Empack 2025 review: Automation and robotics proliferate amid labor shortages

Specialized labor shortages in the packaging industry was a widely discussed issue at the Empack 2025 trade show in Den Bosch, the Netherlands, last week. Packaging Insights explored solutions to this growing problem with Japanese robotics company Fanuc, Netherlands-based Smart Robotics, and international machinery leader Mosca.

These companies showcased robots, cobots, and other automation machines aimed at tackling labor shortages at the event and told us how their solutions can support warehouse operations and guarantee compliance with the latest regulations.

“What we see for every company is that it is hard to get the right people in the right place, so personnel is hard to find,” says Hans Pietsch, Mosca’s technical sales manager.

Smart Robotics presented the company’s smart palletizing solution targeting the food packaging industry.

Mosca showcased the Evolution SoniXs MS-6 KR-ZV pallet strapping machine.

Mosca presented its Evolution SoniXs MS-6 KR-ZV pallet strapping machine that can be used for pallets or raw containers. “This semi-automatic solution is straightforward to install, and it saves a lot of time,” Pietsch told us.

Meanwhile, Jonathan Kruisselbrink, CCO and COO at Smart Robotics, says that automation is increasingly relevant as payloads are becoming heavier and smart palletizing solutions can support warehouse workers.

“Previously in the food industry, a box was quite low in weight, but now they can be up to 30 kg, which is heavy for operators to pick. We have developed our solutions for high payloads and multiple picks to cope with higher capacities and even open boxes. We take it from underneath, and we palletize it even if the box is open.”

Standing out in robotics

Herbert van Burken, area sales manager at Fanuc Benelux, says that a common challenge for customers is finding qualified people who can work with robots and cobots and program them.

“For this reason, Fanuc is offering training on how to work with our robots and cobots so they can integrate it into their machines. We have a big network at Fanuc, and we are in more than 100 countries worldwide. We have support everywhere over the world, which is a benefit for our customers,” he says.

Fanuc presented its CRX-30iA cobot for heavy-lifting applications.

Fanuc presented its CRX-20iA/L cobot for heavy-lifting applications. 

The tradeshow exhibitors highlighted R&D, innovation, and the ability to adapt to regulatory developments as key to standing out from competitors offering similar solutions on the market.

Kruisselbrink says that Smart Robotics stands out due to three main factors.

 “One is that we already have ten years of experience on this market. Secondly, our huge installation base of units is reliable and high in availability. And lastly, but quite importantly, we push our R&D to cope with the new challenges of our customers, like, for instance, the open boxes.”

“There, we stand out by trying to adjust to cope with the challenges of our customers.”

Addressing consumer needs 

Smart Robotics’ smart palletizing solution targeting the food packaging industry is an example of how addressing consumer’s needs can lead to innovation. “Our gripper can deal with open boxes. The difficulty in achieving that is what makes us completely different from a lot of our competitors just from the top,” says Kruisselbrink.

“In that way, we adjust our processes, adjust our developments to those needs, and come up with new designs.”

Smart Robotics presented the company’s smart palletizing solution targeting the food packaging industry.

Smart Robotics presented the company’s smart palletizing solution targeting the food packaging industry.

Pietsch says that other companies do offer solutions comparable to Mosca’s Evolution SoniXs MS-6 KR-ZV pallet strapping machine, but “we use a sonic strap to make the seal.” 

“It’s more efficient, stronger, faster, and uses less energy,” he outlines.

Discussing how Mosca’s solutions are responding to the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, Pietsch says that Mosca’s straps are made of 100% recycled material. “We only use recycled PET, so we don’t need to use any new material.”