Packaging processes ( shown here at Yakult ) need to be considered holistically – from packaging material to automated processes and transport to recycling .
industry – whether fresh produce , dairy products , frozen foods , long-life foods , baked goods , or the increasingly popular convenience foods . The combined know-how of an experienced team of experts can provide answers to the most pressing questions facing the food industry . Fully automated robot-supported comprehensive solutions , from the feeding of the goods to the finished product dispatch , increases the efficiency , future security and profitability of food producers . Robotics and digitalisation are changing the value chains not only in the packaging industry , but in all production processes .
SUPPORTING TECHNOLOGIES : 3D PRINTING , COBOTS AND AI
The trend towards ever faster product changes and modifications also means that machines need to be adapted with suitable format parts . In times of supply bottlenecks and scarce raw materials , this can be a time-consuming and cost-intensive undertaking . And this is where the use of 3D printing offers a comprehensive and sustainable solution in tool production . For example , Schubert
customers can use PARTBOX , a complete package consisting of a virtual streaming platform , a 3D printer developed in-house and suitable plastic material , to produce the required plastic parts in their own production using 3D printing . The tooling experts at Schubert Additive Solutions simply design the desired format part and make the data available for download on the platform . packaging processes . Taking this thinking a step further leads us to artificial intelligence ( AI ) and neural networks , which , as self-learning systems , can recognise relevant product features and automatically determine user parameters – an application that Schubert has already strongly advanced with the development of its Cobot . As support in the feeding process , the Cobot independently ‘ learns ’ new products and perfects the automated process . Digitalisation helps food manufacturers respond more quickly , more flexibly and more efficiently to changes in their production . Schubert , as an innovation driver , offers exactly the type of response the packaging industry will need in the future thanks to the modular design of its packaging machines , the fastest format changes and ideally coordinated processes .
THINKING ABOUT PROCESSES HOLISTICALLY FOR MORE SUSTAINABILITY
It can be assumed that the sustainability megatrend will continue to strongly influence the food industry through rapidly changing consumer behaviour and society ’ s advancing digitalisation . But the actual products only represent a part of the overall process . Distribution , logistics and ultimately production are part of a value creation process that will be readjusted through digitalisation and automation in the coming years . Only by increasing efficiency , flexibility and agility can this megatrend be successfully countered in all its facets . To achieve this , packaging processes need to be considered holistically and more broadly
– from the choice of packaging material to feeding , the various packaging steps and transport to the post-consumption packaging recycling process .
In principle , the focus in the future will be on avoiding plastic and substituting it with paper . Where plastic cannot be dispensed with , mixed packaging will be replaced by recyclable mono-material packaging to make it more attractive for the recycling industry . Working with a partner in the production process who has mastered the material mix will represent a decisive competitive advantage . Schubert is currently building up comprehensive expertise in the field of packaging materials with the support of its industry partners . This includes not only extensive data on the machinability and recyclability of materials , but also the development and optimisation of packaging and sustainability consulting along the entire supply chain .
The key to the future does not lie in innovative technical ‘ silo ’ solutions , but in a holistic approach that considers all the parameters of a seamless integrative packaging process in the food industry . With Schubert , the industry has a central solution provider who can map the entire value chain of the packaging process in a single process . There is however one thing that will not change in the years to come : Success will always be about facing the future with new ideas , daring and curiosity .
https : / www . schubert . group / de / branchelebensmittel . html
Another addition to optimised production workflows is the use of image processing systems as quality control in continuous
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