Smart Manufacturing: Production in the Digital Fast Lane

Connected machines, intelligent software and data-driven decision-making are creating new opportunities to increase productivity, flexibility and equipment availability. Smart manufacturing is one of interpack’s hot topics because it addresses key challenges facing the packaging industry. Today, digital technologies provide the data foundation for more efficient operations and open up new possibilities for flexible production.

Today’s packaging manufacturers face far more frequent changeovers than they did just a few years ago. New product variants are reaching the market faster, batch sizes are getting smaller, and material concepts are becoming increasingly diverse. As a result, flexibility has become a key requirement for machine manufacturers.

In film production, for example, Hosokawa Alpine focuses on making product changeovers as simple as possible. With the ExVis software package and the One-Touch-Change function, stored process parameters can be retrieved automatically. “Product changeovers can be carried out at the touch of a button. Predefined settings for lay-flat adjustment and edge guiding significantly reduce setup times, minimize material waste and increase productivity, particularly when film formats change frequently,” says Michael Heinecker, Senior Vice President Blown Film Extrusion.

Brückner Maschinenbau addresses the growing diversity of packaging applications with more powerful film production lines. According to Sales Director Tobias Lanksweirt, wider machine widths, higher production speeds and advanced software solutions increase efficiency and flexibility, while standardized interfaces facilitate seamless integration into existing production and IT systems.

Flexibility does not end with changing a product or format. Coding and marking systems must also be able to adapt continuously to changing production conditions. Dirk Müller of Videojet Technologies describes the company’s approach as follows: “Our goal is to integrate coding and labeling solutions into existing production lines in a way that supports operations rather than creating additional effort.” One example is the new Videojet 9310 label applicator. The system continuously monitors label web tension, alignment and movement. According to the Commercial Manager, any changes in production conditions trigger automatic adjustments in real time. As a result, labeling errors are reduced and processes become more stable.

Koenig & Bauer takes an early-stage approach: variable data and serialized 2D codes are integrated directly during the package printing process. This eliminates additional processing steps on the production line. “This also allows us to minimize setup times and reduce waste in high-volume production runs,” says CEO Benjamin Zierold. Using the company’s own coding systems, dynamic data can be applied directly on the packaging line. “This enables spontaneous adjustments without interrupting the main printing process.”

Today, virtually every production system generates vast amounts of data. The real difference lies in how companies use it. “Data is the foundation for making production processes more transparent and predictable,” explains Dirk Müller of Videojet Technologies, based in Limburg an der Lahn, Germany. The analysis of operational and condition data provides valuable insights into how equipment actually performs. Early signs of wear, recurring operator errors and quality deviations can be identified at an early stage. “This allows maintenance activities to be planned before production downtime occurs.”

At Koenig & Bauer, headquartered in Würzburg, Germany, artificial intelligence plays a central role. The company’s Kyana platform analyzes machine data in real time and detects changes in equipment behavior at an early stage. “The real potential of AI in manufacturing lies in overall equipment effectiveness,” says Benjamin Zierold. “By evaluating machine data in real time, the system learns what normal operation looks like and can alert users to deviations before a component fails. This is what we refer to as predictive maintenance.” As a result, the focus shifts from individual machines to the performance of the entire production process.

The more data is generated, the more important it becomes to ensure seamless data exchange. For CEO Benjamin Zierold, the connectivity of machines and software forms “the digital backbone” of modern manufacturing. Consistent data structures are particularly critical for applications such as GS1 Digital Link, serialized 2D codes and the Digital Product Passport.

“In late-stage printing, millions of variable data records are processed within milliseconds,” he explains. “Our AuraVeo platform acts as an interface that enables flexible and secure data exchange without media disruptions.”

Videojet Technologies follows a similar approach. Through VideojetConnect™ CLARiSUITE, coding and marking systems can be connected directly to ERP and MES environments. Print jobs, machine status information and production data can be managed centrally. This gives manufacturers greater visibility into their operations and enables them to respond more quickly to changing production requirements.

High production performance starts with high equipment availability. “Production downtime rarely occurs without warning,” says Müller. “The key is to identify potential issues at an early stage, before they affect production.” This is precisely the purpose of modern diagnostic and monitoring systems. They continuously analyze machine conditions and provide early alerts when critical developments arise.

Hosokawa Alpine also relies on engineering solutions. Its X-series die heads feature particularly short purge times, enabling faster product changeovers. For MDO systems, the company has additionally developed a quick-change system that allows a stretching roller to be replaced in just 15 minutes, explains Heinecker.

At Brückner Maschinenbau, digital tools play a central role. The company’s Downtime Analyzer helps identify and analyze the root causes of production stoppages, while Recipe Manager PRO supports safe product changeovers. In addition, condition monitoring solutions continuously track critical machine components. “High availability is essential for the economic efficiency of a production line,” emphasizes Tobias Lanksweirt, Sales Director at Brückner Maschinenbau.