Zetapunto is an innovative, dynamic, and young manufacturing start-up that produces industrial robotics.
Founded in 2015, it is looking to bring the world of industrial robotics closer to Italian companies and in particular, to the small and medium-sized companies (SME) that characterize the economic structure of the country.
Furthermore, the use of robotics in a manufacturing environment, especially in certain areas and for certain functions, is a very relevant topic of interest for the cosmetic sector as it offers tangible benefits for not only product quality but also the social and human aspect of the manufacturing world.
Just as Filippo Zechini, founder and owner of Zetapunto, tells us in this interview.
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How was Zetapunto conceived?
Zetapunto was born in 2015 as an offshoot of Zechini, a company founded in 1952 that specializes in planning, production, and installation of equipment for paper goods and luxury packaging. With its extensive sales network, Zechini is present in over 30 countries in the world.
Hence, Zetapunto is a very unique start-up in its sector. It’s a young company, but it has over 60 years of experience backing it.
Our robotics solutions are the outcome of a combination Zechini’s decades-long equipment manufacturing experience as well as Zetapunto’s innovation and avant-garde technology.
- What’s your mission?
We were created with the goal of making the world of industrial robotics accessible to everyone, even to those companies that often face difficulties in automating manufacturing processes. Our mission is to use technological innovation to offer solutions that guarantee flexibility and ease-of-use at affordable prices.
Making industry 4.0 philosophy our vocation, we’re able to offer valid alternatives to offshoring certain processes, allowing for reshoring where production steps that are typically done abroad can be brought back to a local level.
Technological innovation has an important role in your strategy…
Without a doubt! One of our main activities, in fact, is the continual search for products and components with the highest technology existing on the market to integrate into our robotic stations and lines in order to offer solutions that are increasingly more competitive and avant-garde.
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Zetapunto’s business is concentrated in the cosmetic world. Why have you chosen to operate in this sector?
In Italy, the cosmetics market is full of a notable number of small and medium-sized companies that are responsible for high quality manufacturing exported around the world. However, we found that some of the operations that characterize the manufacturing processes in this sector still require a significant manual component for which it’s possible to propose different kinds of automation solutions.
Motivated by this possibility, we started offering Italian cosmetic companies a robotics solution dedicated to the filling of luxury boxes. This robotic station is easy to program, flexible, and ready to be introduced into already existing manufacturing lines and allows for automation of the insertion of perfumes, creams, and bottles into a gift box. This is an activity that is typically carried out manually or abroad in other countries where the labor costs are lower.
From this experience, we came to understand the interest of the cosmetic world towards the automation of manufacturing processes that are currently done manually, processes that, thanks to our solutions, can be automated with a high degree of customization.
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Do you also operate in other areas?
The cosmetics sector is one of the markets that we work in, but not the only one. In fact, our projects are developed starting with the needs of the client, independent of the market in which it operates.
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What are the activities and functions that your robots can carry out?
The flexibility and versatility of the new generation robots allow for the automation of different types of operations: from those that are simple such as pick & place or serving other machines (like fillers or cartooning machines), to more complex assembly or packaging operations.
One of the most complex robotics lines that we offer is dedicated to the assembly and packaging of cosmetics palettes.
This solution was studied for the world of make-up and allows for complete automation of the manufacturing process by ensuring the mechanization of all its steps: gluing of the palette, filling with the respective trays, labelling, packaging, up until the branding and boxing of the palette. All of which is followed by a quality control system that is able to check each phase of the process.
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What are the advantages that come from using robotic solutions?
The use of robotics in the cosmetic world brings about advantages both from the technical point of view, as well as from the social point of view.
From the technical point of view, automation allows for the improvement of the final product quality: increasing precision with which the operation is carried out, owed to the automation of the manufacturing process, results in an increase in uniformity with which various products are realized and a significant reduction of waste.
Instead, from the social point of view, robotics allows for alienating, repetitive work to be given to machines.
Not only. Operations that are often the cause of occupational hazards or illness no longer need to be carried out by workers and in doing so, regulations are respected and workers are able to do tasks with higher added value.
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How are your robots created? Is it true that they are custom products? How long, on average, does it take to develop one?
Our solutions start from a need or from an idea given to us by a client. Our products are highly customized: in fact, planning happens as co-creation with clients based on their needs and automation projects are followed from conception all the way to the final installation.
The time needed to develop a single solution is variable: it can go from 3 to 6 months, depending on the complexity of the robotics station and the degree of customization requested. Zetapunto, however, unlike the majority of other system integrators, is equipped with an internal mechanics workshop, with numerically controlled tools and machinery and specialized mechanics and electronics personnel. This allows us to directly produce prototypes and make simulations, reducing the total time necessary to create our robotics stations.
“Make up packaging Happen” digital event is planned for September 24th, an event that you curated and promoted. What’s it about?
“Make up packaging happen” is a virtual conference organized by some of the main players in the supply chain of packaging and makeup, with the goal of having these two worlds meet.
During the virtual conference, we’ll talk about eco-compatible packaging and show how paper, cardboard, embellishments and glue can be used to create products with zero impact on the environment and how new technologies can allow for the automation of manufacturing processes, making it possible to realize “zero kilometer” products. It is precisely in this context that Zetapunto will present and illustrate the robotics solutions that enable the revolutionization of manufacturing processes in the world of make-up, through automating them.
In addition to Zetapunto and Zechini, individuals specialized in cosmetics and present in the areas of industry, academics, and consultancy will also be participating, as well as leaders in the packaging sector such as Fedrigoni, Cartiera San Martino, Luxoro, and Menichetti.
The event will take place on September 24th
It will be completely digital but with the possibility of interacting remotely with the speakers. Registration is free by clicking the following link: https://cosmeticpackaging.it/