The scorching sun scorches the industrial area on the outskirts of Dubai, and the sand rolls in the heat wave. In an inconspicuous iron sheet factory, workers are bending over to manually seal piles of cartons. Sweat soaks their work clothes, and the factory manager Abdul stands at the door of the workshop with a frown - this is the scene five years ago. Today, when the reporter stepped into the factory again, the humming sound of the robotic arm replaced the workers' breathing, and the fully automatic packaging machine was packing the products into customized gift boxes with a smooth rhythm, and the metal shell was shining with a cold silver light under the ceiling light.
"It has changed our genes." Abdul stroked the operation panel of the fully automatic packaging machine, and real-time data was jumping on the screen. In 2019, this small factory with only 20 people gritted its teeth and introduced the first fully automatic packaging machine production line. At that time, the manufacturing industry in the Middle East was still dominated by semi-automatic equipment. "The supplier said that this machine can improve packaging efficiency by 40%, but I value its ability to accurately adapt to goods of different specifications." He pointed to the date gift boxes passing at a constant speed on the conveyor belt. The gold-stamped patterns on the box body perfectly matched the machine vision positioning system. "In the past, customers always complained that the packaging boxes were crooked, but now even high-end European supermarkets have taken the initiative to come to the door." Technical Director Leila took the reporter through the intelligent production line, and her fingertips passed over the temperature control module of the fully automatic packaging machine: "The temperature difference between day and night in the desert is large, and traditional glue often fails. This machine can automatically adjust the sealing temperature according to the ambient humidity, and the defective rate has dropped from 15% to 0.3%." She deliberately called up the historical data curve. In 2021, the factory achieved 24-hour continuous production with the help of fully automatic packaging machines, and its production capacity that year ranked among the top three in the UAE food packaging industry. Changes are not only happening in the workshop. Purchasing manager Jasim flipped through the supplier list: "We used to purchase packaging materials from six countries, but now the fully automatic packaging machines are highly compatible, and the localized supply chain saves 30% of logistics costs." He showed the newly developed coconut fiber environmentally friendly packaging box, "The machine supports flexible production, and can also accept small batch customized orders from customers. Last year, we received 47 orders for joint models from Internet celebrity brands alone."
In the employee lounge, operator Mohammed smiled and recalled the uneasiness in the early days of the transformation: "When I heard that I had to operate a fully automatic packaging machine, I couldn't even use a touch-screen mobile phone properly." Now he has become a mentor, and the factory's regular "human-machine collaborative competition" has given old employees a new lease of life. Outside the window, a truck loaded with goods is heading towards Jebel Ali Port, and the company logo on the container is shining in the sun - this once unknown small factory is now synonymous with high-end food packaging in the Middle East.
"Fully automatic packaging machines are reshaping the manufacturing landscape in the Middle East." Ahmed, an expert from the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, pointed out, "When local companies begin to use intelligent equipment to solve the problem of packaging efficiency in high-temperature environments, they output not only products, but also industrial solutions that adapt to extreme climates." As night falls, the factory lighting system gradually lights up, and the indicator lights of the fully automatic packaging machines flicker behind the glass curtain wall, like a constellation of stars guiding the direction in the desert.
