Fickle consumers and creative marketers are forcing packaging companies to produce smaller batches with more frequent stops for setup and adjustment. To add the necessary flexibility without sacrificing productivity, they need machines that reduce manual operations, improve operator assistance and provide helpful performance indicators. Packaging printing and converting machine manufacturer DCM-ATN has just what they're looking for with its highly automated smart machines based on B&R's technological innovations.

Beate Freyer, managing director of simulation company machineering, explains how digital twins ensure smooth operation and provide added value throughout the entire production process.

3D printers are showing great promise in building construction, printing prefabricated components that are then transported to the construction site. A research project at the Technical University of Liberec in the Czech Republic aims to create a mobile robot that can print buildings directly on site. The team is using B&R controls, drives, HMI and software solutions to control the ground-breaking robot's sophisticated print head.

In the interview, Luca Galluzzi explains how the challenges of flexible manufacturing are reshaping the automation industry – and how B&R feels about its leading role in that transformation.

For foods and pharmaceuticals sealed in airtight packaging, leak testing is a critical step in the production process. Oxipack's new inspection unit, The Rotary, detects microscopic leaks without harming the product. Through close cooperation with machine builder Geurtsen and the control experts at B&R, the Dutch specialist's solution is efficient enough to test every item passing through the line.

An economical approach to modernization is retrofitting. Twenty years ago, Dieter Burri went into business retrofitting machine tools. To automate his machines, he relies on B&R's portfolio of scalable hardware and software.