The rising disposable incomes of people around the world and their changing lifestyles have modified their consumption patterns and preferences. This has led to a massive transformation in the food & beverages industry and the consumer goods sector. The companies operating in these fields have invested heavily in improving the global supply chains to ensure the timely delivery of goods and services and expand their customer base. At the same time, consumer goods manufacturers and food & beverage enterprises have placed special emphasis on enhancing their packaging quality to increase the shelf life of their products. Accordingly, packaging companies have embraced new technologies and techniques to adjust to the changing industry dynamics.
Over the years, specialized packaging machines have emerged that perform different types of functions including bottling, canning, wrapping, packing, sealing, capping, labeling, etc. Moreover, specialized equipment is commonly used for cleaning premises, weighing packaged items, and inspecting their contents. Additionally, as new types of packing materials have been developed, advanced machines for palletizing, depalletizing, shrink filming, case forming, etc., have also come up.
Integration of advanced technologies creating new investment opportunities in the sector
Recently, Allied Market Research published a report on the packaging machinery market which highlights that the industry accounted for $43,520.0 million in 2020. The sector is expected to gather a revenue of $69,218.0 million by 2030, citing a CAGR of 4.7% during 2021-2030. As per the study, the increased applicability of these tools and equipment in various end-use sectors such as healthcare, cosmetics, food & beverages, etc., is predicted to be the primary factor behind the growth of the industry.
The introduction of automation and robotics in packaging machinery is one of the biggest trends in the industry. Several consumer goods manufacturing companies have deployed robotic packaging systems to enhance their productivity. Amazon Inc., a multinational e-commerce giant, has deployed more than 750,000 robots in its warehouses across the globe to run its operations. Sequoia, one of its collaborative robots, is specifically deployed for storing different products in the inventory and picking the items for delivery customers’ orders. Launched in 2023, this packaging machine also aids in inventory planning and management. Similarly, the company also launched two automated transport pods in 2017, viz., Hercules and Titan which have the capacity to transport heavy goods over large distances. Recently, in 2023, the company launched Sparrow, one of its most sophisticated packaging machines designed to select, handle, and sort different items, and transport them to different departments in an inventory for packaging.
Along with this, e-commerce companies are also using automated guided vehicles to efficiently transport goods between different terminals within a production facility. These machines are capable of mapping the entire surroundings, identifying obstacles, and maneuvering through the various checkpoints put in place in the facility. The main aim behind the deployment of AGVs is to increase the speed of product packaging, reduce human-induced errors, automate repetitive tasks, and enhance precision in these processes.
Computer vision technologies strengthening the foothold of the industry
Robotics and automation essentially help streamline their entire packaging lines, thereby aiding companies to scale their operations seamlessly. Moreover, automated packaging machinery is much better at tasks related to inspection and quality checks. Even the slightest amount of contamination and adulteration is detected by these systems. This is highly important for the food and beverage packaging industry, where maintaining the purity of the contents is essential.
Several food packaging businesses have started integrating computer vision technologies into their processes. These systems use advanced sensors and cameras to detect the smallest anomalies and defects in the packaging materials such as misplaced seals, torn cartons, etc., thereby enhancing accuracy in the production line. Moreover, their real-time monitoring capabilities enable manufacturers to track the entire distribution process effortlessly.
Furthermore, the advent of AI and machine learning has improved the efficiency of computer vision-powered packaging machinery. These machines are now deployed to accurately identify, classify, and categorize different products based on different parameters including, type, weight, size, etc. The speed at which these systems conduct inspections and quality checks is also much higher as compared to conventional machinery. Hence, large warehouses and production facilities are opting for AI-based tools to count the packages and label them as per their contents accurately. Along with this, packaging machinery equipped with machine learning algorithms is now being used for thermal seal inspection and detecting package defects.
In October 2024, Amazon unveiled its new AI-powered technology viz., Vision-Assisted Package Retrieval (VAPR). The system is specifically designed to aid delivery agents in identifying the packages that are to be distributed at a given stop. For this, the system places a green ‘O’ mark on the item that is to be delivered and a red ‘X’ mark on all the other products. In August 2024, ValTara, a packaging machinery manufacturer, announced the launch of a pick-and-place automated system called PKR-Dual Delta Robot. The company stated that the product has been developed to aid small and medium-scale businesses to easily integrate these robots into their production lines.
The crux
Summing up, the growth of the consumer goods, food & beverage, and pharmaceutical industries has created new opportunities for the expansion of the packaging machinery market. The integration of various advanced technologies such as robotics, computer vision, AI, etc., is anticipated to boost the expansion of the sector in the coming period. Also, the launch of ingenious products by major players is projected.
✍ **𝑨𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒍𝒆 𝒘𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒓: Akhilesh Prabhugaonkar
