ROVEMA News

With a ceremonial laying of the foundation stone together with 60 invited guests, the construction of the new assembly hall, measuring 3.300 m², has started. As of June 2019 the final assembly of the packaging machines and –lines will take place in the new building at Rovema’s headquarter in Fernwald, Germany.

The new building project will allow Rovema to implement a couple of production optimization measures, particularly ensuring the smooth flow of materials. A new laser-cutting machine with fully automated warehousing system will be installed. The ceiling height of 15 m will allow the usage of a double crane system, enabling modern and efficient processes. As in the production extension in 2016 (1000 m²), the new building will be connected to the existing hall and is built of pre-assembled ferroconcrete parts, fulfilling the recent regulations for heat insulation. A later installation of a photovoltaics system is planned.

 „Sustainability is one of ten investment criteria of the Haniel Group“, explains Stephan Gemkow, Chairman of Haniel's Management Board and Chief Human Resources Officer.

During the festivities, Dr. Helge Braun, Federal Minister for special affairs and head of the German chancellery talked to Rovema’s guests. He reports of the impressive concentration of educational facilities around the German headquarter and Germany’s high innovation potential in international comparison. Braun is convinced that a company can succeed in the market with environmental technologies and sustainable ideas. Especially due to his background as a doctor, he reminded the audience of the importance of a high product quality at consumption – possible through high quality, hygienic packaging. In regards to the current discussions on plastics and plastic recycling in the media, a further important factor to consider!

The investment of about 8 million Euros is necessary to come up to the positive order trend. In addition to the new production hall, Rovema will build new car parks and a bypass for the fire brigade. In 2017, the company had a turnover of € 102 million. For 2018, € 110 turnaround is expected. Rovema currently employs a staff of 650 employees worldwide.

Duisburg/Fernwald, 13 August 2018. Thomas Becker, 54, CEO of ROVEMA since 2011, left the company for personal reasons and on the best of terms with the shareholders. 
Thomas Becker, who studied engineering and business administration, took over the reins of the company in 2011 together with other investors and has continuously developed it into one of the market leaders in modern packaging machines. Thanks to his high level of commitment, many international manufacturers of branded goods from the food sector trust in ROVEMA technology and make use of the corresponding services. Not least, he played a major role in the takeover of ROVEMA GmbH by the family equity company Haniel in October 2017. Haniel Chairman Stephan Gemkow: “The Haniel Management Board would like to thank Thomas Becker for his many years of successful commitment as Managing Director of ROVEMA. His courage in guiding the company out of a difficult phase and his far-sighted and innovative decision-making were decisive for the outstanding development that ensued”.

Peter Baumgartner, 64, will lead the company as CEO together with the former ROVEMA management team on an interim basis. As Chairman of the Supervisory Board , he has been acting in an advisory capacity for the company for some time. “We are delighted that Peter Baumgartner has immediately agreed to step in to fill the gap,” says Stephan Gemkow. “As a graduate engineer and with 30 years’ experience in industry and consulting, he will continue to manage the company with a large degree of continuity together with the management team. Nor, in a transitional phase such as this, can we imagine a better interim solution for the employees of ROVEMA”.

Find out more about the ROVEMA Management Team

left picture: Thomas Becker (CEO), ROVEMA GmbH
right picture: Stephan Gemkow (CEO), Franz Haniel & Cie. GmbH

To celebrate its 60th jubilee, ROVEMA invited guests to take a “glimpse behind the scenes” into the company’s production halls. Six complex packaging machines were presented, and our modern production facilities opened for a guided tour. For example the final packaging machine EW 463, destined for the Netherlands, which can pack up to 120 rice packages per minute into transport packages, was presented. The Form Fill and Seal machine built for an American client to pack loose tea, and the intermittent operating Form Fill and Seal machine which will pack spices up to 60 bags per minute in Dubai.

As a special highlight for future skilled young talents and our current apprentices, a voyage of discovery had been provided. The different areas of the ROVEMA training workshop could be visited and the various professions experienced – first-hand information.

As part of the ROVEMA basketball sponsoring, Marco Völler from the Gießen 46ers team was present for a signing session.

