|
contents | events | |||||||||
| Nuremberg packaging trio prepares for the next round  The Nuremberg packaging exhibition trio is excellently prepared for the next round from 25-27 September 2007: FachPack (packaging solutions), PrintPack (package printing/packaging supplies production) and LogIntern (intralogistics) expect a good 1,300 exhibitors (2006: 1,325) and over 30,000 visitors (2006: 33,056). The segments that belong together are also increasingly merging at the exhibition: the packaging and transport segments. 128 exhibitors were registered direct for the LogIntern hall at the last event, but a remarkable total of 330 exhibitors showed products relevant to LogIntern.The development of intralogistics has been boosted again over the past years. Germany meanwhile occupies a worldwide pioneering role in the development and implementation of innovative intralogistics technologies. The many new trends initiated by individual progressive companies, science and consultants and by new technological developments call for farsightedness, intuition and powers of assertion from logistic experts in daily practice. A functioning logistics system is the basis for the competitiveness of Germany as industrial and value creation location. These statements are impressively confirmed by the latest figures from VDMA (Verband Deutscher Maschinen- und Anlagenbau). The turnover of German intralogistics manufacturers in 2006 rose by a noteworthy 8.3 % over the previous year. The USA with an import volume of 888 million EUR (+5 %) was still the top customer for German intralogistics in 2006. France follows in second place with 821 million EUR (+10 %). Exports to India grew most strongly by an immense 110 % to reach 128 million EUR. The industry also achieved two-figure growth rates in 2006 with exports to the European non-EU member states (932 million EUR turnover, +35 %), the Middle East (628 million EUR, +55 %), China (455 million EUR, +27 %) and Russia (361 million EUR, +49 %). Experts forecast another average turnover growth of 5 % for 2007. Advancing internationalization of the markets, increasing competitive and cost pressure, growing quality and service requirements, individualization and dynamization of demand – these are the keywords that decisively influence the everyday work and field of action of the logistic expert. This is also backed by the knowledge that in hardly any other segment of industrial production is the potential for cutting costs as large as in intralogistics. More than half of all logistic services in Germany are provided on works sites and within companies. The construction of new industrial buildings has been declining for many years and investment is mostly in the optimization of processes in existing buildings, which means buildings are maintained by focusing on exploiting existing potentials. This creates special challenges for planning the systems to be used and their integration into a company's intralogistics. The assignment is obvious: stock control, checking systems, the interfaces between warehouse, transport and order-picking under aspects such as saving space, increasing pick performance and integration into the supporting data structure and existing IT systems. Experts assume that a rationalization potential of 10 to 20 % of the total logistic costs can be achieved here. The industry with its constant customer proximity is always a forerunner in the application and rapid implementation of many key technologies such as automation through RFID or robotics. Automation solutions are found mainly in intralogistics, where interfaces in particular still need manual systems. Flexibility and automation are not inevitably contradictory here: Fluctuations in quantities can also be managed with a high degree of automation, but highly flexible use – in terms of product, customer and layout – is hardly imaginable with such a level of automation. Besides linking production, packaging and transport, the improvement of process chain efficiency and networking all concerned to form a value creation partnership play a decisive role here. Both product developers and marketing strategists recognize the chance of merging product and packaging more strongly into a utility, i.e. presenting the package as part of the application. This ties manufacturers of packaging supplies even more closely to the subsequent parts of the delivery chain. The exhibition therefore focuses more strongly than before on the potential of the packaging+package printing+intralogistics process chain. The special show on "Robotics, Assortments and Automation" at FachPack presents a packaging line on which the products fed in are packed in their primary and secondary packaging, palleted and finally packed for shipment – all fully automatically and including the relevant labelling systems. The PrintPack special show and a whole-day seminar the day before the exhibition deal with protection against counterfeits. The special show at LogIntern is devoted to the close interaction between packaging and transport. It focuses on the necessary coupling of material flow via conveying, storage and order-picking equipment and suitable information technologies. write your comments about the article :: © 2007 Construction News :: home page |