Sidel used Interpack 2026 to underline how increasing packaging line complexity is driving demand for automation, robotics and more connected production systems across food, beverage, home care and personal care markets.
The France-based packaging equipment manufacturer presented a range of technologies at the Düsseldorf exhibition, including its Cermex RoboSelex robotic collating system, the RoboAccess_Pal S palletising unit and the EvoBlow Laser PET blowing system.
Speaking to Eco-plastics in Packaging at the show, Davide Sighinolfi, vice-president of food, home and personal care, Sidel, said the industry challenge was increasingly centred on managing complexity across production lines.
“The main attention here is on the line complexity and how to solve it through our technologies,” he said.
Improving efficiency
He added that customers were looking for ways to improve efficiency while handling more varied packaging requirements and faster product changeovers.
“We bring automation, robotic applications, but also line connectivity, data analysis to support customers and help them predict maintenance needs, as well as support better efficiencies in their operations,” he said.
Among the technologies highlighted was the Cermex RoboSelex system, a robotic collating solution for case packers designed to handle lightweight bottles in multiple shapes and batch configurations.
Sidel said the system operates at speeds of up to 320 products per minute and enables rapid format changes, with one-minute changeovers for collation changes and two-minute bottle-format changeovers.
RoboAccess_Pal S
The company also showcased the RoboAccess_Pal S palletising system, which includes an elevating column allowing pallet heights of up to 2,200mm, and integration with an autonomous mobile robot for automated pallet handling.
Alexandre Huet, blowing and coating product manager at Sidel, said producers were increasingly seeking more flexible equipment as packaging formats and materials become more diverse.
“Usually, our customers are looking for standardisation,” he said, adding that manufacturers want systems capable of handling multiple formats while reducing changeover times.
Huet also pointed to labour shortages and skills gaps as key pressures shaping equipment design.
‘Lack of skilled resources’
“Many customers are facing the same lack of skilled resources, so they’re asking more and more to have intelligent equipment,” he said.
Sidel also used Interpack to present its EvoBlow Laser system, which it describes as the world’s first industrialised laser-powered heating system for PET blowing applications.
The company said the technology is intended to support lightweight PET bottle production and improve processing performance for rPET materials.Discussions at the exhibition also focused on future packaging line development, with Sidel representatives highlighting automation, connected systems and artificial intelligence-assisted operations as key factors in improving overall equipment effectiveness in fast-moving consumer goods production.
