How GREIF-VELOX CONNECT 2026 Addresses Current Market Challenges
The GREIF-VELOX CONNECT 2026 in Lübeck showed how the bulk solids and liquid filling industry is tackling economic pressures through connected thinking, modular technologies, and flexible new business models.
Live Retrofits: Smart Upgrades, Not Full Replacements
Unlike traditional trade fairs, this event emphasized proximity to real-world applications. Visitors experienced machines directly in production, including ongoing retrofit projects like the BVP pneumatic packer. Upgraded with automatic bag feeding and ValvoCare sealing, these modular solutions integrate into existing third-party equipment, enabling step-by-step modernization instead of costly full replacements.
Essential Line: Shrinking Delivery Times by Months
A central topic was the Essential Line, a standardized machine concept designed to address economic pressures. By offering preconfigured solutions that cover roughly 80% of typical applications, it significantly reduces engineering effort. This slashes delivery times from several months down to just four weeks, delivering vital speed and investment security.
Pay-per-Use: Shifting Capex to Scalable Opex
Together with partners like CHG-MERIDIAN, GREIF-VELOX demonstrated Packaging as a Service (PaaS). At the center is a pay-per-use model where costs link directly to production output. This eliminates high upfront investments, optimizes balance sheets, and provides flexible cost structures that easily adapt to fluctuating market demands.
AI and Data: Driving Day-to-Day Process Optimization
Artificial intelligence was showcased through concrete, practical applications rather than abstract concepts. The event highlighted data-driven process optimization, OEE monitoring, and predictive maintenance. Backed by remote monitoring and AR-supported maintenance, these digital tools are no longer future visions but active parts of day-to-day factory operations.
Conclusion: Concrete, Implementable Industry Solutions
GREIF-VELOX CONNECT 2026 proved that the industry is looking for immediate solutions over broad visions. Efficiency today is driven by three clear trends: modularization over total replacement, flexible financing, and data-driven optimization. Following this year’s success, the event is already confirmed to return in 2027.
