Many manufacturers in 2021 saw increased demand, supply chain shortages, labor shortages, and let’s not forget the ever-present threat Coronavirus had on keeping your doors open. Whether you’ve jumped one or all of these hurdles, one thing is for sure… 2021 has left us all saying, ‘oh brother, what’s next!?’ 2022 as yet remains shrouded in mystery, so to quell your anticipatory anxiety, here are two DO’s and two DON’Ts that the experts at Best Packaging recommend to help you ‘baton the hatches’ to your end of line and prepare for whatever comes next.
Don’t
Fall behind on Preventative Maintenance
When you’re constantly adapting to new circumstances, everyday maintenance tends to fall by the wayside. But that’s precisely when it is needed most! Failure to regularly clean, lube and exchange worn parts can escalate a minor breakdown to a total catastrophe. Consider boosting your PM plan with performance monitoring technology. By combining line counter data with hands-on technician experience, you’ll get the clearest insight to predict wear and tear issues.
Overspend on Disposables
Disposables like stretch film, tape, and corrugate are called such because they are intended to be used once and thrown away. When you spend more than you need on single-use materials, you are essentially just throwing your money away! This happens when case tapers require more than one pass, when stretch film is so thin that it requires additional wraps, or when your cases are thicker than necessary for your application. Getting the right thickness or tension is a delicate science best left to an expert. Find out where you could be saving money by having our team of production line designers (and an ASTM contributor!) audit your plant for inefficiencies.
Do
Explore Automation
Integration doesn’t JUST mean robots. Advancements in manufacturing technology have steadily been picking up steam over the past few years. The infrastructure is finally available to make Industry 4.0 technology not only feasible for the average manufacturer, but affordable too. Take a few baby steps into the vast realm of IIOT (Industrial Internet Of Things) by implementing sensor automation with PLC integration to your existing equipment.
Take Care of Your Team
At a time when labor is scarce and employee welfare is ever the subject of public scrutiny, consider what you could be doing to improve plant safety or reduce the strain on your machine operators and material handlers. For example, graduating to a semi-automatic packing system, like a Wexxar Bel 507 & 150 combo that features a tilted packing station for better ergonomics could increase your packages per minute and still keep your valued workforce comfortable while performing repetitive motions.
If you are interested in exploring any of the solutions we suggested above, we’d love to get in touch! Or, if you need something more specific, Best Packaging is happy to assess your current production line to create a more personalized recommendation for improvements to your system. Contact us for more info!
With over 20 years of business, Best Packaging is a leader in innovative designs and has capability to customize equipment based on the customer’s needs. We understand that with the correct PLC, HMI programming or other engineering services, your control panels and integrated machines could be more efficient. For this reason, Best Packaging now offers engineering services for the integration and control of production machinery. We can program PLC-based controls and HMI control systems on complete production lines or individual machines to improve packaging, material handling, and supply chain performance. At Best Packaging, our creative engineers assess and modify the systems specifications necessary for your plant’s particular needs in order to achieve maximum production line efficiency. When your controls become obsolete, or a touch screen wears out, we have the ability to reprogram these touch screens, rebuild an old panel or an entirely new panel.
When a packaging line becomes faulty or fails, Best Packaging understands the urgency in fixing the problem immediately. That is why we are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for emergency service. We specialize in the repair and maintenance of end of line packaging equipment including: Stretch Wrappers, Shrink Wrappers, Case Tapers, Case Sealers, Conveyors, and Strappers. Our expert technicians will get your equipment back to running efficiently and effective to enhance your company’s production line. It’s what we do BEST!
In many industries, when you call a manufacturer’s service tech, they only know how to fix their machines. They may even recommend a solution that fits their business model, however it’s usualy not the BEST solution for your specific needs. At Best Packaging, we service all end of line packaging equipment brands. We work with our clients to deliver customized solutions by consulting and designing based on the customer’s business goals and unique needs. Our in-depth understanding of complex packaging lines combined with our ability to recognize efficiencies for customers not conceived by many manufacturers is what makes us unique. We won’t force products on you that don’t fit your needs.
At Best Packaging, we make it a priority to assist you with anything from installation to performance optimization to ensure each company is implementing the BEST solution. Whether you are looking to build a new control system, or update an existing system, Best Packaging’s programmers have the application knowledge required to implement the design. To learn more about how we can get your control panels to run more efficiently, give us a call at (888) 930 BEST!
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Although the packaging industry is working hard to maximize technology use, I believe there is still more that can be done. After attending the PACK EXPO, here’s are my thoughts…
I noticed the majority of stretch wrap machines were all very similar- following standard practices with a few minor modifications here and there. Many of the demonstrations utilized square uniform loads that are easy to wrap. However, not much was conveyed regarding what could be done for random pallet’s that have sharp points everywhere as these pallets make film selection a critical step in this packaging process.
