Author: Ron Crews

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Expedite Packaging with Combination Scales and Used Filling Equipment

When you’re in the business of packaging and shipping goods to customers, the faster you can complete the packaging process, the better. If you’ve been doing things manually, using an assembly line or other such inefficient methods, you should consider making the switch to used combination scales and filling equipment. Using equipment to get the job done instead of manpower alone can not only save you time and money, but it can also potentially contribute to the growth of your business.

Save Time and Money

Of course, profit margins are a priority for most businesses. Making money while maintaining a good output are two reasons why used combination scales and filling equipment are a good method to switch to. Purchasing packaging equipment used is also a great way to save money upfront—you still get a high-quality product, you just pay less for it. This way, you can load your product into the scale, punch in how much of it you want in each package, and let the filling equipment do the rest. Naturally, you’ll need employees to supervise this process, but in the long run, you may be able to reassign other work to employees who, before the machinery, had to spend their days slowly packaging goods.

Remain Efficient and Productive

Keeping your packaging process at its optimal efficiency means not only implementing the fasted methods of packaging, but keeping your employees knowledgeable and trained on the equipment you’re using. If you have fast-packing used filling equipment in place but your staff doesn’t know how to operate the machines and has to revert to old methods, the machinery is of no use. Maintain maximum efficiency by installing the correct machinery, like used combination scales paired with used filling equipment, and training your staff on it—once you do that, you can reallocate work for maximum efficiency. Expediting the packaging process also gives your business new potential to grow, since you’ll be able to keep up with higher demand and may be able to take on more clients.

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Conserving Floor Space In Your Facility

You should be excited when your company is successful enough to expand, but growth comes with its own complications. This is particularly true of packaging operations, because expansion is something that happens literally—when your sales and volume increase, so must the size of your packaging line. If your facility is already packed with machinery from wall to wall, then, you may be left wondering where your new equipment can go. Since you can’t very well pack up and move every time your company expands, you may find that a custom mezzanine and efficiency-increasing packaging equipment services solve your space issues.

A Multi-Level Packaging Line

A custom mezzanine expands your facility vertically instead of horizontally. By building stair-accessible platforms the house your new and used packaging machines, you can increase the size of your facility by nearly two times—packaging equipment can go both above and below the new level. Because a packaging line is so large, custom mezzanines professionally installed are the best option—this is not something you should try to engineer yourself. Adding a mezzanine is less costly than relocating your facility, and it gives you the space that you need. If you aren’t sure if your facility is conducive to mezzanine integration, a consulting company that plans and installs them can identify the best locations and options for you.

Properly Integrating Your New and Used Packaging Machines

Whether or not you use a mezzanine to increase the size of your facility, you can increase the efficiency of your packaging line with the right packaging equipment services. Every time you add new equipment to your existing, used packaging machines, you risk losing efficiency. After repeatedly increasing the size of your operation, then, you may have a packaging line stocked with machines that aren’t well-integrated. Rearranging your line can increase its efficiency while reducing wasted space in your facility. If your don’t know how to best integrate your new and used packaging machines, contact a packaging equipment services consultant that can identify where you have room for improvement. Creating a more efficient facility enables you to maintain production speed and quality standards as your business grows.

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How Efficient Is Your Packaging Line?

When you operate a packaging line, efficiency is everything. Do you know how efficient your line is? If you don’t know, or you don’t know how to tell, you’re left with guesswork—and that isn’t a sustainable business strategy. There are plenty of ways that your production line’s efficiency can suffer, be they improper equipment use, poor integration of new machines or simply equipment with lackluster performance. Working with a production consultant or packaging equipment company can help you improve your line’s performance, even if you aren’t sure what’s holding you back.

Identifying Room for Improvement

The signs of an imperfect packaging line aren’t always clear. It could be as apparent as frequent downtime or as subtle as below-average personnel speed. If you know that your line’s performance is suffering but you aren’t sure of the cause, a consulting company trained to increase efficiency can find your weak spots. Even if you don’t know whether your line is meeting its potential, an equipment training company can observe your equipment and your crew to determine if there’s room for improvement, and where you may be underperforming.

