September/October 2020 - 22

PMMI THE ASSOCIATION FOR PACKAGING AND PROCESSING TECHNOLOGIES
Will social distancing accelerate
automation in produce packaging?
S u r e , m a n y
By Maria Ferrante
Senior Director
of Marketing and
Communications,
PMMI
manufacturers have
a business continuity
plan in place in the
event of a natural
disaster, but who
could have forecasted
a global pandemic? No
one was prepared for
the entire country and
the economy to come
to a halt. Over the past
several months, most
manufacturers have had to readjust
their business and their workforce. For
many industries, this meant employees
were working from home. For produce
manufacturers,
this was just not
possible - these essential manufacturing
jobs cannot be done remotely.
The impact of the coronavirus
crisis has caused many produce
manufacturers to reimagine their
operations and rethink their strategic
planning. As a result, automation will
play a bigger role than ever before.
When we think about essential
businesses that must continue to
operate during a pandemic, there are no
businesses more essential than food and
beverage producers. But being essential
does not stop a virus that knows no
boundaries from closing a facility down
because workers become infected. That's
where the future of additional factory
floor automation comes into play. The
COVID-19 pandemic has drastically
altered the course of many industries,
but opportunities to expand automation
still exist and some are even accelerating,
according to the Automation Timeline:
The Drive Toward 4.0 Connectivity in
Packaging and Processing white paper
from PMMI Business Intelligence, a
division of PMMI, The Association for
Packaging and Processing.
Factories that are highly automated
operate with fewer workers - creating
less exposure and a larger opportunity
for uninterrupted production of
20 SEPTEMBER /OCTOBER 2 0 2 0
essential goods and products. The
need for more automation to reduce the
chance of contagions spreading through
their production facilities might be the
biggest takeaway for business leaders
during this crisis.
According to the white paper
findings, manufacturers have been
actively expanding both machine and
software automation since 2017, yet
significant room remains for growth
into the next decade - pushed along
by the current pandemic. The bulk
of automation is still concentrated at
end-of-line, providing many produce
manufacturers a significant opportunity
for automation integration across their
entire enterprise. Advancements in
automat ion, both machine and
software, are moving manufacturing
toward a smarter factory.
Different sized companies also appear
to be dealing with the fallout from
COVID-19 in different ways. According
to PMMI's white paper, larger consumer
packaged goods (CPG) companies are
more likely to have put automation
plans on hold (67%) than their smallto
medium-sized counterparts. That
said, some larger CPG companies stated
that COVID-19 had expedited their
automation timeline, with 13% saying
that the pandemic has accelerated their
plans for the near future. And while
larger companies are automating and
integrating their operations faster,
small to medium enterprises are also
investing in technology at a steady pace
to optimize manufacturing.
While COVID-19 has upended the
global markets in unprecedented
ways, manufacturers are still striving
to move their businesses forward and
many continue to look at investing in
automation as a way to do this.
As manufacturers and end-users
navigate the challenges posed by
COVID-19, the brand new live, webbased
PACK EXPO Connects 2020 (Nov.
9-13), produced by PMMI Media Group,
will provide the same opportunities
and insights the industry has relied
on through the PACK EXPO portfolio
of trade shows for more than 60 years.
The event will serve as North
America's resource for the most advanced
packaging and processing technologies
across a wide range of industries and
will facilitate exhibitor and attendee
interaction through live chats, product
and equipment demos, as well as
engaging educational sessions. More
information and updates on the event
are available at packexpoconnects.com.
Maria Ferrante is the senior director
of marketing and communications for
PMMI, The Association for Packaging
and Processing. She has been with the
organization for 21 years.
NatureSeal sulfite-free extenders keep
vegetables, fruits from browning
NatureSeal Inc. now offers a family of sulfite-free solutions to keep cut potatoes,
sweet potatoes and other root vegetables fresh for up to 21 days.
The NatureSeal extenders, alternatives to sodium metabisulfite, prevent
browning and maintain the texture and flavor of raw french fries, shredded,
sliced, diced and whole peeled potatoes.
In addition, the product can control freshness of veggie noodles, cut turnips,
parsnips, halved Brussels sprouts and other vegetables and fruits.
NatureSeal freshness extenders are approved for use on organic food, are
allergen-free and Kosher.
http://www.packexpoconnects.com
September/October 2020

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