The meeting between ICAM and Simonazzi, which began almost by chance, quickly evolved into a structured collaboration destined to leave its mark. A technical dialogue, built step by step, led to the development of entirely new storage solutions specifically designed for clichés and sleeves, culminating in a patented system
It all started about one year ago, when a mutual acquaintance connected ICAM, an Apulia-based company specializing in highly automated industrial storage systems, with Simonazzi, a historic representative in the Italian market of leading brands in the flexo sector. ICAM had received a request for a warehouse to store printing sleeves and needed specific technical consultancy to better understand how to manage these components. In this context, Simonazzi stepped in, initially taking on a role of technical advisor and market guide.
“The meeting was almost accidental”, says Nicolò Albani. “We started with a request for support to better understand the sector: clichés, sleeves, and everything related to printing press equipment. From there, a very in-depth technical exchange with ICAM’s engineers developed, but we never imagined we were laying the foundations for a partnership”.
From technical discussion to a patented horizontal sleeve storage solution
What began as a technical exchange quickly turned into actual design work. ICAM was developing a new facility for a leading company in the flexible packaging printing sector, with the goal of storing up to 2,500 sleeves, equivalent to the equipment of five central drum printing presses. The requirements were clear: reducing occupied space, ensuring component traceability, and monitoring sleeve lifespan. These needs led to an innovative joint project, which resulted in the filing of a patent for a new storage technology.
The core innovation lies in the horizontal arrangement of sleeves, as opposed to traditional vertical systems. This choice allows for a drastic optimization of available space by exploiting the height of industrial buildings, often between 6 and 10 meters, reducing floor footprint. “Vertical storage quickly leads to saturation in height”, explains Nicolò Albani of Simonazzi. “With horizontal arrangement, you work across the width, but in a much more efficient way, making full use of the available volume”. The system is based on a T-shaped structure where the sleeve rests on two support points, preventing deformation over time and ensuring material stability. Printing sleeves are known to be delicate, and if not properly handled during storage, they tend to become ovalized.
The jointly developed and patented project has already led to the installation of two four-column warehouses at the client’s facility in northern Italy. The positive experience immediately paved the way for a second phase: extending the solution to the storage of spare parts and clichés.
Highly flexible and customizable solutions
Another key element of the collaboration is the flexibility of ICAM system, which allows both sleeves and clichés to be managed within the same structure by configuring trays according to customer needs.
Everything is managed by ICON, an internally developed software accessible via web and integrable with any company management system (WMS). The system ensures full traceability of materials: clichés can be classified by customer, job order, or job code; sleeves by print repeat or internal references. The result is advanced warehouse data management, including information on usage, cycles, and movements. This approach fully aligns with Industry 4.0 and 5.0 principles, with ICAM also handling all design and administrative management internally, supported by a technical team of around 30 engineers and specialized consultants.
Alongside the technology, the production philosophy remains central: every installation is tailor-made. “There is no such thing as a standard warehouse”, emphasizes Nicolò. “The system adapts to the customer, not the other way around. No two systems are the same: each project is developed based on sleeve dimensions, available space, and client’s operating methods. What impressed us most when we visited ICAM’s production facility in Putignano (Bari) was discovering that the entire production process for these warehouses is designed, built, and managed in-house, including component painting, demonstrating ICAM’s extreme attention to detail”.
The next step: new projects for corrugated cardboard
With over 300 possible configurations and systems that can reach up to seven columns operated by a single picking bay, ICAM technology stands out for its modularity and scalability. Another distinctive feature is the possibility of outdoor installation, thanks to self-supporting, earthquake-certified structures that can also be configured in insulated or refrigerated versions, depending on production needs.
The recent acquisition of HPiLOG, a company based in Riccione specializing in heavy-load warehouses, has further expanded ICAM’s application range, opening new opportunities in corrugated cardboard, particularly for storing flat and rotary dies.
This evolution strengthens the role of the collaboration with Simonazzi, which is now increasingly central in a journey that has allowed ICAM to enter a market that until recently had been unexplored. “It’s a world we had never approached before”, adds Enrico Albani, “but it has proven to be extremely rich in opportunities. Each client brings different, often complex needs, and our work together with Simonazzi is precisely to turn them into concrete solutions”.
For companies interested in learning more about these solutions, Simonazzi offers customized demos at its headquarters in Pessano con Bornago (Milan), where ICAM has installed a pilot warehouse for demonstrations.
