The first Interpack show since 2017 was held in May in Dusseldorf, Germany, and was eagerly anticipated by packaging and processing professionals worldwide.
Leading up to the show, Packserv Australia had been focused on developing packaging machines using 4.0 technology, a rarity for machines in the thousands-of-dollars price range.
Nathan Wardell, the Managing Director of Packserv Australia, was keen to use the show to assess whether his company was leading or trailing behind global industry advances, and to comparing the quality and value for money of machinery being offered in this global marketplace.
“After years promoting Australian manufactured goods, I have to say I was increasingly anxious as the show’s opening drew near. Would I find that, in the hiatus, the rest of the world had taken the chance to catch up — meaning we might not be as special as I’ve been insisting we are.”
With over 2,700 exhibitors spread across 18 vast halls, the Interpack show covered an area equivalent to a small industrial town. A staggering 180,000 visitors from 55 different countries attend, so there’s no better place to compare Australia’s place in the pecking order.
“After clocking up just short of 20,000 steps each day I’m confident that I saw everything on offer. Overall, I was very happy with what I found at the show, but even happier with what I didn’t find,” says Wardell.
“Nothing like, or even similar to the technology we are developing at Packserv, but more than that; I didn’t see a single piece of technology that isn’t almost commonplace here in Australia.”
“As for quality of build, I can confirm that Australia more than holds its own. Maybe I wasn’t comparing apples with apples, but there are some general principles that can be judged, such as the presentation of finished wiring and pneumatic circuits.
“We in Australia take such pride in what we produce and if you look inside or underneath our manufactured goods, attention to detail and quality of materials is immediately apparent”.
The Dusseldorf Interpack show may not have unveiled any game-changing technology, but it validated Packserv’s dedication to pushing boundaries and shaping the future of packaging automation.
“So it is with renewed confidence that Packserv looks forward to unveiling its innovations at the APPEX show in Melbourne in March 2024. Packserv’s commitment to developing cutting-edge machinery has positioned it as a packaging industry pioneer,” say Wardell.
Read the article in Industry Update Website here