Packaging for Solar Companies, Part 3

The solar industry is extremely strong and diverse in Arizona, with firms manufacturing a wide variety of products, including components for solar power generation, energy efficient products of all kinds, solar cooking products, solar construction and building products, components for wind power generation, and solar water heating. This is the third in a series of posts highlighting packaging topics of special interest to solar companies.

Packaging Automation Gives Solar Companies a Competitive Advantage

Manufacturers and distributors of solar products work hard to keep their operations efficient in the face of rapidly growing demand – a good problem to have, especially in today’s economy. Packaging processes are often low on the priority list as solar firms expand and automate. This creates problems, though, because overly manual or poorly integrated packaging systems create bottlenecks, downtime, and a number of other problems. Pioneer works closely with solar companies throughout Arizona, and we can help you select, install, integrate, and maintain systems that benefit your operation in many ways. Here are four.

• Increased Productivity. The first and most obvious reason to automate. Stepping up from manual to semi automatic, and from semi automatic to fully automatic, will make a dramatic difference in throughput on the packaging line.
• Control of Packaging Materials. When products such as box sealing tape and stretch film are applied manually, waste occurs. By automating, packaging materials applied evenly, in the exact amount necessary. As production increases, these cost savings become more and more significant.
• More Secure Packaging. Stretch wrap equipment applies more holding force to a load than hand held stretch wrappers. Semi automatic and fully automatic bag sealers apply more reliable seals than hand held units. These are just two examples of how automation can reduce damage claims and increase customer satisfaction.
• More Efficient Use of Labor. As companies grow, utilizing human resources to full advantage becomes a top priority. When workers are engaged in simple, slow, repetitive tasks such as preforming corrugated shipping containers, inserting void fill materials, and printing and applying labels, companies under utilize these valuable human assets. Packaging equipment allows solar firms to redeploy their resources for more productive, value added work.

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Packaging Materials, Packaging Equipment, Packaging Solutions

Related posts:

1. Packaging for Solar Companies, Part 2
2. Packaging for Solar Companies, Part 1
3. The Old Paper Tape Dispenser Has Modern Advantages

For Point of Purchase Displays, Corrugated Fluting Makes a Difference

Corrugated Fluting for POP Displays

• A Flute – 3/16″ high, approximately 33 flutes per lineal foot
• B Flute – 1/8″ thick, approximately 47 flutes per lineal foot
• C Flute – 5/32″ thick, approximately 39 flutes per lineal foot
• E Flute – 1/16″ thick, approximately 90 flutes per lineal foot
• F Flute – 1/32″ thick, approximately 128 flutes per lineal foot

The type of fluting used to make corrugated board for POP displays makes a considerable difference in the display’s strength and durability, attractiveness, and printability.

F Flute (also referred to as “microflute”) and E-Flute are very stiff materials, almost having the appearance of very thick chipboard. These narrower fluting options do not create as much of a wavy texture on the outer facings of the corrugated sheet as do larger flutes, making their surface much flatter for printing. In addition, the superior rigidity of these materials makes them a good choice for counter top and floor stand of purchase displays. Another characteristic of narrow fluted corrugated is that it consumes less storage space than wider materials. This can be a very significant factor when warehouse space is at a premium.

Overall corrugated board strength depends on more than fluting alone. Corrugated board can be made from liner sheets in a variety of thicknesses and strengths. Multiple layers of corrugated board can be laminated together as well, with different combinations of fluting. This allows any POP display to have the proper combination of strength and visual appeal necessary for the job. For large floor stand displays, a single layer of E or F fluting may not be sufficiently stable. In those cases, a multilayer construction may be the best, most economical choice.

As leading specialists in the design, manufacturing, assembly, and delivery of POP displays, we can lend a hand in determining what type of material best suits your project. Please let us know how we can help.
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Packaging Materials, Packaging Equipment, Packaging Solutions

Related posts:

1. Custom Corrugated Checklist for Quoting
2. In House Design for POP Displays Simplifies New Product Development
3. Our Manufacturing Capabilities Reduce Cost on Corrugated Boxes

Our New Suspension Packaging Can Protect Just about Anything

New Packaging Solution Offers Protection, Convenience, Sustainable Packaging

Pact Packaging and Crating Technologies has introduced a new suspension packaging product which we are excited to be introducing to Arizona and the Phoenix area. Although suspension packaging has been around for a while, the company’s design is incredibly simple – as most great ideas are – along with being functional and cost effective.

