A strong partnership between Schneider Electric and OMAG

For more than 15 years, OMAG has worked closely with Schneider Electric through a consulting and co-design approach that begins in the pre-sales phase and continues throughout the development of machines designed to fully harness the capabilities of the PacDrive 3 architecture hardware and software. Based in Gradara (PU), OMAG is an Italian company that has been designing and manufacturing pouch and stick-pack packaging machines and complete lines for over 50 years. Its solutions serve a wide range of industries, including pharmaceutical and nutraceutical, food & beverage, chemical and cosmetics. The company delivers fully customised solutions tailored to the specific needs of its customers, who are located in more than 100 countries worldwide.

Collaboration, digitisation and innovation

The most recent project involved the development of a complete line (from mixing and dosing to single 4-sided sealed sachet packaging and secondary packaging) for a subcontractor in the pharmaceutical industry. The customer requested a line for packaging drugs in four-sided sealed pouches, capable of handling multiple formats and ensuring maximum levels of productivity and efficiency.

With specifications like these, flexibility is the key factor”, explains Roberto Filippucci, Automation & System Manager at OMAG. “In collaboration with our partners at Schneider, we placed Lexium MC12 multicarrier technology at the heart of the solution, complemented by robotic and software innovations. Thanks to this technology, we developed a versatile line with two primary packaging machines working in parallel and feeding into a single cartoning machine.

Thanks to the adoption of the multicarrier solution in a highly complex project, OMAG was able to leverage the expertise of Schneider Electric technicians, acquiring new skills in the technology and strengthening its own know-how. Furthermore, the joint engineering teams leveraged the EcoStruxure Machine Expert Digital Twin for simulations and testing, enabling them to identify the optimal geometries and configurations for designing a compact line with all the required features.

Flexible performance without compromise

The Lexium MC12 multicarrier is a compact, modular multi-carriage system designed to enable the creation of complex applications that can be reconfigured with exceptional speed. The system ensures extremely rapid format changes, which can be retrieved directly from the HMI with minimal mechanical intervention by the operator. OMAG has developed a customised automation solution that manages multiple formats without compromising performance. Particular focus was placed on synchronisation, ensuring that the two primary packaging machines operating in parallel converge seamlessly into the single cartoning machine on the line.  Interaction logic is managed via software, while control is distributed across multiple PLCs connected to each other via an automation bus in a ‘controller-to-controller’ architecture, adopted by OMAG for this specific project. In line with the principles of a data-driven industry, the line communicates with the MES and other company information systems via the OPC-UA protocol, enabling remote monitoring, analysis and supervision.  Production and maintenance requirements are managed with the same flexibility. For example, one of the machines in parallel can be stopped for maintenance or cleaning cycles while the other continues to operate, minimising downtime and ensuring consistently efficient production.

Precision and innovative software for compliance and efficiency
 

In the pharmaceutical industry, precision and regulatory compliance are critical requirements. On the OMAG line, all parts that come in contact with the product are made of stainless steel and incorporate a weighing system that checks each individual sachet against tolerance thresholds before it is sent to the cartoning machine. To meet the traceability and reporting obligations of CFR 21 - Part 11 regulations, OMAG has developed dedicated applications within the Machine SCADA Expert software environment, including a “black box” that records every operational step, batch by batch. Sustainability and energy efficiency were also key considerations. The line uses Schneider Electric Lexium ILM62 servo motors with optimized onboard drives, which enable a 20% reduction in energy consumption, thanks to energy recovery and thermal dissipation management away from the control panel.

We don't offer standard machines”, Filippucci concludes. “Customers come to us with specific requirements, and it's our job to turn them into effective solutions, each with its own unique challenges. Schneider Electric stands out for its ability to collaborate with us, helping us develop new internal skills, complementing our expertise with its own, and accelerating time to market, even in highly complex projects.

The partnership with OMAG demonstrates the value of Schneider Electric’s approach to machine builders, which is based on a strong partnership built on trust and geared toward driving innovation across the industry.