Category : Reducing Downtime

Helpful Preventative Maintenance Tips


When your end of line goes down, often times the unplanned downtime can cause a delay in production which leads to lost opportunities.

Fortunately for you, maintaining your equipment doesn’t always require a technician. Inspecting your equipment is like getting regular checkups at the doctor. They keep you healthy and give you (and the experts) a chance to catch anything serious before it becomes a major problem. That can save you thousands for your end of line.

Here are some tasks you can accomplish to make sure your equipment doesn’t fail on you.

  • When the machines are not in-use, remove any dust, dirt, or debris  that might cause jams and issues in the future.
  • When the machines are running, listen for any unusual noises. If you hear the sound of metal grinding, your bearings could use some lubricating. Be sure to perform this monthly in order to make operations more efficient and more reliable
  • Make sure you’re not forcing products into machines and aren’t packaging products that your equipment can’t handle.  Sometimes Operators don’t want to have to purchase a separate machine for larger, heavier loads so they might be pressured to use a machine that doesn’t support those specifications. Doing so will eventually cost you more.

It’s easy to take PM plans for granted- until a problem arises.  Hence, we can’t stress enough the importance of having your machines inspected in order to keep your line running smoothly.

Should your machines require a professional’s expertise, give us a call at 888-930-BEST. Either way, delaying preventive maintenance or obvious problems, or sounds will inevitably lead you to more expensive and time-consuming repairs down the road.

What’s your take? We welcome guest bloggers! E-mail socialmedia@bestpackaging.com if you’d ever like to collaborate.

A Little Preventative Maintenance Goes A Long Way


Imagine you are on a leaky boat.  You might search for the massive hole that’s bringing the boat down even though there are smaller holes constantly popping up. By taking care of the larger hole, you’re really only addressing issues in a singular fashion rather than looking at it holistically. The best way to prevent a water leakage is to consider the holistic success and operation. An operator is always going to struggle as problems arise if they only focus on that particular problem. However if you inspect the boat and make sure there aren’t any holes, you’re going to have a better chance at staying afloat.

Stretch wrappers, Case Erectors, Shrink Wrappers, Case Sealers, Strappers, Tapers- you name it, these are all very complex pieces of packaging equipment expected to optimize your production line for efficient packaging processes. If maintained properly, these machines can last years without any problems or breakdowns.

Periodic maintenance is important.

Most companies search for major causes that could be responsible for the problems, yet overlook the minor causes that contribute to the big problem. To ensure that your business model can be upheld in the long run, it’s important to follow up and check on the reliability of your machines. Inspecting your machines can reduce the likelihood of any disastrous maintenance issues that might arise unexpectedly.  After all, it’s much easier, less stressful, and less costly to prevent problems than it is to interrupt workflow to repair them.  A lack of preventive maintenance is a major cause of downtime, so this is a good opportunity to catch potential problems before they develop into larger issues and make sure your machine is running smoothly.

While your packaging equipment doesn’t require constant care, just a little bit of attention from time to time can go a long way toward avoiding downtime and more costly repairs down the road. So rather than spending money on unexpected repairs, you might want to invest in periodic preventative maintenance program.

At Best Packaging, we service end of line packaging equipment. We perform repairs and PM’s on a variety of different packaging equipment. We provide highly trained, well-qualified employees who are not only concerned with maintaining your machines, but we also seek to maximize the performance. Best Packaging prides ourselves in delivering top notch care to keep you running seamlessly for years to come. Give us a call at (888) 930 BEST to schedule a PM or click here.

What’s your take? We welcome guest bloggers! E-mail socialmedia@bestpackaging.com if you’d ever like to collaborate.

Best Packaging Machinery Philosophy


At Best Packaging we maintain and repair some of the most complex packaging lines. Since 1997, we have been consulting, designing, and implementing packaging solutions to offer the best for your operations.  In order to deliver our customers the greatest return on their investment, we represent a variety of different brands of end-of-line packaging equipment to ensure we’re matching the right solution for your customer needs.

There’s no ‘one size fits all’ solution.

Rather than discover that a particular solution doesn’t fit your application, our knowledge of numerous brands can help you come up with solutions not conceived by many manufacturers. In order to arrive at the appropriate solution, you need someone who isn’t attached to one brand and won’t force products on you that don’t fit your needs. When seeking assistance from a particular manufacturer, they typically recommend a solution suitable to their business model. You also run the risk of the manufacturer being unqualified to support your operations on a large scale because of the limited knowledge of machinery outside their own. For instance, a common situation we come across is that after a technician makes an initial repair, other machines in the same production line stop running correctly. The reason being is that most manufacturer technicians don’t have the know-how to recalibrate a whole production line. You need someone who’s going to understand the bigger picture.  At Best Packaging, we have the expertise to reprogram your entire production line to achieve maximum efficiency. You don’t have to worry if your brand is serviceable. We specialize in a wide range of packaging equipment and can direct you to the solution that will ensure your business improves in material handling, and supply chain performance.

Not all stretch wrappers are created equally.

We only align ourselves with quality brands to make sure we are delivering the best value.  It is our goal is to provide you with the high quality service that is going to eliminate failures to make your job not only more productive, but hopefully easier. Most end-of-line equipment brands offer different capabilities in terms of ease, automation, integration, and performance. With our extensive analysis of packaging machinery, we understand the strengths and weaknesses of various equipment. Representing a variety of different brands enables us to match the best systems based on your customer needs and the versatility of the job.  For more information on our machinery philosophy, visit bestpackaging.com or contact us at (888) 930 BEST.

What’s your take? We welcome guest bloggers! E-mail socialmedia@bestpackaging.com if you’d ever like to collaborate.

Is Your Case Packer Running At Its Optimal Performance Level?


It’s evident that cases with vertically aligned sides are easier to wrap. Achieving a square case increases the strength of the load, which results in less damage to your product. Non-square cases are more likely to jam during end of line packaging which can lead to problems when preparing your pallet for and during shipment. However, creating a perfectly square case by hand is not as easy as it looks. When erecting cases by hand, it’s difficult to control the consistency of the assembly process. In most instances,  automatic erecting and sealing machines  turned out to be an effective solution in both the cost and quality of case handling. At Best Packaging, we offer case erectors and a line of random and uniform case sealers at reasonable prices to help increase efficiency.

When failure strikes, will you be ready?

There are so many elements in storing, packing, and delivery that make square cases a crucial component of your operation, it’s wise to be prepared for unexpected downtime. Proper planning and preventative maintenance can result in case erectors/sealers that are true assets, instead of production jams. Best Packaging Inc. provides professional equipment support and preventative maintenance on all end-of-line packaging machines to make sure your case erectors and sealers are delivering the optimal productivity gains. We provide highly trained, well-qualified employees who are not only concerned with maintaining your machines, but we also seek to maximize the performance. For more information or questions on our case erectors and sealers, give us a call at (888) 930 BEST. To schedule a PM, click here. 

What’s your take? We welcome guest bloggers! E-mail socialmedia@bestpackaging.com if you’d ever like to collaborate.