AI and Cloud MIS Take Centre Stage in Packaging Printing
The packaging-printing industry is moving decisively toward AI-assisted operations and cloud-based management, with vendors rolling out new software and hybrid press systems ahead of the autumn trade-show season.
Dantex has introduced PAL, an AI-driven operational assistant for UV inkjet label presses. It guides operators through machine setup, job changeovers and fault diagnosis, helping plants cut reliance on scarce senior technicians and reduce downtime. Cerm has gone live with O2, a cloud MIS built for mid-sized folding-carton, flexible-packaging and label converters. It automates email-to-order conversion, streamlines workflows and connects to third-party software through open APIs, giving smaller plants the production-to-order data visibility of large enterprises. Hybrid Software upgraded Mako Core9 on its Helix platform, delivering substantially faster PDF processing to keep pace with high-speed digital presses.
On the hardware side, French converter Stic has commissioned its first Mark Andy Digital Series HD hybrid press at its Lyon plant. The platform merges UV inkjet and flexo stations in a single machine, letting the plant run short-run, fast-turn label jobs profitably while still handling larger volumes — a configuration increasingly seen as the default for modern converters.
The momentum reflects a broader trend: brands want quicker turnarounds, more SKU variations and variable-data packaging, while printers face persistent labour shortages. Hybrid digital-conventional lines, AI-assisted operations and integrated MIS systems are emerging as the key levers to address these pressures.
Manufacturers are expected to showcase the next generation of digital presses and post-press automation at PRINTING United and LOUPE Americas in September and October, where the race for flexible, data-driven production will take centre stage.
