At the present time, rising costs are a major concern for businesses in a wide range of sectors. In recent months and years, there have been major increases in energy and material costs, whilst supply chain delays have also added to financial worries. As a result, it’s vital for businesses to find ways to reduce costs wherever possible and seek ways for the business to be more sustainable. Investing in complete packaging automation has been a key step for many businesses fighting rising costs.
From packaging food products and beverages, to pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, or parts and technical products, businesses have invested in automating their packaging processes in order to help reduce costs whilst also increasing packaging output and generating more revenue.
So what is complete packaging automation? Whilst packaging machinery may be used at one or more stages of packaging production, complete automation means that all packaging processes are automated, providing a single packaging line that covers all tasks. For example, a semi automated packaging line may use a pouch filling or form fill and seal machine to bag up products, ready to be sorted, boxed and labelled manually. A fully automated line would cut out labour and ensure that all processes are carried out by packaging machinery, from start to finish.
An automated packaging line can cover several processes, depending on packaging requirements. For example, after pouches, sachets or stickpacks are filled and sealed by a machine, a packaging machine can be integrated with a sorting machine, as well as a box erecting and packing machine, ensuring that the correct number of bags can be packed into a box, ready for shipping. A variety of other packaging equipment can also be integrated, for example, TIJ printing machines for labels and batch codes, or shrink wrapping machines for extra security.
The benefits of investing in packaging machinery
When there is a strong demand to reduce costs, it may seem like a bad idea to invest a lot of cash in packaging machinery and the automation of packaging processes. However, whilst there are certainly short term costs involved, in the long term, packaging automation can quickly achieve return on investment and benefit a business in a number of ways.
Increased productivity
One of the key benefits of packaging machinery is that it will package and process goods much faster than manual packaging methods. Depending on the machine and the products being packed, automated packaging equipment may package hundreds of items each minute.
By automating all packaging processes, including initial packaging and sealing, sorting, box or carton erecting, and any additional steps, packaging automation helps to avoid bottlenecks in production.
Reduced labour costs
Manual packaging, or even semi-automated packaging can be extremely labour intensive, requiring many man hours to meet demand. As packaging machinery helps considerably speed up packaging and increase productivity, it also requires less labour. In some cases, an entire automated packaging line can be operated by a single person.
The result is that labour costs can be considerably reduced for investing in packaging automation, helping to achieve ROI faster.
Reduced energy costs
Whilst packaging machines certainly require energy to run, by reducing labour and potentially the number of shifts needed to carry out packaging processes, it can be possible to save money on lighting and heating costs.
Increased efficiency and quality
Packaging is an extremely repetitive job. When carried out manually, it can be a monotonous and strenuous process, which can result in a loss of efficiency and consistency of quality. Such jobs can also make worker retention difficult, which can lead to downtime and expensive recruitment costs.
Choosing to automate all processes helps to ensure that every finished product is packaged in an efficient and consistent manner, passing quality control every time.
Increased worker wellbeing
As a repetitive and often strenuous task, manual packaging processes can lead to problems such as repetitive strain injuries, preventing staff from working and potentially leading to downtime and bottlenecks in production. By reducing labour needs, packaging automation allows for staff to be utilised in other productive ways within the business.
Invest in packaging automation
At a time where there is a strong focus on cutting costs, choosing to invest in new equipment may not seem like the right choice, but automation helps to reduce costs elsewhere and provide opportunity for increased productivity and revenue to achieve return on investment in a short period of time, for major long term gain.
If you are considering fully automating your packaging systems, Intamac Packaging Systems can help you find the right machines and equipment to provide a packaging line to fit your needs.