Only one in five companies have fully integrated automation lines in existence today, igniting a growing competitive demand to adopt technology on the plant floor to deal with the uptick in market complexity(1). From increased pressures to accommodate product individualization and shorter product life cycles, to the continued growth of the skilled labor shortage, company leaders are looking to create flexible and efficient operations through the utilization of more affordable and capable robots, while insuring operator safety.
The emergence of collaborative automation within the global packaging industry is here. And, with the bulk of machine automation predicted to occur on the packaging side of the line(2), manufacturers in this space would be wise to understand the collaborative modes and robotic solutions available to compliment factory operations while fostering growth.