Board Converting News, September 19, 2022

Scheduling Projects (CONT’D FROM PAGE 82)

of domestic shipments for converting machinery also in- creased — by 9.5 percent to $1.1 billion in 2021, despite order backlogs in both categories increasing by double digits in 2021 compared to the end of 2020

similar equipment in the past. Some build forms and pre- pare rebar off-site to speed up the project and minimize plant disruption. Consider using quick curing concrete of greater strength than required. Because concrete reaches more than 50 percent of its compressive strength within one week, in most cases you can begin laying out equip- ment within a couple of days and you can drive over your floor and install tracks or base plates well before concrete has completely cured. How soon depends upon the con- crete mix, the loads involved, and other factors, so check with a knowledgeable professional to determine when it is safe to do so. Schedule issuance of contracts and ordering of ma- terial well in advance. In today’s environment, something that used to be available off the shelf may now have a six-week lead time. Continuously check that your project is on schedule and adjust as necessary. Did your machine ship on schedule or is one key component still overseas? Anticipate problems before they create bottlenecks, and devise workarounds. As material and equipment are received, check them thoroughly while there is still time to react if something is incorrect or missing. Are the jack bolts that you received metric instead of English, or coarse instead of fine thread? If you detect a problem early enough, you can always or- der new ones; however, if you first open their packaging when needed, the whole installation may grind to a halt. Helmuth von Moltke famously said that “no battle plan survives contact with the enemy.” Similarly, no matter how well a project is planned and scheduled, something un- expected is sure to occur. Perhaps it’s a labor stoppage, or some critical component that missed the ship. Always try to anticipate what could go wrong and plan for contin- gencies. Even so, it is impossible to anticipate everything. Meticulous planning is critical, but the ability to adapt is arguably even more important. Richard Etra is a 47-year veteran of the corrugated indus- try with extensive experience in all aspects of box plant operations. He can be reached at richard_etra@etracor- rugatedsolutions.com. New Technologies Spur Packaging, Converting Machine Shipping In ‘22 Shipments of packaging and converting machinery in the U.S. are growing, according to the PMMI State of the Indus- try U.S. Packaging Machinery report produced by PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technolo- gies. According to this year’s report, the value of domestic shipments for packaging machinery rose 11.2 percent to $10.5 billion in 2021 and is forecasted to grow at a CAGR of 5.4 percent to 12.9 billion in 2027. Similarly, the value

The demand for packaging machinery is largely driven by the increase in consumer goods demand, rise in adop- tion of automated packaging machines, and development of energy efficient machines. Advancements in electron- ics, computing technologies, and rising awareness of the inherent benefits of automation have encouraged numer- ous industries to embrace integrated packaging machinery solutions. Thus, robotic packaging automation is poised to emerge as the future of packaging in the coming years in both primary and secondary packaging applications. However, the topic of cybersecurity has emerged as a leading consideration due to new points of vulnerability as new technologies such as fully integrated enterprise re- source planning (ERP) systems, remote access, and cloud computing and connected machine sensor networks con- tinue to emerge and evolve. The industry is also experiencing a large push for e-commerce solutions, accelerated by the COVID-19 pan- demic. The shift in online purchasing habits will continue

to drive demand for packaging machinery as e-commerce differs from traditional retail outlets due to increased touchpoints to reach the customer, increased packaging, and supply chain challenges. Visit packexpointernational.com to register, search ex- hibitors and for more information. Registration is $30 until Sept. 30, after which it increases to $130.

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September 19, 2022

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