In an economic environment that mandates unlocking additional profitability, automated packaging operations hold great potential.

One key is mechatronic machinery, which is designed to increase efficiency and flexibility.

The other key is a workforce of mechatronically skilled engineers and technicians. Unfortunately, the U.S. education system has not kept pace with these new developments. Until now.

What impact can these skill sets have on your packaging operations? You can find out at the Conference at PACK EXPO, Monday, November 10, 9:20 am, in the Upgrading Operations track, session M06, Packaging Operational Efficiencies Depend Upon Bridging the Mechatronics Skills Gap.

In this session, Unilever Senior Plant Controls Engineer Steven Berkos explains how new hires can come up to speed fast with far less on the job training, plus the ability to reduce operational costs, enable sustainable packaging, and introduce new products to market faster.

Professor James Higley, Purdue University Calumet (Hammond, Indiana), will demonstrate how the first mechatronics engineering technology program specifically targeting packaging systems is bridging the gap.

Working with packaging machinery builders and automation suppliers, the faculty there intends to bring benefits that European manufacturers have enjoyed for a number of years to the U.S. packaging community.

The course of study combines elements of the school’s computer science, electrical and mechanical engineering technology programs and features a laboratory equipped with actual packaging machinery and the latest automation technologies from Schneider Electric and ELAU Packaging Technologies.