
INTELLIGENT PACKAGING AND PALLETIZING LINES OF ORFER ACCELERATE PAULIG'S TRANSITION TO RECYCLABLE COFFEE PACKAGING AND IMPROVE EFFICIENCY
Orfer and Paulig have agreed on co-operation in renewing the packaging and palletizing lines in Paulig coffee roastery located in Vuosaari, Helsinki. The delivery consists of five intelligent robot palletizing cells, mobile robots, a pallet wrapping line, five group packaging machines and the Orfer OMA integration platform. The renewal of roastery will increase the productivity, capacity, and flexibility of Paulig’s production and helps the company to achieve its other sustainability goals. The deal is the most significant in Orfer's history. The project delivery will employ Orfer’s employees and other partners by the end of 2025.
Summary
Paulig is an international family-owned food and beverage company which is known for high quality brand, products, and services. Paulig is a leader in sustainability development and a pioneer of responsibility in food and beverage industry.
This is a major step to support Paulig's commitment to having all packaging recyclable and made from renewable or recycled materials by 2030. With the renovation Paulig’s Vuosaari factory production will be more efficient.
Orfer will provide Paulig a complete solution to meet these challenges. The delivery includes secondary packaging lines that uses only recyclable packaging materials and reduce packaging waste. The traffic of in-house logistics is carried out with mobile robots. The roastery’s key production figures can be monitored with Orfer’s IoT-based productivity service.
The automatic secondary packaging and palletizing systems supplied by Orfer bring efficiency, environmental benefits, and improved working conditions to Paulig's Vuosaari roastery, as well as support the company's mission to enable the future of food.
Orfer is a long-term partner committed to Paulig’s production
The partnership between Orfer and Paulig dates to 2002, when Paulig renewed half of its palletizing lines in the old roastery. The companies have developed the coffee palletizing in co-operation since.
The partnership between Paulig and Orfer was deepened by converging company cultures that strived for better. Paulig is a major client and a partner to Orfer, who dares to challenge to ensure the most responsible coffee production possible. Both companies had the same state of mind, to grow and nurture the partnership together.
For Paulig, it was natural to continue co-operation with Orfer and to pursue third, more ambitious project.

A major step towards more responsible coffee production
In 2019, the idea to renew Paulig’s flagship roastery snowballed. After preliminary study, it became clear what solutions could be made together to achieve the best coffee packaging and palletizing system in the world:
- Work ergonomics and safety
- Productivity
- Quality
- Flexibility
- Capacity
- Reduction of waste
- Sustainable packaging materials
It would be important that work safety, capacity, and productivity could be enhanced and at the same time to modernize the production to meet Paulig’s other sustainability goals. Paulig’s ambition is to have all the packages recyclable by 2025. In addition, Paulig is committed to having all packaging recyclable and made from renewable or recycled materials by 2030. The packaging and palletizing systems are modernized to improve the production efficiency and working conditions.
The experience gained by Orfer's project organization and lifecycle services over 20 years of coffee palletizing will be utilized on a full scale in the complete solution delivered to Paulig.
In co-operation planned automation delivery and its commissioning is phased in terms of production, by considering the lifecycle of the current equipment. This allows Paulig’s production to be disrupted by the renewal as little as possible during the project, by leveraging the company’s past investments to the end of their lifecycle.

