Industry Trends: Packaging Automation

Automation in packaging has been a part of the industry for quite some time now. However, the pandemic has put a new emphasis on the importance of automation in the production line. With the ability to increase the efficiency of production, while simultaneously keeping employees safe and production costs low, packaging robotics and advanced technologies are taking the industry by storm with new innovations constantly being released.

According to Robotics Tomorrow, the global packaging robotics industry will reach a staggering $4.65 billion by the year 2023 and will potentially increase to $7.6 billion by 2027. This astounding surge is due to advanced packaging technology becoming a vital aspect to manufacturers’ competitive edge in the market during the pandemic and beyond. The shift towards packaging robotics has always been inevitable, yet the pandemic accelerated the need for automation due to the increase in food delivery and e-commerce.

In addition to driving costs down and keeping facility workers safe, automated packaging technology ensures less person-to-person interaction is needed to make a product. Since the pandemic began in March of 2020, consumers have been obsessed with the traceability of a product and knowing who has handled it before it reaches their hands. Many people within the food industry expect consumers to continue growing more cognizant of where their food comes from and how it is processed and handled — a trend they say will stick around long after the pandemic ends. If a manufacturer wishes to stay competitive in the market, it will need to implement automated technologies into its production line to establish confidence in its brand from consumers.

Another advantage of implementing automated packaging technology in manufacturing is the flexibility that an automated production line offers. Manufacturers can increase or decrease production by simply pressing a button, rather than having to hire seasonal or last-minute employees when a product’s demand spikes. Because of the flexibility that automated packaging technology allows, manufacturers also don’t have to worry about expanding their facilities space to accommodate more workers and can instead, maximize the space they have in their plants already.

Knowing there is a rising need for advanced automated technology in packaging facilities, our CCT team spent months working alongside manufacturers to develop a new, state-of-the-art production facility for our EEASY Lid. We’re thrilled to begin production in this facility, as it includes custom technology built exclusively for our EEASY Lid and our new aluminum product that we’ll be releasing soon. We can’t wait to see how our facility will influence new packaging automation in the years to come.