Packaging equipment can be a huge investment for any business, and choosing the right one is important. Knowing what type of packaging you plan to do, and if it will need to change in the future, is key before making your purchase. Because it is an integral part of any industry. Whether the product you sell will be sold online or in a brick and mortar store, having an aesthetically pleasing exterior is crucial for customer satisfaction and increased sales. As such, businesses must find the right packaging equipment to suit their needs.
Packaging Equipment Options
Several automatic packaging machines can best suit your business needs. A combination of, an automatic tape dispenser, automatic label applicator, and automatic box erector will save your business time and money when inserting contents in containers or sealing them shut for delivery. If you choose to purchase one piece of equipment at a time, make sure it is an all-purpose machine. For example, if box erector machines are all you need at first, purchase one that is automatic. Doing so will save money compared to buying automatic tape dispensers and automatic label applicators separately.
Work Out The Number
Another step in purchasing any equipment is to know exactly what you need and how many pieces of equipment you will need for your packaging line. For large manufacturers, the number of machines necessary may be limited to a handful, but for smaller businesses, purchasing one at a time may be the only option. No matter your business size, it is important to have an idea of what you need before making any purchase so that you can avoid changes in the future.
No matter how many machines are available for your business, you must always do the math before making any purchase. Calculating the number of products that will need to be packaged in total and per unit is necessary to determine whether or not your company can afford it. If your investment is too high, you may find you cannot afford it anymore in a few years when significant changes in technology occur. Alternatively, if the packaging line you have is working well with only one machine, purchasing more than what you need may leave money on the table instead of increasing business productivity.
Make Research Before Making A Purchase
It can be easy to forget to research before making a purchase, but it is important. If you fail to take the time and make an informed decision, you could end up with something that was not what you expected or worse: ineffective for your company. Packaging equipment is no different; if you don’t take some time thinking about which piece of equipment would work best for your business, then you might end up purchasing something that does not work as well as advertised or that fails to meet all of your needs.
When you buy packaging equipment, think about what your business needs and wants. By knowing the answers to these questions before making a purchase, you can get a product that works well for your business and saves you time and money in the long run.
Determine What Type of Packaging You’ll Use
Knowing what type of packaging you are going for with your product will help determine which equipment will work best for your specific needs. For example, if you are trying to ship fragile items that must be packaged carefully, then choosing equipment that ensures their safety during travel is crucial. This means finding machinery designed to keep the contents safe by cushioning them from all sides and surrounding them in protective materials like foam or bubble wrap. Alternatively, if you want to bottle or can your product, you will need machinery that is capable of filling the containers with whatever you are selling.
Decide on the Level of Automation Or Human Assistance You Will Require
The next step to choosing the right equipment is determining whether human labor will be necessary during packaging, and if so, what level of help will be required. If your employees are there only for quality control purposes, then choosing equipment that provides an aesthetically pleasing exterior without needing much input from staff members may be best.
Alternatively, if staff members are present throughout the entire process, then human assistance may be necessary to ensure all steps are properly completed. Depending on how involved your staff needs to be when packaging your product, semi-automatic equipment may be appropriate.
Include All Necessary Features and Optimize Your Design for Efficiency and Effectiveness
Another way is to choose the right equipment including all necessary features for your specific packaging requirements. For example, if you want a machine capable of producing bottles or cans with straws included, then finding one with a straw insertion feature is important. If you are looking for equipment that can fill cartons, you will need units with carton fillers to ensure each container contains the correct amount. The more features included in your machinery, the more automatic it becomes and the less staff involvement is needed. Having fully automatic equipment allows for ease of use while also producing products with consistently high-quality results each time.
Decide Whether You Want to Rent or Buy Your Packaging Equipment
The final decision you must make when choosing the right equipment for your business is whether to rent or buy. This will vary depending on your specific needs and what you currently invest in for packaging. For example, if you only pack a product once or twice per year, renting may be the best option, so you do not have to purchase new machinery each time. If you need equipment that can maintain consistent output levels and has features such as an automatic material detector and belt tensioning system, then purchasing it would be ideal, since renting is more costly than owning.
Track Your Packaging Equipment To Ensure It Is Doing What You Need
Once you have chosen the right machinery for your packaging needs, tracking its performance is the final step to ensure it is doing what you need it to do. The best way to monitor equipment’s performance is by collecting data about its usage over time. Gathering this information will enable you to see how often particular pieces of machinery are used, or whether any flaws may be affecting their ability to function properly.
By doing so, you can ensure that everything from your conveyor belts and carton fillers to your palletizers and case packers is operating at optimum levels. If a piece of equipment appears to have issues with product handling or safety, it may be time to replace it with a new piece of machinery.
It’s important to optimize your design for efficiency and effectiveness before making any purchase. If you are on a budget or aren’t sure about what type of packaging you will be doing in the future, then choosing simpler machines may be best so that expanding options is easy once you know exactly what you need. Before making your purchase, familiarizing yourself with all aspects of packaging equipment is crucial so that you can determine which equipment will suit your specific needs both now and in the future.
