Interpack 2014 – It’s like one big episode of “How It’s Made”
For the next week, the largest packaging trade show on the planet plays host to the trends of the future.
When the average consumer goes to a supermarket to pick up the week’s groceries, it’s more than likely they don’t think a lot about how the incredible variety of products on display got there to begin with.
But it’s truly unfortunate this behind-the-scenes dance of intricate pieces that makes up the modern packaging industry doesn’t get a lot of extra thought because it is an incredible thing to behold–which is why TV shows like “How It’s Made” are so mesmerizing to watch.
Luckily this week in Dusseldorf, Germany, the largest packaging trade show on the planet–Interpack–is like a candy store in this regard. It’s tens and tens of thousands of square meters full of every packaging technology on the face of the planet. You could walk from booth to booth and never get tired of watching how all the products that you are familiar with get wrapped, boxed, packaged and delivered in a multitude of different ways.
ABB Robotics’ Interpack 2014 booth is no different. Unlike the conventional equipment we see on display in most of the hundreds of other booths, the robots in our booth are flexible mechanical arms that can adapt and be useful for almost any application imaginable. And this year we have focused on showing how the modern industrial robot is easier to use and more cost effective than ever for packaging needs.
Over the past few years, ABB Robotics has begun a transition into a new era of robotics—one in which solutions are thought of as complete systems instead of discrete pieces, industrial robots become even more flexible, standardized solutions reduce complexity, and new tools make it easier than ever to implement robotic systems. And to develop the best solutions possible, we truly believe that intimate collaboration with our partners is the only way forward.
In this regard, our demos at the booth cover everything from software, to service, to complete standardized robotic packaging cells–all of which are designed to make integrating industrial robots into packaging operations easier than ever before.
Our advanced picking and palletizing software allows for complete turnkey programming and validation of entire robotic installations on a PC in the office before any physical machinery is even purchased. Our industry first Remote Service product lets our customers rest easy with proactive, “always-on” monitoring of our customers’ robots to ensure that problems are identified before they stop production. And our RacerPack standardized packaging cell saves an incredible amount of engineering and validation time as a complete turn-key, drop-in solution to the often tricky process of designing a high speed robotic picking system.
So, if you’re at the show this week, be sure to stop in and say hi to one of the dozens of packaging experts we have on hand from all over Europe and the world. We’d love to share a coffee with you.