Interview with Robert Petyt (Sales Development Manager) and Andrew Bennett (Senior Product Specialist).
What are the main trends you see in the corrugated board industry today, and how is your company responding to these challenges?
I believe the key challenges revolve around automation and digital transformation. The demand for automation has never been stronger, with manufacturers and converters looking for ways to reduce reliance on manual processes and enhance efficiency.
There’s also a notable skills gap and labor shortage across the industry, making it difficult to find qualified personnel for key roles. Furthermore, e-commerce growth has led to higher demand for smaller production runs, more personalization, and superior quality in the packaging sector.
ePS Packaging is part of eProductivity Software (ePS), offering software solutions for the packaging industry. Based in Pittsburgh, it serves sectors like corrugated packaging, folding cartons, and labels.
What new technologies or products are you presenting at this expo, and how can they improve production processes for our users?
We’ve continued to enhance our advanced corrugated control system, particularly our Escada product, by introducing three new capabilities.
- Energy Optimization: Focused on steam and energy control, this feature helps customers significantly reduce costs.
- Reliability Enhancement: Utilizing predictive maintenance, this capability analyzes machine data to support decision-making, optimize maintenance schedules, and prioritize necessary checks.
- OptiSplice: Designed to improve splice methods, settings, speed, and reduce edge tear during production, ensuring smoother operations.
In addition to these features, we’ve integrated AI-driven tools that learn from data rather than relying on standard reports. These tools help make smarter decisions and provide actionable insights to management.
Beyond corrugator control, we’ve applied this technology to scheduling tools and shop floor data collection systems like AC4D and PrintFlow.
Finally, integration is crucial as we focus on Industry 4.0. We’re continuously evolving connectivity capabilities to capture and share information seamlessly across various systems and technologies.
In your opinion, what will be the biggest challenges for the corrugated board industry and manufacturers over the next five years, and how is your company addressing them?
Sustainability regulations and compliance are increasingly demanding manufacturers to reduce emissions and waste. Our technology enables compliance by optimizing production efficiency and providing precise data reporting.
Rising costs are another challenge—raw materials, energy, and logistics costs continue to climb. Our solutions ensure manufacturers can maximize throughput and minimize expenses without compromising product quality.
The industry also faces a labor shortage and knowledge retention issues, as experienced operators retire or leave. Our systems are designed to be intuitive, making it easier to train new staff and reduce reliance on experienced personnel.
Market demands are evolving with the growth of e-commerce and the need for personalization and agility. Our solutions provide flexibility for corrugated manufacturers to respond quickly and accurately to customer needs.
How does your company support sustainability and eco-friendliness in the corrugated board industry?
Our approach centers around reducing waste at its source. By minimizing trim waste, optimizing material usage, and employing efficient scheduling, we lower overall waste.
Using our Escada technology, we monitor and minimize starch usage, which reduces energy and cost overhead. We also optimize energy usage without compromising board quality through closed-loop process control.
Improving yield and efficiency impacts overall performance by minimizing raw material waste. AI-driven data analytics help manufacturers identify inefficiencies and implement sustainable production strategies.
Lastly, we support the circular economy by helping manufacturers reduce waste, maximize resource utilization, and align with principles of recycling and sustainability.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
corruga.expert
