Automation plays increasing role in helping packagers stay competitive - study

However, one thing is clear: Packagers are increasingly reliant on automating their processes to stay competitive. Packaging Digest and its sister publication, Control Engineering, recently completed the final phase of a three-part, year-long study benchmarking automation in packaging. This comprehensive study confirms that packagers are accelerating their moves toward automation, and original equipment manufacturers and system integrators are stepping up with innovative approaches to simplify complex processes.

For anyone who attended the recent PACK EXPO International 2008 in Chicago, the evidence of automation's inroads was readily apparent. While sustainability was the show's major theme, automation was the star on the show floor, where you could see a sparkling array of robotics as well as integrated systems that span forming and filling to cartoning and palletizing.

Read the full article here.