“Resilient and resourceful”: Wipotec VP on embracing COVID-19 digital shifts at Pack Expo 2021

01 Oct 2021 --- Wipotec, a supplier of precision in-motion weighing track and trace/anti-counterfeiting solutions, debuted the second iteration of its Modular Multilane Systemat at Pack Expo, hosted in Las Vegas, US, this week.

The new MMS 2 is half the size of the previous model, featuring a modular, plug-in-and-out design that significantly enhances the unit’s flexibility. The solution is also pegged as an “ideal weight cell” for production lines in various settings, including quality control scenarios for vial and syringe filling and other scenarios necessitating customized inspection. 

Business of the future
PackagingInsights speaks with the company’s US vice president Michael Schlaeger about the new machine’s advantages, the impact of COVID-19 on the business and what’s next in the R&D pipeline.

“For our future business, we have identified where Wipotec’s solutions are newly viable due to their embracing next-generation inspection and quality control standards,” Schlaeger asserts. 

“While our state-of-the-art checkweighing and serialization solutions are already widely adopted in the pharma and food sectors, the cosmetics sector presents an intriguing growth market for us.”

The same is true of the burgeoning cannabis industry, he continues, where state-by-state US legalization is consistently widening the market – even as manufacturers develop standardized rules for production and quality assurance.

Wipotec debuted the second generation of its Modular Multilane System at Pack Expo 2021.Not just space-saving
Space-saving was the primary factor driving the new machine launch, “but certainly not the only impetus for developing the second iteration of our MMS 2,” Schlaeger explains. 

“First, it’s important to understand how crucial maximizing floor space is for modern manufacturers and, through them, original equipment manufacturers. As production lines in many sectors – including pharma and food – become increasingly sophisticated, floor space becomes a premium as more and more modules are retrofitted onto existing machinery.”

The MMS 2’s space-saving design allows lane modules to be arranged side by side and eliminates the need for an additional cabinet – a key benefit for machine manufacturers.

The machine also provides enhanced flexibility in positioning, as it has protection class IP 65 for cleaning mode, meaning it is protected against water projected from nozzles. “This makes it ‘wash-down agnostic,’ so manufacturers don’t need to reposition it prior to line-wide hygiene cleanings,” Schlaeger outlines.

Finally, the MMS 2 is individually configurable to various numbers of lanes – “a noteworthy upgrade from its predecessor,” he adds.

Case-specific needs
As an expert in vial and syringe filling, some of the main obstacles Wipotec faces here include meeting specific customers’ requirements, which vary from company to company.

“In the vast majority of cases, we can offer custom solutions for nearly every requirement based on our intimate knowledge of this market and years of experience providing solutions for these types of packaging lines,” Schlaeger explains. 

“Our engineering and design team stay abreast of the latest market developments and demands, allowing us to design customized solutions rather than the largely genericized ones that permeate the marketplace.”

A virtual shift in Wipotec’s favor
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Wipotec took advantage of digital shifts in the packaging industry. “The pandemic showed the ability of many sectors – including ours – to be resilient and resourceful,” Schlaeger admits.

He highlights the most significant shift was toward virtual customer engagement made necessary by widespread lockdowns. “Like many businesses who thrive on sales and service, we’ve been pleasantly surprised at the successes of remote work.”

“In fact, the lack of traveling made it possible to support more customers with fewer resources across each of our three niches – food, healthcare and e-commerce.” 

Despite sales managers traveling less, Wipotec “won more business” than before the pandemic, Schlaeger continues. “A higher volume of meetings are now conducted virtually and via email, whereas in the past, we were traveling to meet existing and prospective customers in person.”

Growing despite obstacles
Meanwhile, Wipotec’s Healthcare division has seen an influx of business surrounding COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing lines, antigen lines and test kit production. “This has been a significant factor contributing to our higher rates of customer acquisition and revenue growth over the past 18 months.”

Moreover, while other businesses experienced necessary layoffs, Wipotec upstaffed during COVID-19 due to a surge in customer demand. Notably, many manufacturers saw the inevitable pandemic-inflicted manufacturing disruptions as an opportunity to upgrade or replace aging equipment.

“The impact of the pandemic has been interesting to say the least,” Schlaeger concludes.

By Anni Schleicher