Five reasons to automate your packaging systems

To ensure all packaging processes are as efficient as possible &#; in terms of cost, time, and resource &#; an automated packaging system may be the key to unlocking your full business potential.

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What are the different levels of packaging?

Packaging is required at three stages during the production line. Firstly, primary packaging encloses the product itself within a wrapper or tray to ensure it does not perish.

This is then followed by secondary packaging, where the primary-packed product is enclosed within a secondary container, such as a plastic bag or cardboard box. The final stage of the packaging process is referred to as tertiary or transit packaging, which sees the second packaging placed into larger containers and loaded onto pallets ahead of being shipped out.

What are the benefits of having automated packaging solutions in your production line? 

1. Streamline production

Packaging automation is built and designed to mirror the movements made during manual packaging, such as picking up items from a conveyor system and placing them in the respective packaging.

Automated systems can pick and place these items more quickly and precisely than manual workers, enabling the whole operation to run more efficiently and streamlining the production line.

2. Robust reliability

Automated packaging systems are created with robustness in mind. A robot arm working within a production line has the capability to work for more than 70,000 hours (which equates to just under eight years) until it requires maintenance.

This means that your production line can run effortlessly and at a high-performance level for a prolonged period, with minimal maintenance, which will enhance your overall operation. 

3. Consistent quality

Across all packaging stages, there is a specific format in which the product needs to be packaged. This is important during the secondary and tertiary steps, as incorrect packing could affect the overall quality of the packaged product.

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Automated packaging solutions can help with the consistency of the packaging of products as it reduces human error. For products which need to be stacked, rotated, or nestled in a particular way, the system can be programmed to ensure this is done correctly and the use of multi-axis robots can help reduce the risk of packaging irregularities. 

4. Reduction in waste

Opting for a turnkey automated packaging system brings with it the ability to identify defective products quickly and remove them from the production line before they even reach the packaging stage.

Using vision systems rather than manual packaging inspections, the production line can automatically reject these products, ensuring only the highest quality products are packaged ready for retail. This reduces the amount of product that is wasted, aiding your environmental impact, reducing the risk of product recalls, and therefore maximising profit margins.

5. Upskilling your people

As automation becomes more prevalent in manufacturing and packaging facilities, so does the need to upskill team members to operate the systems themselves. Automation can alleviate the repetitiveness and high physical demand on manual labour, which reduces staff injury, as well as providing an opportunity for specialised training. An automated system therefore benefits twofold &#; it can increase speed of production and helps improve staff wellbeing and career progression.

Robotic packaging solutions bring with them a host of benefits to production lines, such as helping improve efficiencies, quality, and reliability. When combined, these benefits deliver a strong return-on-investment and make deploying an automated packaging solution a key part of the long-term strategy for manufacturers.

At Sewtec, we create bespoke primary, secondary, and tertiary robotic packaging solutions for products across a range of industries, including food, pharmaceutical, medical, and tobacco. We also offer a range of standard product and case packaging machines that can be tailored to suit your individual requirements.

For more information on how we can help with your packaging systems, or to visit our facility, get in touch here.

For more information, please visit Automatic Packaging Line.