This got me thinking… what developments should we be looking out for in the near future for odd-shaped loads? What is it going to take for things to change within the industry? What kind of creative thinking needs to happen to break the mold? What needs to happen in the packaging industry to unleash innovation that the industry hasn’t seen in years?
Over the years, I’ve noticed the packaging companies that succeed are the ones constantly testing and monitoring their wrap parameters. When dealing with stretch film, if you’re not occasionally monitoring what you’re doing, damage goes up. But how does one do that? How do we monitor and determine wrap parameters beyond a square load? When it comes to wrapping loads, why work in a flat world if the packaging isn’t?
In an era where computerization and data collection have become the ‘must-have’ elements, the installation of 3D modeling for the purposes of data collection has the potential to revolutionize the quality at which tasks are performed. With live data being fed from their equipment into a computerized system, workers are more capable of selecting the proper film type, gauge, and number of wraps a particular load requires. Rather than having to manually adjust the machine according to the size and product, incorporating 3D pallet sensor technology would enable you to record the shape, weight, and type of product to get a better understanding of what stretch wrap settings to employ. Incorporating a 3D Pallet scanner would provide an immediate overview of all production parameters and data that needs to be done based on the load. Thus, I see the future of stretch wrapping being very data-driven. I envision exploiting sensor technology to obtain data points that enable workers to make better informed decisions for their stretch wrap settings.
As an ASTM member, I plan on utilizing these insights to develop unique solutions in the market. With one patent approved for a pallet parking system and one patent pending for the SPYDR multi-wrapper system, Best Packaging aims to continue to innovate and offer the Best solutions to our customers. For more information, give us a call at (888) 930 BEST.
-Steve Kudia
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As with any machine, there is a tendency for stretch wrap results and accuracy to drift over time. In order to be confident that your stretch wrappers are operating properly, there is an ongoing need to service and fine-tune equipment for reliable, accurate, and repeatable applications.
Just a little bit of attention can go a long way. For instance, many in this industry agree that implementing regular maintenance is less stressful and expensive in preventing problems than interrupting a job to repair them. Thus, it is highly recommended that manufacturers execute a Factory Acceptance Test (FAT). A FAT is a series of tests and inspections that identify any problems or issues with the machine and ensures that equipment meets the standard requirements for production, configuration, and sustainability.
In order to get the most out of these inspections, companies need to complete a performance test with packaging materials used in the production line to assess the function and integrity of the machine. The machine will not perform efficiently if the criteria aren’t specified; therefore, you must use the appropriate gauge and film for your stretch wrapper. If you’re unsure of the appropriate stretch wrapper settings for your application, let us help measure how much gauge and containment force your load needs. We’ll make certain to educate your employees operating the production line.
A few checks on a weekly basis can keep your machines running smoothly and help you catch potential problems before they happen. For more information on how to get the most out of your FAT, contact us at (888) 930 BEST.
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It may seem like a good decision to hold off on making a large investment, however future downtime could end up costing you more than you think. If you are experiencing any of this in your wrapping process, it may be a wise decision to make a stretch wrap machine purchase.
- You’re wrapping more than 20 pallets a day. It would probably be in your best interest to get a stretch wrap machine because of the manual labor that is involved with hand wrapping. A large amount of bending and twisting is required in making sure that the entire pallet is wrapped thoroughly. The amount of physical work involved takes a lot of energy that employees will need throughout the day. A stretch wrap machine would not only speed up the process, but also free up the employee to accomplish other tasks while the pallet is being wrapped.
- You’re experiencing load damage because of improper wrapping. In order for stretch film to work properly, it has to be stretched 70-80% of its ultimate stretch. Ultimate stretch is what helps to hold pallet loads in place. When wrapping pallets by hand, it is difficult to consistently reach the amount of required stretch which could potentially lead to products falling over and cost more money.
- Stretch film costs are becoming too high. It is quite uncommon for workers to reach maximum stretch potential. which results in a lot of money being wasted on excess stretch film. However, with a stretch wrap machine, you’re able to boost the stretch rate and eliminate unnecessary extra revolutions of film being applied which could reduce costs.
- You’re having issues with employee safety. An automatic stretch wrapper would keep a forklift operator on the forklift which is could be an important safety advantage. Not to mention, a poorly wrapped pallet can fall over, resulting in damaged goods or injury to a handler. A stretch wrap machine could ensure worker safety by properly wrapping loads in a timely manner.
- You encounter inconsistent output. An operator who wraps pallets with hand wrap stretch film is not able to wrap every load exactly the same way, time and time again. Whereas, a stretch wrap machine consistently wraps pallets in the same way each and every time producing a clean professional finished product. Thus, if you’re looking for your pallet loads to project a professional image, it’s best to consider a stretch wrap machine
Eliminating any one of these justifies purchasing a stretch wrap machine. Let Best Packaging speak with you about a possible purchase and help you decide the right stretch wrap machine for your application by calling us at (888) 930 BEST.
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