Euromilk, one of Slovakia’s leading dairy producers, continues its long-standing partnership with SIG as they collaborate in the installation of a new SIG Slimline 12 Aseptic filling machine. The SIG filling technology, featuring unique volume and packaging material flexibility, will help Euromilk meet growing demand for its products, including white and flavored milks, cream and plant-based beverages.
This latest investment to increase capacity comes as Euromilk continues to strengthen its market share in Slovakia. With the flexible SIG Slimline 12 Aseptic, Euromilk can fill up to 12,000 carton packs per hour in three different volumes (500ml, 750ml and 1,000ml) on the same filling machine, with an unmatched short changeover time of less than 15 minutes by simply changing the sleeves, adjusting the volume and setting the new parameters on the HMI (Human-Machine Interface).
Sustainability is a key focus for Euromilk, with the company emphasizing this through campaigns such as its ‘Kukkonia Green’ program. Opting for the SIG Slimline 12 Aseptic filling machine also supports the company’s commitment to making sustainable choices. The filling line is capable of filling both standard packaging materials and SIG’s sustainable packaging material innovations like SIG Terra Alu-free and SIG Terra Forest-based polymers, which are already used by Euromilk.
SIG was the pioneer in its industry to introduce a packaging material without an aluminum layer for aseptic cartons in 2010, with SIG Terra Alu-free developed for plain liquid dairy products. It is part of the SIG packaging material solutions used by Euromilk, which also includes SIG Terra forest-based polymers. Used in the closure and the paperboard lamination, these polymers are linked to forest-based renewable sources taken from wood residues from paper production through a mass-balance system independently certified by ISCC PLUS (International Sustainability & Carbon Certification).
Tibor Balogh, Managing Director of Euromilk: “Our partnership with SIG spans more than 25 years and has helped Euromilk to double production volumes, support continued growth and strengthen its position in the local market. With the SIG Slimline 12 Aseptic filling machine we can continue to uphold our company values by combining traditional recipes and proven processes. SIG’s premium filling technology is essential to match the high quality of our products, our commitment to sustainability and to meet consumer expectations.”
With consumer trends and tastes constantly changing, the unique flexibility and efficiency of the SIG Slimline 12 Aseptic also gives Euromilk the opportunity to expand its product portfolio beyond its core categories, with launches such as oat milk and Barista milk.
SIG’s filling technology stands out because it allows customers not to have to compromise between flexibility and speed. Provided that the base dimensions of the packs are the same, SIG's sleeve-based filling and ultrasonic sealing technology enables the agility to switch volumes, formats and packaging materials at unmatched, short changeover times, and no changeover time at all for a simple design change. This flexibility is a key enabler for food manufacturers, allowing them to fill products quickly and without additional machinery investments in various package sizes – and, with some machine types, in various formats, as well – thereby catering to different price points, consumption occasions, and distribution channels.
Sarka Kaplanova, Managing Director & Head of Sales Czech Republic and Slovakia at SIG: “Sustainability and efficiency must go hand in hand. With the flexibility of the SIG Slimline 12 Aseptic filling line, including the ability to fill regular aseptic carton packaging material, alu-layer-free solutions and packaging materials with forest-based polymers on the same machine, Euromilk has exactly what is needed to set the pace in the Eastern European food and beverage market.”
