Gambini Advances in Brazil and North America with Tailored Solutions for TAD and Hybrid Tissue Markets

Gambini has a strategic plan for 2026: to consolidate its presence in two distinct and equally challenging territories — Brazil and North America — two markets that the company's technology can serve through solutions tailored to the specific needs of each.

At the end of 2025, the first AirMill installation in Brazil was completed at Damapel, marking the milestone of the first Gambini machine built at the Joinville unit, outside the historic Lucca headquarters. This dynamic establishes new rules in a historically monopolized market; with the opening of the South American subsidiary in 2024, the region gained an industrial alternative.

In parallel, another project considered equally relevant is the consolidation of the North American market through customized solutions. North America already represents an established market for Gambini, driven by the Green Bay (Wisconsin) unit, inaugurated in 2017 and currently led by the new Managing Director, Gianni Gambini.

While in Brazil the supply requires local production, due to economic sustainability and the demands of the domestic market, in the United States the presence of a large stock of spare parts and qualified technicians meets the industry's requirements. In a market where efficiency is crucial, timely assistance and agile parts supply make Gambini America competitive.

This pursuit of efficiency is related to the fact that 40% of finished products are manufactured using TAD technology. TAD reels, as well as other hybrid papers, require frequent jumbo reel changes and equipment capable of preserving the intrinsic characteristics of the raw material.

For this reason, Gambini's Research and Development department has developed automatic unwinders specifically designed for unconventional papers, which are shorter and therefore require frequent changes. Central unwinding also eliminates the problem of paper marking by the unwinding belts, and the ATS (Any Time Splicing) system ensures reel changes without stopping the line. Furthermore, the loading bay allows for safe operation without the use of an overhead crane and can be automated using AGV/LGV shuttles.

Additionally, a few years ago Gambini developed the G1, the first rewinder on the market designed specifically for hybrid papers. The equipment ensures uniform rewinding from the first to the last sheet, maintaining the volume generated in the previous stages of the process. This is possible thanks to the synchronized movement of the rewinding rolls and the press roll , combined with Gambini's characteristic rewinding system, guaranteeing ease of operation.

The need to design this rewinder dates back to 2018, when Gambini first introduced the thermal forming system in the converting process using AirMill. The process transforms conventional LDC paper into textured paper with characteristics similar to hybrid/TAD papers, improving technical specifications and appearance. This occurs through the combination of water action (wet end) with heat action (dry end), similar to what happens inside a paper machine.

This development has allowed Gambini to create different finished products over the years, enabling clients to differentiate themselves in their target markets and develop new product categories, as in the case of C-TAD, or improve TAD products, as with Deco Booster.

C-TAD, or Comparable TAD, is conventional tissue treated to achieve strength and texture characteristics similar to TAD, in addition to offering a significant improvement in absorption compared to conventional products.

Gambini also presented different versions of Concept Rolls, used to demonstrate the expanded applicability of AirMill in products already available on the market. Among them is the Deco Booster, developed for structured papers such as TAD, which allows for greater embossing definition and increased softness.

Whether for ADT producers seeking to improve their products, or for LDC manufacturers aiming to achieve "Comparable ADT," Gambini offers technologies focused on efficient and simplified operation lines, seeking a balance between ease of operation and automation.