The Pact suspension pack is a combination corrugated shipping box and plastic pouch that comes assembled and ready to use. Fragile products are simply inserted into the pouch and if necessary, sealed. The box is then ready for closure and shipment. The suspension pack is available in five standard sizes, and can be custom made to accommodate a wide range of product sizes. Standard products are designed for use with a variety of items, including -

• Wine bottles
• Laptop computers
• Circuit boards and other static sensitive electronic components
• Glassware
• Measuring devices
• Cell phones
• Cameras
• Hand held computers

The simplicity and elegance of the suspension pack design reduce packaging material usage to a minimum, making a dramatic difference for fragile products that require extra protection. By reducing packaging mass, material and shipping costs are minimized, and sustainability is greatly enhanced. As you can see in the photo above, the new pack can be used to ship a raw egg with confidence. In addition to superior cushioning performance, the pack presents a professional image to the consumer and also provides excellent tamper evidence.

For more information, please contact us to see a video or to arrange for samples or a demonstration.
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Packaging Materials, Packaging Equipment, Packaging Solutions

Related posts:

1. In House Design for POP Displays Simplifies New Product Development

Keep Your Packaging Equipment Running

Periodic Maintenance Reduces Downtime and Bottlenecks

Packaging automation can be very simple or highly complex. An entry level, semi automatic case sealer has relatively few moving parts; a high speed, fully automatic shrink wrapping system has hundreds. But whether simple or complex, any piece of equipment has the potential to break down. When it comes to packaging equipment, those breakdowns always seem to occur at the least opportune moment.

Distribution centers and manufacturing facilities can ill afford line shutdowns or slowdowns due to an uncooperative case former, case sealer, or void fill dispensing system. While most repairs can be completed within minutes or hours – assuming parts are available – even a short delay can translate into thousands of lost productivity dollars.

A periodic maintenance program for your packaging equipment is one of the least expensive and hassle free insurance policies you can find to protect yourself against shutdowns and slowdowns. Our factory trained technicians inspect your equipment on a quarterly or monthly basis, keep it fine tuned, inspect parts that are subject to wear, replace worn parts, and make recommendations for optimizing the unit’s performance.

Having seen packaging equipment perform in hundreds of operations, our specialists know what to look for, and often spot problems in-house maintenance crews might overlook. In addition, when service technicians are in your facility, they can train new operators and answer questions from the staff, further enhancing your overall productivity.

If you are now using packaging equipment, please contact us to discuss a maintenance program that is right for you.
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Packaging Materials, Packaging Equipment, Packaging Solutions

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1. Packaging Equipment Spare Parts Are Critical
2. The Old Paper Tape Dispenser Has Modern Advantages
3. JIT Inventory Programs Are a Smart Way to Save Money in a Slow Economy

Molded Fiber Wine Shippers

Growing in popularity are molded fiber shippers, which make an excellent replacement for polystyrene and other rigid foams. Molded fiber shippers can be used as single or multiple unit shippers and as case pack trays. They are made from 100% post consumer waste recycled materials.

For printed bags and gift boxes, eco friendly options are abundantly available. Paper materials and substrates with high recycled content can produce high impact graphics and provide the necessary strength, making them an ideal choice for retail use.

Similarly, corrugated shippers and interleaving sheets with high recycled content are readily available. Small flute corrugated, in particular, allows for high quality printing and offers excellent rigidity.

As design specialists in the wine industry, we understand that primary and secondary packaging materials are part of your sales and branding programs. Having sustainable materials is not enough – they must convey your brand identity and attract attention at the retail level as well. Our design team works with you to create packages that fulfill all your needs, not just one or two.

For automation, our systems include fully automatic and semi automatic stretch wrappers, inkjet printers, and automatic case sealers. Automation offers a sustainable advantage by reducing packaging material consumption. Stretch wrappers, in particular, can reduce pallet wrap film consumption considerably versus hand wrapping.

