What is the future of packaging automation? While we all know that it is what is on
Similarly, customers can get ‘best before’
the inside that counts, we have to admit
warnings, real time offers, or they can track
that the exterior plays a significant role as
the journey of their products across the entire
well. Packaging is of utmost importance
supply chain using the data stored digitally.
in today’s commercial world, leading manufacturers to find the best solutions
FLEXIBLE MOTION CONTROL
to respond to customers’ needs. The latest
Packaging does not only have to be
Industry 4.0 technologies allow producers
interactive, it also has to keep up with
to move a step further in digitalising their production and making customers feel more connected. Here, Neil Bellinger, head of EMEA at automation parts supplier EU Automation, discusses three main innovations in packaging automation that will help manufacturers stay competitive and optimise their production.
up to ten kilograms. The robot’s compact design, weighing 28.9 kilograms with a small footprint of 190 millimetres ensures a flexible packaging in industries where reliability and precision are paramount.
SMART PACKAGING In the 2019 Clean Label report, world’s
customers’ requirements and tastes. The emphasis is no longer on mass production, but on mass customisation instead. For example, bottled water used to come as a single unit, but it can now be found in packs of six, twelve or even twenty bottles. Manufacturers may produce batches of six packs one day and twelve the other day. This means that packaging equipment needs to
In recent years, Industry 4.0 has developed
leading nutrition company Kerry Group,
at a surprising rate and is predicted to reach
found out that customers are increasingly
$1 trillion by the early 2030, according to 4.0
questioning label claims, with 49 per cent
Motion control systems are designed to
of those surveyed believing that there is not
handle quick changeovers and add additional
enough information on packaging to help
functions that provide a more flexible
Research. This technological advancement is the perfect opportunity for manufacturers in the packaging industry to speed up their digitalisation strategy and respond to customers’ requirements in an efficient way.
ROBOT PALLETISING Palletising, which requires lifting heavy weights repetitively and is exhausting for human workers, can become more efficient using automation technologies. For example, collaborative robot arms can be easily programmed and redeployed depending on their tasks and can optimise the workflow especially during peak seasons. They are also cost-efficient, ensuring a fast ROI and requiring no additional costs for programming and dedicated work cells. This also means that manufacturers can implement multiple cobot arms alongside the palletising process to speed up their production and load multiple products.
them make informed decision about their lifestyle. In a supermarket, few customers would take the time to read labels carefully. Moreover, labels are sometimes teared or erased or simply incomplete. Smart packaging allows shoppers to engage deeper with their products using their own devices. This is where the IoT comes into play. Smart products are assigned IDs that can help customers in different ways. For example, they can check whether the products have been stored at the right temperature using Near Field Communication (NFC) tags equipped with temperature sensors. NFC tags are passive devices which operate without a power supply of their own and depend on an active device to come into range before they are
Collaborative robot arms can be used
activated. This means the customers can
for packaging applications in all major
simply tap their NFC enabled phones to the
industries, from pharmaceutical to
package and gather useful information.
electronics or metalworking and they are also suitable for food and beverage. They
Whiskey company Johnnie Walker is
can also manipulate delicate products
currently using NFC technology that allows
— for example, Universal Robots’ UR10
customers to check whether the bottles
can palletise small and fragile products
have been tempered with and whether they
such as eggs, though it has a payload of
are sealed properly.
64 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk
be programmed to switch quickly and often.
process. One of the strategies to achieve this is flexible programming, which means the ability to use different codes on the same controller. Smart machines can create set points that allow a single machine to run product one at a programmed speed and set features and run product two with different characteristics using distinct tools. Yaskawa developed the Singular Control architecture that can control a mix of motion equipment, including six axis articulated robots This brings increased flexibility in packaging and reduces programming, which in turn makes switching operations faster. From increasing speed to making customers feel more in control of their choices, automation technology is constantly evolving in line with packaging trends. To make sure they respond to their customers’ needs, manufacturers need to keep up with innovative technology and digitalisation trends. At EU Automation, we help packaging companies stay competitive and enhance their production by supplying automation parts from all major manufacturers in the shortest time, to ensure they keep downtime to a minimum. www.euautomation.com.
