Düsseldorf – Increasing demands for efficiency and the continuous optimization of use of resources have been a dominant aspect of beverage can production for years. For the Middle East based Royal Can Making Company, this meant further developing existing processes in a targeted manner and systematically leveraging potential savings. Together with Henkel Adhesive Technologies, the company undertook a comprehensive optimization project at its production site in Sulaymaniyah in 2024. Based on a detailed audit of 2023 production figures, specific measures were defined and implemented during day-to-day operations. The aim was to reduce water and chemical consumption, aluminum scrap and measurably increase overall production efficiency without compromising on quality or production output.

The Royal Can Making Company was founded in 2013 as the first manufacturer of aluminum beverage cans in the Kurdistan Region in Iraq. From its site in Sulaymaniyah and, since 2018, from a second site in Baghdad, the company supplies customers not only across the Middle East, but also in the broader international market. With an annual production of more than six billion cans across both sites as of 2025 in various formats ranging from 150 to 500 milliliters, process stability, consistency of quality and efficient use of resources are of great importance. With this in mind, Royal Can has been working with Henkel Adhesive Technologies for many years to continuously analyze and further develop production processes.

Optimization at full speed: adjustments during ongoing operation
The high production output of the Sulaymaniyah plant left only limited scope for making far-reaching changes to existing processes. At the same time, the key figures from 2023 showed that there was potential for optimization, especially in water and chemical consumption, but also in the amount of aluminum scrap. Improvements had to be planned in detail and tested during short maintenance periods in order to incorporate them into daily operations as seamlessly as possible.

“It was crucial for us that all measures could be quickly integrated into our ongoing operations and that we didn’t have to compromise on quality or system stability,” says Saad Faeq Mohammed Kolak, President of the Royal Can Making Company. “We wanted to make targeted improvements without affecting ongoing production too much.”

“The sustainability goals and long-term vision of the Royal Can Making Company align perfectly with ours at Henkel. To support can makers in producing more sustainably, we continuously develop solutions that help manufacturers meet their individual efficiency targets. To achieve measurable improvements in production sustainability, we rely on technology-driven partnerships, as they provide a strong foundation for the exchange of ideas and expertise,” says Aziz Mabrouki, Director Metal Packaging EIMEA at Henkel.

A key aspect was the holistic view of all processes. In beverage can production, any individual adjustments have a direct impact on subsequent manufacturing steps. Accordingly, the project required a detailed analysis of all settings, flow rates and consumption values, as well as their interactions. In addition, there were production conditions specific to the site’s location.

Systematic analysis: audit and benchmarking for targeted measures
The project’s starting point was a comprehensive audit of procedures. The aim was not to make the greatest possible number of adjustments at the same time, but to identify measures that would have a high impact with the least possible restrictions on ongoing production. Together, Royal Can and Henkel analyzed the consumption data and process parameters along the line and defined specific target values for water, chemical and aluminum consumption from there. Henkel’s expertise from similar projects was essential for setting realistic and comprehensive targets. They prioritized adaptations that could be implemented without unscheduled production shutdowns, promised measurable effects quickly and at the same time would create a stable basis for further optimizations.

“It was our responsibility to categorize all the collected data and show which measures had proven successful in comparable projects,” explains Aziz Mabrouki. “This external perspective is often crucial in revealing potential that is overlooked in day-to-day operations.”

After first ensuring that the pre-treatment of all aluminum coils is carried out uniformly with a Henkel Post Lubricant, the subsequent process steps could be analyzed and optimized. Coordinating the compatibility of all chemicals used in the various production phases is a fundamental prerequisite for ideal application and a stable process. Maintaining a good film weight of the cupping lubricant Henkel Bonderite L-FM SNL 50-E significantly improved can quality.

The audit also included monitoring flows, returns and fluid supply and their subsequent optimization. Blockages were eliminated, returns improved and configurations adjusted to avoid unnecessary product losses. These measures made a significant contribution to reducing chemical consumption. “Together, we took a very detailed look at the processes and implemented measures step by step,” explains Glenn Ladrillo, Head of Sales APP Metal Packaging MEA at Henkel. “This enabled us to ensure that every adjustment is tangible and becomes firmly anchored in production.”

