MILAN – The importance of technical innovation and research and development is widely recognized by both businesses and institutions.
Unfortunately, the potential that innovation can bring in strategic terms is often completely undervalued.
TME is an exception, because it is an example of how to make research and development a fundamental part of the production of value.
The origins of this Fidenza firm, specialized in systems for coffee packaging, go back a long way, to 1982.
Thirty-five years of experience. It is a company history punctuated by successes: the granting of patents, the internationalization of markets, the development of a widespread sales network, the founding of subsidiary branches. Last year saw the opening of the TME Brasil branch in San Paolo.
If we ask the TME CEO, Claudia Merli, what are the reasons behind the firm’s success, she would undoubtedly cite TME’s constant commitment to research and development. At TME, R&D is an essential asset, which works in synergy with the firm’s other activities.
Production, Marketing, Sales and Top Management find technological innovation an important element for the firm’s communication and its positioning as a strongly innovative company.
All this has ensured TME‘s success in the long term, and allowed the company to provide highly qualified support to its customers, because it can offer innovation which ultimately means it has earned a reputation as a customer-oriented company.
Because of this strategic role, the firm’s investment in R&D over its thirty-five year history has always been considerable, in terms of both concrete resources and human capital; the laboratory has been substantially expanded over the years, as has the number of staff.
The latest innovation provided by the R&D department is the change of format – in under an hour – of coffee pod packaging machines which work at the rate of 80 a minute.
To this end, a brand new, innovative pilot system has recently been built, which allows tests to be carried out on all available materials and the new technical solutions offered to customers.
The system is equipped with new additional units which allow testing of the capsule construction materials, the different filling options offered by the machine, the operation of the new ultrasound sealing units and the laser cutting of the tops from the reel.
The system is available to customers who, with the support of TME engineers, can test the packaging materials and processes directly on their products and identify the most appropriate solutions for their needs.
The R&D department is strategic in the creation of solid relationships with customers, who find the entire firm to be a valuable partner in building their business.
The recent Convention organized by TME at its Fidenza headquarters and dedicated to the Evolution of Single-dose Packaging, was an opportunity to come into close contact with the newly-restructured R&D department and the expertise of its managing director.
TME is exhibiting at Host Milano, pav. 22 stand F28-G27.