Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/1483499
10 STiR coffee and tea | 2022 Issue 5 (October/November) A utomatic equipment manufacturer, IMA Group recently consolidated its lead- ing role within the coffee industry by opening the IMA Coffee LAB at its facilities located at IMA Coffee Petroncini headquarters in northern Italy. A unique center, open to all customers and coffee processing companies seeking profes- sional advice and innovative solutions, IMA Coffee LAB houses a fully functioning pilot plant covering all handling, processing, and packaging stages. Far more than a showroom where customers can appreciate the extent of IMA's expertise at each step of the process, IMA Coffee LAB is a place to experiment solu- tions and gain a tangible overview of an entire plant. Customers are invited to come and test their own coffee at any step of the process or run a complete processing and packaging test through the pilot plant. Partnering each customer one to one Specialist technicians are available on a permanent basis at the LAB to provide visit- ing companies with valuable advice and technical details covering all aspects of the machines and packaging solutions available. Working together on developing the ideal configuration enables IMA to adapt key features according to specific customer needs, leading to no less than a tailor-made solution. Ultimately the goal is to provide all the answers needed to create an integrated processing and packaging line which will maxi- mize production efficiency, performance, and achieve the required product quality. Using the IMA Coffee LAB to optimize each aspect related to a customer's product simply reflects the importance IMA attributes to finding the best possible solution. A closer look at the different stages featured at the LAB As the key benefit of having a single source for handling, processing, and packaging is the one-stop supplier approach, IMA Coffee LAB explores all stages in an integrated fashion. This allows customers to appreciate and adapt any step of the process to achieve the desired result. In an area covering 3.000 sq.m. at the IMA Coffee Petron- cini facility, the LAB comprises handling stages from intake to roasting, grinding, and up to the primary packaging stage. IMA Launches Coffee LAB Coffee LAB is a unique, a scaled-down plant open to customers and featuring the latest processing and packaging technologies. An on-site Analysis Laboratory takes care of testing green coffee, roasted cof- fee, and ground coffee for key parame- ters such as humidity, color, particle size distribution, CO2 content, and sensorial analysis. This allows visiting companies to make several tests and gather vital information to help make the right deci- sions before defining the details of each machine and the overall process. Valuable consultancy and concrete solutions are available for all packaging requirements. IMA's vast experience in this field is also supported by OPEN LAB, the group's innovative laboratory which researches sustainable alternatives by developing exclusive packaging ma- terials for tomorrow's world. Capsule resistance can also be tested physically at the laboratory and IMA technicians are available to guide companies in their choice of materials. Customers are also encouraged to run trials on their own packaging materials at the pilot plant. IMA Coffee LAB can also be seen as an opportunity for companies to rein- force their knowledge of coffee handling, processing, and packaging. As a work- ing, scaled-down plant covering the ma- jority of equipment involved in the entire production process, it is an environment which enables visitors to examine all as- pects closely, run numerous trials and ob- tain immediate answers. View of the pilot plant.