AI Curiosity (CONT’D FROM PAGE 38)
Board Converting NEWS INTERNET DIRECTORY
is created, a part is ordered and downtime is scheduled before the problem becomes a breakdown. Start With Data You Already Have U.G. Wilson of BW Papersystems emphasized that plant-floor AI does not always begin with an expensive sensor or IoT program. Purchasing records, maintenance reports, job histories, and production spreadsheets may already contain valuable patterns. A sudden increase in blade purchases relative to production volume, for exam- ple, could point to poor machine settings, excessive sharp- ening or an operator practice that deserves investigation. The same approach can turn AI into a troubleshooting partner. With controlled access to manuals, fault records, maintenance notes, job histories and vendor portals, an agent can investigate what settings changed before a fault, whether the condition occurred previously and what corrected it last time. That is more useful than a generic chatbot because it works with the history and language of the plant. Data ownership therefore becomes strategic. Panelists noted that restricted access to PLC information, expensive interfaces and disconnected software can limit progress. Bringing needed information into a governed data layer gives a converter greater freedom to analyze its opera- tions without forcing AI to query every production system. A Practical Path Forward The strongest common message from both sessions was not simply to install AI. It was to connect technolo- gy to a defined business outcome and to the people re- sponsible for achieving it. Map the workflow with frontline employees, choose a narrow use case, protect sensitive information, validate the output, and assign an owner who will act on what the system finds. Then measure the result in operational terms: fewer stops, faster quote turnaround, reduced searching and rekeying, avoided downtime, lower inventory, improved margin, or better customer response. Early wins create confidence and help teams learn where more integrated applications will deliver the greatest return. For corrugated converters, the near-term opportunity is substantial. Predictive maintenance, troubleshooting, knowledge retention, estimating, scheduling, and profit- ability analysis are no longer abstract concepts. The tech- nology is becoming more accessible; the differentiator will be how effectively each company adds context, embeds the insight into a workflow, and closes the loop with hu- man feedback. The plants that begin solving small, valu- able problems today will build the operating knowledge and confidence needed for much more capable systems tomorrow.
SAUER SYSTEM www.sauersystem.com
Sauer provides intelligent solutions for scoring, slitting, slit-scoring, and perforating on corrugators and floor slitters; and glue tab cutting, creasing, slotting, trimming and scrap chopping on presses. New, featured offerings include FRX Adjustable Folding Rail System and G3 Scoring System: the latest proven creasing technology on the market.
STAFFORD GROUP www.go2stafford.com
Interactive website for Stafford Corrugated Products and Stafford Cutting Dies. Featuring online ordering of replace- ment parts. Also, visitors can automatically calculate sheet size for most die-cut standards.
SUN AUTOMATION GROUP ® www.sunautomation.com
SUN Automation Group is the global leader in providing innovative solutions to the corrugated industry. SUN engi- neers and builds the SUN625 Rotary Die Cutter, provides sales, service and support in North and Central America for Latitude Machinery Corporation, manufacturer of Mini to Jumbo FFG and RDCs. Additionally, SUN is the North Amer- ican, UK and Ireland sales and service provider for Para Machinery’s line of equipment, and is the North American sales provider for Highcon. SUN also powers the corrugat- ed industry’s premier IIoT platform, Helios, and is the OEM source for Langston/Staley equipment parts and service. THACKER INDUSTRIAL SERVICE COMPANY www.thackerindustrial.com Specializing in corrugated machinery, T.I.S.CO. offers quali- ty-made products, support services, and more. T.I.S.CO. has a reputation of dependability, not only in the product, but in service and support. With more than 25 years’ experience, T.I.S.CO. installs equipment and machinery, moves or sets up entire plants, rewires and rebuilds - all over the world. VT GROUP www.vtgrouponline.com VT offers prepress services for the POP display and corru- gated shipping container industry including graphic design, optimized digitally imaged printing plates and innovative pre-mounting solutions. Our large-format digital printing fa- cility (Digital Impact) is a leading short-run manufacturer of distinctive POP displays and signage where litho-like graph-
ics are preferred. WPR SERVICES www.wprservices.net
WPR Services was established in 2016. What originally start- ed as a technical services company expanded its product offerings to include a machine center learning platform POWtalk™. Our analysis of video, audio, machine metrics, employee ergometrics, and person to person conversation provides a way to identify safety and process inefficiencies.
Aleks Zlatic, Founder & CEO of Aurum Intelligence, brings 25+ years of experience guiding packaging converters through digital and AI transformation projects.
40 October 19, 2026
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