Discover your next big idea in food packaging & processing this Sept.
Experience a breakthrough in food packaging & processing—explore solutions from 2,300 suppliers spanning all industries at PACK EXPO Las Vegas.
REGISTER TODAY & SAVE

Batch-of-One Operations Demand Flexibility

Automation providers are tackling the need for quick changeovers and shorter lead times with innovative conveyor systems for food and consumer packaging markets.

B&R collaborates with ATS Automation, combining the SuperTrak linear track conveyance system with integrated machine and robotic control.
B&R collaborates with ATS Automation, combining the SuperTrak linear track conveyance system with integrated machine and robotic control.

Mass customization in a constantly changing marketplace. Packaging and consumer product markets are facing high demands to move quickly, and production is being pushed by the flexibility needed to give consumers exactly the product they want, how they want it. That demand was clearly on the minds of the automation experts showing their capabilities at PACK EXPO this year in Chicago.

Packaging customers are interested in a single line that can handle a lot of changeover, said John Kowal, director of business development for B&R Industrial Automation. “Even at the sacrifice of speed, changeover is becoming a hot topic.”

Microbreweries, for example, are packaging their beers in rainbow packs, a typically labor-intensive process. “If you could do that in the manufacturing process, you can eliminate an entire step,” Kowal said.

“Flexibility is no longer an option,” said Frank Langro, director of marketing and product management at Festo. “It’s a necessity for packaging.”

The need for more customization and quick changeovers was a prominent theme at Festo’s PACK EXPO booth.

Pitch perfect

B&R is helping to accommodate shorter product lifecycles and shorter runs with more frequent changeovers through automation by replacing manual changeover procedures and tools with recipe-driven, pushbutton automated changeovers.

Through its collaboration with ATS Automation, B&R combines the SuperTrak linear track conveyance system with its own integrated machine and robotic control to create a batch-of-one environment for collating, filling, sealing/capping, inspection, serialization, coding, labeling and other packaging applications.

Researched List: Engineering Services Firms
Looking for engineering services? Our curated list features 100+ companies specializing in civil, process, structural, and electrical engineering. Many also offer construction, design, and architecture services. Download to access company names, markets served, key services, contact information, and more!
Download Now
Researched List: Engineering Services Firms
Dairy Food & Beverage Innovations Report
Discover cutting-edge packaging and processing solutions in the inaugural Packaging World/ProFood World Innovations Report. From high-speed filling machines to mono-material lids, see how the latest advancements from PACK EXPO International 2024 are driving safety, sustainability, and extended shelf life—shaping the future of dairy food and beverage packaging.
Access Now
Dairy Food & Beverage Innovations Report