As food and packaging manufacturers face mounting pressure to increase productivity while maintaining operational reliability, automation is becoming an increasingly important driver of competitiveness.
At Propak Cape 2026, taking place from 27 to 29 October in Cape Town, Interroll will demonstrate how smarter material-flow and conveying technologies can help manufacturers create more efficient, flexible and reliable production and packaging environments.
Interroll Managing Director Gavin Hall shared, “Automation is no longer simply about replacing manual processes. For food and packaging manufacturers, it is increasingly about creating production environments that can respond quickly to changing demands while maintaining throughput, reliability and efficiency. At Propak Cape, we want to demonstrate how intelligent conveying technologies can contribute to that bigger picture,” comments Hall.
Conveying technology built around efficiency
The showcase will include rollers, RollerDrive, drum motors, GLS and Modular Conveyor Platform (MCP), reflecting the company’s broad portfolio for packaging, food and logistics applications. These technologies support reliable product movement and integrated automation for high-throughput packaging lines.
“The ability to control material flow intelligently and efficiently is becoming increasingly important as manufacturers look for greater flexibility from their production lines. Technologies such as RollerDrive allow conveying to become a more integrated part of the overall automation strategy, rather than simply being treated as a means of moving products from A to B,” explains Hall.
From individual components to integrated automation
The wider trend towards connected and integrated automation is also changing the role of conveying technology. Rather than operating as isolated pieces of equipment, conveyors, drives, controls and other material-handling technologies increasingly form part of a coordinated production system.
“The future of material handling is increasingly connected. The opportunity is to combine proven conveying technologies with smarter automation to create systems that are not only faster, but more flexible, more efficient and easier to manage. Propak Cape provides an ideal platform for us to discuss what that means for manufacturers here in the region,” concludes Hall.