As Iraq experiences fluctuations between lows of 10 degrees Celsius in the cold winter months and highs of more than 40 degrees Celsius in summer, another important step was to identify an optimal operating temperature for the production process. As the analyses showed, the ideal level varies depending on the products being processed and typically falls within a range of 42 to 46 degrees Celsius. What remains critical across all setups is maintaining a stable operating window with just a ±1°C variation to ensure efficient performance with the biostable metal forming lubricant Henkel Bonderite L-FM450.

Further optimization steps have already been prepared with regard to the ongoing cooperation. They include the use of the Henkel Low Temperature Cleaner and Mobility Enhancer, which aim to further reduce energy and media consumption. Both solutions are already on site for initial tests in production and for implementation in the next project phases.

Reduced resource consumption with a measurable effect
At the start of the collaboration, Royal Can and Henkel set an ambitious roadmap for enhancing efficiency and reducing environmental impact at the Sulaymaniyah site. The outcome surpassed these shared ambitions: The 2024 figures showed substantial reductions across all key resource streams, accompanied by a measurable decrease in the site’s carbon footprint. While chemical consumption fell by 78 tonnes, water consumption was cut by 25 million liters. At the same time, aluminum scrap was significantly reduced. In 2024 alone, Royal Can reduced its use of this valuable raw material by 119,000 kilograms.

The decreased aluminum consumption in 2024 alone led to a saving of 1.8 million kilograms of CO₂ compared to the previous year. Using fewer chemicals enabled an additional reduction of 73,000 kilograms of CO₂. In addition to the quantifiable results, greater process stability in daily operations was evident. Improved can quality, more consistent media flow and optimized settings enable the production team to maintain the achieved standards on a long-term basis. “The adjustments have noticeably stabilized our processes and give us security in our daily operations,” Saad Faeq Mohammed Kolak concludes.

By Grant Peagler National Business Development Manager at Siemens

Food and beverage manufacturers are under more pressure than ever to operate safely, reliably, and efficiently, often with aging infrastructure and fewer experienced resources. Downtime is costly, safety expectations are rising, and compliance requirements are becoming more demanding. Yet electrical distribution systems, which quietly support every process in the plant, are often still maintained using methods that haven’t fundamentally changed in decades.

What’s becoming clear across the industry is that electrical systems can no longer be treated as passive assets. They are active contributors to uptime, safety, and operational risk. As standards like NFPA 70B evolve and production demands increase, food and beverage leaders are rethinking how electrical maintenance fits into their broader operational strategy.

The Industry Is Facing a Set of Common Challenges

Across food and beverage facilities, whether large multi-site producers or single-plant operations, the same challenges come up again and again.

1. Limited Visibility into Electrical Health

Most electrical failures don’t happen without warning. Connections heat up, environmental conditions change, and components slowly degrade over time. The problem is that traditional maintenance approaches rely on periodic inspections that provide only snapshots. Between those inspections, conditions can change significantly without anyone knowing.

Without continuous visibility, teams are forced to react to symptoms rather than address causes. This reactive posture increases the likelihood of unplanned outages, safety events, and rushed decision-making.

2. Maintenance Teams Are Already Overextended

Food and beverage plants are feeling the impact of skilled labor shortages. Experienced electricians are harder to find, and existing teams are being asked to cover more assets with less time. At the same time, documentation and compliance expectations are increasing.

Every manual inspection, follow-up measurement, and subjective judgment adds to the burden. When maintenance programs depend heavily on people remembering what to check and when to check it, consistency becomes difficult to sustain.

3. Compliance Expectations Are Rising

NFPA 70B has made it clear that condition-based maintenance is no longer optional; it’s the preferred approach. This shift requires more than good intentions. It requires objective evidence that equipment has been evaluated, that risks are understood, and that maintenance decisions are based on actual condition rather than assumptions.

For many organizations, this creates anxiety. The standard isn’t just asking what you did, but why you did it, and whether you can prove it.

4. Safety, Reliability, and Operations Are Still Siloed

In many plants, safety programs, reliability initiatives, and operational goals are managed separately. Each group may be doing good work, but when information isn’t shared, opportunities are missed. Hazardous conditions may be identified late, reliability risks may go unaddressed, and maintenance work may be prioritized based on urgency rather than impact.

The industry is recognizing that these disciplines are deeply connected. Identifying hazardous conditions early isn’t just a safety issue, it’s a reliability and uptime issue as well.

5. Electrical Systems Are Often Left Out of Digital Strategy

Most food and beverage organizations have invested heavily in digital tools for production, quality, and supply chain visibility. Electrical distribution systems, however, are frequently left out of this transformation.

