Uhlmann Pac-Systeme has received the Allianz Industrie 4.0 Award for its AI-based assistance system, Uhlmann SmartAssist, which supports the company’s employees in setting up complex, customer-specific packaging machines.

The award recognises industrial companies in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, that are advancing digital transformation and implementing digital solutions.

Explaining the advantages of using the technology, Dr. Mario Rometsch, Team Leader Analytics & AI at Uhlmann Pac-Systeme, said, "Uhlmann SmartAssist digitises experiential knowledge and transfers it directly to the machine. This allows us to preserve expertise during ongoing operations and is expected to reduce processing time in final assembly by up to 20 percent. We are currently able to calculate over 70 percent of the final parameterisation before the machine even enters final assembly."

Before a new machine is delivered, technicians must fine-tune up to 500 parameters to match customer requirements. SmartAssist, a browser-based app, retrieves data from the machine and sends parameter suggestions to it. Operating in the Google Cloud environment, it integrates seamlessly into the technicians' workflows.

Technicians can send master data—such as product details and foil type—directly to the machine and monitor all information live within the app, including the new parameters calculated and suggested by SmartAssist after a test run. The automated data transfer reduces the risk of errors associated with manual entry, making the entire process more robust. As new values are constantly being added to the app's database, the app continuously learns.

Automated processes systematically integrate practical knowledge from the machine setups, making it available to all assembly teams.

“The high degree of innovation of the SmartAssist AI solution and its market relevance for industrial companies were decisive factors in winning the Allianz Industry 4.0 Award,” Uhlmann Pac-Systeme company noted.

Part of the Uhlmann Group, Uhlmann Pac-Systeme builds machines that pharmaceutical companies worldwide use to package pharmaceuticals in blisters, trays, bottles or folding cartons.