2022 Trends (Cont’d from Page 1)
Higher Levels of Automation Automation has been at the forefront of flexo innovation for years and we will be seeing an in- crease in digitized capabilities in 2022. To reduce manual processes in every stage of production, OEMs have made great progress in automating prepress, plateroom, and press room functions with the end goal of fully automating time-consuming processes. Considering the recent upsurge in labor shortages and an increased need for skilled labor, printing companies can expect to see new equipment that offers higher levels of au- tomation in the upcoming year. Advanced automation is an important step for the printing and packaging industry and it should be adopted to stay on track with the industry’s trajec- tory. Current levels of automation already offer a lot of benefits, such as reduced manual labor, less human error, and reduction in waste. Automated equipment will only continue to evolve to make production speeds faster, more customizable, and more sustainable. Additionally, as new variants of COVID-19 complicate labor shortages and work- place capacities, advances in automation will help make worksites safer by minimizing the number of physical hands involved in the production process. A&V recommends that converters partner with a
caused by supply chain disruptions. This complica- tion won’t be leaving the flexo press industry any- time soon, unfortunately. But recent developments in inventory management technology are becoming available to help companies significantly alleviate the effects of unexpected stock-outs. Printing and packaging companies can reduce the amount of supply chain issues by getting ahead of inventory stock levels. The best way to get ahead is by developing a proactive plan of action that in- cludes forecasting inventory usage based on a con- verter’s most critical supplies three to six months in advance and gaining clear visibility of inventory at all times to avoid disruption. However, the biggest development in inventory management is automatic processing. Investing in an automated inventory management solution, such as the Vendor Managed Inventory System (VMI), will reduce the amount of manual work and time required and improve agility. The Intelligent VMI uses the latest RFID technology to monitor invento- ry in real-time for proactive ordering and predictive supply planning. Implementing this software into a company’s production next year will reduce the effects of supply chain disruptions and lead to a more organized workflow overall.
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Flexo Market News April 11, 2022 3
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