When electrical assets remain “dark,” they can’t contribute to better planning, risk reduction, or long-term lifecycle decisions. This disconnect limits the effectiveness of broader digital initiatives.

How Leading Organizations Are Responding

Forward-looking food and beverage manufacturers are addressing these challenges by changing how they think about electrical maintenance, not by adding more work, but by reducing uncertainty.

Turning Visibility into a Baseline, Not an Exception

Rather than relying solely on periodic inspections, organizations are adopting approaches that provide continuous awareness of electrical conditions. This allows hazardous conditions to be identified early, long before they escalate into failures or safety incidents.

The goal isn’t more data for its own sake; it’s fewer surprises and better decisions.

Reducing the Burden on Maintenance Teams

Digital condition awareness shifts the burden from people to systems. When equipment condition is monitored continuously, maintenance teams spend less time chasing potential issues and more time addressing confirmed risks.

This approach supports consistency even when staffing is limited and helps ensure that critical issues don’t depend solely on individual experience.

Making Compliance Evidence a Byproduct of Operations

Instead of treating compliance documentation as a separate task, leading organizations are embedding it into everyday operations. Continuous condition records create a natural audit trail that supports NFPA 70B expectations without adding layers of paperwork.

Maintenance decisions become easier to justify because they’re grounded in observable behavior rather than assumptions.

Aligning Safety, Reliability, and Uptime

When hazardous conditions are identified early, safety and reliability objectives naturally align. Work can be planned more deliberately, risks can be prioritized more accurately, and unplanned downtime becomes less frequent.

This alignment strengthens trust between operations, maintenance, and safety teams—and supports better outcomes across the board.

Bringing Electrical Assets into the Digital Conversation

Treating electrical distribution as an intelligent platform rather than static infrastructure allows it to participate in broader digital strategies. Condition insight supports lifecycle planning, capital decisions, and long-term reliability improvements.

It also elevates electrical systems from a background concern to a strategic asset.

Looking Ahead

The food and beverage industry is moving toward a future in which electrical maintenance is proactive, data-informed, and integrated into the overall operational strategy. This shift isn’t about adopting a specific product; it’s about embracing visibility, accountability, and foresight.

Solutions like Siemens Sm@rtGear™ IE reflect this broader industry direction by enabling continuous condition awareness directly at the switchgear level. More importantly, they demonstrate how electrical systems can support safer work, stronger reliability, and more confident decision-making

As expectations continue to rise, organizations that rethink electrical maintenance today will be better positioned to operate safely, reliably, and competitively tomorrow.

By Luca Menassi, General Manager – Asia

For today’s confectionery manufacturers, crafting a confectionery masterpiece means blending precise innovative production technology with bold creativity. Manufacturers are reimagining jellies, gummies, marshmallows and liquorice through advanced processing systems that deliver consistent quality while enabling rapid innovation. From high-efficiency cooking and continuous depositing lines to smart, data-driven quality control, the modern factory floor is built for both reliability and experimentation.

As consumer expectations shift, production teams are incorporating plant-based gels, functional ingredients, reduced-sugar formulations and exotic flavour pairings all without compromising texture or repeatability. Seasonal micro-batches, personalised shapes and premium finishes are becoming standard, powered by flexible automation and modular equipment.

At TNA Solutions, we are proven in consistently delivering the results a new generation of confectionery systems that is crafted with precision, inspired by global innovative trends, and engineered to delight every batch, every season, every time.

Confectionery production can, at times, feel as much like composing a symphony as it does like orchestrating high-intensity operations. On one hand are the familiar notes of classic gummies, marshmallows, and liquorice, whose repeatability consumers expect. On the other hand, there are the improvisations: new plant-based recipes, textural innovations, exotic flavour trends, and health-conscious functional gummies designed for wellness, emerging from a proactive approach to well-being. Consumers are redefining their gummy consumption as more conscious, with people buying only what they need, understanding the cleaner and greener ingredients derived from natural products.

Today’s consumers want the best of both worlds: the familiar, dependable taste of their favourite jellies, gummies, marshmallows and liquorice, along with

exciting new twists in the form of everything from plant-based and fortified varieties to seasonal creations and premium, indulgent flavours.

