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packaging machine
Packaging Industry

Sensor technology from Pepperl+Fuchs plays a crucial role in the reliable automation of packaging processes, ensuring quality control, traceability, sustainability, food safety, and cost efficiency.

Sensor Solutions for the Packaging Industry

  • Comprehensive Portfolio

    Whether filling, capping and closing, handling and sterilization, or labeling and coding: Our sensor technology enables smooth processes in a wide range of packaging applications.

  • Tailor-Made Solutions

    Be it in the pharmaceutical, cosmetics, food, or consumer goods industries—the requirements for packaging machines are as diverse as the products themselves. Pepperl+Fuchs is constantly developing new solutions precisely tailored to the needs of our customers.

  • An Experienced Market Leader

    With 80 years of experience in industrial automation, Pepperl+Fuchs has successfully solved a diverse range of applications and is continuosly developing new technologies to make your processes more reliable and efficient.

  • IIoT Solutions

    Your success is important to us: Create secure and efficient processes and make your plant ready for IIoT networks with intelligent sensor technology from Pepperl+Fuchs.

a packaging machine

Find the Right Solution for your Application

From primary packaging to robotics and end-of-line, Pepperl+Fuchs offers a broad portfolio of sensors for packaging applications. Find the right solution to monitor your machines, ensure product quality, and avoid downtime!

Primary Packaging
Filling, Capping and Closing
Flexibles and Trays
Handling and Quality Control
Labeling and Coding
Robotics and End-of-Line
Systems and Integration

Primary Packaging

Pepperl+Fuchs ultrasonic sensors reliably measure the roll diameter in a primary packaging machine and detect web breaks in difficult transparent materials.

Continuous Material Flow in Packaging Machines

In the primary packaging of chocolates and other goods, the materials are continuously fed from rolls and guided through numerous rollers. The ultra-compact UC-F77 ultrasonic sensor reliably measures the roll diameter and detects web breaks, even with difficult materials such as transparent film.

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Vibration sensor VIM3 from Pepperl+Fuchs

Vibration Monitoring for Predictive Maintenance

Placing primary products into packaging is the most critical part of the packaging process since machine downtimes can cause significant losses in product quantity and quality. The VIM3 vibration sensor, which comes with an optional IO-Link interface, makes it possible to efficiently monitor the condition of machine components.

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Filling, Capping and Closing

A bottling plant equipped with a photoelectric sensor R201 series that detects caps in cap feeding.

Monitoring of Cap Feeding in High-Output Bottling Plants

In high-output bottling plants, the cap infeed must be continuously monitored. For this task, the R201 series diffuse mode sensors offer maximum precision at close range. They reliably detect even the smallest infeed errors, such as misaligned or damaged bottle caps.

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An R201 photoelectric sensor that reliably detects transparent bottles in a bottling plant.

Detection of Transparent Bottles on Conveyor Belts

Whether clear glass or PET—bottle materials can present a challenge for the sensor technology used. The R201 series retroreflective sensors are the ideal solution for monitoring transparent bottles under dynamic process conditions. Aligned with a reflector located behind the bottle flow, the sensor detects each bottle with absolute accuracy.

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An R201 retroreflective sensor with polarization filter reliably detects a transparent foil.

Reliable Detection of Transparent PET Film

When bundling individual bottles with heat-shrinkable PET film, the technical challenge is to ensure uninterrupted feeding of the film into the shrink unit. For this purpose, Pepperl+Fuchs offers a sensor system consisting of an R201 series retroreflective sensor and a reflector with integrated polarization filter. This allows transparent and reflective objects to be reliably detected.

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Flexibles and Trays

A Pepperl+Fuchs vision sensor SmartRunner Matcher detects trays in ready-meal production.

Exact Food Tray Positioning

Food trays need to be correctly positioned to ensure that the individual compartments are filled with the right components. The SmartRunner Matcher offers the ideal solution for this application: Mounted above the conveyor system, the laser profile sensor compares the tray’s height profile with a previously stored reference profile.

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An overview of IO-Link devices from Pepperl+Fuchs

Configuration during Operation for Easy Recipe Changes

When different products are packaged on one production line, the machines often need to be retrofitted. Pepperl+Fuchs offers a complete portfolio of IO-Link infrastructure and sensor technology, allowing sensors and actuators to be configured during operation. In this way, costly plant downtimes are avoided.

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raspberries in food processing industry plant

Hygienic Connectiion Technology for the Food Industry

Hygienic safety is a top priority in food packaging. In this environment, not only sensors and actuators, but also the associated connection technology must withstand aggressive cleaning processes. The M8 and M12 connectors in hygienic design meet the requirements of both the product contact and the splash zones.

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Handling and Quality Control

SmartRunner Explorer laser profile sensor detects the exact height profiles of objects of different sizes on a conveyor belt.

