Facility and packaging line design is undergoing a significant transformation driven by technological innovation and evolving marketplace dynamics. Today’s food and beverage manufacturing leaders need to consider the following five factors in order to approach their food packaging process with a strategic, future-proof plan.
Five factors in food packaging process design
Automation
Adapting production lines to work with fewer people, introducing more space between employees, and adding protective barriers have been essential actions in the face of Covid-19. Automation may have been a short-term fix, but what are the longer term implications of this choice?
Traceability
A reliable method for knowing what product was made when, where it landed, and who may have purchased it is no small matter, especially in the context of the multiple regulations that govern this essential process.
Consumer trends
Bulk buying, as one example, means a line that previously created 6-packs must now be modified to handle 24, often with short lead time. What other consumer preferences may drive change?
Sustainability
Consumer attitudes toward packaging have changed, and buying decisions, not to mention brand reputation, can hang in the balance.
Labelling
Allergens, government-mandated nutritional information, and healthy lifestyle trends all need space to be read and understood. In a crowded marketplace, the label offers a statement about the product and the company that stands behind it.
Each of these factors, underlined by the ever-present need to decrease costs, boost margins, and protect CAPEX investments, impact every layer of a future packaging line’s design and operation. And they must be considered throughout the process: design, specification, selection of equipment, and development of operating procedures.