Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the packaging industry with new design approaches and next-generation technologies that make compliance easy.
More manufacturers and businesses are adopting AI to innovate their processes and deliver better products. Staying competitive today relies on taking advantage of AI’s benefits.
At the same time, AI will also make it easier for companies to meet packaging compliance requirements.
Next-Gen Tamper-Proof Packaging
One of the most helpful applications for AI in this industry is tamper-proof packaging. It’s crucial for health and safety compliance in some markets.
AI is excellent at optimizing things, so it can analyze packaging designs in design software. It can pinpoint design elements that could be edited to improve tamper-resistant features.
Additionally, AI-powered devices can be attached to packaging or even integrated into the material to improve product safety. For example, they could detect when a package has been tampered with, stolen, or dropped.
Improved Packaging Sustainability
Sustainability has become extremely important to many consumers, and while it may not be part of official compliance requirements yet, it likely will be soon.
This trend can be seen in the popularity of recycled packaging and consumers trying to reduce waste from things like Amazon orders. Luckily, AI can help packaging companies improve their carbon footprint.
AI can streamline operations to reduce waste on the assembly line, especially when robotics is used to automate packaging production. It can also design packaging that fits the needs of a product without wasting materials.
AI is even helping companies develop new designs and manufacturing processes for green packaging alternatives.
Needs-First Packaging Design
Industry leaders point out that one of the most important foundations of packaging is creating designs that fit a product’s unique needs. The popularity of unboxing videos online means customers notice packaging more than ever before.
Creating something tailored to a certain audience is just as crucial as making boxes that meet compliance requirements. AI can help with this. Tools like generative design allow AI to create original, fine-tuned packaging designs optimized specifically for a product’s needs.
Designers simply input the basic specs of the product and any packaging requirements, and AI can use these details to generate the most efficient solution that checks all the boxes. This is a great way to ensure designs meet certain compliance requirements because the AI can also take those into account.
Improved Quality Control
Consistent and reliable packaging quality is an important aspect of meeting packaging compliance requirements. For one, failing to meet manufacturing and packaging regulatory standards can result in hefty fines. Quality control is crucial for customer satisfaction, as well.
For example, if tamper-proof packaging for a prescription drug is not being manufactured consistently, it could endanger customers and fail quality and safety requirements. AI can help companies ensure they are delivering compliant, high-quality packaging consistently.
A great way of doing this is by installing an AI-powered camera and sensor setup at the end of the assembly line. A piece of packaging will pass through the AI quality control checkpoint once it’s been produced and assembled. The AI camera can rapidly scan products and use computer vision to identify defective units.
Meeting Label Requirements
Some of the most important packaging compliance requirements have to do with specific label features. For example, the U.S. has several regulations, such as the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act, that dictate essential information that must be included on packaging for consumer products.
Companies that fail to comply with these requirements could end up in legal trouble. Using AI in the design process can help ensure this doesn’t happen.
It’s important to make sure necessary information is included on packaging, but designers also want to ensure the overall design is visually appealing. AI can generate ideas that meet these goals, offering inspiration for designers. It can also help collect and verify information that needs to be on packaging to meet compliance.
Advancing Packaging With AI
The future of the packaging industry is going to be built on AI. It’s streamlining operations and production for packaging companies worldwide already.
Businesses can take advantage of the tools AI offers to deliver high-quality, visually stunning packaging that meets key compliance requirements without compromising productivity or efficiency.