Automation, Local Presence, and Integration for the Chinese Market
From October 12 to 15, Aetna Group will showcase its technologies at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (Booth W1-1B07) during CBB Shanghai. Held every two years, the event is one of the leading international exhibitions for the beverage industry and the entire process technology, packaging, and processing supply chain. The 2024 edition attracted 56,000 visitors and 685 exhibitors from around the world, confirming the exhibition’s role as a meeting platform for machine manufacturers, system integrators, end users, and technology suppliers.
For Aetna Group, participation in the event is part of a broader strategy to strengthen its presence in China, a market where the Group has been active for several years and in which it is steadily increasing both brand recognition and its ability to respond to local requirements.
China: A Strategic Market for a "Local for Local" Approach
Aetna Group’s presence in China has become increasingly structured. Aetna Group China, with its dual manufacturing facility in Jiaxing, near Shanghai, was created through the merger of the long-established subsidiaries Robopac China and OCME China, bringing together expertise and technologies within a single local organization.
The Group’s objective is to offer the Chinese market not only an international portfolio of technologies, but also local expertise, manufacturing capabilities, and service support. In a highly competitive market characterized by the rapid evolution of industrial processes, demand is increasingly focused on automation, productivity, efficiency, digitalization, and technology integration. For Aetna Group, having a direct local presence means combining global know-how with an in-depth understanding of local operators’ needs, thereby developing increasingly targeted solutions.
Within this framework, CBB Shanghai represents an important opportunity to meet OEMs, end users, and system integrators, and to develop new collaboration opportunities throughout the packaging and end-of-line supply chain.
At CBB Shanghai, Aetna Group is addressing in particular the beverage, brewery, condiments, and dairy sectors, presenting an approach that focuses not on individual machines, but on the ability to design and optimize the entire end-of-line process.
One of the main objectives of participating in the exhibition is to promote the TechLab, Aetna Group’s global network of laboratories dedicated to research and testing in packaging and palletizing technologies. TechLab enables the study and optimization of palletized load stability by simulating real transportation conditions.
The exhibition also provides an opportunity to invite customers and prospects to continue their experience directly at the Aetna Group Jiaxing facility through a dedicated Tech Tour. Visitors can gain in-depth insight into the Group’s technologies, discover solutions developed for the market, and assess the performance of high-productivity packaging and palletizing applications.
Robot S7: Technology Combining Agility, Efficiency, and Sustainability
The physical centerpiece of the booth will be the Robot S7, one of the most agile and successful self-propelled stretch wrappers in the Aetna Group portfolio, designed to handle loads of different shapes and weights while combining flexibility, ease of use, and optimized consumption.
Robot S7 features a lithium battery that contributes to lower energy consumption while providing extended operating autonomy. In addition, the new carriage designs and film control system based on brushless motors further enhance efficiency.
The solution can also be equipped with R-Connect, Aetna Group’s connectivity system that enables data monitoring and management functions in line with Industry 4.0 principles.
A Technology Platform for the Entire End-of-Line
Alongside the machine displayed at the booth, Aetna Group will present a dedicated Digital Stage designed to showcase the Group’s entire portfolio.
Through this digital journey, visitors will be able to explore a complete range of end-of-line solutions, from case packers to palletizers, from automatic stretch wrappers to technologies supporting the early stages of logistics operations.
Completing the visitor experience at the booth is the Showcase Box, a dedicated area designed to present applications through customers’ products. The aim is to demonstrate how different products and configurations can be managed by the Group’s technologies, highlighting not only machine features but, above all, the results achieved in real-world applications.