Giotto Technologies

1. In a climate of rising energy, raw material, and logistics costs, how is the tissue converting sector redefining operational efficiency beyond traditional cost-cutting measures? 

The sector is shifting from “cutting costs” to engineering efficiency into the system using digitalization, smarter energy use, optimizing raw material use and supply chain redesign. The goal isn’t just to spend less, but to produce more value per unit of input, while staying flexible and resilient in a volatile cost environment. 

2. From your vantage point, what are the most critical shifts in customer expectations that are pushing tissue converters to rethink their production strategies? 

Customers are no longer just buying tissue products, they’re buying performance across multiple dimensions: sustainability, quality and innovation, customization and price. For converters, this means moving away from rigid, volume-driven production toward agile, datadriven and customer-oriented operations.  

3. Advanced converting lines are increasingly positioned as end-to-end solutions. How is innovation reshaping the integration of converting, packaging, and digital monitoring systems? 

Converting and packaging are now tightly synchronized, reducing bottlenecks, manual handling and waste while enabling faster, more flexible production flows. At the same time, digital monitoring systems collect real-time data across the entire allowing predictive maintenance, instant adjustments and better decision-making. The result is a more efficient, connected operation that improves productivity, ensures consistent quality, reduces downtime and consumption and gives converters full visibility and control over the entire production process. 

4. How do next-generation technologies—such as automation, AI-driven analytics, and smart sensors—translate into measurable gains in efficiency and product consistency? 

They translate into measurable gains by reducing downtime, waste, errors and process variability. Automation stabilizes operations and speeds up changeovers, AI optimizes machine performance and prevents failures through predictive maintenance and smart sensors ensure real-time control of critical parameters. Together, they increase overall equipment efficiency and deliver more consistent product quality. 

5. Can you share how innovations like high-performance converting platforms (e.g., nextgen lines) are enabling both speed and adaptability without compromising quality? 

Quality is the non-negotiable foundation. Innovation must focus on the details, on phases and transitions, where we can improve flexibility in the converting process without compromising performance. Mechanical design allows stable operation at high speeds, while advanced automation and recipe-based settings enable fast changeovers and quick adaptation to different product formats. The Genium converting line ensures that product quality is maintained during transitional phases, particularly during acceleration and deceleration, even in fast-stop mode. At the same time, integrated monitoring systems keep quality parameters tightly controlled in real time, ensuring that increased speed and flexibility do not lead to variability or defects. 

6. With energy costs remaining volatile, what role do energy-efficient components (such as torque motors or optimized drive systems) play in reducing total cost of ownership? 

Energy-efficient components play a key role in reducing total cost of ownership by directly lowering consumption and improving overall machine efficiency. Our solution with direct-drive torque motors, for example, can reduce energy use by up to 15%, while also simplifying transmission systems, reducing maintenance needs, and enabling a drastic reduction in noise levels. They are a clear example of how intelligently and innovatively applied mechanical design can deliver concrete, measurable results in both efficiency and operational cost reduction. 

7. Beyond machinery, how important is process optimization—such as waste reduction, downtime minimization, and predictive maintenance—in driving sustainable efficiency gains? 

Process optimization is essential. Every detail counts and must be carefully assessed, because in such a highly competitive market, even small improvements can make a real difference. Reducing waste, minimizing machine downtime and using predictive maintenance all contribute to a 360° optimization of the process. This is the direction the market is pushing towards: a fully optimized and sustainable approach in which efficiency is achieved across the entire system, not just through the individual machines that make up the converting line.