In the latest edition of the Spotlight, Meurer explains how its ‘future-back approach’ to trends in regulation, sustainability, trade and consumer behaviour is developed into technology scenarios to help FMCG companies meet their sustainability and efficiency goals.
“What do FMCG companies need to be prepared for in the next five years – and what machines do we need to build today to meet those needs?”
This question marks the start of almost every development project at meurer Verpackungssysteme GmbH. The Lower Saxony-based packaging machine manufacturer sees ‘Beyond expectations. Shaping Future’ not as an advertising slogan, but as a working principle that it lives by. meurer not only develops solutions for existing specifications, but also actively shapes what end-of-line packaging will look like in the future.
The company has been shaping the industry for over 50 years, and today more than ever. While many market participants primarily react to new requirements, meurer pursues a consistent future-back approach: trends in regulation, sustainability, trade and consumer behaviour are analyzed at an early stage and translated into concrete technology scenarios. From there, the engineering department thinks back – to machine generations that are already ahead of future requirements today.
Future-back thinking as a development principle
This attitude is reflected in the organisation and depth of development. At meurer, design and manufacturing are handled by a single source, with a high degree of vertical integration and quality standards above the market average. However, the holistic view is even more crucial: meurer considers the entire value chain – from the product to packaging, transport and palletizing to logistics – and simulates how new materials, legal situations or consumer requirements will influence future lines.
Matthias Look, Head of Strategic Marketing, describes the approach as follows:
“We don’t wait for someone to tell us what a future line should look like. We develop guidelines and solutions that our customers can use as a basis for their own decisions.”
In close cooperation with customers, specifications are deliberately questioned, alternatives are identified and abstract sustainability or efficiency goals are translated into concrete machine concepts.
Paperisation as a strategic lever
A key example of this active market design is the strategic pillar of paperisation. Long before bans on plastic film or specific regulatory requirements were foreseeable, meurer developed lines that enable paper and cardboard packaging with industrially relevant cycle rates.
Based on the TAPER and SLEEVER technology lines, solutions are being developed that functionally replace classic film applications – with high process reliability, stable cycle rates and reproducible quality. Special web guides, forming and sealing techniques, and precise handling of different paper qualities make the systems flexible for future material developments.
For brand owners, this shifts the focus away from pure conversion towards active differentiation of product and brand. meurer not only supplies machines for this purpose, but also provides compelling arguments regarding CO2 balance, material usage and total cost of ownership.
HBP 160: Proof of concept for the claim
The HBP 160 – the latest addition to the multi-packer portfolio for the beverage industry – demonstrates how future-back thinking is being implemented in practice. The machine applies paper tape at high speed to containers that were previously packaged with plastic film. Material and energy consumption are up to 90% below current industry standards.
At the same time, the HBP 160 has been deliberately designed to be future-proof: different container shapes, paper qualities and packing patterns can be accommodated, and upgrades are possible in the long term. For many customers, it sets a new benchmark in performance and sustainability.
Platform instead of individual machine
This claim is also reflected in the platform strategy. meurer develops machines as modular, open systems. Concepts can be scaled and transferred to other industries, and additional automation levels, robotics or digital services can be added in a targeted manner. This ensures that investments retain their value in the long term.
From supplier to trendsetter
meurer sees itself not only as a machine manufacturer, but also as a trendsetter for the packaging of the future. Customers receive clear, future-proof proposals on which they can base their medium and long-term packaging strategy. ‘Beyond expectations. Shaping Future’ describes precisely this claim: not only to meet standards, but to actively define them.
For more information, please visit www.itwmeurer.com.
This content was sponsored by Meurer.
