“Mixed” Bottling Line for S.Bernardo. Acqua S.Bernardo is among Italy’s leading bottlers of water and carbonated beverages. Since 1926, it has represented Made in Italy internationally, thanks to the unmistakable lightness and elegance of the “Gocce” (drops) bottle designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro. Present in all channels, both in the Horeca sectors and in large-scale distribution, since 2015 S.Bernardo has been part of the Montecristo Group along with Fonte Ilaria Spa and Fonti Posina. The group produces 850 million bottles per year.
Used Bottling Line: A Choice Aligned with S.Bernardo’s Sustainability Mission
Since 2022, the Group has collaborated with BBM Service for the supply and installation of used and refurbished bottling lines at its plants. In Garessio (Cuneo, Italy), BBM handled the study and design of a mixed bottling line (consisting of both new and used machinery) with a nominal capacity of 28,000 bph. The decision to partially use second-hand machinery aligns with BBM Service’s philosophy of sustainable development, being always committed to recovering and refurbishing second-hand machinery, and with S.Bernardo’s goal of achieving zero impact by 2026.
Refurbished Machinery by BBM Service
At the BBM production facility in Lenna (Bergamo), BBM refurbished the bottling line intended for S.Bernardo. This included a saturator, a SIDEL Combi, a bottle dryer, a Krones labeler, an SMI shrink wrapper, a Procomac palletizer, and the bottle and bundle conveyor belts. BBM Service also provided the line management system. The installation, which took less than two months, included the configuration of Line Control, a made-in-BBM software that allows line supervision and remote batch management.
The Extraordinary Operation of Transporting the Bottling Line
Upon completion of the refurbishment, BBM undertook an ambitious operation to load and transport the machinery to the client’s plant in Garessio. The line, spread across exceptional transport trailers, traveled over 350 km. Within a few hours, BBM’s machinery traversed the roads of Northern Italy, arriving at its destination the following morning. Watch the extraordinary transport video.
BBM’s technicians were already at the destination awaiting. Once the machinery was unloaded and positioned, they began the installation, which was completed in just two months. By April, the first startup tests had already been carried out. The result is a line capable of bottling sparkling and still water in 28,000 500 ml bottles per hour. Antonio Biella, General Manager of Acqua S.Bernardo, commented:
We are pleased to collaborate with BBM Service, a historic Italian company in the sector that we have known for many years. BBM has consistently interacted with us and supported us, demonstrating excellent flexibility and efficiency. We are satisfied with this partnership, appreciating both the Italian heritage of our partner and their ability to assist us in various challenging situations. For S.Bernardo, this collaboration underscores our ongoing investments in the market, aimed at bolstering the growth of our recorded volumes, which have increased by 12%.