Founded as a family company in 1957, thanks to many pioneering innovations in packaging technology, ROVEMA quickly grew from a small business to a medium-sized company.

In 1981 Dr. Walter Baur took over the majority of shares. Through strict re-organization in combination with investments in further and new developments in packaging technology as well as a focus on markets and customers, the company developed into the industry’s technology leader.

After a re-organization in 2010, successful developments continued. Turnover was 92 million Euros in 2016, 100 million Euros are planned – with about 650 ROVEMA employees worldwide. At the packaging show Interpack in May 2017, ROVEMA collected 230 requests for proposals with an order volume of 5,3 million Euros. About 1200 visitors have been received, advised and served on the 840m² ROVEMA stand. Also a big anniversary celebration with 640 international clients took place during Interpack in Düsseldorf.

To stay successful and to continuously serve the leading role, the production plant’s premises and machine equipment need to be regularly maintained and modernized. Currently, the old production hall’s roof, an area of 5000m², is being isolated and refurbished using state-of-the-art technology. In 2017 alone, investments of 1,5 million Euros will be made for refurbishing and renovations. 

High innovative power combined with technological competence, long-term customer relationships and acceptance as well as the experienced staff’s comprehensive know-how are - according to managing partner Thomas Becker – a guarantee for further continuous growth.

The new ROVEMA HMI is a touch-optimized user interface for the packaging machinery manufacturer’s machines and systems that are used worldwide for forming, filling, closing, commissioning and shelf-ready final packaging. The user-centered and intuitive application provides a uniform design for all different machine types. The HMI control is process-oriented and easy to understand. The reduced and consistent design provides a compact display of information, allowing direct and comprehensible communication of process values – optimal support for the operator.

Thomas Becker, managing partner, ROVEMA GmbH: „Our HMI’s complete revision for us is one further safe step into the future. The communication between operator and machine is an IoT (Internet of Things) relevant, important success factor for our clients. I am pleased to offer with our new HMI task-specific, intuitive and state of the art operating options already today.”

The first machines equipped with the new HMI will be delivered to Germany and the USA in October. Beginning of 2018, delivery of the first complex packaging line is planned.

Professor Dr. Peter Zec, founder and CEO of the Red Dot Award: “I am delighted that agencies, designers and companies from all over the world have once again used the Red Dot Award: Communication Design as an evaluation platform. It is important to subject one’s own achievements to scrutiny again and again in order to constantly improve and maximize the potential for success. I congratulate the Red Dot winners on the high design quality of their work. The award testifies to the fact that they are pursuing the right design strategy”.

The award ceremony for the Red Dot Award: Communication Design 2017 will take place on 27 October. During the Red Dot Gala in the Konzerthaus Berlin in Germany, the Red Dot: Best of the Best and Red Dot: Grand Prix winners will receive their trophies. At the subsequent Designers’ Night in the E-Werk Berlin, the Red Dot laureates will be given their well-deserved certificates and will celebrate their success. In addition, the exclusive winners’ exhibition “Design on Stage” will showcase the awarded communication works at the after-show party, including the new ROVEMA HMI.

The award-winning project from HMI Project will also be presented in the International Yearbook Communication Design 2017/2018. It will be published on November 14^th, 2017 and documents the state of the art in global communication design.

Read more about The NEW ROVEMA HMI.

HMI Project

red dot award

We would like to thank our clients, new contacts and partners for visiting us at our Interpack booth, for many inspiring conversations and a great anniversary party.

A special thanks to our employees that made this exhibition possible and have been enthusiastically contributing to our exhibition like always.

More than 1200 visitors and incoming orders of 5,3 Mio EUR speak for themselves!

Thank you for your interest and your loyalty!

In the meantime, we should have followed-up on all initiated conversations and contact partners should have been defined. Of course, we remain available for further questions or additional information materials regarding our products and services.

Packaging machine manufacturer ROVEMA, headquartered in Fernwald near Frankfurt/Germany, is celebrating the company's 60th anniversary by showcasing its comprehensive packaging expertise at Interpack 2017. Exhibits cover a wide variety of industries and applications for powders, confectionery, pasta, snacks, frozen foods, dry fruit, coffee and liquids.

