In an inspiring hour of expert advice and live demonstrations, Mpac’s virtual tradeshow set out to help businesses move forward in a changing world.

As we enter into the new normal post-COVID, companies are being forced to think differently and look beyond their limits. So we’ve compiled a list of the top 5 Adapt and Grow tradeshow insights to help you overcome challenges and unlock new opportunities:

1. Dealing with personalisation and product diversity is simple with the right equipment

Customisation is a real challenge for us all, and packaging machines must adapt to become more flexible. It feels like ‘one size fits all’ is no longer an option, and investments must be future-proofed in order to remain relevant. As such, quick changeovers with good vertical production start-ups are critical. 

Through the use of robotics, the machines Mpac sell today are flexible enough to meet changing market demands in the next 3-5 years. Robots can adapt quickly to new formats and products, with a wide range of sizes available to fit a single machine. Mpac’s Intelligent Machine Interface (IMI) is also ready for the future, making it easy to connect with customer data systems and adapt to new software features.

2. Mpac can prevent slowing productivity due to sudden workforce shortages

Another big challenge businesses are facing is a fluctuation in workforce numbers, especially during peak performance moments. This can have a significant impact on productivity and meeting production targets.

Mpac’s semi-automated solutions can be delivered quickly to help deal with this. Their manual load cartoners also act as a rapid solution, available as part of their unique rental programme. This is a reliable alternative and good preventative measure for slowing productivity, especially if you are managing a temporary increase in production capacity while experience workforce shortages. 

3. Manufacturing is breaking into the service industry

We all know great service doesn’t have a limit, and for Mpac, installation is just the start. Mpac provide a mix of regular preventative maintenance, remote support, and on-demand repairs. This ensures your equipment continues to run in prime condition, maximising your overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).

With remote support, you can allow safe and secure access to your production site, minimising response time and production downtime. Remote accessibility is not only helpful for machines situated in remote locations, but also with the Covid-19 pandemic, Mpac have been able to maintain social distancing and keep everyone safe. 

4. In a world of uncertainty, Track & Trace is vital to gain consumers trust

Traceability, by definition, is the ability to discover where and how a product is made. This allows us to see the history of a product, tracking it from where it was first produced to the store in which it was sold. Essentially, it allows businesses to trace through their entire supply chain, meaning consumers can trust that the products they are consuming are safe. 

For consumers, trusting that the manufacturer has a process in place to track and trace critical moments of the product lifecycle is essential. There are many ways to look at implementing Track & Trace within automation, for example, you can code or mark a product with ink, laser code a carton that identifies the date of manufacturing, date of expiry, or best before dates. Each of these capabilities contributes to high levels of customer experience and satisfaction.

Mpac’s packaging solutions have Track & Trace capabilities for today’s requirements as well as an eye toward what innovations will emerge in the coming years.

5. Sustainability is just as important to Mpac as it is to their customers

Reducing the amount of single-use plastic in packaging is essential to protect the environment and remain relevant to consumers. Mpac believe that sustainable alternatives like bioplastics, or plastic made from plants, will see a rise. However, they can be challenging to work with. 

As such, another option is to make plastics thinner to reduce overall usage. This is especially true for the food and beverage industry, where plastics are required for longer shelf lives. But thinner plastics lead to more damage which, in turn, leads to more waste. 

To deal with this, Mpac have created the “bag in a box” solution, providing damage protection with cardboard on products like batteries. The rotary feeder in their machines can handle a wide range of cardboard qualities, including recycled cardboard, which is also seeing significant growth. 

Mpac want to be a partner in redesigning packaging and driving new packaging materials. It is important to them that they work alongside packaging designers so they can continue to support more companies with their packaging needs.

To discover these insights in more detail, or to find out more, subscribe to view the recordings from Adapt and Grow 2020 here.