Air Project has taken up the challenge of its long-time customer Stratosfera, manufacturer of coated and laminated cardboard, by designing an equipment for the suction of production trims capable of directing the different waste materials into different compactors, thus generating added value from sell of this special waste paper
Air Project of Verderio (Lc) has been operating in the sector of suction of production waste in paper printing and converting and similar industries for over 18 years, when its founder and owner Roberto Malagoli decided to set up his own the experience and know-how acquired over the years by designing systems for all those sectors where it is necessary to collect, from production machines and spaces, trimmings and dust deriving from production processes.
Air Project team is made up of 15 people, project manager Marco Malagoli follows the development and construction of customized systems, designed and built according to the real needs of the customer.
All this is made possible by the presence in the company of a production department called “mechanical workshop and carpentry”. Even with regards to installation and assistance, everything is carried out by Air Project internal staff. Internal construction and direct installation are the strength of this constantly growing company, which has thus won the trust of the major groups in the sector.
One of the first customers who relied on Air-Project was Stratosfera, a producer of coated and laminated cardboard located in Robbiate (Lc), with which a solid and lasting relationship has developed over time, so much so that over the years Air Project supplied them with 4 systems.
The new Air Project plant at the service of two roll-to-sheet cutters
The latest installation in Stratosfera had as focus not only the removal of all paper trimmings produced by the two Milltex cutters but also the subsequent separation of these scraps into different types in order to further enhance this waste that, sold separately for pulping, acquires a greater commercial value, precisely because white paper obviously has a different value than printed or laminated paper.
Stratosfera in recent years has become the protagonist of huge investments aimed at better production and energy efficiency, with an eye to the environmental impact of its investments.
The new waste treatment and separation equipment respects the dictates of Industry 4.0 with all interconnection systems both with the production machines and remote assistance and monitoring services by Air Project.
“This solution, designed to increase the efficiency of the production cycle, removes the side trimmings of the cutters and through a specially designed and built shredder the waste sheets are shredded, then aspirated directly in the under-machine. Through a pneumatic transport system, scraps are brought outside the production area, about 50 meters away where there are the different containers in which the different types of paper are divided and collected”, tells us Roberto Malagoli who with eng. Andrea D’Alessandro and Air Project team designed the system in close collaboration with the manufacturer of the cutters and with the customer. It is a very compact and innovative solution.
The importance of automating waste management
“By automating all the management of production waste, the customer has also solved a whole series of problems related to the management and transport of full baskets outside the company, eliminating traffic of forklifts and need of operators dedicated to these operations. It is true that an equipment of this type is not a production machinery in itself, but helps to eliminate inefficiencies and improve productivity, by intervening on all the famous hidden costs that at the end of the year can compromise the profitability of a company”, intervenes D’Alessandro, also underlining that these automations are also achievable on older systems, which with a revamping can certainly see their operational efficiency improved, without necessarily being forced to invest in a new machinery.
“The historical relationship with Stratosfera has allowed us to design and build a pilot plant and to perfect it step by step”, concludes Malagoli, highlighting how the tailoring and consulting approach of Air Project is the winning card to better serve customers in the sectors of printing and converting.
