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drupa 2024 featured two key ‘megatrends’ – the first being sustainability, and the second digitalization. Nobody in the industry denies these are indeed the big topics of the current era, but there are others that are equally defining the future of packaging – namely automation, and with it, connectivity.
When BOBST set out its vision to shape the future of the packaging world several years ago, the four stated pillars were automation, connectivity, digitalization, and sustainability.
These four interconnected pillars have completely transformed the industry in the last few years. But it was noticeable at BOBST’s stand during drupa 2024 just how far automated solutions have come – and the impact they are having for converters and other players in the industry.
“BOBST will become a software company,” announced Jean-Pascal Bobst at drupa 2024.
That is because data is becoming so integral to our industry. In the future, everything will be driven by data, and using data requires software. And it is data that drives effective automation.
Automation requires that machine and process data be captured, analyzed, and used for optimization in real-time across fully digitized processes. Therefore, the existing digital gaps in today’s processes need to be gradually closed.
BOBST has developed its cloud-based digital platform, BOBST Connect, to meet these requirements. All machines connected to it can transfer their production data to the cloud and receive data from it – from the setup process through adjustments during ongoing production to quality reporting during and at the end of production. The era of isolated machines in packaging manufacturing is over.
So how is automation enhancing packaging manufacturing at every step?
- Shifting machine settings to prepress
- Integrating tools
- Machine automation solutions
- Robotics
Integrating robotics into its portfolio has made BOBST the only supplier in the market to offer complete packaging line equipment solutions for the corrugated board industry.
Bobst Novara is the new range of robotic systems for loading high-performance machines in corrugated and folding carton manufacturing, as well as for palletizing finished products.
Automating these work steps with proprietary solutions had long been on BOBST’s agenda. The company can now offer complete solutions for automated packaging manufacturing from a single source.
Automatically bringing other benefits
Automation also benefits the sustainability of packaging production – and thus the environmental footprints of the manufactured packaging.
Among other things, waste is reduced in digitalized, automated, and networked processes. Additionally, accelerated production processes mean more packaging products can be produced in the same amount of time, distributing the energy used across more products.
It is increasingly evident how mutually beneficial all the pillars of the BOBST Vision are: automation, connectivity, digitalization, and sustainability.
What about the future?
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are already being utilized by BOBST and will continue to lead to new and exciting solutions.
The company is already pursuing exciting projects in partnership with customers and industry partners. The future’s bright. The future’s automated.
corruga.expert
