KOLBUS projects the next wave of corrugated automation based on the workforce of 2040
Robert Zehnpfennig from KOLBUS warns that corrugated plants must design their automation strategies for the shrinking labor pool of the next 15 years.
The human bottleneck in corrugated manufacturing
The next major bottleneck in corrugated board manufacturing may not be the speed of the machine, but the availability of the people running it. As the industry navigates 2026, Robert Zehnpfennig, Regional Sales Manager at KOLBUS GmbH & Co. KG, is shifting the automation debate from immediate throughput to long-term demographic survival.
Planning for the next 15 years
Industrial converting equipment is purchased to operate for decades. According to Zehnpfennig's analysis, designing a plant around the labor pool available today is a strategic misstep. Instead, corrugated packaging manufacturers must plan their capacity and automation investments based on the workforce that will be available in 10 to 15 years. With an aging population and fewer young technicians entering the manufacturing sector, the scarcity of skilled labor is becoming a structural reality rather than a temporary challenge.
The Latin American context and KOLBUS strategy
This demographic argument is particularly relevant for emerging markets. During recent industry discussions, including forums like LatamPaper Brasil, the focus has expanded from basic mechanization to intelligent systems that require minimal human intervention. KOLBUS is addressing this shift by developing rotary die cutters and casemakers that integrate advanced automation, intuitive interfaces, and robotic handling. The goal is to maintain high industrial productivity even as the operator pool shrinks.
KOLBUS is demonstrating profound market maturity by treating demographic data as a core engineering parameter, ensuring that today's capital investments remain viable in a labor-scarce future. Will your current corrugated plant layout still be operable when half of your senior technicians retire by 2035? 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
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