Join the #BlisteRevolution

This October Packaging Today and Converting Today were given the privilege of joining Marchesini Group for a tour of their new factory in Carpi, Italy.  Confirmed by the company’s CEO Maurizio Marchesini as “the biggest thermoforming hub in Italy”, the new production will demonstrate yet again Marchesini Group’s commitment to excellence and innovation.

Covering 14,000 square meters the production hub is exclusively focused on the forming of plastic materials to make pharmaceutical blisters. The hub has already required 300 people to help construct it and been delivered at a cost of €14 Million. Following this inauguration there will be 150 permanent workers based here plus an additional 50 technicians and engineers who will join from the surrounding areas of Carpi and Modena over the next 12-18 months.

The official launch was witnessed by prominent officials such as the Minister for the Environment, Mr. Gian Luca Galletti, the governor of the Emilia-Romagna Region, Mr. Stefano Bonaccini, the Mayor of Carpi, Mr. Alberto Bellelli, the Bishop of Carpi, H.E. Monsignor Francesco Cavina and Maurizio Marchesini, the CEO of the Group and Chairman of the Industrialists Association of Emilia-Romagna.

Mr. Gian Luca Galletti said “Marchesini’s new factory in Carpi sums up what the country needs to grow, namely sustainable technology, an investment that brings new job opportunities and local development, strongly focusing on environmental aspects. Following the historical agreement reached during the Cop21 in Paris, the world chose the production model of decarbonisation, regeneration and sustainability: some national businesses realised this before others and this is why they will be immediately and lastingly competitive on the marketplace. Once again, the Emilia-Romagna region proves that Italy is back on its feet and ready to act as a European leader of green economy”.

Maurizio Marchesini agreed, saying “The factory in Carpi has been built, and will continue to grow, as a modern smart factory. It will produce at industrial rates but with the quality of fine tailored products. The technologies exploited will ensure energy from renewable sources and will minimise harmful emissions. Each workplace has been created using exclusively Made-in-Italy products. Today, we are not just inaugurating a factory, but we are celebrating a way of doing business and of enhancing our land”.

According to the mayor of Carpi Stefano Bonaccini. : “Marchesini Group represents a smart business model: research and development, deep roots in the local area, on-going growth on international marketplaces, social responsibility of the business and strong internal bonds, great awareness toward people and the working environment and continuous training. The fact that the growth of the Group goes through the magnificent factory inaugurated in Carpi - in the area hit by the earthquake of 2012 that has never surrendered but that has started again even stronger and even more competitive -is a great merit that goes also to this land and the people who live here”.

As part of the inauguration there was a 5 day open house to which Packaging Today and Converting Today were given the honour of attending. This close up tour allowed observation of the latest machinery at work as well as key seminars on key topics in the pharmaceutical industry. 

The open house was a resounding success; showing that it is possible to continuously innovate and improve manufacturing techniques and processes, even in highly competitive markets such as pharmaceutical blister packaging and thermoforming.

Without compromising the proprietary excellence and process used to create the new machinery what stands out with Marchesini Group is the attention to detail and precision that is applied to all their activities. One of the new machines is able to individually check pills before they are sealed and so prevents broken, contaminated or otherwise subpar products to be packaged. Finding one pill in the thousands that are being passed per minute is exceptionally secure and innovative but further intelligent design means that the system can learn and adapt and report.  An operator might miss a small broken pill but the system will not meaning that the pharmaceutical industry which must at all times be safe and secure is guaranteed peace of mind with these machines that will secure their products, even at speed, over as long as the machines run for. That reliability and quality assurance is a vital ingredient in today’s successful companies and supply chains and this thermoforming hub is set to deliver both for years to come.