Packaging products for the wine industry include -

• Molded Fiber Shippers and Case Pack Trays
• Foam Shippers and Trays
• Totes, Plain and Custom
• Wooden Boxes, Plain and Custom
• Bags, Tissue and Gift Boxes
• Packaging Machinery

Need help? Contact us today to learn more about all of your packaging options.
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Packaging Materials, Packaging Equipment, Packaging Solutions

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1. Specialists in Wine Industry Packaging
2. Downgauge Stretch Wrap Film for a Sustainable Packaging Advantage
3. Sustainable Packaging Solution Eliminates Corrugated Shipping Boxes – and More

Custom Corrugated Containers versus Stock Shipping Boxes

Welcome to this series of posts comparing stock shipping boxes to custom corrugated containers. Most firms in manufacturing and distribution have the option of using either, and weighing the differences involves more than meets the eye. We hope these brief articles will help.

Inventory Management, Stock Shipping Boxes versus Custom Corrugated Boxes

Corrugated boxes consume a great deal of floor space in storage. And, since shipping boxes are a relatively large expenditure in most packaging operations, manufacturers and distribution centers are generally interested in reducing the amount of boxes in their warehouse – while preserving a low purchase price.

Stock shipping boxes are an attractive option for minimizing warehousing and material cost. The price of corrugated shipping containers, stock or custom, is driven by the run volume of the particular box in the manufacturing process. Stock boxes are run in large quantity and stored in a distribution warehouse, allowing the distributor to resell in smaller quantities at a price based on a much larger run quantity. Thus, a user can purchase boxes in smaller volume, keeping inventory levels low and turning rapidly.

Custom corrugated containers, in contrast, are normally run to order and delivered directly to the user. The price difference between an order for 500 and 10,000 boxes can be dramatic, and smaller quantities can be cost prohibitive in some cases. It’s good to remember, though, that the cost differential between stock boxes and custom containers purchased in small volume is not as great as it may appear. The cost to store, handle, and ship stock boxes must be factored in, and those costs are sometimes considerable.

Cost Management Solutions for Custom Corrugated Boxes

Because custom containers are desirable for packaging efficiency, product appearance, and branding, we offer a number of options to help you achieve that goal of minimizing warehouse commitment and purchase price. These options include -

• Dedicated warehousing of custom corrugated boxes. By purchasing in lower volume, we match the purchasing economics of stock boxes.
• Just in Time, or JIT inventory programs. Our shipping infrastructure allows us to make low volume deliveries economically throughout the Phoenix area and Arizona.
• Box design and redesign services. Many times, a new box style and board construction can significantly reduce the cost of a custom box, and allow customers to order smaller volumes economically. In addition, a new design can improve packaging efficiency, product appearance, and branding.

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Packaging Materials, Packaging Equipment, Packaging Solutions

Related posts:

1. Stock Shipping Boxes versus Custom Corrugated Containers, Part 1
2. Custom Shipping Boxes Reduce Cost
3. Ripp 'n' Take Replaces Corrugated Shipping Boxes

Broaden Clamshell Packaging Capabilities by Outsourcing

Clamshells are an excellent packaging alternative for a number of reasons.

• Tamper Evidence. For consumer electronics, food products, and pharmaceuticals – to name a few – clamshells are invaluable, allowing products to be displayed confidently on retail shelves.
• Thermal Insulation. Since clamshells can be made from a wide range of plastic and paper materials, they are highly favored for processed food applications, as well as temperature sensitive medical products and electronic components.
• Branding and Marketing. Clear plastic clamshells allow manufacturers of consumer items to show off their products on the retail shelf or in point of purchase displays, or POPs. Labels can easily be used as well, making clamshell packaging a highly versatile marketing platform.
• Sustainability. Paper based materials have grown in popularity, most noticeably in the fast food industry, where polystyrene was once used almost exclusively. Today, many firms are shifting from plastic to paper materials as part of their effort to utilize sustainable packaging.
• Cost. Clamshells deliver several important benefits at an extremely low per-unit cost. Alternative packaging solutions are often price prohibitive or not really feasible from a design standpoint.

To help companies take full advantage of clamshell packaging options, we offer packaging services that enable our customers to shift packaging size, packaging volume, and clamshell materials without the need for capital investment in new equipment. Today, manufacturers and distribution centers need to maximize flexibility. As consumer preferences change, companies must adapt quickly with new products and product put-ups. Maintaining in-house packaging automation to cover the breadth of current and future needs grows harder every day.

