Packaging technology
Three questions for... Ralf Fehrenbacher
Challenges in the packaging industry. Companies in the packaging industry are under great pressure to change, says Ralf Fehrenbacher, Head of Sales at packaging manufacturer and machine builder Karl Knauer. The focus is on increasing productivity and safety for packaged products. The trend is towards the modular design of complex systems.
Why is a packaging company like Karl Knauer increasingly offering mechanical engineering services?
Companies in the packaging industry are under great pressure to change. Customers clearly want to do more than just buy secondary packaging; they want to find an efficient solution to an overarching problem, because the potential for savings in feeding, handling and control systems in the packaging sector is enormous. This is why more and more brand manufacturers are also asking us about mechanical engineering, because they know that we know our way around packaging. We are not just mechanical engineers, but packaging experts who successfully apply their expertise in mechanical engineering. This means that, as packaging specialists, we know which details are important, such as coordinated system concepts for packaging machines, where every interface fits down to the last detail. This also includes data management through to intuitive machine operation or Industry 4.0 solutions at all levels of production and comprehensive services along the entire value chain. We are now in the unique position of being able to supply not only individual machines but also complete lines and systems through to large turnkey projects in almost all industries for solid products (piece goods).
What challenges do your customers face?
First of all: clearly the cost pressure. It's basically about optimizing packaging processes. Customers from almost all sectors come to us with very different sub-challenges. But basically it's all about efficiency. Depending on market requirements, other parameters play an important role in packaging machine construction. Naturally, the focus is on increasing productivity, but also on the safety of packaged products and their packaging processes. In times of digitalization, individualization, documentation, reproducibility and flexibility are also increasingly becoming part of our customers' requirements. In addition, there is always time pressure: typical mechanical engineering projects are designed and implemented quickly within three to six months. Our strength here is that we do not always just look at what is technically possible, but implement what makes the most sense in terms of the overall process.
What trends can you identify in packaging machine construction?
Nowadays, brand suppliers have to react more and more flexibly. They have to be able to act, even if requirements change quickly. The packaging industry in particular is currently facing many technological leaps. We are therefore seeing a trend towards the modular design of complex systems. The combination of highly technical designs and the use of existing solutions will be particularly successful in the future. And this definitely requires experience in all aspects of the packaging industry.
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