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Reston, Va.; Oct. 25, 2018 — PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, released its findings on automation’s impact on consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies. The organization’s new survey “Automation in CPG Companies” finds that as automation increases in importance and usability in the manufacturing sector, collaborative robots (cobots), artificial intelligence and big data can be three distinct drivers of investment and performance. Those that are utilizing automation — particularly in the packaging sector — find themselves with a distinct competitive advantage over competitors taking a “wait and see” approach. And it appears that CPGs are aware of the growing chasm. Forty-four percent indicated that they are at least planning to increase investment in one key area driving enhancements in automation — big data analytics capabilities — in the next 18-24 months. “Every day that companies delay implementing automation and big data solutions is a missed opportunity as those that are using it are finding immediate, and profitable success,” says Bryan Griffen, director of industry services at PMMI and former group engineering manager at Nestlé. Indeed, no subsector of automation in the packaging industry is maturing like cobots. Unlike robots which are traditionally isolated from workers and are programmed to follow specific instructions without regard for humans, cobots operate in cooperation with humans in a shared workspace. “[Cobots] have evolved out of the core robotic market, growing significantly over the past 10-15 years,” says Jack Uhl of the Consumer Products Group for Yaskawa America, Inc.’s Motoman Robotics Division. “From integrated vision capabilities to mimicking human kinematics, to the utilization of simple teach pendants, today’s cobots are equipped to help CPGs fill labor gaps, maximize a smaller footprint and mitigate worker safety and product contamination risks.” Now the fastest growing segment of industrial automation, cobot use is expected to […]