Testing labs in Castel San Pietro Terme

TECHLAB™ is a specialist research and testing laboratory operated by Aetna Group Spa, an Italian industrial group headquartered in Castel San Pietro (Bologna), Italy. Constituted as a structurally independent entity within the Aetna Group — whose packaging-machinery brands include Robopac, OCME, Sotemapack, Meypack, and Toptier — TECHLAB™ focuses exclusively on the scientific evaluation and optimisation of palletised load stability. The laboratory's formal independence from its parent organisation is designed to guarantee impartiality of results, and TECHLAB™ has submitted its operations to national accreditation through Accredia, Italy's sole government-appointed accreditation body and a full signatory member of the international Mutual Recognition Arrangements for testing laboratories. Over more than a decade of operation, the laboratory has completed in excess of 6,000 tests, establishing itself as a recognised centre of expertise in Europe and in the global markets it serves through an international network of laboratory centres. The core technical mission of TECHLAB™ is the rigorous evaluation of how palletised goods behave under the mechanical stresses inherent to real-world transport logistics — road, rail, and air — and the identification of the most effective and material-efficient load-stabilisation strategy for each product configuration. Testing is conducted in accordance with recognised European and international standards, with documented application of EUMOS 40509, the European standard governing the testing of load units subjected to horizontal dynamic forces during carriage. The laboratory's technical scope encompasses static and dynamic unit-load stability assessments, analysis of stretch-film wrapping performance at varying pre-stretch ratios and application parameters, evaluation of alternative containment technologies including strapping, shrink film, corner protectors, and interlayer sheeting, and precision measurement of deformation, displacement, and load cohesion within the palletised unit under simulated transport conditions. A technically distinctive feature of TECHLAB™ is its deployment of digital-twin methodology, which enables computational simulation of stretch-wrapped pallet behaviour under a defined unidirectional acceleration field prior to physical testing. This capability was developed in part through participation in European research initiatives aimed at reducing plastic film consumption in industrial wrapping operations. By modelling and optimising wrapping strategies virtually before committing to physical trials, the laboratory is able to narrow the experimental space, reduce material use in the test programme itself, and produce a more targeted and reproducible physical validation. This digital-physical workflow positions TECHLAB™ among the most technically advanced pallet-testing facilities globally. Quantified outcomes documented across TECHLAB™'s client engagements are substantial: customers have achieved reductions of up to 60% in packaging consumables per pallet, improvements in palletised load stability of up to 40%, and decreases in product damage during transit of up to 85%. These figures reflect the laboratory's combined strength in both metrology and applied packaging technology. The technical team works directly with customer engineers and logistics managers to interpret test data and translate it into precise, actionable production parameters — including wrapping machine settings, film specifications, application speeds, and containment force targets. The resulting deliverable is not simply a pass/fail compliance record but a fully customised optimisation roadmap specific to the client's product, pallet format, and supply-chain conditions. Industries served by TECHLAB™ include ceramics manufacturers, building and construction materials producers, consumer goods companies, and any sector in which palletised products are exposed to transport-induced dynamic forces and mechanical shock. Published case histories illustrate representative engagements: a ceramics producer achieved a 50% reduction in wrapping consumables while simultaneously improving load stability and reducing the risk of in-transit product breakage; a building-sector client eliminated the need for strapping entirely through a re-engineered pallet wrap regime, achieving a drastic reduction in transport damage without increasing material cost. The breadth of these case histories underscores the laboratory's capacity to address stabilisation challenges across diverse product geometries, masses, and packaging substrates. The client engagement process at TECHLAB™ follows a structured four-stage protocol designed to minimise time-to-result. Prospective clients first submit their needs and current stability challenges via the laboratory's contact form or through a dedicated sales representative. Three representative samples of the palletised load — reflecting actual production dimensions, stacking pattern, and weight — are then shipped to the laboratory. Clients may attend testing in person at one of the TECHLAB™ centres or participate via a scheduled virtual call to observe their load being tested in real time. The engagement concludes with delivery of an exclusive, tailor-made final report covering all test data, performance benchmarks, comparative analysis of stabilisation alternatives, and specific recommendations for optimising load integrity and reducing consumable usage. Aetna Group Spa, the parent entity of TECHLAB™, is a globally active packaging-systems group with manufacturing plants on multiple continents and a commercial presence spanning dozens of countries. The Group's decision to establish TECHLAB™ as an Accredia-accredited, operationally independent laboratory reflects a strategic commitment to evidence-based packaging solutions underpinned by scientific rigour. For procurement professionals, logistics engineers, and packaging technologists seeking a credible, internationally connected partner for unit-load and pallet-stability testing — particularly where stretch-film wrapping technology, EUMOS 40509 compliance, or consumable-reduction objectives are in scope — TECHLAB™ offers a well-documented track record, accredited methodology, and a consultative service model that extends beyond testing into applied optimisation.