Reflecting on 2025

Confectionery in 2025 has been defined by the intersection of technical precision, consumer-driven flexibility, and manufacturing innovation. As demand shifts more toward plant-based, functional, clean-label and sensorially rich products, success has depended on the ability to optimise processes, adopt new technologies and maintain quality across increasingly complex product portfolios.

Manufacturers that invest in agile systems, smarter automation and advanced ingredient solutions will be best positioned to compose the next generation of confectionery masterpieces.

And the pressure to deliver these masterpieces is growing. The global confectionery market was valued at $225 billion in 2024 and is forecast to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 3.6 per cent between 2025 and 2029. Sugar-free products are at the forefront of change, already accounting for 35 per cent of all new product launches in 2024.

Yet this growth has been tempered by volatility, with cocoa prices at record highs putting significant pressure on chocolate margins. For producers heavily dependent on chocolate, the cocoa shock was a defining feature of 2025. For manufacturers in the jelly, gummy and marshmallow categories, it created space to consolidate growth and demonstrate resilience.

Within the broader market of sugar confectionery, jellies and gummies stand out as a primary growth engine. The segment was valued at $38.18 billion in 2024 and is projected to achieve a CAGR of 3.8 per cent through to 2030. North America holds the largest share, with gummies becoming a popular delivery format for functional and nutraceutical products. Europe remains a stronghold for sugar-free and vegan confectionery, alongside a long-established pick-and-mix culture. Asia-Pacific continues to be the fastest-growing region, with annual growth rates of up to 12.9 per

cent, fuelled by rising disposable incomes, rapid urbanisation and an increasingly health-aware consumer base.

Consumer expectations drove much of this momentum. Plant based formulations moved into high performance territory, functional and fortified wellness gummies gained market share and consumers sought transparency and clean labels.

Indulgence retained its place in the composition, with berry flavours, hybrid textures, tropical blends and centre-filled or multi -layered textures providing variety and novelty. Innovation in format and texture became as important as flavour, with freeze-dried gummies and crunchy clusters adding new dimensions to the sensory experience.

As ever, convenience also played its role, with gummies and jellies thriving as portable, on-the-go treats, supported by seasonal tie-ins and brand collaborations that kept ranges vibrant and engaging.

The challenge for confectionery manufacturers lay in keeping the rhythm steady while improvising where needed. Efficiency remained critical as rising input costs and energy prices squeezed margins. Flexibility became indispensable, with short-run lines, seasonal SKUs and flavour rotations all requiring rapid changeovers and minimal downtime. Sustainability pressures continued to mount, with starch containment, reduced energy and water use, and recyclable packaging formats all on the agenda.

Ready for 2026

At TNA Solutions, these priorities come together in the way we support our customers. The tna mogul provides precision starch moulding for gummies, jellies, marshmallows, fondants , crème centres, liquorice and centre-in-shell gummies, combining the repeatability needed for established classics with the flexibility to create innovative new designs. Depositing systems allow fast format changes, supporting limited-edition runs and multi-layered products.

The tna robag^® with auto-splice delivers high-speed bagging with minimal film waste, while the tna ropac^® 5 enables efficient case-packing for small formats

that reflect the rise in portion-controlled packs. Together, these systems create an integrated confectionery processing line that ensures every part of the production process plays in tune.

And as we enter 2026, confectionery will be about balancing comfort with curiosity, delivering the repeatability consumers trust while surprising them with bold new experiences. Functional and nutraceutical confectionery is expected to expand further, moving from niche to mainstream. Plant-based alternatives will grow in scale, even as producers continue to grapple with cost and textural challenges. Premium and seasonal lines will proliferate, increasing pressure on lines to manage rapid changeovers and shorter runs.

This may seem like more of the same from the past 12 months, but there is one critical new ingredient: regulation. The EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation and its ban on PFAS in food-contact packaging will take practical effect in August 2026. In the United States, new traceability requirements under FSMA 204 will also apply from early in the year. Each of these changes demands reformulation, packaging redesign or digital record-keeping, placing greater pressure on manufacturers to adapt without compromising efficiency.

Confectionery’s enduring appeal lies in its, interplay of indulgence and innovation, comfort and surprise. In 2026, this duality will intensify as consumers, regulators and global markets demand greater variety, cleaner labels, and more sustainable production practices. Manufacturers will be challenged to deliver novelty without compromising consistency, efficiency or compliance. The leaders in this next era will be those who master composition: achieving a precise harmony between repeatability and adaptability, ensuring every product is both reliably crafted and dynamically responsive to emerging trends.