Automation plays increasing role in helping packagers stay competitive

Automation plays increasing role in helping packagers stay competitive - study

As 2008 draws to a close, it's interesting to look back at a year literally filled with highs and lows. Early in the year, everything was looking up for packaging. Packagers and their suppliers were riding high and making plans for growth. Then the global economy was roiled, and the future suddenly seemed somewhat murky.

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.

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