Tag: automation|e-commerce|packaging

CMC Packaging Automation, a global leader in right-sized packaging technology, has a new brand, logo, and website. Formerly known as CMC Machinery, the new brand reflects CMC’s focus on innovation and will support the company’s global expansion.

To meet the demands of the global logistics and e-commerce market, CMC pioneers solutions for right- sized packaging. Grounded in its approach to innovation and partnership, the company says it is shaping the future of packaging automation. Every solution has a positive environmental impact, with cost-saving, climate-conscious packaging that is helping e-commerce and logistics industry giants reach their sustainability goals without compromising on quality.

With a proven track record of efficiency and global recognition as a leader in its sector, in November 2020 CMC became a portfolio company of KKR’s Global Impact strategy – powering greater innovation with sustainable technology. CMC Packaging Automation is also part of the Amazon Climate Pledge Fund, a US$2bn venture investment programme supporting the development of sustainable technologies and services.

The e-commerce industry, CMC’s core client base, is currently facing new challenges to packaging. EU policy makers are increasingly scrutinising the industry, with plans to unveil new legislation that will limit packaging sizes and the amount of “empty space” allowed in boxes being shipped. CMC technology helps to reduce the cubic volume of each box by 40% on average and eliminate the use of plastic air pillows.

CMC connects past, present and future

Commenting on this important milestone, Francesco Ponti, Chief Executive Officer of CMC, said: “I am proud to reveal our new brand name – CMC Packaging Automation – as well as our new logo and website. We refreshed the brand to support our next phase of growth while keeping a connection to the passion and quality which for over 40 years has made CMC an industry leader. Connecting the past, present and future is our commitment to innovation to solve critical challenges for our clients. Now more than ever sustainability is paramount, especially reducing waste and their climate impact.

Pedro Ramos, Principal in KKR’s Global Impact team in EMEA, said: “We share the vision of the Ponti family and its team to create the future of packaging and e-commerce at a time when global retailers are increasingly focused on reducing their environmental footprint. CMC’s solutions ensure sustainability is embedded from pick to pack, with a commitment to enabling a zero-waste future through innovation. With its refreshed brand, CMC is now better positioned to grow and deepen its partnerships with leading retailers, logistics and e-commerce companies.”

From family-run business to global enterprise, the business is now present in 25 countries across five subsidiaries. Headquartered in the heart of the Umbria region, CMC provides world-class automation solutions and service to a global network of over 600 clients. With over 40 years of homegrown experience and 3000 systems globally, CMC produces over 10 million boxes a year.

 

E-Wrap, Sitma‘s new e-commerce wrapper, will be on display at Ipack-IMA, from 3rd to 6th May 2022, in Hall 6P – Stand B01 C02. The machine in question will be the “paper wrapping” version, specifically designed for the world of e-commerce and logistics. It was developed by Sitma Machinery, an Italian company with over 50 years’ experience in the field, and now a leading producer of automated equipment for logistics and packaging.

Paper E-Wrap fits perfectly within Sitma’s range of automatic and semi-automatic paper packaging machines. These include the Fast Pack machine, a workhorse for high-speed packaging in the e-commerce sector, and the 8002 model, specially designed for Frozen Food. The new Paper E-Wrap machine has all the typical features of Sitma solutions in terms of compactness, ease of use, flexibility and reliability.

E-Wrap is designed to meet the need for speedy and efficient management that the logistics sector for e-commerce demands. The unit can be easily integrated into different production settings and combined with units for labelling and weighing, as well as an advanced tracking system.

E-Wrap can also be used for the automatic management of printing systems, and for inserting documents into the package. Indeed, the machine has been specifically designed to meet the needs of the e-commerce sector in terms of documents and promotional material (invoices, delivery notes, return labels, coupons, leaflets, etc.).

The machine can both be physically integrated into hubs with different layouts, and also connected up in terms of software. Indeed, E-Wrap can coordinate with the complex IT systems that control modern logistics centres, which need to manage huge amounts of data in relation to tracking products in the supply chain. E-Wrap is especially flexible in terms of packaging: it is in fact the first machine able to create either envelopes or packs to fit the three-dimensional form of the object(s) being packaged.

The unit on display in Milan has two winning features: not only can it “read” three-dimensional objects and create customised packaging, it can also make use of heat-sealable paper, a feature that makes it a truly green machine.

“Paper wrapping” is one of the most important frontiers for sustainable packaging; because if paper is produced in specific ways, it can be repeatedly recycled, reducing the environmental impact of the system. However, E-Wrap goes even further, as it can make use of heat-sealing paper that does not require an extra adhesive system: an aspect that helps simplify not only the management of the process but also the maintenance of the machine.