Machines exhibited will also show the new ROVEMA user guidance which, in combination with the smart ROVEMA P@ck-Control software, ensures ROVEMA machine’s easy and safe operation.

The new ROVEMA HMI features a dashboard that graphically supports operators throughout production. The intuitive touch operation enables the smooth adjustment of all operator inputs that are important for the packaging process: sealing time, sealing force, bag length and set number of cycles. Based on these parameters the machine automatically calculates the optimal operating settings. Clearly displayed graphic elements provide real-time information on key machine data such as infeed capacity, film run and production output at a single glance. All upstream and downstream machines can be integrated, monitored and  controlled from a central location. Operators can also arrange their individual favourites for key input controls and indicators.

Illustrated instructions provide operators with a step-by-step guide for essential conversion and adjustment tasks such as format or product changes. The HMI also includes clearly laid-out screens where all required information and operative steps are grouped together according to tasks like diagnosis or running of new recipes. In case of a malfunction, operators immediately receive brief information on potential troubleshooting options as well as a graphical illustration to localize the fault. The new HMI's help functions are rounded off with the option to store your own notes or to establish direct contact with ROVEMA's support team.

ROVEMA manufacturer of packaging machines, headquartered in Fernwald near Giessen, will be presenting a compact edge sealed packaging system for flat bottom bags with clip and the BVK vertical form-, fill and seal machine for standard bag styles at Fachpack 2016. High-grade confectionery and candies, premium pasta and selected pulses are increasingly packaged in flat bottom bags with a clip for reclosing. Typically the clip applicator is connected to the vertical bagger as a separate component, whereby the set performance is considerably limited.

We will also be exhibiting our SBS 250 packaging system including a vertical BVC continuously working form-, fill and seal machine and the integrated clip applicator. The operation of both components is done by the machine control ROVEMA P@ckControl. The filled bags are transferred by cycle chain, which holds the bags and transfers them safely to the closing clipper. Due to the direct infeed, a set performance of up to 80 bags/minute is possible, depending on bag style and weight. The vertical form-, fill and seal machine as well as the clip aggregate are very accessible so that size changes, cleaning and maintenance work can be shortened tremendously.

The packaging system allows the handling of nearly all mono and laminated films of various thicknesses and is also prepared for different sealing procedures such as heat sealing and impulse welding. The SBS packaging system offers high flexibility in the choice of film material as well as bag style. As the clipper is height adjustable, it is also possible to produce long fin seals, which cannot be produced with clippers customary in the market.

Needing a space requirement of approx. 9 m² the SBS packaging system with integrated clipper is a compact solution for attractive packaging styles with clip closure.

BVK 260 Vertical form fill-, and seal machine – ideal for standard bag styles

ROVEMA will also be presenting the BVK 260 vertical continuous form-, fill and seal machine for standard bag styles like pillow bags and flat bottom bags. At a competitive price the machine offers extremely high production safety by proven and robust machine technology. The vacuum supported film draw down allows the processing of various mono and laminated films. The electro components are integrated in the machine housing by an extricable mounting plate. This allows good accessibility for electrical and pneumatic maintenance works to be carried out and the space requirement of the machine is reduced. With a set performance of up to 120 bag/min. and a format size range of 60 mm up to 260 mm the BVK 260 is the ideal vertical form-, fill- and seal machine for all standard bag styles used in the market.

At the end of each show day all enquiries will be thrown into a hat and one lucky winner will receive a multi award winning bottle of the finest 30 year old Speyside Scotch Whisky. Each days winner will then be also be entered into another draw to win an all expenses overnight trip to the factory in Germany. Here they will get the opportunity to see the exceptional German build quality and assembly techniques ROVEMA employ, up close. Also they will get the chance to quiz the engineers and designers over the cutting edge technology and various machines they have seen during the visit. The trip will be rounded off with a hearty dose of German hospitality!!

