GEA’s new Changeover Assist cuts waste during food packaging changeovers

GERMANY – GEA has launched Changeover Assist, a digital application providing step-by-step operator guidance for product and format changes on food packaging machines, designed to reduce errors, material waste and downtime.

The software, developed at GEA’s Biedenkopf-Wallau site in Germany, delivers recipe-specific instructions directly through the SmartControl human-machine interface.

Operators confirm each completed step, with the process documented for traceability. Production cannot restart until all mandatory changeover activities have been confirmed.

The tool is initially available for GEA PowerPak thermoformers and the GEA MaxiFormer drum former, with additional equipment including the GEA OptiSlicer planned for future rollout. 

Recipe-Based Guidance Tackles Operator Error and Knowledge Gaps

Product changeovers are among the most challenging stages in food production, complicated by high employee turnover, seasonal workforces and growing product variety. Errors such as selecting incorrect packaging materials or skipping individual steps can result in wasted product and materials, rework, quality issues and production interruptions. 

The application displays only instructions relevant to the specific product changeover, supports multiple languages and can be enhanced with images, videos and additional work instructions. 

Michel Theiss, Product Manager Digital Solutions at GEA, stated that with Changeover Assist, the company makes valuable machine and process knowledge available at all times, helping customers carry out changeovers safely and efficiently regardless of individual experience levels.

Cloud Integration and Centralised Knowledge Management

The solution connects to GEA’s cloud-based InsightPartner platform, allowing manufacturers to centrally manage, update and deploy changeover instructions across multiple production sites. 

This creates a digital knowledge base that can be shared across facilities and continuously updated as procedures evolve. 

A notification service and mobile app deliver real-time machine alerts to designated personnel. 

The application addresses the challenge of inconsistent changeovers that can result in poor seals, incorrect portions, product damage, wasted packaging and extended start-up periods.

The PowerPak 5000 thermoformer features tool-free changeovers and software-based guidance to simplify operations and reduce setup-related errors. 

The system reduces reliance on paper manuals and instructions retained by experienced employees, while allowing less experienced operators to work through the required sequence without being presented with information unrelated to the current recipe.

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