Alfa Laval and Festo Target Efficiency Gains in Food Processing and Packaging
Thursday, October 15th, 2026
Food manufacturers looking to control operating costs may find opportunities in two parts of the production line: hygienic fluid handling and packaging automation.
Alfa Laval announced its MaxiLobe and MaxiLobe UltraPure rotary lobe pumps on 13 October, designed to improve volumetric efficiency, reduce shear stress and simplify maintenance in sanitary processing. The development is relevant to manufacturers handling pumpable products such as sauces, dairy ingredients and other liquid or semi-liquid foods, where equipment performance must be balanced against product quality and cleaning requirements.
Festo, meanwhile, used its PACK EXPO 2026 showcase to highlight automation solutions aimed at reducing engineering complexity for packaging machinery manufacturers. These include automatic format changes in washdown environments, flexible product handling and easier integration across control platforms.
Together, the developments raise a practical question for ASEAN factories: where can targeted equipment upgrades deliver the greatest productivity gains?
For processors, the opportunity is not necessarily to maximise line speed. Reducing cleaning and changeover time, product losses, maintenance interruptions and energy consumption can also improve overall equipment effectiveness. Manufacturers should assess these variables alongside capital expenditure when evaluating upgrades, particularly on lines handling multiple products or pack formats.
Both developments point to opportunities for ASEAN manufacturers to improve flexibility and operational efficiency. By optimising hygienic fluid handling and automation, plants can explore practical ways to streamline production, simplify changeovers and make better use of existing equipment, while identifying where targeted upgrades could deliver the greatest value.
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