Through the Line: Packaging and Processing

What were the top trends and takeaways from the latest PACK OUT event? The fifth anniversary of The PACK Out event highlighted a significant shift toward industry collaboration and sustainable development within medical device manufacturing. A primary focus of the conference was the redesign of healthcare packaging to better accommodate the complex needs of multi-user logistics. This is an AI-gene...

What does it really mean to design a facility for freshness? At Harvest Station Foods' new Loudon, Tenn. commissary, disciplined data analysis, USDA-ready room design, and a flexible layout let the facility consolidate deliveries and adapt to future product needs without sacrificing operational stability.  This is an AI-generated episode. Read the full featured article on ProFood World .

What does it really mean to design packaging for everyone?  Senior editor Anne Marie Mohan sits down with Deb Gokie from the Arthritis Foundation. They discuss how testing for arthritis and chronic pain conditions, disciplined attention to grip, strength, and dexterity can make products easier to use across the entire consumer base, not just those with accessibility needs. But inclusive design isn...

What broader impact could compact syringe designs have on pharmaceutical supply chain efficiency going forward? Compact prefilled syringes developed by Pacto Medical reduce storage footprint by approximately 40% while maintaining the same medication volume and compatibility with existing systems, potentially lowering supply chain costs by roughly 35% through reduced packaging, more efficient shipp...

How does machine vision reduce waste and create real-time insights? Vision systems aren’t about adding more screens to the control room. They’re about eliminating preventable risk. When implemented thoughtfully, they reduce uncertainty. Vision systems replace assumptions with confirmation and turn delayed discoveries into real-time validation. This is AI-generated episode. Find the full featured a...

What role can cross-industry collaboration and emerging sorting technologies play in scaling flexible film recycling in the U.S.? Senior editor Anne Marie Mohan talks with Pranav Goenka chief advisor, global program development at the Alliance to End Plastic Waste about the organization's U.S. Flexibles Program and its report on flexible packaging recycling.  Goenka outlines a three-step stra...

How can packaging ease product navigation in high stress moments?  The clean medicine brand Genexa recently underwent a significant packaging redesign to assist parents in making fast, informed decisions during stressful health crises. By replacing child-friendly illustrations with a symptom-based color-coding system, the company shifted its visual focus toward the adult purchaser while improving...

How can a processor ensure consistent quality when managing high demand? To meet needs for both high output and consistent product quality, Bem Brasil installed a Key Technology processing line capable of running 30 metric tons of frozen potato strips each hour, with a layered sorting system to find and remove any defects. This is an AI-generated episode. Read the full featured article on ProFood...

What are the dominant forces shaping packaging over the next decade? Editor-in-Chief Matt Reynolds sits down with Brian Wagner, co-founder of PTIS Global, to discuss how AI is reshaping packaging faster than expected. New PTIS research shows brand owners, data, and technical expertise will define who leads, and who falls behind. Find the full featured article on Packaging World.

As robots grow more capable, what does it take for manufacturers to integrate and optimize them successfully? Industrial robotics are transitioning from rigid, task-oriented machines to intelligent, autonomous systems capable of handling complex manufacturing environments. Learn how AI and Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) are revolutionizing production by enabling flexible, real-time adaptation to...

How can protein processors stay on top of traceability? Manual tracking of inventory from animal receiving through regulatory checks and all the way to warehousing and shipping can take diligent record-keeping. Bar-W Beef, a beef producer based in Nephi, Utah, avoided this traditional paper-based tracking by starting with a VistaTrac supply chain traceability system from day one. This is an AI-gen...

How does PackSense, an AI-powered system for product quality insights, address the gap between controlled testing and real-world experience? Editor-in-Chief Matt Reynolds sits down with Michigan State University (MSU) student Jordan D'Amario and MSU professor Dr. Euihark Lee. They discuss how AI is turning online reviews into actionable packaging data. MSU research shows how brands can pinpoi...

Will digital labels transform healthcare packaging? The Sunrise 2027 initiative marks a global shift in the pharmaceutical industry from traditional barcodes to advanced 2D digital labels and QR codes. This transition aims to modernize the healthcare supply chain by improving traceability, reducing administrative errors, and providing patients with real-time medical information.  While some region...

