How Syntegon’s latest release is gearing up the coffee industry to excel in sustainability.
Syntegon has long been a key player in coffee’s global supply chain, with a legacy of more than 160 years supporting food manufacturers through innovative packaging solutions.
As the industry faces increasing complexity – from evolving environmental regulations to shifting consumer preferences – Syntegon has consistently developed solutions to help its clients navigate these challenges.
Its latest offering is no exception. The company has recently expanded its coffee packaging portfolio, carefully surveying the regulatory landscape to ensure manufacturers are fully equipped to meet environmental standards as they come into effect. This includes the European Union’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which takes effect in 2030 and requires all relevant packaging to be capable of being recycled and contain a certain amount of recycled content.
“We needed to prepare our customers for the future of coffee packaging as well as support them with challenges such as recycling regulations,” says Christina Holm, Syntegon Product Manager.
“Manufacturers are looking for sustainable packaging as many do not meet the requirements of the PPWR. We needed a machine concept that could process both conventional and mono-materials, so customers are prepared to transform their coffee bags into 100 per cent recyclable bags at some point in the near future.”
The PMX 4001 – released in September 2024 – is a vertical bagger for ground coffee and whole beans, designed to offer manufacturers product protection and high-quality packaging on a significantly smaller footprint.
What’s more, the PMX has been developed to process alternative packaging materials at high output – with an estimate of up to 65 bags per minute with a pack weight of 500 grams. Additionally, integrated modules ensure protection, such as netweighers for consistent weight accuracy, auger fillers for fast cleaning processes, and checkweighers for tendency control and detection of metal contaminants. The operator can interact by using a single human machine interface for the whole system.
“The PMX offers high speeds and high output when processing mono-materials. It’s a sustainable and future-ready solution for brand owners and private label producers with no extra cost involved,” says Holm.
Notably, Syntegon has seamlessly integrated valve solutions such as applicators and a range of recyclable valves. These one-way valves, such as button and sticker valves, can reduce the need for more complex packaging solutions.
“The sticker valve on the outside and the button valve on the inside are all available from Syntegon to complete the sustainable coffee package,” says Holm.
With its integrated valve application and nitrogen flushing of the coffee to minimise residual oxygen, the PMX is tailored to the packaging of coffee to maximise aroma protection and shelf life. What’s more, the aroma-protecting degassing valves have been certified as “excellently recyclable” in accordance with EU standards.
To ensure premium bag quality and high-quality bag seals every time, Syntegon’s engineers have developed unique web-edge control.
“No matter the type of packaging material, the PMX ensures top-notch bag quality with precise seals and no overlaps on the package,” says Holm.
“For the bag seals, we prefer heat sealing because it provides a stronger, more reliable seal, and it’s easier to adjust for optimal performance,” says Holm. “The ultrasonic sealing for the degassing valve applications allows for stable performance, regardless
of the packaging material.”
Ultrasonic sealing is well suited to mono-material films that are difficult to seal with heat, as the parameters can be easily adjusted.
“Thanks to the elimination of the warm-up phase, the sealing quality is consistent from the first bag,” says Holm.
And the risk of incorrect settings after format changes is eliminated, as sealing parameters are stored and automatically applied.
In terms of sustainability, the choice of more environmentally friendly packaging materials depends on many factors, such as the product’s protection requirements or the packaging machines, which is why Syntegon offers manufacturer support in the form of packaging material testing.
“This includes both tests of the material properties in the in-house laboratory and practical tests on the machine,” says Holm.
“There are strong collaborations and partnerships with our customers and film suppliers including testing and consulting for different packaging materials and suppliers to achieve best machine performance.”
Beyond the packaging process itself, the PMX 4001 is the most compact machine in the series, according to Holm. Thanks to its low height and footprint of only 2.6 by 2.1 metres, it’s ideal for manufacturers with limited space. It’s also designed to slot into the production line without interfering with any other processes.
“The machine can be accessed from all four sides, which allows for quick and easy access in case of maintenance or troubleshooting requirements,” says Holm.
The materials used are not the only thing helping cross the sustainability line. The Industry 4.0 solution Synexio Empower software – which is installed as standard in the PMX 4001 – monitors all machine functions as well as energy and resource consumption in real time to help manufacturers boost their production processes.
In addition to consumption monitoring and mitigating waste and downtimes, the software can optimise machine operation-based online data.
“Line health analytics give users full transparency of their machine in real-time and consumption monitoring keep costs at a minimum,” says Holm.
Synexio also gives roasters full control of the sealing process – including pressure and temperature – to create recyclable coffee bags.
Additionally, machines can be networked across locations to compare efficiency of different shifts, batches, and machines. Yet, above all, Holm says the customers who have used the PMX experienced a fast transition to full production with excellent equipment performance.
“The ramp-up was quick and our bags with full-corner seals have a premium, high-quality appearance,” she says. “Customers consistently praise the high-quality finish of the bags and the reliability of German engineering.”
This article was first published in the January/February 2025 edition of Global Coffee Report. Read more HERE.
