Packaging machinery industry innovates turnkey solutions amid labor shortages and new legislation
Labor shortages continue to drive demand for highly automated and seamlessly integrated packaging systems, according to Christina Holm, product manager at Syntegon.
Syntegon specializes in providing turnkey solutions tailored to versatile industries and applications, enabling manufacturers to maintain efficiency while adapting to complex market challenges.
One of the company’s latest machinery launches is PMX 4001, a vertical bagger series suitable for packaging ground coffee and whole beans while operating on a small footprint.
“The PMX 4001 is a future-ready sustainable solution. Syntegon is known for fast speeds and high output (65 bags per minute), even when processing monomaterials. Additionally, it supports the use of recyclable degassing valve solutions,” Holm tells Packaging Insights.
In other packaging machinery developments, KHS and Ferrum Packaging announced the takeover of H.F. Meyer Maschinenbau on January 1, 2025. Meyer has strengths in specific canning technology segments, including can turners and rinsers and vacuum bridges, and will contribute its specialist expertise to the merger that supplements Ferrum’s and KHS’ areas of competence.
Syntegon’s PMX 4001.Furthermore, Meyer will remain an independent company within the consortium.
The declared strategy of Ferrum and KHS is to offer customers “the best canning lines in the world,” Kai Acker, CEO at KHS, tells us.
“The SmartCan has already emerged from our partnership. Now we want to integrate further canning line processes into the SmartCan solution. The merger with H.F. Meyer is an important building block in this strategy.”
Regarding the packaging machinery industry’s future direction, Acker says that the EU’s packaging and packaging waste regulation (PPWR) is currently the subject of much discussion.
“KHS takes the PPWR extremely seriously and is following all developments very closely in order to provide possible solutions in good time as a reliable partner to its customers.”
“The planned bans on shrink film for multipacks in particular and the obligation to provide returnable containers for beverages will change the markets in the states of the EU. We supply futureproof, sustainable systems in this vein with our Nature MultiPack or PaperWrap, for example.”
Acker tells us the company is also keeping a close eye on new packaging trends.
“One example here is algae that could replace plastic packaging. Furthermore, we not only offer our customers new machines but also retrofits for machines already in operation to satisfy the requirements of the PPWR. To sum up, we can say that KHS is able to meet both current and future market demands.”
BrauBeviale 2024
KHS’s SmartCan.
At the ongoing BrauBeviale trade show in Nuremberg, Germany, (November 26–28), Sidel is showcasing its complete collection of turnkey packaging lines at Booth 223, Hall 7A for beer and beverage industries.
“We know beer and beverage manufacturers need futureproof packaging that aligns with consumer trends, industry needs and evolving regulations. Our experts are here to help ensure a high-quality product and efficient processing line,” says Guillaume Rolland, vice president Sales Beverage for Europe and Central Asia at Sidel.
“Growing environmental impact of packaging and legislative reuse targets are driving demand for returnable glass bottles and refillable PET solutions, both of which significantly reduce the use of primary raw materials while ensuring product safety,” says the company.
Sidel’s customized solutions are designed to enhance profitability and sustainability across the beverage lifecycle in can, glass and PET. With advanced turnkey packaging solutions, Sidel is well-positioned to lead the way toward a more sustainable future by offering robust bottle reuse capabilities for glass and PET applications.
Sidel is also showcasing its bottle washer, which is suitable for returnable glass and refillable PET bottles. This solution delivers top-tier performance in bottle washing while significantly reducing consumption costs.
Also at BrauBeviale, Krones is providing the trade public with information about options for sustainable production and product treatment. In Hall 7A, visitors can find completely new technologies alongside proven systems such as the VarioFlash B flash pasteurization system.
For example, the team of experts from Krones subsidiary Steinecker is presenting for the first time new approaches to process-optimised production of non-alcoholic beer at this year’s BrauBeviale.
Krones also offers suitable equipment for the filling and packaging process steps — and demonstrates this with many practical examples, including a Modulfill VFS-C can filler with a matching Krones Modulseam seamer, and an inspection module that provides reliable 360-degree closure inspection as well as an Ergomodul labeller with stations for cold-glue and pressure-sensitive labels.
