Packaging Automation Shifts From Stand-Alone Machines to Ecosystems

Automation buyers are abandoning one-machine-at-a-time purchasing in favor of fully integrated intralogistics ecosystems, according to four packaging automation executives who spoke in a roundtable ahead of Pack Expo — and the vendors themselves say the biggest risk buyers face is precisely the piecemeal approach they are trying to leave behind.

The roundtable brought together William Nelson, president of North America at E80 Group; J Welch, strategic account manager for intralogistics at Regal Rexnord; John Lawn, strategic business unit director for iDim at Rice Lake Weighing Systems; and Lynn Hediger, vice president of product management at Orbis Corp.

Why are stand-alone machines falling out of favor?

"The industry is moving very quickly from stand-alone automation toward fully integrated systems," Nelson said. For years, manufacturers automated one process at a time: a palletizer here, a wrapper there, an AGV fleet somewhere else. Today, particularly in consumer packaged goods, companies examine the entire material flow and ask how those operations work together as one system.

The commercial consequence, Nelson argued, is structural: customers now seek long-term technology partners rather than individual equipment suppliers, with conversations starting at the process level — what a plant needs today and five or 10 years out. Welch echoed the point, saying manufacturers under e-commerce pressure are prioritizing flexible, scalable automation that can absorb changing packaging formats, production demands and distribution models.

What changed in the technology?

Nelson pointed to two developments. First, the integration of robotics, autonomous material handling, advanced software and real-time data into a single operating ecosystem — software that manages material flows across a facility, exchanges data with production systems and the customer's ERP, dynamically assigns missions to vehicles, and provides complete traceability. Second, simulation: before installing equipment, vendors can build a digital model of operations, test layouts, identify bottlenecks and validate control strategies, reducing implementation risk.

Welch cited right-size packaging systems and shuttle-based AS/RS solutions as having transformed how manufacturers optimize packaging, warehouse space and fulfillment efficiency.

Why is weighing and dimensioning suddenly urgent?

Lawn tied the demand for accurate measurement data directly to carrier pricing behavior. With less-than-truckload carriers charging by density, shippers need accurate weights and dimensions — and LTL carriers are now auditing more frequently. Improperly declared shipments expose shippers to costly chargebacks or fees. Manual measurements, he noted, are slow and often inaccurate for irregularly shaped packages; weighing and dimensioning systems calculate results in seconds.

In-line systems add efficiency. Rice Lake's MotoWeigh in-motion checkweighing reduces the risk of giving away product or short-selling customers, Lawn said, while early dimensioning helps workers select properly sized packaging, cutting waste.

What role does reusable plastic packaging play?

Hediger framed reusables as an automation enabler rather than a container. Automated systems are engineered around defined tolerances, and reusable plastic packaging maintains critical dimensions throughout its service life. "Companies are looking at reusable packaging as integral assets in their automated ecosystem," she said. The same logic applies to mobile robots: standardized totes and pallets give AMRs and AGVs a predictable, repeatable interface, reducing the variability that disrupts automated processes.

What about AGVs and LGVs?

Mobile automation can fundamentally change how a facility operates, Nelson said. Laser-guided vehicles and AGVs eliminate fixed connections between processes — collecting finished pallets from palletizers and wrappers, feeding warehouses, staging orders and moving pallets toward shipping. Because software rather than fixed routes coordinates them, missions can be reassigned dynamically to clear bottlenecks. The final step is automated truck loading, with LGVs moving pallets through staging directly into trailers. Welch added that when AMRs and AGVs integrate with WMS and ERP systems, they improve labor utilization and support scalable automation.

What is the biggest buyer mistake?

"The biggest risk is approaching automation as a series of independent projects without first developing an overall plan," Nelson said. His recommended sequence: design the whole, understand flows, simulate future requirements, define the architecture, then set a roadmap. "You do not have to automate everything on day one. But you should know how everything you automate today will fit into the factory or distribution center you want to operate tomorrow."

Welch advised buyers to weigh long-term performance, serviceability and workforce training over upfront capital cost, since quality components lower total cost of ownership.

On what comes next, Welch predicted AI-driven analytics, predictive maintenance and intelligent production optimization; Nelson expects the greatest impact from combining robotics, sensing and AI with sophisticated orchestration software — with simulation running throughout a facility's lifecycle, not just at design. All four companies will exhibit at Pack Expo, including Orbis's Odyssey 40 x 48 pallet line, its AROS totes and AutoStore bins, Rice Lake's iDimension and MotoWeigh live demos, Regal Rexnord's patented ModSort divert-and-transfer technology, and E80's SM.I.LE80 software platform. Nelson cautioned there is no universal automation solution — only roadmaps that let the technology evolve with the business.