The strategy of mass customisation is being increasingly adopted as companies seek to exploit market trends for greater product variety and individualisation. The implications of changing to mass customisation practice are considerable, where traditional contradictions of high volume and extensive product variety have to be reconciled. The literature discusses the need for an integrated approach to mass customisation across all business functions if micro-segmentation of markets is to be profitably pursued, and the current paper investigates extending the paradigm of mass customisation into the hitherto poorly represented sector of food processing. Product design and manufacturing system design for mass customisation are reviewed and contrasted with good practice in more traditional mass customisation industries. Via a case study based on yoghurt production this paper particularly assesses manufacturing activity, describing issues specific to a typical food business which is considering reconfiguring itself into a mass customisation operation.

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The folding carton is a widely used packaging solution. Recent European Union packaging legislation has forced carton manufacturers to use lighter-weight grades of carton board. This typically results in a reduction in board stiffness, which can lead to decreased process efficacy or even prevent successful processing. In order to overcome this, end-users lower production rates and fine-tune packaging machine settings for each pack and material. This trial-and-error approach is necessary because the rules relating machine set-up to pack design and material properties are not generally well known. The present study addresses this fundamental issue through the creation of a finite-element computer simulation of carton processing. Mechanical testing was performed to ascertain the key mechanical properties of the carton walls and creases. The carton model was validated against the experimental results and was then subjected to the machine-material interactions that take place during complex packaging operations. The overall approach was validated and the simulation showed good agreement with the physical system. The results of the simulation can be used to determine guidelines relating machine set-up criteria to carton properties. This will improve responsiveness to change and will ultimately allow end-users to process thinner lighter-weight materials more effectively.

In response to recent European Union (EU) regulations on packaging waste, the packaging industry requires greater fundamental understanding of the machine-material interactions that take place during packaging operations. Such an understanding is necessary to handle thinner lighter-weight materials, specify the material properties required for successful processing and design right-first-time machinery. The folding carton industry, in particular, has been affected by the new legislation and needs to realize the potential of computational tools for simulating the behaviour of packaging materials and generating the necessary understanding. This paper describes the creation and validation of a detailed finite element model of a carton during a common packaging operation. The model is applied here to address the problem of carton buckling. The carton was modelled using a linear elastic material definition with non-linear crease behaviour. Air inrush suction, which is believed to cause buckling, was quantified experimentally and incorporated using contact damping interactions. The results of the simulation are validated against high-speed video of carton production. The model successfully predicts the pattern of deformation of the carton during buckling and its increasing magnitude with production rate. The model can be applied to study the effects of variation in material properties, pack properties and machine settings. Such studies will improve responsiveness to change and will ultimately allow end-users to use thinner, lighter-weight materials in accordance with the EU regulations.

The production of packaging machinery is a highly competitive global market driven by the ever-increasing demands of customers and legislation. The fundamental design principles of many packaging machines are the result of incremental improvements made over the last few decades. This paper looks at the underlying theory for forming shoulders and, starting with previously published results, determines the performance envelope relating to certain critical parameters. The findings are discussed in the light of their relevance for the creation of new designs.