Food packaging plants face a host of challenges in terms of eliminating food waste, improving safety and increasing uptime. These challenges are heightened by a confluence of external factors including pressure on margins, responding to real-time demand, requirements to use sustainable materials and others.

In the world of packaging, data is the key to increasing efficiency and cutting expenses to create the most profitable product. Reacting quickly to machine shutdowns, supply chain issues and safety events gets our plants back to what they are supposed to be doing: making the product.

Smart labels are now replacing the traditional silicon-based sensors, making the routine processes smarter and empowering the internet of things.

Joseph Smith has joined SpotSee as supply chain director to deploy processes that deliver positive results in the areas of cost, quality, delivery, service and product improvement. 

Videojet recently surveyed engineers and plant managers in North America about both their understanding of remote capabilities and the benefits of using them. The results point to the need to clarify what remote capabilities are and how they can help keep lines and plants running more smoothly and predictably by today’s standards and the growing trend toward the IoT.

Thanks to application of the Internet of Things (IoT), 72% of manufacturers saw increases in productivity and 69% saw improved profitability in the past year, according to The MPI Internet of Things Study, sponsored by BDO.

The global smart packaging market is expected to grow at 5.4% CAGR, hitting about US$52B by 2025. Market drivers include growing market for sustainable printed electronics, the Internet of Things and cloud computing, and rising food safety concerns.

Beckhoff Automation will showcase system-integrated solutions for IoT and Industrie 4.0, with advanced IoT hardware, combining to demonstrate practical implementation of cloud-connected Smart Factory concepts. 

SATO, a global provider of Auto-ID solutions that empower workforces and streamline operations, announced its appointment of Goro Yumiba as executive head of North America. 

As Investment in IoT rises, PMMI’s Tom Egan offers a closer look at the trend.