Our only goal: 100% Quality, Zero Defects

We are aware that our closures are part of a more complex packaging system, into which they must be perfectly incorporated, eliminating every possible technical problem.

In addition to perfect functionality, there is also the demand for closures with increasingly sophisticated designs, which require very complex painting processes

Astro works constantly to achieve the best possible quality, applying the fundamental principles of Total Quality Management:

Focus on the customer

Our customers determine the final level of quality achieved: their satisfaction is the only guarantee of the continuous improvement of the quality of our closures and services.

Staff involvement

All our employees, at all levels and regardless of their role, are responsible and committed to providing the best possible performance, being aware that this will affect the quality delivered to our customers.
Thanks to in-house communication activities, everyone at Astro knows the company’s mission, vision and goals.

Integration of processes and organisational systems in compliance with Industry 4.0

Through the computerisation of all in-house processes and the search for maximum production automation, we set ourselves the goal of optimising our production and the quality of our output to customers.

Digital numerical control

All the closure edging and assembly lines are equipped with cameras that check the various parameters of every single piece (deformation, imperfect printing, presence of the pourer liner, etc.). Thanks to dedicated software it is possible to identify and eject pieces that do not conform to the required specifications, with consequent intervention to eliminate non-conformities.

Continuous quality improvement

At Astro there is a culture of “continuous improvement”: we reward innovative and creative thinking, raising awareness and spreading the culture of quality at all levels of the organisation. Only in this way can we achieve, and offer our customers, real qualitative excellence in our products and services.

In-house Production Quality Control Laboratory

We have an in-house structure that is highly qualified in terms of equipment and personnel, which carries out sophisticated checks on the operation of the closures via appropriate application simulations, using:

  • 12 capping machines, which reproduce the capping of all types of capsules produced
  • torque testers, for checking opening force
  • internal profilers, for checking profiles and bottle finishes
  • optical vision system
  • oven and cold room to simulate the ageing process of the closures

We use Early Life Failure Rate (ELFR) procedures at the front end and Real Time Control (RTC) procedures at the back end to monitor the quality of our closures and constantly check the reliability of the processes during production. Every suspected defect is analysed and, if confirmed, a plan of corrective actions is immediately implemented.

Certifications

The high procedural and production standards that Astro has achieved are acknowledged by the attainment of two important certifications:

ISO 22000:2005 certification (possession of internal food safety management system requirements) for the design and production of dispensing and closure systems for food products, in aluminium and plastic.

BRCGS_PACKAGING_LOGO500

BRC Packaging standard certification, developed by the British Retail Consortium (BRC), which certifies the health and hygiene safety of packaging materials intended to come into contact with food.