Digital Twin for Industrial Packaging Systems. Driving Predictive Efficiency and Smart Factory Transformation

Transforming Packaging Manufacturing Through Data-Driven Digital Twins

The client, a major European producer of packaging machinery for the food, beverage and personal care sectors, operated a network of advanced plants built around complex mechatronic systems and highly variable production cycles.

Growing demand for product personalisation, shorter batch runs and higher line speeds was creating a surge in micro-stoppages, line imbalance and reduced Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE).The executive board sought a solution that could connect simulation, production and maintenance within a unified digital ecosystem — one capable of reducing waste, increasing availability and enabling predictive performance management.

How Uniquon’s Digital Twin Platform Enhances Performance and Predictive Maintenance

Uniquon provided an operational Digital Twin that replicates the real-time behaviour of the client’s packaging lines — from drives and actuators to conveyors and filling units — by integrating data from sensors, PLCs and supervisory control systems.

The initiative was structured around three pillars of value:

1. Dynamic Line Simulation

   The Digital Twin models the entire line — from filling to sealing and final packaging — enabling virtual validation of synchronisation, flow accumulation and potential bottlenecks before live execution.

2. Predictive Optimisation

   Uniquon’s AI algorithms analyse vibration, load and cycle-time data to predict mechanical drift, anticipate failures and suggest corrective actions autonomously.

   Maintenance becomes data-driven, transforming downtime prevention into a continuous optimisation process.

3. Digital Environment for Training and Validation

   Operators can train within a realistic virtual environment, while process engineers test software changes or new packaging formats without interrupting production.

   
   

Measurable Impact: Increased Uptime, Reduced Setup Times, and Lower Material Waste 

Within nine months of operation, the project delivered measurable impact:

• +22% increase in line availability through predictive maintenance and faster changeovers.

• 30% reduction in setup time for new products and format changes.

• 15% decrease in material waste thanks to precise calibration of sealing and dosing parameters.

• 20% faster time-to-market for new production lines validated virtually before installation.

Beyond these operational gains, the client achieved centralised visibility of all production assets, with live benchmarking across multiple global sites.

From Smart Factory Vision to Sustainable Manufacturing Reality

For senior leadership, the Digital Twin has become a cornerstone of the company’s sustainable industrial transformation.The initiative unified digital models, production data and efficiency metrics into a single, trusted environment — enabling decisions that are both faster and better informed.

This programme forms part of a wider three-year roadmap towards the “Unified Smart Factory”, in which every physical line is mirrored by a continuously learning digital counterpart.The project reached full ROI in under 14 months, primarily through reduced downtime and improved process standardisation.

Uniquon as a Strategic Partner in Industrial Digital Transformation

Uniquon acted as an end-to-end transformation partner, integrating physical simulation, artificial intelligence and predictive analytics into a single scalable architecture.

Its distinctive approach focused on building an evolving digital platform — one that learns from data, adapts to future plant configurations and continuously enhances operational performance. Today, the initiative stands as a European benchmark for Digital Twin adoption in industrial packaging, paving the way for future developments in smart service models and remote optimisation.