As well as celebrating this milestone, ROVEMA will be demonstrating a bag-in-box Cartoning line on its stand at the PPMA Total Show. The line will consist of ROVEMA’s latest high-speed BVC VFFS machine feeding into a horizontal CMH-I cartoner. The line is perfect for rice, pasta, baby food or pet food amongst others. Although ROVEMA have been building high quality cartoning machines for decades this will be the first time ROVEMA has shown one at the PPMA show. They hope it will give visitors the opportunity to explore more of the extensive range of packaging machines now in their portfolio. Alongside this we will also be presenting information on their comprehensive range of fully flexible case packers. The range includes wrap around, high speed tray and lid, American case, drop packers and the new Flexpicker picker cell. Ease of use, reliability, flexibility and the obvious German build quality are a few of the factors that have seen this sector of ROVEMA’s portfolio see considerable growth over recent years.

The new production hall of 1000 m2 was officially opened on 1st July 2016 at a summer company party for all employees.

After only 7 months of construction time from planning to finish operation in the new production hall with a capacity of about 1000m2 will start as scheduled on 1st July. The management invited all 460 employees at Fernwald to the official opening at a summer company party to celebrate this achievement.

The new building, which is connected to an existing hall is built of pre-assembled ferroconcrete parts and corresponds to the recent regulations for heat insulation. A big panoramic window enables assembly work in daylight; three fast run gates reduce loading time, as the trucks can drive directly into the hall. The machines can be loaded from the new installation site directly onto the trucks.20 people will be mounting and testing vertical baggers and end-of-line machines in the new hall, where complete packaging lines can be implemented now before they are delivered to the customer. A 12 t crane and a 15 t crane are mounted from the ceiling and facilitate transport during the production flow.

In phase 2 an outbuilding with an office for foremen and a social area for the employees will be joined to the hall during 2017.

The expansion of production capacity was necessary to come up to the positive order trend. Further expansion stages are planned according to the development of business.


In 2010, the company had a turnover of € 36 million and 280 employees. This year orders of € 90 million are expected. At the same time the staffing level has doubled from 282 to approximately 580 people worldwide.

„So much growth needs space“, said Thomas Becker, CEO of ROVEMA GmbH, “which we will create gradually”. At the end the production area should have grown by 3000 up to 5000 square meters.

High innovative capacity combined with technological expertise, long lasting customer loyalty and acceptance, as well as the extensive know-how of experienced staff guarantee, according to Becker, sustained future growth.

In 2014, Saue Production Estonia received a BVC 400 with auger doser SDH to pack spices. By purchasing this machine, the previous manual packaging has been automated. Essential for the client was the high repeatability and flexibility achieved with the ROVEMA servo drive that allows diverse pack sizes and bag shapes.
Already at the start of the cooperation, ROVEMA and Bedika convinced the client with their accomplished and quick offer. Overall, the client felt well taken care of. Tarmo Leht: „I felt respected as a client before as well as after signing the contract and had the feeling, that we are important to ROVEMA“.
Crucial for the decision were the testing facilities at the in-house technical center. On-site at Fernwald, output rate and mode of operation had been demonstrated convincingly. Furthermore, 3D drawings for illustration had been available throughout the planning phase.
Tarmo Leht: “ROVEMA convinced me with its high innovative capacity and its sophisticated solutions. The professional implementation at the factory acceptance at Fernwald as well as the on-site acceptance in Estonia was highly approved among all project participants.”
The client’s expectations on production capacity have been by far fulfilled: on-site the ROVEMA team was able to produce a higher output than originally offered. Currently, the machine is run at an 8 hour shift. Two-shift operation is only necessary occasionally. Mr. Leht attests good and quick service from ROVEMA / Bedika. For the future, a machine upgrade with “Stabilo Seal” is roughly planned. With this, production of higher quality packaging for different markets would be possible.


Mr. Tarmo Leht, Technical Manager, Saue Production


ROVEMA BVC 400 on-site in Estoni

Example for new packaging

ROVEMA Ltd, has just installed its twentieth packaging machine into Leicester-based Universal Flexible Packaging. The company has been working with Universal Flexible Packaging for many years and regards this latest order as testament to the quality of its product and the customer service ROVEMA is able to provide. ROVEMA has also supplied all the packaging machinery to Savoury & Sweet, producers of popcorn and healthy snack foods.

The BVC260 Stabilo packaging machine is known for its excellent flexibility which makes it so popular among manufacturers.One machine installed over sixteen years ago into the Universal Flexible Packaging plant is still going strong and ROVEMA prides itself in the service support it offers to assist plant longevity.ROVEMA has five full time UK-based engineers whose role it is to support customers and keep its machinery moving.

