PAPERTECHNOLOGYINTERNATIONAL 2026, The next decade of paper converting: Automation, AI and flexibility. Carlos Muriel, Sales & Marketing Director, Pasaban S.A.

PAPERTECHNOLOGYINTERNATIONAL 2026, The next decade
of paper converting: Automation, AI and flexibility. Carlos Muriel, Sales & Marketing Director, Pasaban S.A.
INTRODUCTION:
A Decade That Will Rede昀椀ne Converting; The paper and board converting industry is entering a decisive and transformative decade.
After years shaped by global disruptions, changing consumption patterns, and increasing environmental and regulatory pressures, the
sector is now facing a new and more complex challenge: evolving from highly ef昀椀cient production environments into intelligent, adaptive,
and fully connected industrial ecosystems.
Traditionally, competitiveness in converting
processes—particularly in sheeting and winding—
has been driven by three fundamental pillars:
productivity, precision, and reliability. Over decades,
machine manufacturers and converters have worked
relentlessly to improve these aspects, achieving
remarkable results. High-speed sheeters capable of
processing a wide range of substrates with extreme
cutting accuracy, and winders capable of maintaining
optimal reel structure under demanding conditions,
are now standard in many advanced facilities.
However, the context in which these machines
operate has changed dramatically. Market conditions
are more volatile, product portfolios more diversi昀椀ed,
and customer expectations signi昀椀cantly higher.
Production runs are becoming shorter, order variability
is increasing, and delivery times are tightening. At
the same time, sustainability requirements and cost
pressures are forcing companies to optimize every
aspect of their operations.
In this new environment, traditional
ef昀椀ciency—understood as maximizing output under stable
conditions—is no longer suf昀椀cient. The industry must evolve towards
a new paradigm built on three interconnected pillars: automation,
arti昀椀cial intelligence (AI), and 昀氀exibility.
As Carlos Muriel, Sales & Marketing Director at Pasaban,
explains: “We are entering a phase where e昀椀ciency alone is not
enough. Machines must be capable of adapting, learning, and
interacting within a broader system. The future of converting lies in
intelligence, integration, and 昀氀exibility”
From Mechanical Excellence to System Intelligence
The evolution of converting machinery has historically been
driven by improvements in mechanical engineering and control
systems. In sheeting technology, developments such as highprecision knife systems, synchronized cutting units, and advanced
stacking solutions have signi昀椀cantly improved output quality and
consistency. In winding operations, innovations in tension control,
slitting accuracy, and reel handling have ensured high-quality end
products with minimal defects.
These advancements have enabled mills, converters and
printers to reach very high levels of performance. Format change
times, which once required 15–20 minutes, can now be reduced to
just a few minutes in highly automated sheeters.
Image 1: Cross cut section with electronically driven control
system.
Similarly, winding systems have achieved remarkable
stability, even when processing challenging substrates such as
lightweight or recycled papers.
However, these improvements have also led to a certain
maturity in terms of purely mechanical performance. While further
optimization is always possible, the most signi昀椀cant opportunities for
progress now lie beyond the machine itself.
The focus is shifting from individual machine performance to
system-wide intelligence. This means not only improving how each
machine operates, but also enhancing how machines communicate,
exchange data, and contribute to overall production e昀椀ciency.
For example, a modern sheeting line is no longer an isolated
unit. It is part of a broader production environment that includes
upstream processes such as paper production and downstream
operations such as packaging and logistics. The ability of the
sheeter to interact with these processes—adjusting its operation
based on real-time conditions—becomes a key factor in overall
performance.
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