What a Packaging Equipment Company Does to Improve Your Line

If you decide to work with a consultant or packaging equipment company to improve the efficiency of your packaging line, ideally, they will take a customized, hands-on approach. This means that you can expect them to visit your facility, observe your crew, inspect your equipment and find ways that you can maximize your potential. For example, in many cases, the crew working on the packaging line hasn’t been adequately trained for the specific machines that they use—teaching them the intricacies unique to those machines, however, can improve their efficiency using them.

Similarly, servicing your machines with preventative maintenance can eliminate problems now and in the future. If it seems like a particular piece of equipment on your line is causing a domino effect of problems throughout the rest of your machines, the problem could be as simple as a small part that needs to be replaced. Having the right technician, then, can get your packaging line moving again. Whether or not you think your line is reaching its full potential, semi-regular inspections and training can improve performance drastically.

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Tips for Choosing a Packaging Equipment Company

You have a lot to think about when you’re buying new and used packaging machines. Which packaging equipment company has the best prices, or the most convenient delivery options, or the biggest catalog? Compared to the other investments you may make for your company, though, your machinery requires extra attention and care—it has to last for years, maintaining its current quality as best as possible. Choosing the right packaging equipment company can help you make that a reality, so don’t just think about the equipment’s cost as the price of the machine—it’s the price of the peace of mind that accompanies it.

Experts and Salespeople

There are two types of packaging equipment company: Those working for the sale, and those working for the customer. Salespeople don’t always understand their own products, let alone know what’s best for you and your production line. An expert, however, knows all about new and used packaging machines—especially the ones they offer. This is why companies with enormous inventories aren’t necessarily better—their people may not know as much about each machine as they need to. If a packaging equipment company doesn’t seem to know its own equipment, they won’t be any more reliable down the road.

Services, Maintenance and More

Your packaging equipment company should offer more than just machines. Used packaging machines should be completely refurbished, and your equipment should come with options for installation and training services. Unlike products of other industries, packaging machines aren’t just commodities—they require a combination of careful integration, comprehensive training and regular maintenance to keep them working as well as they should. If your packaging equipment company only sells machines and doesn’t service them, you can’t be completely sure that they believe in their own products. A company that sells and services, however, holds itself accountable for the quality of your machines, so you always know where to turn.

More Than a Product

Ultimately, your best machinery supplier is one that treats the equipment like you do: Not as a product, but as an investment. By understanding what makes these machines tick and knowing how to keep them performing, you and your supplier can work together to improve your line’s performance for the short-term and the long-term.

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Investing in Packaging Equipment Services

It doesn’t matter if you’re investing in new or used packaging machines—without the ongoing packaging equipment services to back them up, you can encounter unexpected problems down the line. When you work with a company that offers all-encompassing services throughout the life of your machine, you can enjoy the peace of mind that any time you need technical support or training, it’s available for you and your floor personnel.

Troubleshooting and Maintenance

You should never underestimate the value of regular maintenance in extending the life and efficiency of your packaging machines. Used and new machines alike need to undergo not only repairs, but also preventative maintenance that reduces the risk of future issues developing. When you incorporate a comprehensive preventative maintenance plan as part of your packaging equipment services, you reduce the impact of gradual wear and tear and also the risk of industrial accidents and fires. Whether or not you opt to treat your machines with this type of maintenance, you may find yourself needing troubleshooting advice in the future—even brand new machines can break down unexpectedly. Should that happen, you must be prepared to deal with the consequences, and know who you should call for troubleshooting help.

Set-Up and Start-Up

Installation services are another type of packaging equipment service that you may find useful when integrating new machinery on your warehouse floor. The last thing you want to be left with on day one is a new or used packaging machine that you can’t get started, or can’t efficiently incorporate with the rest of your equipment. That’s why it’s important when you purchase machinery that you identify whether or not the retailer provides any type of installation and/or start-up services to help you get the machinery onto the floor and working properly.

Other Ongoing Services

Depending on where you order your equipment from, you may be eligible to participate in other packaging equipment services that extend the life of your machinery. For example, in-depth personnel training, performance improvement measures and more can all help you and your staff use your machines more efficiently, more safely and ultimately, more productively.

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The Importance of Proper Packaging Equipment Training

Whether you’re using new or used packaging machines, the proper training is of vital importance. When somebody operates machinery of any kind that they aren’t trained to use, it can lead to workplace accidents, diminished productivity and even broken equipment. Investing in machinery for the floor personnel isn’t enough to improve your bottom line—you need to invest in training the people that will be using that machinery, too.

