Digitisation - the future of packaging

Digitisation and cloud-based solutions are also buzzwords in the packaging industry. Responding to customers’ purchases anywhere and anytime with more efficient manufacturing processes and flexible offerings.

According to a current survey by management consultants Berndt+Partner, the digitisation of corporate processes ranks high on the agenda of the packaging industry. Studies also highlight the still insufficient expertise in this area and some companies' reluctance to implement relevant processes as a result.

Sato, the Japanese manufacturer of auto identification solutions, offers cloud-based printing solutions with its label printer CL4/6NX-J. © SATO EUROPE GmbH

Just under 70 people in posts across more than 30 operations in the German-speaking packaging industry see digitised processes as an opportunity rather than a risk. Through so-called cross channels parallel distribution channels can be networked thereby positively impacting product and packaging design; data storage and digitisation software ensure transparent production processes. There are only isolated concerns regarding data safety in the cloud.

For international packaging experts digitisation is at the focus of the supply chain. Printing is cloud-based and data analysis is hoped to reduce down times and increase production capacity at the same time. Packaging and displays are developed online, size and material are precisely calculated and drawings are then produced and finally transferred to physical substrates such as glass, sheet metal, paper or plastics using 3-D tools.

Designers, managers and manufacturers cooperate virtually on databases while the data stored in the cloud is accessible for all project participants. With the help of project management software jobs can be assigned fast and reliably.

“The importance of packaging and packaging technology will rise substantially within the context of Industry 4.0,” explains Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Wahlster, Professor for Informatics at the University of the Saarland and Director and Chairman of the Board of the German Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI GmbH). © Mimi / fotolia.com