Forging future factories focus for Syntegon at interpack

Advanced automated machinery from the Syntegon group will be greeting visitors to this year’s interpack event in Düsseldorf, Germany, as it seeks to push technical boundaries in the sector, reports Neill Barston.

As the company confirmed to our title, its presence at this year’s event between 7-13 May will be based around a concept of delivering Factories of the Future, with its latest systems.

It will be showcasing its neXt equipment agenda, representing the next evolutionary stage in its packaging solutions. As the business explained, this is not intended to be a single machine platform, but instead an integrative automation solution that combines machines, seamless operating concepts and AI/data-based decision support in an operational ecosystem. As such, this innovation is fully in line with Syntegon’s focus on seamless, innovative and lifecycle solutions.

As the company added, its HFX for flow-wrapping and the Syntegon TRX for topload cartoning are two key neXt system components. Syntegon demonstrates how flexibility, efficiency and operator independence can be successfully achieved in an increasingly complex production environment.

Notably, as the company acknowledged, the food industry is under enormous pressure to change. Non-stop rising costs, an acute shortage of qualified operators, increasing safety and compliance requirements, as well as an ever-growing variety of package sizes and styles are all shaping everyday life in production halls.

Production lines need to be quick to change over, intuitive to operate and as independent of manual intervention as possible. This is exactly where the intelligent neXt system architecture comes in, with three clear guiding principles: Seamless Operation, Smart Decisions and Touchless Automation.

Reduced downtime
As the company added, its latest series is operation is synonymous with end-to-end, seamless processes across all machines integrated into the neXt system architecture. Uniform operating philosophies, harmonised interfaces and a standardised format change concept ensure that operators can immediately find their way around any system, sources of error are reduced, and set-up times are significantly shortened.

In the case of the new TRX topload cartoning platform, these guided or automated processes enable format changes to be carried out in just ten minutes, while significantly reducing the number of format parts. This minimizes downtime, reduces investment costs for new formats and makes everyday work easier, especially for less experienced operators. Training costs can be significantly reduced – a decisive advantage in times of scarce human resources.

The second pillar, Smart Decisions, brings data intelligence to the packaging line. As part of the operational system, neXt links networked machine platforms with software solutions such as the cloud-based Synexio, machine-based Logbook functions or 3D error views.

Camera and AI-based quality controls, automatic error detection and status monitoring ensure transparency in terms of productivity, quality and efficiency. This enables operators to monitor line status remotely and respond more quickly to deviations. This results in fewer unplanned downtime, less waste and higher overall equipment effectiveness (OEE). Production managers can make informed decisions – based on data, quickly and in a way that is precisely targeted.

Furthermore, as the company noted, it takes things one step further with Touchless Automation. Within the neXt system architecture, manual intervention is reduced to a minimum and recurring, non-value-adding activities are consistently automated.

For example, autonomous material supply systems take over the provision and insertion of film reels or cardboard blanks. Autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) supply the machines independently, while high-performance splicing systems in flow-wrapping enable uninterrupted operation. Packaging lines can therefore run for hours without operator intervention. This reduces the workload on staff and increases availability, while freeing up time for truly value-adding tasks.

Latest launch
To mark the launch of neXt, Syntegon is presenting two new modular machine platforms that are fully integrated into the intelligent system architecture: the HFX flow-wrapping platform for primary packaging and the TRX topload cartoning platform for secondary packaging.

Both platforms are modular in design and serve as key building blocks within the operational neXt ecosystem. They are retrofit-capable and designed for long-term scalability. New functions, digital features or additional automation modules can also be easily integrated at a later date.

As a strategic lifecycle partner, Syntegon supports its customers throughout the entire lifecycle of their packaging lines. Flexible Service Agreement packages – from preventive maintenance concepts to comprehensive performance assurance, including spare parts and defined response times – ensure maximum availability, predictable costs and long-term value enhancement of the investment.