Middle Eastern manufacturers are embracing Made in Italy technology: The Al Mulla Group Case and Microline.


Microline, an Italian company dedicated to the design and manufacture of machines and systems for the tissue industry and secondary packaging for over twenty years, has a strong propensity to export and expand into the global market. In one of its most recent job orders, the company supplied a roll packaging system to the Al Mulla Group, a UAE-based company.

The protagonists of the story

Al Mulla group is a multi-disciplinary conglomerate, engaged in a wide spectrum of business activities. Founded in 1974, Al Mulla Group has several prestigious subsidiaries in the Middle East. As a leading company headquartered in Fujairah, UAE, Al Mulla Group has enhanced its competitive positioning in sectors including Trading and Contracting, Automobiles, Marine Engineering, Tissue Paper Converting, Plastic Products, Logistics and Travel & Tourism. Al Mulla Industries L.LC is one of the leading tissue paper products converting companies in the Middle East. With its sophisticated machinery and best-in-class technology, the company maintains a continuous improvement of processes and technology, backed by automated and quality production systems.

Recently, the company experienced a change in its business unit dedicated to the production of rolls for industrial and commercial use. It was therefore only natural to turn to Microline, which has specialized in solutions for the packaging and handling of tissue products for over twenty years, with particular expertise in the development of rolls packaging machines and auxiliary systems. As a global player, the Bologna-based company offers products and services that are tailored to meet the needs of customers on a global scale.

A reliable, high-performance wrapper

 Microline was contracted to supply an AL80 horizontal wrapper, which is one of the most popular machines in its product portfolio, along with a shrink-wrapping tunnel and an infeed sorter. From a design perspective, the AL80 was conceived for the paper industry and AFH-type rolls, with the specific purpose of preventing material waste during the packaging cycle while retaining the high performance the industry expects. Indeed, since the films are very thin and there is no packaging waste, a relatively small amount of packaging material is required. A key characteristic of the feed stage is the precise and gentle handling of the product, which prevents the deformation of even the softest rolls and prevents marking of the embossing. Having this aspect in place makes it possible to eliminate production waste and increase productivity and efficiency at the same time. With the specific equipment supplied to Al Mulla, it is possible to handle single, double or triple rolls at a production rate of 70 rolls per minute for individual packs and 120 rolls per minute for double packs, based on the size and number of the products.

Made in Italy for the Middle East

A machine was installed at Al Mulla Industries premises last December 2023 and immediately demonstrated performance that was in line with expectations. Microline has developed technology that combines sturdiness with flexibility and efficiency. All Microline machines are designed with a modular concept and they provide the possibility of using different feeding systems as well as working with different types of products. Microline solutions enable savings not only in terms of packaging material but also in terms of energy consumption.