Fedrigoni installs ABB’s lab data management system

Research development and innovation (RD&I) facility in Italy to expedite paper testing

September 18, 2023

Global manufacturer of premium papers and self-adhesive materials, Fedrigoni, has contracted ABB to install its L&W Lab Management System (LMS) at its new RD&I facility in Verona to optimize efficiency and reduce lab procedure time.

The Fedrigoni Innovation Center, a milestone in the Group’s growth journey, will officially open at the beginning of 2024. The 3,000 sqm space will consist of four closely complementary areas: the RD&I department, the FedLab (incubator of new ideas), the Customer Experience Centre and the Customer Academy (internal and external training).

ABB’s LMS has been purpose-built for paper testing labs, with automated lab reporting that is specifically tailored to workflow practices. This enables the operator to quickly and accurately complete measurements by sample or instrument and know which test is to be performed for every sample.

Data from the lab instruments is automatically aggregated and captured in the database, eliminating the risk of errors and significantly reducing data collection time. Results become immediately available to the user who can use the web-based application to view historic data, quality reports, product quality limits, trends, and key performance indicators (KPIs) in a dashboard.

“The Innovation Center aims to be the home of innovation for both our worlds of special papers for packaging and creative communication and premium self-adhesives,” said Marco Nespolo, CEO at Fedrigoni Group. “It will be a physical space where we can bring together the best talents, inside and outside Fedrigoni, and the most advanced technological solutions to develop projects, new products and applications that support our customers. ABB’s lab management system met all of our requirements and will be instrumental in helping us to roll out new developments more quickly in the future.”

“We are pleased to support Fedrigoni’s commitment to paper and self-adhesives quality and digital innovation and be a part of its RD&I facility in Italy, which will be key to its expansion plans,” said Erik Teunissen, Regional Sales manager, ABB Italy. “ABB’s new, modern LMS will help increase Fedrigoni’s productivity and efficiency by streamlining workflows, reducing time and risk of manual errors, and expediting the overall quality testing process for product development.”

Part of ABB Ability, the LMS is scalable and can connect different benchtop lab testing instruments, as well as automated paper testing systems such as the L&W Autoline, into one database and interface. This installation will connect Fedrigoni’s 10 different L&W instruments – ABB’s L&W Bending Tester, L&W Bendtsen Tester, L&W Air Permeance Tester, L&W Tearing Tester, L&W Tensile Tester, L&W Micrometer, L&W Bursting Strength Tester, L&W OptiTopo, L&W TSO Tester and L&W Fiber Tester as well as third-party instruments – directly to the LMS which then is accessed via a web-browser.

ABB’s Process Automation business automates, electrifies and digitalizes industrial operations that address a wide range of essential needs – from supplying energy, water and materials, to producing goods and transporting them to market. With its ~20,000 employees, leading technology and service expertise, ABB Process Automation helps customers in process, hybrid and maritime industries improve performance and safety of operations, enabling a more sustainable and resource-efficient future.

Packaging South Asia — resilient, growing and impactful — daily, monthly — always responsive

The multi-channel B2B in print and digital 17-year-old platform matches the industry’s growth trajectory. The Indian, South Asian, Southeast Asian, and Middle East packaging industries are looking beyond the resilience of the past three years. They are resuming capacity expansion and diversification, with high technology and automation in new plants and projects.

As we present our 2024 publishing plan, India’s real GDP growth for the financial year ending 31 March 2024 will exceed 6%. The packaging industry growth will match the GDP growth in volume terms and surpass it by at least 3% in terms of nominal growth allowing for price inflation in energy, raw materials, consumables, and capital equipment.

The capacity for flexible film manufacturing in India increased by 45% over the past four years. With orders in place, we expect another 20% capacity addition in 2024 and 2025. Capacities in monocartons, corrugation, aseptic liquid packaging, and labels are grown similarly. As the consumption story returns over the next six months, we expect demand to return and exceed the growth trajectory of previous years. The numbers are positive for most of the economies in the region – and as shown by our analytics, our platform increasingly reaches and influences these.

For responsible and sustainable packaging, with its attendant regulations and compliances, there is significant headroom to grow in India and the region. Our coverage includes the entire packaging supply chain – from concept to shelf and to waste collection, sorting, and recycling.

We target brand owners, product managers, raw material suppliers, packaging designers and converters, and recyclers. This is a large and complex canvas – the only thing that can work is your agile thinking and innovation together with our continuous learning and persistence.

The coming year looks to be an up year in this region, and this is the right time to plan your participation and marketing communication – in our rich and highly targeted business platform with human resources on the ground. Share your thoughts and plans and to inspire and mobilize our editorial and advertising teams!

For editorial info@ippgroup.in — for advertisement ads1@ippgroup.in and for subscriptions subscription@ippgroup.in

– Naresh Khanna (25 October 2023)

Subscribe Now