Baking and snack manufacturers attending this year’s Pack Expo, to be held Nov. 3-6 in Chicago, have plenty of challenges they’ll be looking to solve. Some will be looking for labor-saving automation to help overcome their workforce shortages. Others will be focused on pushing faster speeds without sacrificing product quality or floor space. A growing number will be eyeing sustainable packaging materials and equipment to help their operations go green. And many will be searching for all of the above.

“At Pack Expo, one should expect to see advancements in automation and robotics, sustainable packaging materials, smart packaging with the Internet of Things (IoT), as well as systems with artificial intelligence (AI) integration,” said Anthony Dailey, engineering manager, Lenexa Manufacturing Co. “With the industry focus on efficiency and sustainability, there might be breakthroughs in biodegradable materials and solutions that reduce environmental impact.”

Of course, identifying the needs of a packaging department is often far easier than solving them. While automation can drive repeatability and product consistency, for example, it may also sacrifice the flexibility that’s essential to manufacturers producing a variety of baked goods. And while reducing headcount alleviates labor concerns, it may open the door to error that can come with less supervision on the floor and more complex equipment.

“Flexibility, automation and simplicity are three items that are hard to achieve altogether,” explained Justin Atkins, director of sales, Bettendorf Stanford. “You can easily achieve any two of those items, but you will be hard-pressed to get all three in the same line.”

From labor-saving automation and faster speeds to sustainable materials and flexibility, bakers and snack producers want it all packed into their lines today. While a solution that fully satisfies all these demands may not be possible, the latest technology enables manufacturers to get as close as they can to a perfected packaging line.

This article is an excerpt from the October 2024 issue of Baking & Snack. To read the entire feature on Packaging Innovation, click here.