How does adding flexible automation allow Café Spice to improve production and deal with labor woes? The need to improve precision, throughput, and flexibility leads to an automated RaaS solution that offers greater profitability. The company saw an opportunity to go beyond typical end-of-line automation and target portioning and pre-packing—one of the most labor-intensive and quality-sensitive po...

What new demands is automation placing on packaging performance and testing? Packaging World Editor-in-Chief, Matt Reynolds, sits down with  IBM's Bill Green and ISTA's Eric Hiser to discuss how e-commerce, automation, sustainability, and data are reshaping packaging design. Meanwhile emerging automation requirements for the Walmarts of the world are raising the stakes for pack testing a...

How is end-of-line automation reshaping high-volume medical product distribution? Medline Industries partnered with Ranpak Holdings Corp. to deploy the Cut'it! EVO right-sizing system and Form'it! automated case erector at its distribution operations.  The shift eliminated a manual pack-out bottleneck downstream of Medline's AutoStore goods-to-person picking system, with workers now...

How can food processors balance automation adoption with workforce retention and morale? In its modern plant in the Antioquia area of Colombia, the global food producer integrates collaborative robotics to boost productivity, safety, and well-being—without losing sight of its human and sustainable character. This is an AI-generated episode. Read the full featured article on ProFood World .

What were some of the biggest takeaways from the summit? Senior Editor, Anne Marie Mohan, sits down with representatives from Google, Nestlé, Kenvue, and Just Born Quality Confections to discuss paperization, sustainable design, and AI as EPR preparation tool. Find live coverage from the summit on Packaging World .

How do the sterility assurance gaps reflect broader challenges in medical device and pharmaceutical packaging compliance? More than 3.1 million bottles of lubricating eye drops were recalled because products weren't properly tested, meaning sterility couldn't be verified. However, passing a sterility test doesn’t guarantee that a whole batch of product is sterile. It only confirms that n...

How does proactive and predictive maintenance practices help food processors do more with less? Maintenance is often viewed as a necessary cost, an unavoidable overhead to keep production moving. But in times of economic uncertainty and capital constraints, it’s time to reframe maintenance not as a cost center, but as a strategic lever. This is an AI-generated episode. Read the full featured artic...

How are new tools, in conjunction with AI, helping engineers at Google? Packaging World Editor-in-Chief Matt Reynolds sits down with Ken Leung,  Senior Mechanical Engineer at Google, to discuss high-speed imaging and AI-driven analysis for packaged data center hardware. Leung explains why traditional testing methods may be missing the point because of changes to the products they're meant to...

How does a transition from a disposable, prefilled autoinjector to a reusable pen change user experience? Editor-in-Chief, Liz Cuneo, sits down with Lucy Baldwin, Head of Research and Design at Ensera Design. They discuss why when it comes to medical devices, safe isn’t the same as usable, and usable isn’t the same as equitable. Read the full featured article on Healthcare Packaging .

What does it really mean to design for change in food and beverage processing? Disciplined process design, sanitation strategy, and modular thinking can enable frequent changeovers without sacrificing stability. But, the pursuit of extreme flexibility can backfire, and the most adaptable systems are often those that place clear boundaries around complexity. This is an AI-generated episode. Read th...

What's behind the sudden surge in packaging robotics—and is it here to stay? Senior Editor Anne Marie Mohan sits down with A3's Alex Shikhany to unpack the latest robotics data, including a notable end-of-2025 spike in packaging, picking, and placing applications and the rise of collaborative robots to nearly 20% of total orders. They discuss workforce shortages, e-commerce growth, and h...

What is the key innovation introduced by Cadence OTC’s UTI Relief Kit? The healthcare company Cadence OTC has developed a comprehensive UTI Emergency Relief Kit designed to provide an immediate, organized response to urinary tract infections. Listen in to hear more about this dual-package design held together by a shrink-wrapped cover card that emphasizes user clarity through intuitive labeling. T...