Packing machine requirement - let's talk!

The international packaging sector is constantly changing and has long since joined the digital age of IoT and Industry 4.0. Product life cycles have reduced, as have batch sizes of packaging, whereas product diversification is rising with consequent demands for maximum flexibility in today's packing machines.

Users expect machines offering fast, problem-free reactions to the latest market trends, and this within the shortest possible time for implementation in their machine design. At the same time, individual machines must be able to function and be integrated easily with those of other manufacturers, including at higher level, to form a complete packaging line, which requires the development of a uniform communication standard for a manufacturer-independent machine design.

This task is fulfilled by OMAC (Organization for Machine Automation and Control), a merger of different international end users, machine manufacturers and automation producers, in place for many years now. The PackML standard which has already been published has enabled definition of a common standard whereby machines made by a wide range of manufacturers can interact and exchange information easily with one another, without having to take into account different hardware and software designs or control architectures. The benefits are clear: commissioning time and the associated costs for a new packaging line are reduced, machine downtimes can be analysed, minimised or even eliminated, and so increase the efficiency of the entire line, resulting in shorter cycle times, higher throughput and hence an increase in the power to compete.

KEB is benefiting from these advantages with its recent admission to OMAC and implementation of the PackML standard and will contribute to successful implementation of the guiding principles of a higher-ranking machine communications solution with innovative ideas, an extensive product portfolio for automation technology as well a broad customer interface for all users, modelling this on intuitive application.

The first application examples were presented at this year's Interpack components fair in Düsseldorf on the KEB Stand.

KEB will be presenting current applications with PackML and complete automation examples for packaging machines from 27 to 29 September at PackExpo in Las Vegas, Stand S-6282.
We invite you to take a look at the automation solution designs with drive