Data from the packing line: Know what you ship before you automate

In a nutshell: Every packing line produces data, but many companies handle it too loosely. Torben Schultze from Ranpak sees this every day: often, the dimensions of the items being shipped are missing entirely. In the Webinar he explains which data really matters, why two weeks of order data is not enough, and how void space can be measured in practice. He makes one thing clear: void fill does not turn empty space into a PPWR-compliant carton. The 50 percent void space limit applies from 2030, and automation projects can easily take four years. That is why he advises starting now and viewing the PPWR as an opportunity.

What data does a packing line generate, and what do I really need to extract from it?

Torben: What I see every day is that this data is simply handled too loosely, especially in non-automated warehouses. Many companies are caught up in their daily work rhythm while simultaneously growing rapidly, in e-commerce as well as in other sectors with online shipping. And when you are growing and making money, you do not look too closely.

Let us start with item data. I do not mean item descriptions or item numbers, but actual geometric data: How long, wide, and tall is the product I am shipping? That information is often simply not available. Everything that follows, whether processes or guidelines, will sooner or later need it as a foundation.

Then there is real order data: Which items end up together in one carton, in one order? This data should cover at least three months. Some customers come to me having looked at just 14 days. That is often not enough, because there are peaks and a low season.

Critical combinations also matter. A glass together with a hammer is a silly example, but that is exactly what I need to know. Do I need a cushioning system for that or not? And do I ship a split order in two cartons or together in one? Do I ship mostly singles or mostly multiples? I really need to be clear about what I am actually shipping.

The packing line is supposed to handle 600 parcels per hour, but only 400 come out. Where do I look?

Torben: That does not have to be caused by item data. It could be the packaging, for example. Imagine a manual packer who has 15 different carton sizes in front of them and spends time selecting the right one.

Every step has a time window: selecting a carton, erecting it manually, placing the goods inside, cushioning or filling void space if needed. Without an optimized packaging solution, paper or bubble wrap is often just stuffed in without much thought. Then the carton still has to be sealed and labeled. If only 400 cartons come out instead of 600, I should look at each workstation individually.

There are also differences between packing stations. Do I have a general problem or just a quality problem at one specific station? If one packer needs ten seconds for a step and another needs only five, I have to ask: What is the first packer doing differently? I come from the automotive industry and always say: every packer is only as good as the guidelines they are given.

With an automated packaging machine, the first question is about technology. Do I build a carton first, or do I wrap the carton around the products at the end? What matters here is not just the CapEx component, but also the consumables. Box First has a fundamental disadvantage: the carton for a specific order is created in an area that is not directly connected to the pick station. It needs to arrive there at exactly the right moment. That can slow down the process and even block a Goods-to-Person system. You can then buy as much packaging automation as you like, but it still will not be efficient.

How is void space measured in practice?

Torben: First, it is very important to understand what the PPWR means by void space: the volume of the carton minus the items. I cannot simply put paper or airbags inside, fill it up, and consider myself compliant with the regulation. That does not work. Void space remains void space.

In theory, I can measure it using the shipping volume of the cartons minus the order volume. That is possible even with a simple spreadsheet. Anyone who does not yet know their data at all can also place a vision camera on the packing line and measure void space over a certain period. The technology is relatively mature and works even without master data. Ideally you use both approaches, also because exceptions such as the classic towel can be captured in the master data.

The camera can also remain permanently on the packing line as a control mechanism. That way I learn from how I pack. Take a phone inside a carton: there is void space beside it and above it. The space above can be reduced by a right-sizing packaging machine, but the space beside it cannot. If the camera measures, for example, 50 percent void space, I can divert the carton to a rework line. There it is repackaged instead of being immediately sealed and shipped.

Whether every parcel needs to be measured or whether sampling is sufficient is still open. Based on the information available to us, it is about sampling and a documentation requirement. The critical point comes during audits: What is audited, and what do I need to prove? For exceptions such as fragile items, liquids, or void space measurement in mailer bags, the EU will, to the best of my knowledge, provide concrete specifications in 2028.

A paper bag is ideal when I have small items. Plastic bags are viewed critically by the EU. I fundamentally need to move away from plastic toward paper. However, paper is weather-sensitive and offers little product protection. For a single item, the void space in the bag is essentially zero for my purposes. It gets complicated when multiple items are inside.

That is why I can only urge everyone: collect data, not just because of the PPWR, but in general. Growth will eventually show you that you need to handle data better.

I am starting today. Where do I begin, and what is the most common mistake?

Torben: Look at everything, because everything is interconnected. Last week I saw a post from a customer who had very quickly purchased a packaging machine from us. He had not properly examined the pick process and its impact on volume. Six months later he wrote: buying only a great packaging machine achieves nothing if I do not look at the entire system.

Every packaging machine is integrated into an overall system. Anyone planning a Goods-to-Person system like Autostore without immediately thinking about the impact on packaging has not thought far enough ahead. The same applies in reverse for the Vendors of such systems. Behind the largest Autostore in the world, which I like to use as an example, stand 250 people packing manually. That essentially undermines your entire TCO at the end of the packing line.

The PPWR simply brings this topic into sharper focus. Anyone growing in shipping will sooner or later reach the point of no longer being efficient regardless. Germany is a high-wage country. What is new is that smaller companies now also have to deal with this, companies that say: We only ship 500 to 1,000 parcels, so we will do nothing for now. Limiting void space to 50 percent is not achievable with a manual process and 15 carton sizes.

Many people think 2030 is still years away. But the conception, implementation, budget planning, and financing of an automation project can easily take four years. The classic mistake is therefore to wait: we only ship 1,000 cartons, we will tackle that next year. The second mistake is to automate only one area, for example installing an Autostore and looking at the rest later. I see the PPWR as an opportunity and not a