Major Elements for Food Packaging Machinery Development

Information Summary
With the expansion of domestic demand for packaged food and the growth of export demand, there is a strong market need for the development of food packaging machinery. At present, a variety of food packaging machinery with robust market demand are in urgent need of research and development.
Against the trend of industrial automation, experts propose that the technical development of packaging machinery should focus on the following aspects: standardized structural design, high-precision power control, intelligent production management, and diversified production functions.
Complete filling equipment for beer and beverages. Currently, there are nearly 1,000 major breweries and more than 2,000 beverage factories nationwide. Experts suggest that for complete beer filling machinery and equipment, priority should be given to the R&D of medium-sized production lines with an annual output of 50,000 tons, and large-scale equipment with an annual output of over 100,000 tons shall be developed in a moderate manner.
High-speed, low-loss, high-precision metering, automatic detection and other multi-functional fully automated equipment enjoy promising market prospects.

Food Packaging Machinery with Strong R&D Demands
With the expansion of domestic demand for packaged food and rising export needs, a number of food packaging machinery products with booming market demand are in urgent need of research and development.
Against the backdrop of industrial automation trends, experts suggest that the technological development of packaging machinery should adhere to the following principles: standardized structural design, high-precision motion control, intelligent production control, and diversified production functions.

Complete Beer & Beverage Filling Equipment
At present, there are nearly 1,000 major breweries and over 2,000 beverage manufacturers nationwide. Experts point out that for complete beer filling machinery and equipment, priority R&D should be placed on medium-sized units with an annual output of 50,000 tons, while large-scale equipment with an annual output of over 100,000 tons shall be developed moderately.
Multi-functional and fully automated equipment featuring high speed, low consumption, precise metering and automatic detection boasts promising prospects.
Beverage machinery shall adapt to the development trend of centralized base material production and decentralized beverage filling, and develop technologies and equipment for on-site blending of beer and beverages.
In terms of food packaging machinery, its design and R&D sectors can achieve rapid upgrading on the existing foundation. Standardized design effectively facilitates machinery upgrading. Meanwhile, with high-precision control systems widely applied in motion control and intelligent control becoming the mainstream technological trend, the production capacity and operational efficiency of packaging machinery will be greatly improved.
Improving the Technological Content of Products
It is essential to realize mechatronics and intelligent upgrading, advance product digitalization, introduce new technologies, and accelerate enterprise ISO9000 certification.
Since China’s accession to the WTO, the external business environment for domestic enterprises has been further optimized, driving steady growth in the export of food and packaging machinery.
If domestic equipment can achieve substantial improvements in technical performance, stability and reliability, a considerable market will emerge as joint ventures and foreign-invested enterprises turn to domestic equipment procurement.
However, China still has gaps in core technologies, leaving high-end technology-intensive products and large complete sets of equipment largely undeveloped and reliant on imports. Imported equipment not only delivers new methods for food processing, packaging and consumption, but also brings advanced management models and innovative concepts.
Only by facing challenges actively, breaking technical bottlenecks, enhancing independent product development capabilities and building core innovation strengths can the domestic industry catch up with international advanced standards.
With the in-depth development of agricultural industrialization and structural adjustment of the food industry, the adoption of large-scale and high-tech complete equipment has become an irresistible trend. Domestic manufacturers will lose market share if they fail to meet market demands in a timely manner.
Imported equipment is usually expensive, mainly purchased by large food packaging enterprises and foreign-invested companies. Currently, most imported equipment enjoys duty-free policies in China. Even with dumping pricing, foreign equipment remains far more costly than domestic alternatives. Domestic equipment of equivalent performance possesses distinct price advantages.
Complete Production & Packaging Equipment for Convenience Food
The demand for processed convenience food and supporting production lines represented by instant noodles, congee, frozen dumplings and steamed buns is growing continuously.
Domestic market surveys show that consumers prefer nutritious, high-grade and great-tasting convenience food.
Processing equipment for traditional food, as well as food processing machinery for the elderly and infants, also enjoys broad market prospects and shall be a key R&D focus for relevant manufacturers.
Large-scale Operation & Conglomerate Development
China has approximately 8,000 manufacturers engaged in food and food packaging machinery, among which only 3,000 are above designated size.
The top 50 key enterprises in the industry only account for 40% of the total production concentration.
Based on research on China’s market in the next decade and comparison with developed economies, experts predict that the production concentration of the top 50 enterprises will reach 50%–60% by 2005.
The industry will continue to move toward large-scale and conglomerate development to gain economies of scale.
For small and medium-sized enterprises with insufficient capital and technological strength, blind introduction of full production lines is not recommended. Instead, they can transform into spare parts suppliers for large machinery enterprises.
Slaughtering, Meat Processing & Food Packaging Machinery
Key R&D directions include poultry and livestock slaughtering equipment, meat processing machinery, intensive meat deep processing units and separate packaging equipment.
In particular, hypermarkets in large and medium-sized cities have an urgent need for packaged meat products, creating strong market demand for supporting packaging machinery.
In recent years, integrated breeding and slaughtering industries have boomed in urban and rural areas.
There is an urgent market demand for improved medium and small-sized slaughtering and packaging equipment for poultry and livestock, newly purchased large-scale slaughtering lines, as well as segmented cutting and processing equipment, dedicated packaging machinery, and intensive processing units for ham, sausages and other meat products, presenting broad market potential.
Deep Processing & Packaging Market for Grain and Edible Oil
Demand for grain and edible oil processing and packaging products is expected to maintain a strong growth rate in the new century.
Meanwhile, small and medium-sized packaged grain products are widely popular with huge market demand.
Therefore, the R&D of serialized packaging equipment applicable to diverse material states and packaging specifications has broad development prospects.

Fruit & Vegetable Processing and Fresh-keeping Equipment
Future market demand covers:
grading equipment for fruits and vegetables, high-efficiency juicing units, energy-saving concentration equipment, processing lines for cleaned and sorted bagged fresh fruits and vegetables, quick-frozen and dehydrated vegetable production machinery,
as well as processing equipment that greatly reduces raw material loss of fruits, vegetables, grain, meat, fish, eggs and other food products.
It also includes practical fresh-keeping and storage equipment adopting modified atmosphere preservation, Co60 radiation, fluidized bed and other advanced technologies.