Event Brief
By: Sandra K. Rodriguez, Market Analyst
The Puerto Rico Packaging Summit 2019 took place in Condado, Puerto Rico. The summit focused on the Institute of Packaging Professionals (IoPP) – Puerto Rico Chapter’s core organizational value: Packaging Contribution. The Summit drew 129 attendees, representing 48 companies.
The message was simple and clear: We Speak Packaging. Speak Packaging With Us.
Today, advanced technologies including deep learning, artificial intelligence and robotics are playing a key role in an important piece of the supply chain and manufacturing processes. Presentations by Amgen, Adents, Rockwell Automation, Pfizer and Hi-Tech Products demonstrated not if or when, but how automation and technology is already impacting manufacturing and operations in the Life-Sciences.
Jorge Delgado, Sr. Manager of Process Development at Amgen explained that deep learning can help overcome some challenges in Automatic Visual Inspection (AVI). “Even with multiple techniques, it is still a challenge to effectively detect particles using current AVI technologies for particle detection,” said Delgado. Julien Faury, VP of Operations at Adents, a serialization and traceability solutions provider, pointed to the need to break down silos between Manufacturing, Packaging and Customers. Adents’ flagship cloud solution, ‘Prodigi’ allows for secure data exchange and leverages the power of serialization data. “Serialization is a data challenge,” pointed out Faury.
“To improve performance and efficiencies you need to make measurements first,” said Alejandro Ramos, Channel and Territory Manager at Rockwell Automation. Ramos also stressed that in order to increase packaging line efficiencies, companies must produce, analyze and react to information as close to the source as possible.
Jose A. Montalvo, Sales Enablement Manager at Rockwell Automation, spoke of the need for industry to embrace change in a digital era. “Digital Transformation is not necessarily about digital technology, but about the fact that technology, which is digital, allows people to solve their traditional problems. And they prefer this digital solution to the old solution,” said Montalvo.
Wilfred Rosa, Automation Manager at Hi-Tech Products introduced the capabilities of Collaborative Robots (COBOTs) and reviewed the differences and benefits of utilizing collaborative and autonomous robots. “A Power Force Limited (PFL) COBOT is the safest type to work next to because it is able to detect collisions,” said Miguel Rodriguez, Principal Engineering Specialist at Medtronic. Rodriguez, along with his colleague Pablo Rodriguez, Engineering Manager, Innovation at Medtronic presented the company’s approach to adding COBOTs to the shop floor in their presentation titled “A New Trend in Manufacturing.” Following the presentation, attendees took the opportunity to interact with a COBOT.
“Risk management is knowledge management” said Ruben Morales, Founder of Cinco Engineering. Morales went on to demonstrate the company’s Risk Based Quality Management Software. Cinco’s solution offers paperless traceability of every ‘Critical to Quality Aspect’ during drug or medical device manufacturing to enable transparent and quality driven decision making at every moment.
As a resident of Puerto Rico, it was a pleasure to cover an event in my own back yard. The next Puerto Rico Packaging Summit is scheduled for Spring 2021. Mark your calendars and speak packaging with us.