Introduction At a Glance It’s tempting to make parts decisions based on cost alone, but in doing so, you risk machine uptime, warranty security, and long-term cost. There are times when you should pay extra for the original-manufacturer-made part, and there are times when the third-party part is safe – but you should know when … Read more
Introduction At a Glance Case loaders are the machine in your secondary packaging line that actually handles and loads the product into a case. That’s why it’s so important that you choose the case loading methods that meet the needs of your product. There are three main methods: Drop Packing – Drops product into the … Read more
Introduction At a Glance Case loaders are one of the most expensive machines on an automated packaging line. And they range widely in price: anywhere from $350k to $1M. The range is broad because of all the potentially unknown factors at first vendor conversation. Many of the “unknown factors” are actually cost drivers. Here are … Read more
Introduction At a Glance Factory acceptance testing (FAT) is the last step in your packaging project, before the machine is shipped to your facility. It’s a formal test, done in your vendor’s plant, to ensure that your machine meets all of your expectations – as specified when you were quoted. What does a FAT check? … Read more
Cobot palletizers can reduce the strain of one of the most physically demanding stations in your packaging line. We’ll help you know whether a cobot is worth it for you.
Introduction At a Glance Changeover time is a metric relevant to almost every automated packaging line in the industry. The clock starts with the last good product of one stock-keeping unit (SKU) and stops with the first good product of the next. And in between is shutdown, clean-out, setup, troubleshooting, and more. There are five … Read more
Introduction At a Glance It’s nearly impossible to have a clear understanding of your consumables’ costs. However, there are some simple system improvements to make, that can lead to real savings: Find out if you’re discarding 10-15% of every tape roll, to avoid breakage Don’t just use a thicker glue stream; adjust temperature, timing, and pattern Check your materials contract and decision-making process to understand your paths for optimization Track … Read more
At a Glance Case sealer problems are often indicative of greater issues. Here are some of the most common ones, and what their real causes are: Problem Reported Typical Cause(s) Case stalls halfway through sealer → Out-of-tolerance corrugate (for machine or recipe), loose side belts, or low overhead Flaps collide when the case is closed → … Read more
At a Glance If you’re looking to understand your case sealer’s total cost of ownership (TCO), you can’t skip over maintenance costs. However, quantifying maintenance is not so easily done. The best bet is to keep your eye on these four variables: Total Runtime – The longer your machine runs, the faster it will wear … Read more
At a Glance Fully automatic case sealer cost runs between $50k and $90k at base price – it’s normal to see a range, because your operational needs can cause price to fluctuate. This cost is also driven by the following factors: Tape vs. Glue Glue naturally increases sealer price, but price alone shouldn’t make your … Read more
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