LogiMAT 2023: Mosca introduces its new TechCenter, where customers can analyse, test and optimise their transport security systems packaging

Live demonstrations using a tilt testing tool which tips strapped pallets to a predefined angle to test the stability of the bundled load when it is tilted, will give initial insight into how the new Mosca TechCenter operates

"Mosca is much more than a machine manufacturer. We serve as professional partners for our customers' sustainability and digitalisation projects," explains Johannes Wieder, Sales Manager Logistics at Mosca. "And this is precisely what we want to demonstrate with our exhibit at LogiMAT." Mosca will not only be presenting its own machines at the trade show this year. Live demonstrations using a tilt testing tool will enable visitors to see quality checks on strapped products first-hand. Although the special machine is not part of the Mosca portfolio, it has been integrated into the company's new TechCenter. This high-tech test lab in Waldbrunn enables customers to subject their cargo units and transport security systems to various stress tests and optimise them for sustainability as well as resource efficiency. Johannes Wieder explains: "Many companies don't notice that their transport security isn't capable of withstanding high loads until the worst-case scenario occurs. This is why we developed the Mosca TechCenter as a service solution. Our customers can check a wide variety of load units and influencing factors to make adjustments to their packaging before the worst case occurs. Our display at LogiMAT gives customers initial insight into how the Mosca TechCenter operates."

MOSCA TECHCENTER - secure, sustainable, efficient

How secure is my packaging solution? And how can I optimise it, make it leaner and more eco-sustainable? These are precisely the questions we will answer with the new Mosca TechCenter, where companies can put their packed pallets through rigorous testing and optimise them.

Screeching tyres, red-hot brakes and cargo weighing over a tonne crashing against the front wall of a container at several metres per second. When transport vehicles have to brake sharply, enormous forces are unleashed – with equally enormous consequences. If the load is properly secured, the driver and others involved come away with nothing more than a scare and the cargo remains undamaged. But if the securing system is inadequate, the situation can quickly change – with consequences ranging from property damage to endangerment or, in the worst case, personal injury. To help prevent this situation, we have established our new Mosca TechCenter at our site in Waldbrunn. This is where companies can analyse their unit loads for transport safety and optimise them as needed.

"Many companies only see how well their transport packaging perform in an accident or when the worst-case scenario occurs," explains Johannes Wieder, Sales Manager Logistics at Mosca. This can result in financial and even legal difficulties for a business because the company initiating transport of unit loads can be held liable. "Detailed testing of a transport security system in the Mosca TechCenter ensures protection against worst-case scenarios and enables optimisation or even reduction of the required packaging," Wieder adds.

Designed for all loads

From a hard impact or hours of vibration to sudden acceleration – customers at the Mosca TechCenter in Waldbrunn can have their unit loads put through rigorous trials on four test stations. These include a tilt testing tool, a horizontal stability tester to measure horizontal acceleration and deceleration, an impact tester for impact or crushing forces and a vertical vibration system. There is also a camera-supported evaluation unit that records and analyses deformations during stability testing. A data logger is used in the TechCenter to record and compile the required data on shocks, vibrations and sudden acceleration during transport. This unit can also be loaned to customers to assess loads on their transport routes and provide details that can be used to make adjustments on a test stand and adapt the packaging to their specifications.

Customised test plans for specific needs

In preparation of the testing of your loads, our experts will work with your technicians to create a test plan that is optimally tailored to the needs of the product as well as the transport route. We offer the most common test routines as standard packages, but a fully customised test plan is also possible. The standards that the tests need to meet are also clarified at this point because, depending on whether the cargo is being transported to the EU or the USA, different legal requirements must be met. We work with you to determine which standards apply and which tests are relevant for your application.

Once the test plan is finalised, you can send us multiple pallets with secured products and a maximum weight of 1.5 tonnes each. This way, even if one of the pallets is insufficiently secured for transport and becomes damaged in the course of the test, there is enough material to continue with further testing. Mosca can optionally strap or stretch wrap the products using its own machines in the adjacent showroom. This enables a direct comparison between different types of packaging. After the tests are completed, you will receive a detailed final report based on the chosen standard with precise data and measurements of the maximum deformation along with photos of the worst-case scenarios.

Reduce and optimise packaging materials

The test results provide information on the safety of a packaging solution along with precise details on optimisation in terms of safety, costs and sustainability. If the results of TechCenter testing shows that the current transport security system is adequate, further tests can be conducted to determine the minimum thickness of packaging material needed to achieve the required security. Possible outcomes include a combination of packaging types or even a change in the packaging design. If, for example, strapping the respective product provides the necessary basic stability, a minimal use of stretch wrap can be added to protect the product from weather conditions. TechCenter services include comprehensive advice on the best possible packaging for your application along with the optimal use of your machine and the most efficient configuration of the unit load. For instance, if the stability of the unit load can be increased by rotating every other product layer by 90 degrees, more packages can be transported on a single pallet – which significantly increases throughput and cost efficiency.

More sustainability

The Mosca TechCenter not only tests unit loads. The primary packaging can also be analysed to determine, for example, whether a thinner material can be used for plastic bottles to lower packaging costs. Testing can also offer certainty as to whether an alternative primary packaging provides the necessary security. Johannes Wieder: "We test the functionality of minimal packaging in terms of cost efficiency and sustainability. Using less plastic for primary or secondary packaging results in a transport security system that is less expensive and better for the environment." To improve sustainability, you can optionally use the Mosca CO2 product calculator to precisely determine the emissions generated by the packaging and associated material. This provides targeted suggestions for effectively reducing emissions.

Are you interested in using the Mosca TechCenter? Please feel free to contact us: techcenter@mosca.com.