The technology will enable the dairy manufacturer to meet the complex labeling requirements on its 2-liter milk and laban (yogurt-like product popular in the Arab world) container production lines.
Starting operations in 2017
Almarai placed the order after carrying out a detailed comparison of alternative technologies and suppliers.
Paolo Mongardi, president, Sacmi, told DairyReporter the machine will be installed and tested at the Almarai plant by next autumn.
He said the labeler is equipped with a roll-fed labeling module for the application of OPP (oriented polypropylene) wrap-around labels and is capable of handling up to 24,000 applications an hour.
“The Opera unit has proven to be one of the most competitive machines in responding to the complex needs posed by 2-liter containers because they have very thin walls, are particularly prone to deformation and are formed at ultra-high rates (300 containers a minute),” said Mongardi.
Reel splicing system
“As a result, Sacmi has equipped the labeler with a special pressurization system that maintains a certain rigidity of the empty container during the labeling process, ensuring process quality at high output rates.”
The technology includes an automatic reel splicing system, Sacmi LVS label quality and positioning control system, as well as an inspection system that acts directly on the line, validating the labeling process and automatically rejecting any containers with faulty labels.
Mongardi added, Sacmi is already a major technology provider to Saudi Arabia, thanks to its subsidiary Sacmi Middle East, which has been based in the UAE for more than 10 years.