Machinery scan
Todaycommercial state of the art
Benchmark the market
We reviewed current custom packaging machinery and found it far from the original goal.
Case Study · Technology Scouting
One mold, many package shapes.
A food and beverage packaging solutions provider wanted tooling that could switch package shapes quickly. We scanned machinery, academic research and expert insight to find forming concepts fit for a 10-year horizon.
The Client
The client is a processing and packaging solution provider for the food and beverage industry. It wanted forming tools with programmable motion that could reshape a package format in little time.
The Challenge
One package, one mold.
Make it adaptable.
Prescouter was asked to find adaptable tooling with digitally programmable motion that could reshape packaging molds inside automatic machines, supporting a 10-year implementation horizon that called for unconventional ideas.
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Speed
Fast format changes
Switching shapes in little time.
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Control
Programmable motion
Digital control within the machine.
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Horizon
10-year outlook
Room for unconventional ideas.
Our Approach
Looking past today’s machines to tomorrow’s research.
Academic search
Labsresearch institutes mapped
Search the labs
We traced promising early-stage ideas in academic papers and the institutes developing them.
Expert interviews
2expert interviews held
Probe the hurdles
Experts outlined the technical challenges still ahead, such as integrating numerical control.
The Outcome
A concept for mold-free switching.
Prescouter mapped novel forming technologies and their potential impact on the packaging industry, comparing reversibility, shape range and type of stimulus. One concept stood out because manufacturers can quickly reconfigure it to make different product versions without separate molds.
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Insight
Reversible formats
Concepts that switch back and forth.
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Range
Diverse shapes
Driven by various stimuli.
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Pick
1 top concept
Reconfigures without new molds.
Long horizons reward looking beyond what is for sale today. Academic research often shows where the next machine will come from.
Let’s Talk
What could your next machine shape?
Let’s explore the ideas that could redefine your production line. Wherever you’re starting from, we’ll help you get there.
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