Sidel is introducing RoboAccess_Pal S, a compact palletising system combining robotic performance with cobot-style accessibility, at Pack Expo International 2026. The system targets low and medium-speed lines with a footprint under 12 square metres and a cycle speed of up to eleven per minute. Sidel is also showing new PET blowing, aseptic filling, pasteurisation and cloud-based line-monitoring technologies at the same event.
Why this mattersCompact robotic palletising lets smaller and mid-speed lines automate manual processes without the space and cost of conventional robot cells.
- RoboAccess_Pal S has a footprint of less than 12 square metres.
- The system runs at up to eleven cycles per minute.
- Sidel unveiled the product at Pack Expo International 2026.
- Sidel also presented EvoBlow Laser for PET bottle production, Aseptic Predis X4 for sensitive beverages and the Swing Evo tunnel pasteuriser.
- Evo-On is a cloud-based suite for 24/7 real-time monitoring of packaging line performance.
Sidel has inaugurated a new Innovation Center at its Valdaro plant in Mantova, Italy, on 18 September 2026, coinciding with the site's 50th anniversary. The centre will design, assemble and test complete labelling machines and materials with clients, including collaborative robots and lower-impact packaging materials, as part of a three-year site plan that also covers solar panels and EV charging points.
Why this mattersThe move consolidates Sidel's labelling R&D in Mantova as it integrates Makro Labelling and expands automation and sustainability offerings for packaging lines.
- Innovation Center inaugurated at Sidel's Valdaro (Mantova) site on 18 September 2026
- Mantova plant marks 50 years since its 1976 founding as Alfa Costruzioni, acquired by Sidel in 2005
- Site covers about 20,000 square metres, 10,000 of them covered, producing an average of 70 machines a year
- New centre will design, assemble and test complete labelling machines including cobots and lower-impact materials
- Sidel added low- and medium-speed labelling technology through Makro Labelling, acquired in 2023
- Three-year site plan includes installation of photovoltaic panels and EV charging points
Researchers at Kyoto University's ICEMS, working with Donghua University, have developed Deep Foam Photolithography (DFP), a light-based process that makes polymers such as PET white and water-repellent through a porous internal structure rather than added titanium dioxide pigment or PFAS coatings. The work has been demonstrated in six polymer types and published in Nature, and remains at laboratory stage. Lead author Easan Sivaniah says the effect on recyclability has not been tested and that direct comparisons under realistic packaging conditions come next.
Why this mattersA pigment-free route to whiteness and water repellency could reduce packaging reliance on titanium dioxide and PFAS as both face tightening regulatory scrutiny.
- DFP uses light and a mild solvent to create a porous structure that scatters light for whiteness, rather than adding titanium dioxide pigment or PFAS coatings
- Demonstrated in six polymers including PET, polystyrene, polycarbonate, cellulose triacetate, polysulfone and polymethyl methacrylate
- Research led by Easan Sivaniah at Kyoto University's ICEMS with Donghua University, China, published in Nature
- The EU banned titanium dioxide as a food additive in 2022
- Researchers say effects on recyclability and microplastic generation have not yet been tested
- Sivaniah says the next step is direct comparison with titanium dioxide under realistic packaging conditions
Thai water brand Arpanon has introduced a nine-gram, 600 ml PET bottle for its Sendai range, developed with equipment maker Sidel, cutting bottle weight by about 30% and per-unit electricity consumption by 50%. The bottle runs on a Sidel Combi line producing 36,000 bottles per hour, integrating blowing, filling and capping, which also doubled Arpanon's output while cutting labour and waste.
Why this mattersLightweighting combined with integrated line design shows how bottlers can cut material and energy costs simultaneously, pressuring competitors on packaging efficiency.
- Arpanon's Sendai brand adopted a 600 ml PET bottle weighing 9 grams, developed with Sidel
- Bottle weight cut by approximately 30% and electricity use per unit of production cut by 50%
- Bottle produced on a Sidel Combi line integrating blowing, filling and capping at 36,000 bottles per hour
- Production volume doubled while labour requirement fell to 25% of the previous level
- Production time shortened by approximately 70% and waste reduced fivefold
- Bottle uses a 25/22 neck finish, needs no nitrogen dosing, and withstands more than 30 kg top-load
- Blowing pressure fell by about a third with the redesigned bottle
