From peripherals to complete lines, EDF Europe is strengthening its role in the global converting market thanks to internally developed technologies, new highly automated solutions, and an increasingly service- and efficiency-oriented organizational structure
EDF Europe, which in Italy has inherited the legacy of the Castaldini Group, is today one of the most dynamic Italian companies in the corrugated cardboard converting technology sector. Active since the 1970s, the company operates through its production sites in Argelato (Bologna) and Loria (Treviso), specializing in the design and manufacture of peripheral machines and complete converting lines. Its entry into the Chinese Dong Fang Precision group in 2009 marked an important strategic step in the company’s growth path. Since 2016, EDF Europe has further expanded its scope by designing, producing, and marketing converting machines under its own brand, while maintaining its traditional peripheral systems business.
Complete lines and integrated converting solutions
Today, EDF Europe is among the international manufacturers capable of offering fully integrated complete lines, consisting of converting machines and dedicated peripherals coordinated by internally developed software. This approach allows the company to deliver highly customized solutions designed around the specific production needs of each customer. From loaders to stackers, from sheet separators to palletizing systems, all EDF Europe solutions are designed to ensure ergonomics, operational continuity, and optimization of the production flow. A further strength is the ability to integrate its peripherals with any converting machine on the market, providing maximum flexibility to users.
EDF Europe is also the official agent and distributor of Dong Fang Printing for Italy and part of Europe, a partnership that enables the company to offer a full range of technologically advanced solutions that are also competitive from an economic standpoint.
A new organization to face the global market
Since 2024, the company has introduced a new managerial structure under the leadership of CEO Alessandro Rocchi (here in the picture), with the aim of making the organization even more efficient, flexible, and market-oriented. In this context, the commercial and after-sales teams have been strengthened, improving customer support throughout the entire lifecycle of the systems.
Continued strong focus is also placed on design and assembly, strictly Made in Italy, elements that guarantee build quality and attention to detail. At the same time, EDF Europe has streamlined its production organization through supplier qualification, strengthened incoming and outgoing quality controls, and the introduction of technical reports during installations and on-site customer interventions. Another key strategic aspect is the wide availability of spare parts, essential to ensure prompt maintenance and production continuity.
A complete range for corrugated cardboard
EDF Europe’s product range includes FD618 and FD821 top-print “casemakers” and HGL924 and HGL1228 bottom-print systems, as well as RDC “rotary die-cutters” such as the HGL 1628, HGL 1632, and HBL 1628. The offering is completed by “loaders” for both top- and bottom-print machines, stackers for vacuum and traditional rotary die-cutters, “breakers” for rotary and flatbed die-cutting lines, and complete palletizing lines.
Among the company’s most recent innovations is a new folding unit entirely produced in Italy for the FD618 and FD821 top-print machines. The solution has been designed to increase efficiency, precision, and ease of maintenance through automatic systems for detecting belt thickness and box positioning, as well as encoder-based controls that ensure consistent quality.
The robust, independent structure facilitates access to machine components and significantly reduces maintenance time, also thanks to the absence of through shafts. In addition, the “only one motor” logic allows component standardization, reducing the number of spare parts required.
HBL1321: the new frontier of high-graphic printing
EDF Europe has also expanded its presence in the high-definition printing segment with the new HBL1321, a machine designed to meet the demands of an increasingly quality- and flexibility-driven market. The new solution allows printing up to a maximum format of 1300 × 2100 mm with configurations of up to eight colors and integrates numerous advanced technologies typical of EDF machines.
Available options include a redesigned automatic anilox change system, drying units, vision-based quality control systems, and vibration analysis systems. A particularly significant innovation is the new belt transport system, designed to improve print precision, simplify operation, and reduce maintenance times. This technology has already been extended to the 1628 and 1632 models.
Vacuum high stack: ten years of experience evolving into a new solution
In 2025, EDF celebrated the tenth anniversary of its “vacuum stacker” technology, which has reached approximately 50 installations worldwide. On this occasion, the new “vacuum high stack” version has been introduced, designed to further increase production flexibility by enabling the creation of both bundles and stacks directly on sheets or pallets, with direct output and no intermediate handling steps. Available in different formats and operator configurations, the solution further expands EDF’s range dedicated to corrugated cardboard manufacturers.
BKIII: the new generation of sheet separators
Significant innovations also come from the “sheet separators” segment with the launch of the new BKIII generation. EDF Europe, a pioneer in Italy in “breakers” for rotary die-cutters, now offers an even more high-performance machine capable of improving productivity and handling small formats. The new BKIII can separate bundles up to H140 mm, expanding its application range to smaller packaging sizes. Thanks to the use of brushless motors and advanced technologies, the process is fully automatic with a significant reduction in cycle times. The machine is available in 2100, 2400, 2800, and 3200 mm formats.
Innovation, quality, and service at the core of EDF’s strategy
With an increasingly strong focus on innovation, build quality, and customer support, EDF Europe continues to invest in the development of technological solutions capable of redefining the standards of corrugated cardboard converting, confirming the value of Italian know-how in an increasingly competitive global market.
