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Technology has brought about a drastic change in every aspect of life. Right from the time you wake up till the time you get back to sleep, almost everything that you use has changed drastically. And the manufacturing and the packaging industry are not untouched with this change as well. Almost every manufacturing process has now got a massive upgrade that has increased the productivity and the efficiency of the manufacturing unit’s manifolds. 

The packaging is a crucial aspect that needs to be taken care of, for the success of any business. Proper packaging ensures that the goods are not lost, tampered with or are damaged while in transit and the end consumers get the products intact. As such, even if a company has every aspect of production taken care of, without a proper packaging process in place, it cannot sustain and survive in the industry.

With all processes getting an upgrade the packaging units and the packaging industry as a whole have also changed tremendously and have changed for good. The advent and use of packaging machines and other automated equipment to support packaging have simplified the packaging processes to a great extent.

In this piece, we will discuss the various types of packaging machines that have revolutionized the packaging industry along with some other aspects. Let’s take a closer look.

Packaging Machines - The Types

It is obvious that the type of packaging machine being used in the packaging unit on the shop or factory floor depends completely on the products that are being manufactured at the production facility. The packaging industry has its own segment and classifications which can be food packaging, retail products packaging, durable goods packaging, Perishable materials packaging, etc.

Let us list the major types of packaging machines:

1. Labeling Machines

These are one of the most widely used machines throughout the world. No matter what business you are into, if you are into the production of goods, you cannot get away with labeling your products. These machines are in widespread use in industrial, food, retail and other pharmaceutical applications. Every product needs to be labeled with the manufacturing dates and other important details for the purpose of identification and compliance with industry norms. As such this is an important machine you will find in every warehouse or packaging unit.

2. Tape Machines

These are machines that are used in taping and sealing of carton boxes. The Boxes are run through a conveyor belt and are made to pass through this machine which automatically tapes and seals the boxes and passes through the other end once done. These machines are used in comparatively smaller units and operations but are very popular for the ease and convenience of use these machines offer.

3. Conveyors

Conveyor belts are a major requirement in almost all types of assembly lines and packaging machines. These are required to move materials or products from one end of the production line to another. Throughout its assembly line journey, there are processing and packaging machines along the conveyor belt such as filling machines, processing units, etc that help in shaping the product before packing and labeling it finally. Conveyor types are often determined by use or power. There are in fact two types of conveyor types which are electric-powered conveyors and gravity conveyors. The shape and the size of conveyor belts are determined by the size and shape of the products that are being manufactured, packaged or assembled.

4. Bottle Filling Machines

Filling machines are most widely but are not limited to being used in the food processing industry. These machines are used in a lot of other applications such as alcohol and beverage drinks, Water Treatment and packaging, etc. These filling machines can be used to fill liquid, food or food grains in a container that can be a bottle or a normal cylindrical or other containers of varying shapes. The accuracy with which a bottle filling machine works to fill the bottles and containers ensure consistency of quantity of food or beverage in every container. 

5. Sealers

These machines are used in various types of packaging applications, which covers retail, industrial, food packaging and pharmaceutical packaging units. These machines use heat as a form of sealer that seals the packages with ease and perfection. These sealers can be used in small units as well as in large scale automatic operations. These sealers work on the principle that they melt the plastic that contains them to an extent that it acts as an adhesive and seals the packet. Heat sealers are used in all sorts of packaging operations to make sure that the product is protected from contamination and tampering.

6. Strapping Machines

Strapping machines are in popular use to strap and provide additional reinforcement and protection to heavy boxes while the product is in transit or in the warehouse for retail sales. The strapping involves providing layering with polypropylene so that the package is kept strong and is reinforced and provides additional security. These machines use heat to fix ends to provide for maximum durability. Another use of these machines involves bundling. Using these machines multiple products can be bundled together to provide the reinforcement they need before being shipped together. 

7. Stretch Wrapping Machines

These machines are extremely popular and are common in warehouses across the world. When it comes to pallet wrapping, stretching it by hand is an alternative and most big companies use this machine when production exceeds more than 12 pallets per day. Though these are more common in large scale industrial applications, you will find them in use by many other types of businesses as well. Many bulk order packages use this type of packaging to provide the packages with the required reinforcement before being delivered to the retailers and outlets.

8. Bagging Machines

These machines are similar to filling machines in concept. In this case, though the dimensions of the bag and the number of materials be it processed food or anything else is preset. Once the assembly line starts the bagging machine pour the set quantity of materials into these bags. This ensures that the quantity is consistent with every bag of the product. These machines are extremely common in the food processing and packaging industry. One such application being the filling up of nachos, Cheetos or potato chips in bags in the packaging line of factories.

9. Blowing Machines

This is one other machine that is extremely useful to create bottles and containers for packaging. A blowing machine molds the bottles and containers out of molten glass or thermoplastic material to be used for packaging. Once the bottles are blow-molded using these machines they go further in the production line to pass through other machines of filling, labeling and capping, etc. So a blowing machine is an important machine in the packaging line in any industry.

10. Capping Machines

As blowing and filling machines are important, a capping machine is equally important when it comes to packaging. Once a bottle or a container is blown and filled, it has to be capped properly to ensure there is no pilferage and the contents are secure. Hence, these machines are an important part of the assembly and the production line with any industry that involves the use of bottles and containers.

Pros & Cons of Packaging Machines

Every modern technology and machinery has its own sets of advantages as well as disadvantages. Packaging Machinery and its usage have a lot of advantages and disadvantages to their credit. Let’s quickly list a few of them:

The Pros - 

Have increased the productivity and efficiency of the production line by leaps and bounds.Have reduced the margins and the possibilities of errors to a huge extent.It provides for a cost-effective and labor-intensive option of packaging.Reduces the costs of labor and other factors of production.Minimizes the risks of damage to the products while in transit with impeccable, durable packaging quality.Consistency and accuracy in product dimensions, quantity, and quality, etc are easier to maintain.These machines can be custom made to suit all types of production needs and requirements.Ensures safe working conditions for the workers, peace of mind for the business owners and satisfaction for the end customers.

The Cons –

The initial cost of setting up packaging machinery is high.The procurement is often difficult since it may involve importing machinery from overseas.Training workers to operate these machines may pose a challenge with the business owners a little level of skill is required.It may add up to the company’s insurance costs.

Conclusion

In the end, it is only fair to say that packaging machinery has changed the industry assembly lines and the packaging industry in a revolutionary manner and this is only getting better with new and improved technology being introduced every now and then. Yes, there is some initial set up costs that may look to raise the production costs considerably. But for all the advantages and the benefits that the packaging machinery offer, their use is a complete win-win situation, for the workers, the business owners and customers alike. So do not keep waiting. go online and check for these amazing packaging machinery today.