are an important link in a long and complex production chain. Having to handle many production lines, the functioning of every detail is important. Paradoxically, effective and efficient systems have to help us to ‘forget’ the ‘problem’, which in this case is marking, by limiting the interventions to necessary operations, such as replacing the reels of foil, programming data, etc… The presence and legibility of the writing on the bags is also verified by regular checks by the operators”.

More information on the boxes

Regarding the so-called ‘end of line’, however, the choice of coding directly onto the boxes is more recent. “The Markem 5000 coding machines,” continues Godio, “had been tried out at the Turin plant, on lines for the packaging of one kilo packs of coffee grains. When Mokapak also wanted to put codes the cardboard boxes, the efficiency demonstrated by the system was considered suitable for emerging requirements. So we opted for the same system, because of the excellent results obtained and the many advantages gained from its adoption: the resins can be changed without stopping the machine, daily maintenance and cleaning are simplified, cleaning operations with solvents are not necessary, and there is a wide choice of graphics and characters. So, printing all the variable information onto the boxes allowed us to eliminate substantial wastage of pre-printed labels”. A safe system, which, by avoiding many problems, has allowed productive efficiency to be increased. “Although remaining a simple transport packaging,” adds Godio, “the box thus becomes an important vehicle for information, to be divided into different levels: the barcode printed on one side contains all the data relating to the filling and packaging line, needed for the good functioning of handling systems and the palletisation stations. And the coding and marking machines supplied by Markem have provided performance which has met all our expectations”.

Standard, with surprises

From the early 20th century until now, much has been done to make the Lavazza brand synonymous with quality coffee, both for the habitual consumer, obviously, whether at home or in the bar, and for the world of automatic distribution. The story of the company is above all the story of a family which, for four generations, has worked passionately to combine quality, tradition and originality. For Lavazza, producing “a coffee culture” means continual investment in research, in careful nurturing of the image and communication, in development of the marketing logistics which have resulted in its success in 80 countries, in the setting up of a Training Centre where training courses are held for bar staff to instruct them in the production of coffee in public outlets. And in many innovative initiatives such as, for example, the recent “Espesso”, a solid coffee which is not drunk but eaten. The ability to “go a step further” is one of the company’s distinctive features. This is shown by the international Lavazza “Blue” project (Best Lavazza Ultimate Espresso), which (we can count on it, Ed) will cause a big stir in the world of automatic distribution, especially because it represents a valuable admission card to a big market, the vending one, which until now the Piedmont company has only partly conquered. Presented at the Venditalia 2004 exhibition, this is an integration of the present system based on traditional pads, injection moulded and packaged in bags made from flexible barrier material. In fact, Blue is a “closed” system, using different types of machine and a single “new” single-dose capsule. Distributors are carefully selected to cover the various sectors of use (OCS, home, vending, etc) and the capsule is self-protected (a heat moulded mini container of extruded barrier material with EVOH) ensuring the constant quality of the product. The extraction method is also exclusive and works through the deformation of the base of the pad, with further perforation by a spiked filter. In the best Lavazza tradition, the solution takes a new consumption route, at the same time exploiting the essential factors which “make quality”: great practicality in use, a guarantee of maximum protection, efficiency in the dispensing and preparation of espresso coffee. And, similar to what happened in the early 1970s, with the introduction of the flexible vacuum pack for ground coffee (quickly taken up by other brands) the packaging becomes a tangible vehicle of the innovative strength of the brand.