ABB, Parason Team Up for Sustainable Packaging
ABB Ltd
ABB and Parason have partnered to automate and expand the production of sustainable and compostable packaging in India. Parason is a major supplier and manufacturer of paper and pulp machinery.
The partnership aims to assist Parason's clients in reducing their usage of single-use plastics and Styrofoam packaging, particularly in industries such as food catering, travel, and restaurants where molded fibre tableware products are frequently employed.
By integrating ABB robots with Parason's machinery, the production of agro-waste products will be streamlined, allowing for the creation of fully eco-friendly and compostable packaging solutions. ABB installed 10 robots in Parason's five forming machine cells initially and added another 20 robots by the end of last year.
Subrata Karmakar, Country President for Robotics & Discrete Automation Business at ABB India, said that India generates 3.5 million tonnes of plastic waste annually, posing multiple risks, which is why a country-wide ban on single-use plastic has been implemented.
He added that ABB's advanced robotic solutions, together with Parason's innovative manufacturing process that employs agro-waste, will be vital in combating climate change by adopting a 100% compostable substitute to plastics.
By using ABB robots instead of manual pick-and-place applications, Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) performance can increase by 30% and ergonomic risks for the workforce can be eliminated, improving health and safety. This shift has also allowed the workforce to take on more meaningful and rewarding tasks.
Madhure Desarda, Director of Operations at Parason Group, stated that ABB's automated solutions have enabled the creation of a low carbon environment and a cost-effective value chain from the 500 million tonnes of farm waste generated by India each year. He added that Parason plans to deploy 250 forming machine cells this year, capable of replacing 150 tonnes of single-use plastic daily.
ABB is using digital, AI and other innovative learning technologies to create smarter robotics, which in turn is helping businesses like Parason to operate more sustainably, flexibly, efficiently and resiliently across the globe.
Source: ABB India
