Packaging of products can look simple from the outside. It's sealed, labelled, and ready to grab when you as a consumer pick up everyday essentials at the grocery store. That simplicity is the end result of a highly engineered process developed by Schur Automation.
Schur Automation is part of a long packaging heritage – they are the world’s oldest family-run packaging business, founded back in 1846. Their experience shows in how they approach packaging today: through machines that are practial and built to last.
Building integrated packaging systems for modern productions
At Schur, they don’t just deliver a single machine, but complete, integrated lines where multiple automated processes have to work together reliably.
As the market has evolved, that need has only increased. Customers want fewer manual steps, and tighter integration across the entire packaging flow, which means projects today are bigger, more connected, and more complex than before.
“Customers are asking for more integrated systems where more processes are automated” says Dennik Ringgaard, Director of Engineering at Schur Automation.
“Where we used to deliver single machines, we now deliver complete system solutions” he continues.
That requires more interfaces between machines and more moving parts and variants to account for – which ultimately means less room for late changes once production is underway.
Going from concept to production-ready designs
When projects grow from single machines to fully integrated packaging lines, the engineering setup has to support speed and control. At Schur Automation, SOLIDWORKS is the backbone of that process.
“We use SOLIDWORKS in all our automation projects – right from concept development to detailed production-ready drawings,” says Dennik Ringgaard.
“It gives us strong support and reliability throughout the engineering phase” he continues.
For Schur, the value is not only in modelling parts, but in building realistic, production-ready solutions early. With complex assemblies and moving mechanisms, seeing the full system in 3D makes it easier to understand how everything interacts, and how to remove risks before anything is built.
“It’s important to remove risks from projects in an early phase,” Dennik explains. “Our machinery often needs moving parts, and getting an understanding of limitations and dynamics early in the design is key for success.” That early clarity also supports smarter optimization.
Designing with manufacturing in mind – using sheet metal tools
Schur’s machines are often designed with respect for both cost and delivery time. That means engineering choices aren’t only about function, but also need to match the manufacturing methods available and support a fast, predictable build.
“We’re challenged on both price and delivery time,” Dennik explains. “That’s where the sheet metal tools in SOLIDWORKS really help.”
With SOLIDWORKS sheet metal tools, Schur can design components the way they’ll actually be produced. They can create accurate flat patterns, reduce material waste, and deliver production-ready outputs faster. That helps avoid unnecessary back-and-forth between engineering teams and the workshop.
Keeping projects structured as complexity increases
As projects have shifted from single machines to fully integrated lines, the amount of engineering data grows quickly. Drawings, versions, approvals, and released production files need to be controlled, and not just stored.
That’s where SOLIDWORKS PDM plays an important role. It keeps design data structured and up to date, so engineers don’t lose time searching for the right revision or manually handling files across projects.
The result is a workflow with clearer handovers from engineering to production, and more confidence that the files being used on the shop floor are the correct ones.
A long-term collaboration with PLM Group
When SOLIDWORKS is a daily tool, the right support makes a real difference.
Schur Automation has worked closely with PLM Group for years. Technical Assistant, Dorte Jensen, has been part of that collaboration for decades:
“We have worked closely with PLM Group since 2004. They help us with both big and small things in how we work with SOLIDWORKS. They listen to us, and we always have a good talk with them” she explains.
That ongoing collaboration helps Schur keep their setup working in practice, and supports their engineering team as systems and projects continue to grow.
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