From air treatment to packaging<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe production chain of a beverage line is a complex system that can involve dozens of different machines, each with its own pneumatic requirements. SMC has structured its product line to specifically meet the needs of each stage, while ensuring compatibility and integration among the various components.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/static.tecnichenuove.it\/alimentibevande\/2026\/10\/modulo_base_smc-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/a>“BASE” Wireless Module \u2013 EtherNet\/IP protocol<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe starting point is compressed air treatment<\/strong>. Before reaching the machines, the air must be filtered, dried, and regulated to the correct pressure. In the beverage industry, this is particularly critical: the presence of moisture or contaminants in the compressed air can compromise the quality of the finished product, especially during the PET preform blow molding stage, where high-pressure air comes into direct contact with the inner surface of the bottle. SMC offers a complete range of air treatment units<\/strong> – filters, regulators, lubricators, and dryers – certified for various food applications<\/strong>, with housings made of materials compatible with the industry\u2019s hygiene requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\nDuring the filling and capping stages<\/strong>, the pneumatic system controls the movements of the machine components with millimeter-level precision<\/strong>: the opening and closing of the filling valves, the positioning of the caps, and the pressure applied to the containers. SMC supplies proportional valves, rodless cylinders, rotary actuators, and integrated control systems that ensure the repeatability and precision required for the extremely high production rates typical of modern beverage lines, where thousands of containers are processed per hour.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIn final packaging collaborative robotics and pneumatic gripper and release systems are playing an increasingly important role<\/strong>. SMC partners with numerous packaging machine manufacturers, offering vacuum solutions, suction cups, ejectors, and high-efficiency vacuum generators capable of gently handling glass containers, cans, and flexible packaging without causing deformation or breakage. SMC\u2019s product line for vacuum handling applications stands out for its integration of monitoring sensors that verify proper part gripping in real time, reducing scrap and machine downtime.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWireless revolution on a rotating structure<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nCosmar<\/a><\/strong> is a company specializing in the design and manufacture of aerosol filling machines and Bag-on-Valve systems. In this instance, it provided a solution for a European beer producer. The machine at the center of this case study is a rotary CO\u2082-based PET container filler<\/strong>, designed to operate at a rate of 240 units per minute. It is a rotary carousel machine: the main structure rotates continuously, and the filling heads are mounted on it; these open, fill, close, and release the container in synchronization with the rotational movement of the entire machine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/static.tecnichenuove.it\/alimentibevande\/2026\/10\/linea_automatica_smc-1024x576.jpg\")
<\/a>Overview of the new high-productivity automatic line for filling CO\u2082 cylinders<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe underlying technical problem is familiar to anyone who works with rotating machinery: how do you deliver electrical signals and power to components mounted on the rotating part? The traditional solution involves the use of slip rings – which ensure electrical contact between the stationary and rotating parts – and a bundle of cables that wraps around the structure. In the case of the Cosmar filling machine, the large number of filling heads – each with its own position sensors, solenoid valves, and pressure transducers – resulted in hundreds of cables and connections. This situation created serious and recurring problems: cables subjected to mechanical stress would break periodically, slip rings required frequent maintenance, and failures were difficult to diagnose and often resulted in prolonged machine downtime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/static.tecnichenuove.it\/alimentibevande\/2026\/10\/creazione_vuoto_bombola-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/a>Creation of a vacuum in the cylinder (controlled via SY5000 + wireless) and management of analog transducer inputs using a wireless system<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nSMC proposed a radically different approach: eliminating cables from the rotating structure by bringing intelligence directly to the peripheral nodes via the EX-W industrial wireless communication system. The solution involves installing wireless nodes directly on the rotating filling heads, each of which autonomously manages signals from local sensors and commands to solenoid valves, communicating via radio with the central controller mounted on the stationary part of the machine. The nodes are powered via an energy transfer system<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The result was a drastic reduction in the number of wiring harnesses<\/strong> on the rotating structure: from hundreds of cables to just a few standardized power connections. The benefits were evident on multiple levels. During installation and testing, wiring time was reduced by more than 60%, with a direct impact on assembly costs and the speed of commissioning. During operation, the elimination of fatigue-prone cables has eliminated one of the main causes of recurring failures, resulting in an estimated improvement in the machine\u2019s OEE of 5\u20138%<\/strong>. Maintenance has become simpler and faster: diagnosing a problem on a wireless node is incomparably quicker than tracing a fault through a tangled bundle of cables wrapped around a rotating structure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/static.tecnichenuove.it\/alimentibevande\/2026\/10\/macchina_smc_cosmar-1024x576.jpg\")
<\/a>Innovative machine with a productivity of 240 bottles\/minute<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nCosmar has integrated this solution as standard in its new-generation machines, also recognizing the competitive advantage it represents in the market: the ability to offer its customers more reliable machines that are easier to maintain and have a longer service life. SMC wireless technology has become a distinctive feature of Cosmar\u2019s product offering<\/strong>, cited in technical specifications and appreciated by end-users as a concrete step forward in system quality and manageability..