Tinku Durrani, Managing Director of Universal Flexible Packaging and CEO of Savoury & Sweet said: ““We are delighted to be taking delivery of our 20th ROVEMA flexible packaging machine, a clear signal of how pleased we are with the wide range of bag styles we are able to produce with this equipment. We have forecast continued growth and expansion in 2016 and in the area of flexible film packaging we are also able to provide a stock and serve offer to our customers.”

ROVEMA machines are used for packaging confectionery, dry goods, spices, baked goods, pulses and frozen foods for manufacturers throughout the world.The company’s innovative approach has been appreciated by leading brands in the UK where it has been operating for 30 years.

ROVEMA UK Managing Director, Graham Hughes said: “We have had an excellent relationship with Universal Flexible Packaging since its incorporation twenty one years ago and are delighted to be working with Savoury & Sweet now too.Making delivery of this 20th packaging machine is a milestone for us.”

At the annual sales meeting in early February; more than 90 employees and representatives of ROVEMA from 37 nations met to discuss current developments and the implementation of the common growth strategy.

After a very successful fiscal year 2015, with a turnover of 80 million Euros, ROVEMA plans another increase in turnover of 10% for 2016. The main increase in sales is expected from the US and further, newly established, international key accounts. Also the technical developments in the snack food sector and the proceeding internal development in robotics will contribute to achieve these objectives.

To provide enough room for this development, during 2016, ROVEMA will invest 4,2 million Euros in the expansion of the company’s headquarter and production facility in Fernwald.

CEO Thomas Becker, sales manager Roland Kuhn, as well as Soeren Glaeser, Head of Customer Service Center, led the event. The presentation and introduction of new and future product developments, the ROVEMA Customer Service, ROVEMA Retrofit and reportsof successful business examples from variousinternational markets were part of the program. Guests took a guided tour through the production plant and, in addition to theinspection of the machines currently in production,received an overview of the new acquisitions in this area.

The common passion for high quality packaging machines and the open corporate culture ensured a pleasant 3 days with productive and creative discussions. There was also a lively exchange between the international teams outside the official agenda.

A large annual meeting of all sales companiesand representatives is part of the ROVEMA corporate strategy and traditionally takes place at and around the headquarters in Fernwald.

Roland Kuhn concluded: "We thank our employees and partners sincerely for the successful event and the interesting presentations and contributions. We are looking forward to continuing our successful partnership – also with regard to the international packaging trade fair Interpack, which will take place in May 2017"

ROVEMA GmbH with headquarters in Fernwald is a leading international manufacturer ofpackaging machines and packaging lines for various products and applications. ROVEMA currently employs approximately 550employees worldwide and will be represented at more than 25 international trade fairs in 2016.

ROVEMA proudly presents itself once at Fachpack to prove its innovative capacity in the matter of packaging machines.
ROVEMA will be exhibiting a typical application for the packaging of confectionery, pastries and cookies.

The packaging line will incorporate the BVC 180 bagging system with integrated weigher and a picker modul. The control of the picker modul and the weigher which is directly mounted on the vertical bagger is integrated in the vertical bagger. So we have a complete system available where all components can be operated by the machine control.

The BVC 180 vertical bagger is equipped with an integrated metal detector in the weigher frame as well as the proven product detection sense&seal, which detects product parts in the seal area and directly pushes out of faulty bags. The bags will be guided downwards directly out of the machine. This saves space and enables good accessibility from the front. The bags are guided in lying position, face up, i.e. the orientation of the bag is already in place as to how it will be laid up in the tray. The bags will be guided to the picker by an infeed belt, will be sucked in by vacuum grippers and positioned in the tray according to a defined scheme, which can be configured freely. The motion profiles of the delta kinematics will be caculated by the vertical bagger control. Thus the picker is couppled smoothly to the continuously driven infeed and discharge belts. The packaging process runs smoothly and in an energy-efficient operation which is gentle for the product and machine.

