Packaging Machinery Producers Automate for Labor Shortages and Recyclable Formats

Packaging machinery manufacturers are redesigning equipment to help producers tackle labor shortages, rising sustainability requirements, and increasingly complex production demands. The industry is undergoing significant changes driven by four major forces: labor availability, smaller portion sizes, increasing product variety, and sustainability requirements. Manufacturers are being asked to produce more packs, more SKUs, often from the same factory footprint with the same or fewer skilled operators. Retailers, regulators, and consumers are placing greater emphasis on reducing waste and improving sustainability performance.

Simon Hill, group product innovation manager at TNA Solutions, highlights these pressures driving demand for packaging solutions that can deliver higher throughput, faster changeovers, lower waste, and greater flexibility without adding complexity to operations. He asserts that operational efficiency and agility are now critical differentiators for food manufacturers as they respond to changing consumer and market demands.

Sumeet Arora, senior VP Engineering Business Marketing at UFlex, argues that the packaging machinery industry has evolved significantly over the years. For many years, it was driven by three fundamental objectives: speed, flexibility, and accuracy. Manufacturers focused on increasing machine speeds, improving precision, and enabling quick product changeovers. However, customer expectations have changed, and manufacturers are now looking beyond machine performance.

They want higher productivity from the same manufacturing footprint, maximum equipment uptime, lower operating costs, and greater process predictability. Packaging machinery is increasingly expected to become an intelligent manufacturing asset rather than simply a production tool. Arora also notes that consumer preferences are changing rapidly, product portfolios are expanding, and packaging formats continue to evolve.

This has led to the growing need for versatility in machines. They must be capable of handling multiple pack formats and a wider range of packaging materials with minimal changeover time. Smart factory solutions are playing a crucial role in this transformation, as automation and digital technologies help manufacturers reduce manual intervention and improve accuracy.

Stephen Tagg, global application sales manager for Software at Markem-Imaje, explains that AI inspection is a valuable application in packaging. It can check if the right code, label, image, or product feature is present without relying on manual inspection or older rule-based systems. CoLOS 7 from Markem-Imaje supports fully inline verification through its Vision and Verification module, reducing manual coding errors by up to 20%.

Andrea Solfa, product manager for End of Lines and Tunnels at Sidel, adds that connected platforms enable manufacturers to monitor performance in real-time, gain greater visibility across production lines, and make faster decisions. This supports predictive and proactive maintenance strategies, minimizing downtime while maximizing equipment availability. Digital technologies are continuing to evolve, with data-driven insights playing a crucial role in enhancing efficiency and productivity.

Automation is becoming essential for overcoming labor constraints and improving overall equipment effectiveness. The next generation of packaging machinery is designed to simplify operation, reduce the risk of operator error, and support faster decision-making through greater visibility of machine and line performance. Markem-Imaje’s Tagg expects automation to grow due to labor pressures.

Many manufacturers are finding it harder to attract people into factory roles. Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute estimate that US manufacturers will require 3.8 million new workers by 2033, with nearly half of these roles potentially remaining unfilled if current labor gaps persist. Similarly, Deloitte reports that 62% of European manufacturers face recruitment and retention challenges expected to continue through 2030.

Automation is not about replacing people but empowering them to focus on problem-solving, quality, and decision-making while machines handle repetitive tasks. Elias Hashemian Nik, product manager sterilization at Syntegon, highlights the increasing significance of packaging machinery automation amid labor shortages and productivity demands, alongside regulatory factors in pharmaceutical production.

Pharmaceutical manufacturers operate in a highly regulated environment where new requirements directly influence equipment design. The EU Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) guidance continues to shape major shifts in particular. Manufacturers are facing growing pressure from product diversity and the need for faster changeovers. They are looking for equipment that ensures compliance, improves productivity, and operational flexibility.

Syntegon argues that automation is the solution to these challenges in liquid fill-finish operations. The fully automated SynTiso fill-finish line removes human interference with gloveless isolator technology and a fully robotized operation, including contactless container transport. It ensures benchmark-level regulatory compliance and up to 50% faster changeovers.

Digital technologies are becoming equally important as customers increasingly expect transparent production data for predictive maintenance, performance optimization, and data-driven decision-making. Solutions like Synexio provide visibility by connecting equipment, monitoring process performance, and helping manufacturers continuously improve production over the entire lifecycle of their equipment.

Tobias Richter, chief sales officer and group president at Multivac, highlights that increasing cost pressure is shaping the packaging machinery market. Manufacturers must reduce packaging material use while maintaining high levels of efficiency, output, and pack quality. Machinery must enable reliable processing of thinner films and alternative materials.

Multivac supports sustainability targets by helping customers reduce material consumption, energy use, and process-related waste in industrial production. The company develops equipment that can reliably process recyclable monomaterials and alternative packaging materials while maintaining efficiency, output, and pack quality. Its cloud-based Smart Services combine a Consumption Monitor with advanced analytics functions to enable detailed insights into energy and resource consumption.

Sidel’s Solfa expects continued growth in technologies combining sustainability, automation, and operational streamlining. Advanced bottle technologies like Sidel’s Returnable PET — Still Water bottle support circular packaging objectives by enabling bottle-to-bottle recyclability at the end of its service life. Integrated production solutions that streamline multiple processing stages into a single system will continue to gain traction as manufacturers seek greater productivity and flexibility.

TNA’s Hill adds that TNA supports consumers’ environmental sustainability goals by helping reduce product giveaway, minimizing film waste, and improving production efficiency. Equipment must provide the flexibility to accommodate new packaging materials and support future sustainability initiatives without compromising performance. Manufacturers are looking for sustainability improvements that also deliver measurable operational and commercial benefits.