The Future of Packaging Machine Engineering

Packaging Valley Days takes place on 23rd and 24th June in Schwäbisch Hall. Now, for the third time the association "Packaging Valley Germany e.V." has organized a two-day branch event for visitors from all over the world. These two days have the motto: "Virtuality meets Reality - Packaging Processes 4.1". Presentations by experts are combined with visits to companies and accompanied by a program of fringe events. Registrations can be made now.

Under this year's motto, experts from research fields and industry discuss the trends and challenges faced by packaging machine engineering. "Packaging Processes 4.1" primarily refers to networked processes and incremental communication amongst the machines. One development which continues to assert itself in the field of mechanical engineering is the theme "Virtuality".

According to Kurt Engel, CEO of Packaging Valley: New developments have far-reaching effects; purchasing behavior changes and even jurisdiction has to be amended. We also feel this in the mechanical engineering industry. For example, the question of whether, in view of the new computer-aided possibilities, have adequate protection measures been undertaken? Our keynote speakers can answer the questions posed."

Would it not be good sometimes to know what can happen tomorrow? Dr. Petro Micic looks to the future whereby previous experience makes future developments better foreseeable. Nik Seidenader, consultant and startup investor, takes up this theme with Track & Trace. Pharma companies in particular must protect their consumers by means of the traceability of their product from inferior copies. The traceability must reach back to the origin. In other words: The more virtuality meets reality, then the more important are data protection and security systems. In his presentation "How to protect Industry 4.0 environments" Gert Hansen, the developer of market leading security systems, takes critical gaps under scrutiny.

From the speaking machine to virtual reality. New possibilities also mean new customer demands. Here once again the importance of standardized processes is proven. "Standards driven by Packaging Valley" is the starting point for a round of discussions with top people in the branch. Discussions revolve around the standards which could be created, for example, in communications between man and machine and from machine to machine.

On Day 2, visitors can form their own impressions of the advantages of virtual applications by participating in the company tours. With its VR Center Schwäbisch Hall, Packaging Valley has created access to the third dimension.