From the PVC-free revolution with PMA to AI-powered line vision and DMD digital decoration: at the world-leading Metpack fair (Messe Essen, 5-8 May 2026), SACMI is set to redefine the standards of metal packaging safety, quality and flexibility.
SACMI renews its central role at Metpack 2026 (Messe Essen, 5-8 May) with an integrated technological offering that looks to the future of metal packaging by combining innovative processes with safe, sustainable materials, applying AI to quality and exploring new digital decoration opportunities.
PMA: the exclusive SACMI solution for safe, sustainable packaging
Taking center-stage at the fair will be the SACMI PMA24LE, which forms completely PVC-free liners and inserts them into twist-off and press-twist caps. PMA embodies SACMI's ‘PVC-free r-evolution,’ providing producers with tangible benefits and ensuring they stay ahead of regulatory changes.
Why PVC-free? SACMI's PMA technology has been available for several years now. In light of the far-reaching phase-out scenarios concerning use of PVC in food applications being examined by the European Commission, this technology has recently become even more relevant.
Those scenarios are analyzed in the European Commission Report ‘The use of PVC in the context of a non-toxic environment’ (2022); this provides the technical basis for evaluating any future restrictions on PVC and its additives under REACH procedures, in keeping with the European Green Deal and the EU Strategy for Sustainable Chemistry.
Hence the opportunity offered by PMA, a technology that, unlike traditional solutions, does not require the use of curing ovens (once produced, the material simply needs to be cooled). This reduces both the risk of PVC contamination and, thanks to an all-electric process, consumption. Further advantages include a small footprint and impressive speeds, up to 1,000 twist-off caps per minute on almost all sizes, and 800 caps/min for press-twist caps.
At Metpack 2026, SACMI will showcase a PMA24LE in action, set up to produce 66 mm twist-off caps, a typical format for the German pickle market. The machine will be co-presented with a strategic SACMI partner: this company was one of the first to introduce PVC-free technology in Germany, at present the European market with the highest penetration of PVC-free twist-off caps.
Further PMA opportunities include press-twist applications (i.e. caps for baby food, coffee and yoghurt, areas in which safety and migration requirements are stringent).
Expertise in the development of PVC-free liners and, more generally, those with low plastic content, is a crucial part of SACMI's value proposition. Visitors to the SACMI stand at Metpack will be able to experience, first-hand, the widest range of solutions currently available. Alongside that range will be new prototypes - currently at advanced stages of development - that allow, for certain product categories and applications, a reduction in liner weight.
An event focused on PVC-free
At Metpack 2026, SACMI will reaffirm its role as a global technology partner for the metal packaging industry, capable of anticipating regulatory developments and translating them into sound industrial solutions that are already operational on the market.
On 6th May, the fair will also host a special SACMI-organized event, in collaboration with German manufacturer Pano, on the topic of PVC-free metal packaging: a valuable opportunity to discuss the technological, regulatory and market trends redefining the future of the sector.
The complete line, the added value of AI quality control
No longer individual machines but a fully integrated vision of the metal cap line, from forming to PVC-free lining with PMA, curling and lugging. At Metpack 2026, then, SACMI’s stance will be all about taking quality control in the direction of advanced process control.
By integrating MVS in-line vision systems across all critical stages of the process, SACMI is enabling a transition from individual machine control to continuous monitoring of the entire production process. At the heart of the displayed architecture stands DEEP UNIT, the new AI-powered workstation, designed by SACMI as a digital control hub, connected to all the machines and islands on show. Deep Unit gathers and enhances data from the machines and integrates Classy-AI for automatic defect classification, GILDA-AI for intelligent, unified control of the data gathered by the workstation, and PANORAMA for real-time display of qualitative plant performance.
Within this set-up, GILDA-AI has been further developed to enable smart, contextual control of the information generated by vision systems. Additionally, a specialized chatbot makes access to quality data and inspection results simple and immediate. Customers can also upload their own line and process documentation to enable targeted troubleshooting while, of course, retaining full confidentiality and complete control of their manufacturing know-how.
Super-specialized detectors of defects on individual products - caps, lids, jars, cans, gaskets, and metal foil - SACMI inspection devices feature a shared interface, the new CVS Line, designed to maximize ease of use. In this context, SACMI also offers other new AI-powered systems for advanced management of Anomaly Detection: these include Conformity Inspection, a SACMI tech package that upgrades Anomaly Detection by shifting quality control from simple defect detection to product conformity assurance.
Integration of advanced Anomaly Detection and next-gen artificial vision tasks allows the system to perform flexible defect control: this lets the customer distinguish between critical and acceptable anomalies, even during high-speed production. Combined with Classy-AI, this ensures selection of compliant products only and automatically classifies faults, aiding traceability and continuous process improvement.
DMD: the future of metal decoration is digital
The evolution of industrial decoration systems has also produced DMD, the SACMI solution for single-pass digital printing on tinplate. Going from prototype to a well-established market success in just three years, DMD has been optimized for metal applications where continuity of production, consistency and print quality are essential.
The new printer features up to 12 color bars (up from 8 in the previous version) and a magnetic sheet conveying system, resulting in impressive productivity and quality: speeds of up to 2,400 sheets/hour, sizes of 1200x1000 mm and resolutions up to 600 dpi. This fast-evolving technology responds to burgeoning demand for flexibility and speed within the modern metal packaging industry.
New orders – in addition to the three lines already in operation, two more lines will become operational in early 2026 – have confirmed the soundness of the technology and highlighted a paradigm shift on the market. Digitalized decoration means more agile production models: just-in-time, small batches, less inventory, less waste and optimized consumption compared to traditional offset printing. In practice, decoration - no longer constrained by long production runs and format changeover times - becomes a reactive process that adapts to fluctuating demand and streamlines the introduction of new graphics.
In preparation for Metpack 2026, the attention will be on actual case histories and practical applications. Visitors to the fair will have the opportunity to see printed products for the aerosol, paint, cosmetics and chemical sectors, and for indirect food contact applications: a clear demonstration of how a combination of quality, productivity, and reliability delivers measurable benefits throughout the production cycle.
The displayed offering focuses on what truly matters to converters and brands: uncompromising flexibility, faster response times, less complexity and greater operational sustainability. The DMD platform is designed to convert digital metal decoration from opportunity into a production standard, opening up new horizons for customization, micro-batches, limited editions and the efficient management of increasingly broad product portfolios.
Visit the SACMI stand at Metpack 2026, (Messe Essen, 5-8 May 2026), hall 1 Booth no C28