Automation Timeline: The Drive Toward 4.0 Connectivity in Packaging and Processing, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines industry progress and barriers between 2017 and 2020 using interviews with CPG manufacturers, sector surveys, and market indicators. Focus areas include workforce development and retention, knowledge capture and documentation, and digital-tool adoption and integration, with the analysis indicating persistent hurdles around ROI, skills, and legacy systems. Emerging patterns show robotics and IIoT expanding beyond end-of-line, while predictive analytics and cloud strategies gain traction; charts highlight comparative adoption trends and integration gaps. The report reveals where engineering teams are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.
Published by PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies in July 2020. Based on interviews and secondary analysis of data from leading CPGs and SMEs across food, beverage, personal care, pharma/nutraceuticals, household products, and contract packagers collected in mid-2020.
