STiR coffee and tea magazine

STiR coffee and tea 27 SPONSORED CONTENT Innovative Solutions for the Handling of Compostable Capsules "The new IMA Coffee machines are designed to enhance filling and sealing poten- tial for companies targeting higher goals, catering to both small and large production volumes while adhering to sustainability principles and ensuring consistent product quality," Panzani states. Compatibility tests for capsules, filters, and top-lid films are conducted in IMA OpenLabs to identify optimal sealing parameters, material limits, and proper machine configurations for handling compostable capsule materials effectively. IMA's scientific approach has resulted in an innovative commercial solution: the SYNKRO machine, specifically designed for filling and sealing compostable capsules. "With its innovative capsule transfer system based on independent magnetic shut- tles, SYNKRO ensures exceptional flexibility, allowing different dwell times at each processing station. This enables optimal sealing of compostable materials requiring varying sealing times without reducing cycle speed. It improves shelf life without com- promising quality, at speeds comparable to traditional materials," Panzani explains. Commitment to Quality and Sustainability Aware of roasters' concerns about coffee quality and freshness, Panzani emphasizes that IMA's dosing, filling, and sealing units ensure consistent performance throughout the process. "We have developed an innovative dosing unit that employs pre-compression to compact coffee during capsule filling, resulting in a homogeneous product. This en- sures consistent dosing for each batch," he explains. During the development phase, the team prioritized reducing packaging material waste and worked to create a fully sustainable, end-to-end process. The Coffee Control Room: Automation and Full Plant Control IMA Coffee Hub's commitment to sustainability and innovation is further reflected in another of its automated products: the Coffee Control Room. This multifunctional software package includes various control systems for roasting and packaging, de- signed to enhance overall efficiency. Panzani explains that the new technology is intended to provide flexibility and consistent quality to medium and large-scale roasters through a comprehensive range of integrated solutions. "For coffee producers, product customization and packaging quality assurance are essential factors that led us to design the Coffee Control Room. With this application, they can fully control process parameters through automatic data exchange," Pan- zani says. "It is designed to meet the production needs of industrial and mid-sized plants, allowing users to closely moni- tor and track production lines through intelligent monitoring and global factory production control functions. The data exchange functionality automates pro- duction flow from raw coffee reception to final packaging, providing complete visibility and traceability of the product." Panzani points out that automa- tion has become a fundamental element across the entire coffee supply chain. He explains that the Coffee Control Room can monitor every stage of the coffee processing and packaging process. "The system summarizes daily roast- ing production via its dashboard interface and can identify the amount of coffee in storage silos—whether green, roasted, or ground. This prevents production errors and contamination," Panzani says. "Modern production facilities of- ten use complex and varied equipment, and integrating technologies can make tracking production challenging, limiting traceability. That's why we created a very simple and integrable system. The unified dashboard combines roasting and pack- aging data with the factory management systems, creating a fully automated end- to-end solution," Panzani adds. Ensuring Transparency and Efficiency Designed to offer complete transpar- ency for operators, the Coffee Control Room is equipped with smart functions that allow operators to identify compo- nents with suboptimal performance and ensure that both roasting and packaging machines are operating efficiently. "With alarms and helpful advice, the software provides real-time insights into machine and factory performance. The system's guidance aims to minimize downtime and create an optimal work- flow," explains Panzani. "This system can increase production batch yields and reduce the number of re- jected pieces, which is also cost-effective for the company. It covers all aspects of the processing and packaging workflow, providing fully automated lines." The Coffee Control Room showcases IMA Coffee Hub's commitment to innova- tion and supporting coffee roasters in the industry. IMA Coffee Hub aims to meet the rapidly evolving coffee market's demands by developing high-quality solutions that en- hance its customers' performance. The Coffee Control Room can track production lines through intelligent monitoring system to have the full control of the global factory production.

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