As the automotive industry steps into the future, a greener approach to its value chain, and the integration of more automation and new technologies in the production plants and warehouses, packaging plays a more important role in the overall supply chain strategy.
At the same time, in the whirlwind of the current economic context, cost optimization is a focus for automotive manufacturers with an inherent significant impact on the packaging industry, says Adrian Botos, Cluster Sales Marketing & Innovation Manager Romania at DS Smith.
Talking to Automotive Tomorrow about the challenges that the automotive industry is facing, trends, and how they are impacting the packaging industry, he said:
“Among the burning challenges are our customers’ issues in their supply chains, which can impact project timelines, development times, the start of production, etc., and the packaging segment.
Then, diving into specifics, I would mention the challenges given by the electrification journey. Automotive companies, whether they are OEMs or going further up the chain to component manufacturers, arefocused on the shift to electric vehicles.
Another challenge is the focus on automation in factories, and I can say I am pleased with the progress I am seeing in the factories in Romania. We have a lot of packaging transformation due to technical improvements in factories, and this shows their openness to new solutions and their professionalism on the local market.”
Roxana Gîta, Cluster Sales Manager at DS Smith, adds that meeting stringent sustainability targets poses a significant challenge for the industry. The increasing focus on sustainability puts pressure on the purchasing department and technical teams, hindering processes due to the difficulty of transitioning to sustainable packaging that meets these targets.
In Romania, DS Smith, a leading provider of sustainable packaging solutions, paper products and recycling services worldwide, has a wide footprint, being represented by three divisions: the paper factory in Zărnești is responsible for manufacturing paper from recycled materials, a recycling division and the packaging divisions with two factories in Timișoara and Ghimbav and three service centres in Timișoara, Pitești and Buftea. DS Smith is well-positioned to conduct circular economy projects suited to customers’ requirements.
Innovation – the key term ahead
Looking ahead, Adrian emphasizes the importance of innovation in technological advancement, research and development in materials, quality testing, and certifications when discussing the transformation of the automotive sector and how DS Smith, as a top packaging solution provider, can achieve success.
“When referring to innovation, it is important to mention the new connectivity elements that can go into the design of packaging, for example, integrating smart packaging features that facilitate moving the product from one logistical stage to another and beyond. It is incredible how much information can be stored in a code on a package.”
At the same time, the packaging solutions segment for the auto sector is influenced by European legislation initiatives, such as prioritizing reusable packaging, which means finding together with the customer options for maximizing packaging before the recycling stage.
In the race for innovation, DS Smith is leading the way. The company invested over £100m in R&D and innovation and led to the creation of a new breakthrough technologies hub in the UK, new materials development to replace plastics and a pilot to gauge G-force shock in home delivery packaging.
Also, in Romania, where DS Smith invested over €13 million in its Ghimbav production site, innovation was a focal point, the investment being directed towards new technologies and offering customers new capabilities and supporting them to reach their environmental targets.
The circular economy is top of mind when it comes to innovations and new products, which are designed to eliminate waste and pollution and circulate products and materials.
Packaging solutions tailored around the customer
Roxana Gîta highlights DS Smith’s expertise in designing packaging solutions from scratch, tailored around the product and customer requirements. She mentions using Circular Design Metrics, an award-winning tool that accurately assesses packaging sustainability.
DS Smith collaborates with experienced manufacturers and brands to address industry challenges, offering solutions for complex components such as engines or other components that are considered problematic in terms of quality, shape, size, or mass.
“Innovation goes beyond packaging, as it has a powerful impact on logistics, storage, and transport. The right corrugated board, made to the parameters indicated by our tools, and the ingenious design can replace wood and even metal without problems. We also develop packaging solutions for car batteries, inserts that protect sensitive parts such as car dashboards from impact and scratching, and much more.”
For example, in the industrial sector, DS Smith developed a plastic-free packaging solution for a gas boiler for Bosch Home Comfort. The previous packaging required two EPS (polystyrene) elements, but DS Smith’s innovative solution eliminated 100,000 plastic components and saved 310 tons of CO2 emissions per year.
DS Smith’s main offerings in automotive packaging include customized solutions that protect and highlight the customer’s product and are suitable for various transportation methods. Their extensive team, both locally and internationally, stays updated with new trends, sharing knowledge and resources to serve local and global customers.
Roxana Gîta, Cluster Sales Manager DS Smith Romania
DS Smith, as a packaging solution provider for the automotive industry, is positioning itself as a customer-oriented partner with a very professional team with broad expertise and ready to take on a challenge when it comes to new packaging concepts. From a more pragmatic stance, a success criterion for us as a company is that we managed to replace problematic materials, such as plastics, with sustainable alternatives. In the automotive sector, we have seen good results in replacing polystyrene with sustainable inserts and backing materials, replacing wood, and eliminating shrink film from the packaging. Thanks to the revamped packaging process, this shift not only enhances sustainability but also CO2 emissions. Our team designs such packaging solutions around a certain product from scratch, according to the criteria and parameters requested by the customer.
Adrian Botos, Cluster Sales Marketing & Innovation Manager Romania DS Smith
What sets DS Smith apart on the market is its capacity to adapt and develop tailor-made solutions according to customer’s needs, whether this means packaging suitable for automated production lines, manual lines, or hybrid. At the same time, the team’s speed of reaction on which we prioritize is essential in this sector. We also emphasize optimizing packaging materials and performance through specialized software tools that can accurately calculate parameters, such as the exact use of the amount of material required. Communication with the customer at all stages of the project is key for us.
