BOBST and BHS Corrugated bring digital converting roadshow to Salvador

The Latin American corrugated and folding carton sector continues to demand closer integration between equipment manufacturers and regional converters. On September 24, 2026, Salvador, Brazil, will host the latest stage of the Northeast Packaging Industry Roadshow. Organized by BOBST, the event brings together heavyweights including BHS Corrugated South America, Crown do Brasil, CITO-SYSTEM, and Intergrafica Print & Pack to address the operational realities of modern packaging production.

Targeting regional productivity gaps

The roadshow, which has already made strategic stops in Chile, Argentina, and Fortaleza, reflects a deliberate shift by major OEMs to engage directly with regional hubs rather than relying solely on massive global trade fairs. The Salvador session, running from 13:00 to 18:30 local time, is strictly focused on paperboard and corrugated board converting. The agenda targets the core pain points of today's plant managers: productivity, quality control, consistency, and the digitalization of the manufacturing process.

For the corrugated industry in 2026, the conversation has moved past raw machine speed. The current bottleneck lies in workflow connectivity and minimizing downtime between shorter, more complex runs. By bringing together BOBST's converting expertise and BHS Corrugated's dominance in corrugator line technology, the roadshow offers a holistic view of the plant floor, from the wet end of the corrugator to the final folded and glued box.

Digitalization as a standard, not a luxury

A central pillar of the Salvador event is the deployment of BOBST Connect. This cloud-based digital platform has become a critical tool for converters looking to link pre-press, production, and maintenance data into a single, actionable dashboard. In emerging and rapidly growing markets like the Brazilian Northeast, adopting such digital ecosystems is proving essential to offset skilled labor shortages and reduce waste.

• Workflow integration: Connecting corrugator output directly with die-cutting and folding-gluing lines.
• Tooling precision: Contributions from CITO-SYSTEM highlight the importance of advanced creasing and die-cutting components in maintaining high-speed consistency.
• Local support: The presence of Intergrafica Print & Pack and Crown do Brasil underscores the necessity of robust regional supply chains and technical service networks.

The strategic value of the Northeast

Brazil's Northeast region has seen steady industrial growth, driving local demand for high-quality retail and agricultural packaging. Converters in this area are increasingly investing in advanced folding carton and corrugated board technologies to meet the exacting standards of global FMCG brands operating locally. The joint presence of BOBST and BHS Corrugated signals a strong commitment to equipping these regional players with tier-one technology.

The transition from legacy equipment to highly automated, sensor-rich converting lines requires significant capital and operational shifts. Events like this roadshow serve as critical educational platforms, allowing plant owners to evaluate the ROI of digitalization in a localized context.

Taking advanced technology directly to regional manufacturing hubs is a highly effective strategy for OEMs, fostering deeper partnerships and accelerating the modernization of the global packaging supply chain. Will the aggressive push for cloud-connected machinery in regional markets finally close the efficiency gap between tier-one multinationals and independent local converters? Follow The Paper for daily news, market signals and key updates from the global paper, corrugated and packaging industry. — Sigue toda la actualidad del sector en www.thepaper.ai