Recently we wrote about how companies are sometimes tempted to reduce cost by resorting to inferior grade packaging materials. As self defeating as this approach can be, an attempt to save money by purchasing under spec packaging equipment carries even greater risk.
It’s easy to get caught up on price and undervalue performance and service issues when purchasing industrial equipment. Today, with the economy still reeling, capital expenditures are under more scrutiny than ever. Adding to the problem, certain types of packaging equipment, including stretch wrappers, carton sealers, and strapping machines, tend to be viewed as commodities although they are in fact designed for very specific applications. Factors to consider when purchasing packaging systems include -
- Line speed, cycles per minute or hour
- Number of shifts, hours of continuous operation
- Power requirements and accessibility
- Environmental conditions on warehouse floor, including humidity, temperature, and contaminants
- Weight, fragility, configuration, and value of product
- Integration with other equipment – conveyor, scales, feeders, palletizers, etc.
- Ability and availability of staff to perform maintenance
Failing to adequately consider these factors will result in -
- Bottlenecks
- Excessive downtime
- Packaging failures
- Product damage during shipment
- Line shutdowns
- Operator frustration
Clearly, the risks of skimping on packaging equipments outweigh the lower purchase cost. Above and beyond these everyday operational problems, an under spec machine will not last as long as one designed for the application and will not scale as production volume increases over time. A much better course is to review your application thoroughly (we can assist) and make sure the machine fits for today and tomorrow’s needs.
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Packaging Materials, Packaging Equipment, Packaging Solutions
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