<\/p>\n\n\n\nDigitalization and sustainability as the next frontiers in the beverage industry<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nSMC is positioning itself to support machine builders and beverage producers on this journey with a digital offering that integrates physical pneumatic components with sensing, communication, and data analysis capabilities. Pressure, flow, and temperature sensors – which can already be integrated into SMC components -can feed real-time monitoring dashboards, allowing production managers to have a comprehensive view of the status of their systems and to take preventive action before a malfunction turns into a breakdown. When it comes to sustainability, the beverage industry is under increasing pressure: environmental certifications, ESG reporting, and demands from major retailers regarding product carbon footprints are driving manufacturers to systematically measure and reduce their energy consumption. Compressed air, as previously mentioned, is one of the main contributors to energy consumption in a beverage plant. SMC can help achieve this goal through its energy audit program and its range of components optimized for operation at lower pressures, as well as through monitoring systems that make the actual consumption of each section of the plant visible and measurable, enabling targeted and verifiable interventions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>The starting point is compressed air treatment<\/strong>. Before reaching the machines, the air must be filtered, dried, and regulated to the correct pressure. In the beverage industry, this is particularly critical: the presence of moisture or contaminants in the compressed air can compromise the quality of the finished product, especially during the PET preform blow molding stage, where high-pressure air comes into direct contact with the inner surface of the bottle. SMC offers a complete range of air treatment units<\/strong> – filters, regulators, lubricators, and dryers – certified for various food applications<\/strong>, with housings made of materials compatible with the industry\u2019s hygiene requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During the filling and capping stages<\/strong>, the pneumatic system controls the movements of the machine components with millimeter-level precision<\/strong>: the opening and closing of the filling valves, the positioning of the caps, and the pressure applied to the containers. SMC supplies proportional valves, rodless cylinders, rotary actuators, and integrated control systems that ensure the repeatability and precision required for the extremely high production rates typical of modern beverage lines, where thousands of containers are processed per hour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In final packaging collaborative robotics and pneumatic gripper and release systems are playing an increasingly important role<\/strong>. SMC partners with numerous packaging machine manufacturers, offering vacuum solutions, suction cups, ejectors, and high-efficiency vacuum generators capable of gently handling glass containers, cans, and flexible packaging without causing deformation or breakage. SMC\u2019s product line for vacuum handling applications stands out for its integration of monitoring sensors that verify proper part gripping in real time, reducing scrap and machine downtime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cosmar<\/a><\/strong> is a company specializing in the design and manufacture of aerosol filling machines and Bag-on-Valve systems. In this instance, it provided a solution for a European beer producer. The machine at the center of this case study is a rotary CO\u2082-based PET container filler<\/strong>, designed to operate at a rate of 240 units per minute. It is a rotary carousel machine: the main structure rotates continuously, and the filling heads are mounted on it; these open, fill, close, and release the container in synchronization with the rotational movement of the entire machine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The underlying technical problem is familiar to anyone who works with rotating machinery: how do you deliver electrical signals and power to components mounted on the rotating part? The traditional solution involves the use of slip rings – which ensure electrical contact between the stationary and rotating parts – and a bundle of cables that wraps around the structure. In the case of the Cosmar filling machine, the large number of filling heads – each with its own position sensors, solenoid valves, and pressure transducers – resulted in hundreds of cables and connections. This situation created serious and recurring problems: cables subjected to mechanical stress would break periodically, slip rings required frequent maintenance, and failures were difficult to diagnose and often resulted in prolonged machine downtime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SMC proposed a radically different approach: eliminating cables from the rotating structure by bringing intelligence directly to the peripheral nodes via the EX-W industrial wireless communication system. The solution involves installing wireless nodes directly on the rotating filling heads, each of which autonomously manages signals from local sensors and commands to solenoid valves, communicating via radio with the central controller mounted on the stationary part of the machine. The nodes are powered via an energy transfer system<\/p>\n\n\n\n The result was a drastic reduction in the number of wiring harnesses<\/strong> on the rotating structure: from hundreds of cables to just a few standardized power connections. The benefits were evident on multiple levels. During installation and testing, wiring time was reduced by more than 60%, with a direct impact on assembly costs and the speed of commissioning. During operation, the elimination of fatigue-prone cables has eliminated one of the main causes of recurring failures, resulting in an estimated improvement in the machine\u2019s OEE of 5\u20138%<\/strong>. Maintenance has become simpler and faster: diagnosing a problem on a wireless node is incomparably quicker than tracing a fault through a tangled bundle of cables wrapped around a rotating structure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cosmar has integrated this solution as standard in its new-generation machines, also recognizing the competitive advantage it represents in the market: the ability to offer its customers more reliable machines that are easier to maintain and have a longer service life. SMC wireless technology has become a distinctive feature of Cosmar\u2019s product offering<\/strong>, cited in technical specifications and appreciated by end-users as a concrete step forward in system quality and manageability..<\/p>\n\n\n\n SMC is positioning itself to support machine builders and beverage producers on this journey with a digital offering that integrates physical pneumatic components with sensing, communication, and data analysis capabilities. Pressure, flow, and temperature sensors – which can already be integrated into SMC components -can feed real-time monitoring dashboards, allowing production managers to have a comprehensive view of the status of their systems and to take preventive action before a malfunction turns into a breakdown. When it comes to sustainability, the beverage industry is under increasing pressure: environmental certifications, ESG reporting, and demands from major retailers regarding product carbon footprints are driving manufacturers to systematically measure and reduce their energy consumption. Compressed air, as previously mentioned, is one of the main contributors to energy consumption in a beverage plant. SMC can help achieve this goal through its energy audit program and its range of components optimized for operation at lower pressures, as well as through monitoring systems that make the actual consumption of each section of the plant visible and measurable, enabling targeted and verifiable interventions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\nWireless revolution on a rotating structure<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/a><\/a>Digitalization and sustainability as the next frontiers in the beverage industry<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n