The business challenges of the past few years—labor shortages, supply chain disruptions, and inflation—have accelerated the long-term trend toward automated packaging operations.  All types of manufacturers and distributors, including food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, automotive, and e-commerce companies, are turning to packaging automation to ease pressures on their business and their employees. 

Evolving packaging technology

Automation solutions range from fundamental capabilities that have been used for decades, such as stretch wrapping, case erecting and sealing, coding and labeling, bagging, and shrink wrapping, as well as industrial robots and autonomous systems that efficiently perform pick and place, boxing, and palletizing. 

The technology is evolving, with sensors and machine vision systems that can outperform human capabilities, touchscreen controls that are easier to learn and easier to use, and communications capabilities (including IoT) that facilitate remote system monitoring, preventive maintenance, and performance analysis. 

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