# 172 - Simon Lewis is enabling the analog to digital transformation at Highcon

- Show: [People of Packaging](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging)
- Published: 2022-12-08
- Length: 31m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2022-12-08-172-simon-lewis-is-enabling-the-analog-to-digital-transformation-at-highcon
- Listen: https://encase.substack.com/p/172-simon-lewis-is-enabling-the-analog

## Summary

Simon Lewis, VP of Marketing at Highcon, discusses the company's Beam 2C system and its strategic collaboration with Sealed Air, which includes an $8M investment and a purchase order for a Beam 2C unit. Lewis contrasts 'A to D 1.0' (direct replacement of analog processes) with 'A to D 2.0' (transforming the entire end-to-end workflow), arguing that digital finishing is essential to unlock the value of digital printing in corrugated and folding carton markets. He explains how Highcon’s hybrid digital cutting and mechanical creasing technology eliminates the need for physical dies, enabling on-demand production, reduced waste, and lower fixed costs for short-run e-commerce packaging.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2022-12-08-172-simon-lewis-is-enabling-the-analog-to-digital-transformation-at-highcon#t=0) Introduction and Sponsor Reads
- [2:52](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2022-12-08-172-simon-lewis-is-enabling-the-analog-to-digital-transformation-at-highcon#t=172) Simon Lewis's Career: From Cytech to Highcon
- [9:46](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2022-12-08-172-simon-lewis-is-enabling-the-analog-to-digital-transformation-at-highcon#t=586) The Shift from Analog to Digital Printing in Packaging
- [11:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2022-12-08-172-simon-lewis-is-enabling-the-analog-to-digital-transformation-at-highcon#t=668) A to D 1.0 vs. A to D 2.0: The iPhone Analogy
- [18:30](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2022-12-08-172-simon-lewis-is-enabling-the-analog-to-digital-transformation-at-highcon#t=1110) Highcon's Beam 2C and Strategic Partnership with Sealed Air
- [24:31](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2022-12-08-172-simon-lewis-is-enabling-the-analog-to-digital-transformation-at-highcon#t=1471) Solving the E-commerce Bottleneck: Digital Finishing and Creasing
- [29:20](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2022-12-08-172-simon-lewis-is-enabling-the-analog-to-digital-transformation-at-highcon#t=1760) Conclusion and Contact Information

## Topics

- [Mechanical engineering](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/mechanical-engineering)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Sustainability & circular products](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sustainability-and-circularity)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Highcon (company)
- Sealed Air (company)
- Beam 2C (product)
- Cytech (company)
- HP Indigo (company)
- Spark Packaging (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Adapting to New Manufacturing Technology w/ Matthew Wright](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2023-04-18-adapting-to-new-manufacturing-technology-w-matthew-wright) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [Problem-Solving Digitization w/ Adam Keating](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2021-07-06-problem-solving-digitization-w-adam-keating) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [EMS@C-LEVEL Season #2021 Episode #8 with Anna-Katrina Shedletsky, Instrumental](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2021-08-09-ems-c-level-season-2021-episode-8-with-anna-katrina-shedletsky-instrumental) (EMS@C-LEVEL)
- [It’s Time for a Digital Transformation of Analog Data Entry](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2022-07-26-its-time-for-a-digital-transformation-of-analog-data-entry) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [Episode Forty-Four: Kat Thiel](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2023-04-14-episode-forty-four-kat-thiel) (Robot Talk)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2022-12-08-172-simon-lewis-is-enabling-the-analog-to-digital-transformation-at-highcon. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to People of Packaging.