A recap of SICK at Pack Expo and industry trends we're excited about
It’s a wrap on Pack Expo 2019! Over the course of the three-day show, we noticed some interesting industry trends that we’re very excited about. From robotics technology to safety solutions to quality inspection improvements – the solutions are constantly evolving to meet the needs of this ever-changing market.
The Continued Rise of Industry 4.0
By far, one of the biggest trends at Pack Expo is that of obtaining and utilizing data to improve processes. Industry 4.0, the Internet of Things, block chain, artificial intelligence, smart manufacturing – all these are trends of yesteryear that have become the reality of today. And we couldn’t be prouder to be a part of this movement.
SICK’s Industry 4.0 expert, Ron Stuver, presented on this topic at Pack Expo. His presentation focused helping manufacturers achieve operational goals by planning Industry 4.0 initiatives. With the critical role sensors play in this process, this presentation helped provide manufacturers with the tools needed to start this journey to innovative automation processes. Miss the presentation? Don’t worry – you can watch the entire presentation on SICK’s LinkedIn page!
We remain committed to providing the factory automation industry with cutting-edge products, systems, and services. But, we’re equally committed to adding our experience and thought leadership where it is needed most…future proofing the industry for tomorrow.
And this can only be done by helping our customers harness the value of all the data out there with superior sensing solutions. This leads to you improving efficiency in your factories so you can reduce costs and increase revenue for competitive advantages.
The Future of Robotics Automation
Another exciting trend we noticed at the show is the increasing use of robotics automation technology in the packaging industry. With robotics automation, an efficient, cost effective, and accurate production line is possible.
Sensors from SICK support these robotics solutions and can run the gamut of the industry – from safety solutions for collaborative robots to vision-based robot guidance systems to collision avoidance on automated mobile robots (AMRs).
Many manufacturers are making notable improvements to industrial automation processes through the implementation of AMRs, safely guided through factories with the help of sensors. Others are using vision technology to give “eyes” to cobots that can then perform positioning, inspection, measuring, and reading tasks with a high level of precision.
Future Proofing Automatic Print Inspection
The final trend we noticed at the show was technology to improve quality control and print inspection for packaging labels. With the increasing complexity of packaging types and the rising frequency of artwork changes and promotional offers, it has become more important for manufacturers to reduce, if not eliminate, any errors in the coding and packaging of products. This is particularly important where mistakes can result in a risk to consumer health.
SICK expert, Steve Winski, and AutoCoding Solutions expert, Mike Hughes, presented about this topic at Pack Expo. In their session, they discussed the combined SICK and AutoCoding solution that can help manufacturers error proof the packaging process to prevent waste and recalls on packaging lines. Miss the presentation? Don’t worry – you can watch the entire presentation on SICK’s LinkedIn page!
