The multiplicity of options at the dry end – a topic for the future*

The paramount keywords for the future are: flexibility, efficiency, availability and malfunction-resistance. These stipulations are what the machinery manufacturer ultimately has to meet. This can be drawn up from overriding trends that directly influence machinery design and line layouting.

Influencing factors:

• The consumer: Specifically tailored beverages for special "drinking situations" define special requirements for the container or the size of the pack.
• The packaging materials: Machine technologies must consider new materials. Pouches, for instance, or PP might be packaging materials of the future.
• The trade: The subdivisions of a “sale-friendly” packaging unit, inexpensive handling in terms of opening and unpacking times, saving on disposal costs, the further expansion of the multiplicity of package types, packaging materials and sales units in terms of design and size, plus identification are the main keywords describing the packaging process.

Effects on the packaging machines manufacturer:

• Multiplicity of materials: The packaging machine should be able to handle a high multiplicity of materials. The packer is required to produce trays made of corrugated or solid board, with and without film and to handle different primary packaging, from stand-up pouches to plastic bottle. Application options for carrier systems or promotional articles gain importance.
• Space requirement: Compact dimensions become a basic condition for all  machines, and it must be easy to integrate them into existing lines.Palletising technology: Palletising of mixed assortments, individualising the dispatch unit, and handling smaller pallet sizes are basic conditions.

Possible solutions:

• Modular machine structure: Compact-size stand-alone modules, whose hardware and software can be very rapidly implemented in different lines and which can be individually configured. Responsively configurable hybrid machines for quickly changing requirements entailed by relatively small batch sizes, handling a highly disparate range of products, not restricted just to beverages, need to be planned. 
• Robot technology: Due to its flexible versatility, it can handle a large variety of  packaging tasks and form individual pallet structures.

* Footnote: Extract from chapter 1.2 "The paramount keywords for the future are: flexibility, efficiency, availability and malfunction-resistance"
from: Manual of Packing and Palletising Technology – State-of-the-art dry ends in theory and practice, ISBN 3-89947-210-1