Precise Object Measurement in Picking Systems

In automated picking systems, packaging dimensions must be determined precisely to ensure optimum utilization of the available storage space. The high-resolution SmartRunner Explorer laser profile sensor detects the exact height profiles of objects of different sizes. Its compact design enables installation in the tightest of spaces.

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Pepperl+Fuchs R10x photoelectric distance sensors detect smallest deviations from packaging.

Reliable Quality Control on Automated Conveyor Systems

On automated conveyor systems transporting products to the next processing station, incorrectly positioned objects need to be identified and sorted out. With their extremely precise light spot, the R10x distance sensors detect even the smallest deviations, making them the ideal solution for quality control.

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Pepperl+Fuchs ultrasonic double sheet sensors reliably detect multilayer material in packaging plant.

Smart Quality Control for Multilayered Products

For multilayer materials, such as those required for sterile packaging, ultrasonic sensors from Pepperl+Fuchs ensure reliable double sheet detection. The IO-Link interface allows simple commissioning and access to diagnostic and process data—unlocking new potential for condition monitoring and predictive maintenance.

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Labeling and Coding

Vision sensor VOS Ident from Pepperl+Fuchs

Multi-Code Reading for Serialization Tasks

From primary packaging to end-of-line, tracking products is essential to guarantee quality and safety. The VOS Ident vision sensor is ideally suited for this task: It reads up to 64 1-D or 2-D codes simultaneously—ensuring fast and reliable operation, for example when tracking serialized lots.

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A 2-D code reader OPC120 vision sensor reliably detects 1-D and 2-D codes on packaging.

Reading 2-D Codes in High-Speed Applications

At various stages in the packaging process, code readers are used for identification tasks. The OPC120 stationary reader reliably reads 1-D or 2-D codes on product packaging—at high speeds of up to 10 m/s, even with highly reflective or curved surfaces.

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DeviceMaster serial gateways from Pepperl+Fuchs

Easy Integration of Serial Devices into Ethernet Networks

Serial barcode scanners, which are often used in packaging processes, require efficient network integration solutions. The DeviceMaster® serial gateways enable easy integration into Ethernet-based fieldbus systems such as PROFINET or EtherNet/IP.

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Robotics and End-of-Line

SmartRunner Detector vision sensor from Pepperl+Fuchs

Quality-Assured Removal Control for Packing Stations

At packing and picking stations, individual products are removed from transport boxes and packed into shipping packages. The SmartRunner Detector laser profile sensor indicates the product to be removed by a light spot and reliably detects the employee’s intervention. This ensures that the correct products are picked for packaging.

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The Pepperl+Fuchs R100 switching sensor with measurement core controls the operation of suction grippers that remove items from transport containers.

Detecting Different Stacking Heights with Only One Sensor

The R100 switching sensor with measurement core is the ideal solution for controlling the operation of suction grippers that remove items from transport containers. By configuring two switch points, the sensor is able to detect two different stacking points—when the second-to-last item has been unloaded and when the container is completely empty.

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Pepperl+Fuchs sensor solution for pallet detection on conveyor lines

Flexible Pallet Detection on Conveyor Lines

Whether Euro pallets or special pallets made of plastic—Pepperl+Fuchs offers a sensor solution that detects different types of pallets on conveyor lines. The Pallet Detector consists of an application-specific sensor bracket that can be combined with a photoelectric or an ultrasonic sensor, depending on the pallet type.

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Incremental rotary encoder ENI58IL

Monitoring the Movement of Stacker Robots

Stacker robots are used to pick up packages and place them on pallets. In this process, incremental rotary encoders from the new Pure-Line Series monitor the movement of the robot as well as the position of the robot arm.

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Systems and Integration

ultrasonic sensors F77 with IO-Link installed in a packaging machine

Seamless Communication from the Sensor to the Cloud

In modern packaging machines, the sensors often have IO-Link interfaces for transmitting various diagnostic data. In order to enable seamless communication between IO-Link devices and higher-level control systems, Pepperl+Fuchs offers IO-Link masters with OPC UA.

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VOC industrial event camera from Pepperl+Fuchs

Video Feedback for Monitoring Processes in Real Time

Many packaging machines, for example cartoners, run at high speed around the clock. To immediately detect faults such as carton jams, the VOC industrial event camera provides real-time video feedback. The camera allows event-driven video recording up to 60 seconds before and after a trigger signal. In this way, it enables simple and targeted remote diagnostics.

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RFID read/write device IPH-F61 from Pepperl+Fuchs

Decentralized Control of Containers in Conveyor Systems

RFID technology makes it possible to efficiently control containers in conveyor systems. RFID tags in the containers integrate all the required information. In combination with compact RFID read/write devices mounted on the conveyor system, the next process step and the best conveyor route can be determined.

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Contact Us

Do you have any questions on our sensor solutions for the packaging industry?
We will be happy to help you! Simply send us a message or make an appointment with one of our experts to get more information on the products that you are interested in.