To explore how we can help maximize your packaging flexibility, please contact us for a brief application review.
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Packaging Materials, Packaging Equipment, Packaging Solutions

Related posts:

1. Shrink Wrapping Order Fulfillment Services for Arizona
2. Which Packaging Is Better for the Environment – Paper or Plastic?
3. Packaging and Order Fulfillment for Tea Manufacturers

Arpac 737C Manually Operated Shrink Bundler

The 737C unitizes boxes, folding cartons, and trays with equal ease, and accommodates product sizes up to 35″ wide, 16″ long, and 20″ high. Manually operated, this machine is ideally suited for online or off line production where high speed is not essential. It is very popular in distribution centers because it is flexible enough to handle a wide range of sizes. See the short Arpac 737C shrink bundler video here.

We are proud to represent Arpac in the Arizona market. All Arpac equipment is manufactured in the U.S., and is respected worldwide for its reliability, elegant engineering, and rock solid service support.

Shrink bundling continues to grow as an alternative to corrugated shipping boxes and other methods of unitizing products for shipment or display. Depending on the application, benefits of shrink bundling may include -

• Faster throughput
• Cost reduction in packaging materials
• More attractive packages
• Sales and branding messages printed on the film
• Protection from harmful environmental conditions

Please contact us for more information on Arpac flexible packaging equipment.

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Packaging Materials, Packaging Equipment, Packaging Solutions

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1. Packaging Equipment Service Programs Increase Productivity
2. Shrink Wrapping Order Fulfillment Services for Arizona
3. 5 Reasons to Review Your Shrink Wrap Packaging

Packaging Solutions Deliver Big Savings

Cost Saving Ideas for Carton Sealing Tape

1. Try a narrower box sealing tape width. 42mm wide polypropylene tapes and 2-3/4″ wide paper tapes are often more than adequate.
2. Try a wider box sealing tape width. In many hand applied applications, operators apply multiple strips because tape is not centered on the first pass. A wider tape will reduce usage.
3. Try an economy grade. Manufacturers of plastic and paper carton sealing tapes develop new constructions on a regular basis. Lower cost alternatives may be available if you haven’t surveyed the market in several months.
4. Try a new box design. The regular slotted container (RSC) is the most common shipping box style. A full overlap container (FOL) may be a cost effective alternative that requires far less box sealing tape.
5. Try a tray. If a tray with a shrink overwrap can work in your operation, you will realize many other cost benefits in addition to eliminated box sealing tapes completely.
6. Try a padded mailer. For small size shipping boxes, mailing bags are often suitable replacements. Again, eliminating the box eliminates the tape.
7. Automate. Machine applied tape allows you to precisely control the amount of material being applied to each shipping box. Besides eliminating packaging waste, machine length rolls of box sealing tape generally cost less per lineal foot than manual rolls.

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Packaging Materials, Packaging Equipment, Packaging Solutions

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1. Save Money with High Priced Packaging Materials
2. How Spending More on a Stretch Wrapper Saves Money
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Having Spare Parts On Hand Saves Thousands of Dollars

Keep Your Packaging Lines Moving

And it all could have been avoided if the distribution center had had a spare taping head on hand.

Does this sound far fetched? It isn’t. Breakdowns like this – and worse – occur frequently, and often merely for lack of a handy, factory-issued spare parts kit. Packaging equipment sometimes flies under the maintenance department radar. In manufacturing operations, case sealers, strapping machines, and stretch wrappers appear simple compared to production equipment and are sometimes not given adequate attention.

Don’t Let Packaging Equipment Be a Silent Killer of Productivity

But these simple packaging machines require maintenance and are subject to breakdown, just like any other machine. And just like any other machine, a packaging equipment breakdown can cause a serious bottleneck, productivity losses, and complete shutdowns.

Knowing the importance of packaging equipment spare parts, we consider parts procurement a high priority in our cost management services offering. We review customer needs for on hand parts on a regular basis, maintain parts inventories, and provide digital schematics and comprehensive parts inventory lists. For customers who prefer to outsource packaging equipment service, we arrange maintenance programs, which include spare part inspection and replacement.

Don’t take chances with your packaging equipment – work with a packaging solutions specialist.
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Packaging Materials, Packaging Equipment, Packaging Solutions

Related posts:

1. Packaging Equipment Service Programs Increase Productivity
2. Avoid the Temptation to Reduce Cost with Under Spec Packaging Equipment
3. The Old Paper Tape Dispenser Has Modern Advantages