Innovation
A source of ideas, a spring of evolution
The ongoing pursuit of ever more advanced technologies is one of the company’s key strengths; it works with leading partners – preferably Italian ones – to develop bespoke technological solutions, creating systems tailored to specific requirements and thereby contributing to the development and improvement of existing technologies on the market.
A cutting-edge plant
The Sant’Anna Water plant is a model of cutting-edge technology in the heart of the Maritime Alps, on the border between Piedmont and France. It covers an area of 60,000 square metres, at an altitude of around 900 metres above sea level, in a part of the valley where the mountains form a broad natural plateau.
Clad in wood and stone, in keeping with the styles and materials traditionally used in the Vinadio Alpine valley, it blends seamlessly into its surroundings.
The production site is of international interest, studied and visited by major multinationals and leading companies in the beverage industry
Robotisation and industry 4.0
The Vinadio plant is served by 48 LGVs (Laser Guided Vehicles), electric, laser-guided robots equipped with lithium batteries, dedicated to automated goods handling within the production and logistics departments. The vehicles are coordinated by a central software system that manages pallet movements throughout the various stages of the process, from supplying materials for production to dispatch.
The LGVs operate autonomously and handle goods by distinguishing between product types, formats and quantities. The system ensures an accuracy of over 99.5% and contributes to high levels of automation and safety in logistics operations.
The LGVs are powered by rechargeable batteries and do not require operators to drive them during handling operations. The production process also uses articulated wrapping robots designed to optimise the application of packaging film.
From the Alps to the table in 48 hours
Fresh water from Sant’Anna’s springs flows continuously, and the production cycle at the plant is constantly in motion, bringing water from the Alps directly to the table in just 48 hours. A network of 400 km of stainless-steel pipes extends from the Sant’Anna Water springs – an impressive work of engineering integrated with the environment – carrying Sant’Anna Water from the mountain peaks directly to the plant. Here, the water is collected in 11 tanks with a capacity of up to 2 million litres, where it is immediately bottled in the various Sant’Anna Water Bio Bottle formats or becomes the water used in SanThè and Sant’Anna Water beverages.
The high-speed warehouse, operated by automated laser-guided vehicles, enables the sorting of pallets all the way to the articulated lorries, which, when loaded with fresh water, leave the plant and stop at the first major railway station downstream. From here, the product is transferred onto trains and then shipped throughout Italy and around the world.