The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies (PMMI) hosted a press briefing on the sidelines of Interpack 2023 to talk about significant trends in automation and updates on its Pack Expo portfolio of trade shows. PMMI is a trade association representing more than 900 North American manufacturers and suppliers of equipment, components and materials.
Delivering the opening remarks, Jim Pittas, president and CEO of PMMI, said that the upcoming Pack Expo Las Vegas in September this year will be the biggest ever.
“Pack Expo Las Vegas started in 1995 as a West Coast regional show in the US. It has grown well beyond that and is almost equal to our Chicago show. At Las Vegas, we have something new this year and that is the logistics pavilion,” Pittas said.
Pittas said PMMI will take the Pack Expo trade show to the Southeast US market in 2025. The organization scheduled the debut of Pack Expo Southeast for 10-12 March, 2025, at Atlanta’s Georgia World Congress Center, where PMMI will help showcase packaging and processing machinery, materials and technology.
PMMI’s portfolio of trade shows are Pack Expo International, Chicago, Pack Expo Las Vegas, Pack Expo Mexico, Pack Expo East, Pack Expo Guadalajara and the newest one Pack Expo Southeast.
Jorge Izquierdo, vice president, market development, PMMIJorge Izquierdo, vice president, market development, PMMI, highlighted key trends and insights from a recent report, “The Future of Automation in Packaging and Processing,” which pointed to continued interest and adoption of automated technologies as a result of growing labor shortages and eCommerce.
According to the report, 60% consumer packaged goods (CPG) respondents to PMMI’s study cited a lack of labor availability as a significant driver of interest in automated solutions. As a result, 31% of all CPG respondents said they were deploying automated machinery on production lines as a substitute for manpower and will continue to do so. While this pain point has been felt across the globe, it is a significant concern in Germany where the Institute for Employment Research (IAB) expects the nation’s potential workforce to fall by seven million by 2035.
eCommerce is an important driver for automation in packaging
The continued growth across eCommerce is another driver of automated solutions in packaging. About half of CPG respondents reported that growth in e-commerce is impacting their business, increasing the need for greater flexibility in packaging operations to accommodate fast-changing consumer preferences.
“Continuing labor shortages and eCommerce growth represent shared challenges among CPGs operating in the United States, Canada and much of Europe,” said Izquierdo. “However, the resulting interest in automated solutions as a remedy have accelerated adoption and carved new paths in collaboration and creative problem-solving between these companies and OEMs to fuel greater efficiency, productivity and cost-efficiency.”
Robot and cobot solutions
To ease workforce challenges, many companies are turning to robot and cobot solutions. Over 90% of respondents believe that robots and cobots have helped address labor shortages with 27% reporting to deploy cobots in their plants. That figure is expected to grow to 57% over the next five years.
Maintenance represented another opportunity for automated solutions in packaging and processing. Forty-three percent of respondents reported the use of predictive maintenance technology on their lines while 83% were considering it. Related, 56% reported use of remote access solutions since 2020. Even 3D printing is playing a larger role in machine maintenance while helping CPGs lower downtime and costs. About 25% of respondents claimed to use 3D printing to make and replace non-moving parts prone to quick wear and tear.
(PSA’s team of Naresh Khanna, Shardul Sharma, Ron Augustin, and Nessan Cleary are present at Interpack to bring you exclusive stories, insights, and scoops from the ground.)
