IMA-INDUSTRIA MACCHINE AUTOMATICHE
IMA: almost 50 years of innovation in processing and packaging machines
Its position of leadership is the result of significant investments in R&D, regular and constructive dialogue with the end-users in its sectors and the Group's ability to expand internationally, conquering new markets. Its history features a constant growth that has enabled the Group to close the year 2009 with a consolidated turnover of 505.8 million Euros, about 93% of which destined for export. Total sales of IMA in the year 2009 are for 81.5% in the pharmaceutical sector and for 18.5% in the tea sector.
The Group, whose Chairman is Alberto Vacchi, has more than 3,000 employees, more than 1,400 of whom overseas, and is present in over 70 countries, supported by a sales network made up of 11 branches (Spain, Portugal, France, the UK, Germany, Austria, the USA, China, Thailand and Brazil), representative offices in central-eastern Europe and more than 50 agencies. IMA is committed in one production joint-venture in China. The Group has 18 production plants in Italy, Germany, the UK, the USA, India and China.
IMA has recently acquired GIMA, an Italian packaging company which operates prevalently in food & beverage and personal care.
IMA S.p.A. has been listed on the Milan Stock Exchange since 1995 and in 2001 joined the STAR segment.
IMA has filed over 1,000 patents worldwide; over 400 technicians and designers are committed to product innovation. IMA has launched many new machine models over the past five years.
The Group’s organisational structure features four leading business areas in the main sectors: IMA Flavour (Tea & Coffee Packaging Solutions), IMA Active Division (Solid Dose Solutions), IMA Life (Aseptic Processing & Freeze Drying Solutions) and IMA Safe (Packaging Solutions).
This organisational structure emphasises the values that the Group has built up over almost 50 years in the business: experience and reliability, a world-wide support and service network, excellent ability to meet customers' requirements. These values enable us to act not just as suppliers but also as partners, proposing innovative solutions as well as high quality products.
More in details, IMA Flavour offers the widest range of machines for the packaging of tea and herbs in filter bags and of coffee in filter paper pods for both regular and espresso coffee.
IMA Active Division offers a complete range of machines for the process and production of solid dose products. Granulation equipment, manufactured both by IMA and Zanchetta, for wet granulation and drying for all types of production and layout requirements. Tablet press machines manufactured both by IMA and by Kilian suitable for pharmaceutical, chemical, food and cosmetic industries. Capsule filling machines with a wide assortment of filling and control systems. Coating systems with solid wall and perforated pans. Checkweighers for 100% control of tablets and capsules. Very flexible powder handling and washing systems manufactured by Zanchetta.
IMA Life offers machines for the washing and sterilising of pharmaceutical vials, filling and stoppering in aseptic environments of vials, ampoules and syringes, filling and closing of pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, microdosing of aseptic powders as well as industrial, pilot and laboratory freeze-dryers, which can be combined with the industry's widest range of automated loading and unloading system solutions. IMA Life also offers labellers, blowing machines, depackers and traying machines.
IMA Safe is the only manufacturer to offer complete primary and secondary packaging line solutions to the pharmaceutical, toiletry, cosmetic and food industries. Blisters machines have speed ranges from low to super high speed (1,300 blisters/minute). Low speed machines are also manufactured by the subsidiary IMA-PG India. Tablet counting machines production includes IMA Safe Nova (USA) and IMA Safe Swiftpack (UK). Tube fillers are manufactured by IMA Safe Co.ma.di.s., while horizontal and vertical cartoners are manufactured by IMA Safe. IMA Safe Line offers a complete range of end-of-line equipment which includes over-wrapping, shrink-wrapping, case packing and palletizing solutions. A new collaboration is also in place with Universal Pack, one of the major experts in the field of stick-packing, shaped and heat-sealed on four sides.
High standards in after-sales technical assistance have always been central to IMA customer-oriented policy. In order to provide the best service for an increasing number of delivered machines worldwide, IMA has developed a capillary network for the after-sales service worldwide.