When changing the performance of the vertical bagger, the picker rautomatically adapts its movement profile. The choice of the recipe will also be implemented in the picker. This shortens change over times. All adjustments for the vertical bagger, weigher and picker will be made on only one menu display (HMI touch panel). The same hardware is used throughout. Thus the world wide ROVEMA service can provide optimum support for the whole solution. There is no training or additional personnel needed for the operation of the weigher and picker. The operator can also make changes in the layer schemes or the bag format by entering a few parameters without having robotic programming-knowledge.

The ROVEMA Group, a leading international provider of packaging machines and lines based in Fernwald, Germany, has gained Equita GmbH & Co. Holding KGaA and Equita GmbH & Co. CoVest KGaA (jointly known as "Equita"), from Bad Homburg, Germany, as a new majority shareholder. Current managing partner Thomas Becker has retained a significant share in the company and will continue to provide the Group with his experienced leadership.

Equita, a private equity company in the Harald Quandt Group, has purchased the ROVEMA Group from its previous partners and will now function as the majority shareholder. The managing partner Thomas Becker, under whose leadership ROVEMA has successfully expanded its international presence and product range since 2010, will continue to hold a significant stake in the company. The other partners, Dr. Sepp Lachenmaier and Dr. Winfried Ley, who have been with ROVEMA since that time, are leaving the company.

With Equita, ROVEMA now has a strong partner that has been one of the leading German financial investors over the past 20 years. "Our investment focus is on high-growth, profitable and internationally active companies with a clear unique selling proposition. This makes ROVEMA an excellent fit for our portfolio. We are looking forward to continuing the ROVEMA success story and supporting the company in its further growth initiatives. Operational business activities remain in the hands of the proven management team," says Christine Weiss, a partner with Equita.

ROVEMA was formed in 1957 and is firmly established as a global leader in the market for flexible packaging machinery and facilities. The company is regarded as the inventor of the continuous motion vertical form, fill and seal machine and has a high level of expertise with primary packaging in the food industry and related areas. It also offers packaging solutions for chemical and technical products.

Core competencies of ROVEMA include sophisticated powder applications (such as powdered milk, flour and coffee) as well as lumpy and granular products (e.g. pasta and muesli). The company is currently rolling out advanced, high-throughput machines specially developed for packaging frozen foods and snacks. ROVEMA offers individual machines as well as complete package lines including dosing units, cartoning machines and final packaging.

With its broad portfolio of high-quality, state-of-the-art machines, ROVEMA is active in an attractive, high-growth niche segment. The company is ideally positioned to benefit from global trends such as the rising importance of flexible packaging solutions for changeable market trends, a growing share of smaller single-serving packaging and innovative package styles.

At present ROVEMA, with headquarters in Fernwald, Germany, has 450 employees at 13 locations worldwide. With offices in the USA, UK, Italy, Belgium, Spain, Turkey, the Philippines, Panama and Russia, ROVEMA has a global presence. In the 2014 financial year the group had total sales of approximately EUR 70 million.

With this transaction Equita has again demonstrated its wide-ranging experience in the mechanical engineering sector. "ROVEMA is outstanding for its excellent innovative skills, comprehensive knowledge of applications and its expertise and flexibility in the spare parts business," says Christine Weiss.

Thomas Becker, the managing partner of ROVEMA, made it clear that the choice of Equita as a partner was no accident: "Equita's business philosophy makes it the perfect partner to support our long-term growth and market development," he said on the occasion of the ROVEMA ownership handover. "We are delighted to have found a strong partner for ROVEMA in Equita in order to move forward together with the successful development of the company."

Please direct any questions to the following contacts:

ROVEMA
Mr. Michael Koch
Werbekoch
Zum Grenzgraben 28
76698 Ubstadt-Weiher
Tel.: 0 72 51/96 26 10

Equita Management GmbH Christine Weiss
Partner
Tel.: 06172– 9441-224

About Equita
Equita stands for continuity in the long-standing Harald Quandt family tradition of investing in medium-sized companies in the German-speaking countries. Since 1992 Equita has managed an aggregate total of approximately EUR 830 million in equity capital. Equita currently makes investments through Equita Holding and Equita CoVest, which together hold capital commitments of EUR 450 million. The current portfolio comprises 10 companies. For further information, visit www.equita.de.