Utilizing the circular economy actions made by Paulig
The core idea of circular economy is to keep the economy within the carrying capacity of the environment to minimize waste from production and consumption. This means keeping the manufactured materials and products in circulation for as long as possible.
Paulig has understood the benefits of a circular economy. The company has taken excellent care of its industrial equipment and invests in the development of packaging.
The company has ordered numerous alterations and modernizations from Orfer to keep the old equipment running safely, with new functionalities. With the help of modernization services, the equipment has been kept in good condition and its lifecycle has been extended.
In co-operation comprehension was formed of which of the old equipment can be utilized in the renewed packaging and palletizing lines. For example, the usable spiral conveyors of the roastery will be utilized and modernized for the renewed coffee roastery. Acquiring new ones are not always necessary when old can be enhanced.
Paulig has consistently maintained its equipment with Orfer maintenance services. As a result of these measures, Paulig's equipment has operated as planned, safely and efficiently. Kawasaki robots, which have served well for up to 20 years, will be replaced in phases. This will allow production to continue through the renewal of the Vuosaari roastery.
Through its responsible actions, Paulig has already created environmental benefits.
Improved responsibility, productivity, and flexibility of production
The core idea of circular economy is to keep the economy within the carrying capacity of the environment to minimize waste from production and consumption. This means keeping the manufactured materials and products in circulation for as long as possible.
Paulig has understood the benefits of a circular economy. The company has taken excellent care of its industrial equipment and invests in the development of packaging.
The company has ordered numerous alterations and modernizations from Orfer to keep the old equipment running safely, with new functionalities. With the help of modernization services, the equipment has been kept in good condition and its lifecycle has been extended.
In co-operation comprehension was formed of which of the old equipment can be utilized in the renewed packaging and palletizing lines. For example, the usable spiral conveyors of the roastery will be utilized and modernized for the renewed coffee roastery. Acquiring new ones are not always necessary when old can be enhanced.
Paulig has consistently maintained its equipment with Orfer maintenance services. As a result of these measures, Paulig's equipment has operated as planned, safely and efficiently. Kawasaki robots, which have served well for up to 20 years, will be replaced in phases. This will allow production to continue through the renewal of the Vuosaari roastery.
Through its responsible actions, Paulig has already created environmental benefits.
Data-driven and responsible coffee production
Paulig wanted to take advantage of the IoT-based productivity service developed by Orfer. Data collection for Paulig's delivery will begin at the FAT (Factory Acceptance Test) phase.
The productivity service can be used to monitor the energy consumption, availability, speed, and quality of production. Data-driven production ensures planned productivity and production that can be fine-tuned continuously. The automatic palletizing and packaging of the Vuosaari roastery will be even more productive and more environmentally friendly.

Significant benefits for Paulig's flagship factory
Paulig's Vuosaari roastery has been a pioneer of responsibility since 2010. It is Paulig's first 100% carbon-neutral roastery. Its emissions have been reduced by 98% since 2014, and the remaining emissions will be compensated.
The renewal of Paulig's Vuosaari roastery means significant environmental benefits. It will use less energy on packaging and palletizing. Less packaging waste and spoilage is generated. In addition, the factory renewal will enable greater capacity and productivity, as well as better working conditions.
With the renewal, the production of Paulig's Vuosaari roastery will be able to respond more attentively to consumer habits and production volumes in the food industry. The production of the Vuosaari roastery can use fully recyclable packaging solutions made from renewable or recycled materials. The renewal of the Vuosaari roastery offers Paulig's customers the opportunity to choose more responsible coffee experiences.

About Paulig
Paulig is a family-owned food company that builds new and responsible food culture - one that is good for both people and the planet. Paulig provides all things tasty; coffees and beverages, Tex-Mex and spices, snacks, and plant-based choices. The company’s brands are Paulig, Santa Maria, Risenta, Poco Loco, and Liven. In 2021, Paulig's turnover was 966 million euros, and the concern has 2,200 passionate employees in 13 different countries.
About Orfer
Orfer is a family business founded in 1970 with packaging and pallet automation systems in its heart. The company’s headquarters, product development, and production facilities are in Orimattila. Orfer has a subsidiary in Canada. Orfer is the official importer of Kawasaki and Shibaura robots. Exports account for about 50% of net sales. The company employs 100 professionals. Orfer provides its customers with 24/7 global support as well as a comprehensive range of lifecycle services for the systems it provides. The company’s mission is summed up in a slogan, “Driving Sustainability in packaging and logistics.”
Further information:
Matti Muikku
Director of Sales
+358 50 558 8732
matti.muikku@orfer.fi