As part of the partnership, Altopack will become a minority shareholder in the Norwegian robot developer.

Halodi Robotics has developed a humanoid robot that performs pre-programmed tasks using artificial intelligence (AI). It moves using a set of two wheels and has movable arms to conduct work tasks.

Under the terms of the agreement, the companies will work closely together to develop and adapt the packing robot’s software. Part of the work will take place at Altopack’s development centre in Bologna.

According to the companies, Altopack Packaging Robot will be ready for delivery in 2023.

“Our customers have always seen Altopack as a leader in utilising state-of-the-art technology in our solutions. By entering into a collaboration with Halodi Robotics, we are taking a giant leap forward in ensuring our competitive advantage,” said Giuseppe Vezzani, managing director of Altopack.

Altopack designs, develops and supplies automated systems for packaging foods such as pasta, rice and frozen goods. The Italian firm highlights that the robots can be remotely controlled to service machines.

Recently, Halodi Robotics entered into an agreement with technology company Strongpoint to develop an in-store grocery retail robotics solution, which will help retail employees with repetitive tasks, enabling them to focus on spending more time with customers.

“At Halodi, we truly believe that our robots can make workplaces better by performing tasks that are dirty, dangerous and dull, so that employees can prioritise functions where they can create greater value. The collaboration with Altopack is an excellent example of this,” said Bernt Børnich, CEO of Halodi Robotics.

Cap-It is a clip with neck rings designed for multipack PET or recycled PET bottles. Made from renewable materials, the paperboard solution offers an alternative to traditional shrink film packaging, increasing overall pack recyclability to 100%.

Graphic Packaging’s latest release is said to use minimal paperboard and aims to support beverage brands’ plastic reduction goals.

“Graphic Packaging’s wide range of sustainable paperboard beverage solutions work well with multiple can, glass bottle and PET bottle configurations,” said Roxanne McSpadden, director of marketing and beverage new product development at Graphic Packaging.

“Cap-It is our latest innovation for PET bottles that replaces traditional plastic multipack solutions, such as rings and shrink films. With Cap-It, customers are guaranteed a 100% recyclable package that aids the circular economy by providing fibres that can circulate multiple times through the recycling chain and becoming new packaging.”

Cap-It is currently in commercial use in Asia.

As the first open-mouth bagger from the Premier Tech-Bühler alliance, the OML-1060 can easily handle free-flowing granular material such as animal feed, pet food, rice, seeds, and plastic pellets. It can handle 20 to 50 kg bags at a speed of up to 600 bags per hour. It has been designed to easily run any type of bag, including non-laminated poly woven that can be problematic to fill due to their irregular properties. It is also compatible with most common bag closing systems.

Its small and compact footprint optimizes floorspace and its lean design eases operation and maintenance. Safety being a priority for both Bühler and Premier Tech, this fully enclosed automatic packaging technology requires very limited operator interaction, enabling better working conditions.

“It is amazing to see what can be achieved when two industry leaders join forces. Only eight months after starting our joint venture we are introducing to the world the most competitive fully automated packaging machine for granular products,” said Johannes Wick, chief executive officer (CEO) of Bühler’s Grains & Food business.

Combining over 200 years of industry knowledge, Premier Tech and Bühler are bringing new opportunities to the markets in China, South East Asia, South America, and Africa with the OML-1060, ensuring accurate, safer, and more reliable packaging equipment.

“What is magical about this partnership for our customers is to benefit from Premier Tech's technological know-how, Bühler's operational know-how, and unparalleled customer support from two organizations with a global footprint,” said André Noreau, CEO of Premier Tech’s Systems and Automation business.

The CHRONOS OML-1060 combines the knowledge of two world leaders in their field of expertise - leveraging the processing and packaging experience for the producers of granular food and feed products. It has been developed to meet a common market demand for a flexible, high quality, accurate and yet cost-effective automatic bagging solution.

“Our customers will now have access to the best technologies from Premier Tech and Bühler, two pillars in the industrial world that remarkably complement each other,” said Alexis Michaud, technical and product director, Premier Tech – Bühler.