Improving Your Productivity with Packaging Equipment Training

If you or your floor personnel are having difficulty adjusting to your new or used packaging machines, investing in packaging equipment training can help. Even if you have used comparable machines, it could take time for you to learn the ins and outs of your new equipment—why waste time and money figuring it out for yourself? Training is a tool every bit as valuable as your equipment, and by undergoing training, you make yourself more valuable, too. Investing in thorough machinery training for your staff members can also increase their sense of importance in the company’s operations, showing them the importance of the roles they play.

Protecting Your Investment

Your machines represent a major investment. Whether you’re using brand new, refurbished or sold-as-is used packaging machines, you can easily damage them with improper use. This doesn’t always mean a single, dramatic accident, either—improper use over time can gradually wear a machine down into a state of disrepair. When you undergo packaging equipment training, you don’t just learn what to do—you learn what not to do, and what the warning signs are in case you make any missteps along the way.

Reducing Waste and Accidents

An improperly-used machine is as big a liability as a malfunctioning one, so never assume that someone is using the equipment properly unless they’ve been instructed how. When the equipment isn’t being used properly, you can easily waste product, and it may even put your floor personnel at risk. Heavy machinery and packaging equipment should never be used by an untrained individual, so if you aren’t confident in your ability to use everything properly, investing in training protects your employees’ safety.

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Choosing Used Packaging Machinery Wisely

When you purchase used packaging machinery, you have to consider a number of factors that will help you determine how efficient and long-lasting it ends up being. Some of these are factors that you would have to consider even if the machinery were brand new, while some of them are exclusive to used equipment. You will find that much of the value of your equipment isn’t built-in, but rather, relies on the packaging equipment company from which you purchased it.

Built-In and External Value

Some of the value of your used packaging machinery is intrinsic—most notably, the condition that it’s in. Depending on the equipment and the used machinery dealer from which you purchase it, you may choose to invest in either an as-is piece of machinery or a refurbished model. When you choose a refurbished piece of equipment, you must be sure that it has been thoroughly repaired and is fit for use—a company that is not thorough when refurbishing may be hesitant to offer services like repairs, troubleshooting or installation help. You put a lot of stock in your machinery, and you should be able to trust the packaging equipment company from which you buy it.

A Packaging Equipment Company’s Value

The value of your used packaging machinery isn’t all in the machinery itself—equally as important is the machinery dealer from which you purchase the machinery. In addition to ongoing services that extend the life and efficiency of the equipment, like troubleshooting, preventative maintenance, repairs and personnel training, the company’s other specialties may be useful, as well.

For example, choosing to work with a company that also provides packaging materials can become an invaluable time-saver in the event of a problem on the manufacturing line. Ordering your film and bags from your packaging equipment company means that when you have problems on the line, you’re able to get technical support and maintenance from the same place, no matter what the origin of the problem is. This saves you the time and energy of figuring out the origin of the malfunction and struggling to contact the party responsible—instead, you can get all of your technical support from one trusted source.

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The Secrets to Packaging Performance Improvement

It doesn’t matter how old or new your packaging equipment is—you can always improve its performance, and your own. If your packaging equipment company offers packaging performance improvement consultations, all the better to analyze and improve every aspect of your manufacturing, like efficiency and safety. If you don’t invest in performance improvement, you’ll pay for it anyway in the form of lost efficiency and future mechanical issues.

Initial Quality

If you don’t invest in quality product from the packaging equipment company, you’re setting yourself up for problems later on. Don’t, however, confuse “quality” and “new.” Just as brand new equipment can still perform with lackluster results, properly refurbished used equipment can function smoothly and efficiently. If you’re going to invest in used equipment, make sure that it has been thoroughly refurbished by an expert packaging equipment company—a machine that is only half-refurbished works only half as well as it could, if even.

Packaging Equipment Training

Your employees play a major role in the efficiency of your machinery—they are at least as valuable as the machinery itself, if not more so. Of course, that also means that without the proper training, your employees can diminish the value of your equipment. Serious improvements to your packaging performance requires thorough personnel training, so that everyone can use your equipment safely and efficiently.

Even if you start out strong with your machinery, you should always take advantage of an opportunity to improve—your packaging equipment company may be able to analyze your employees’ performance and see how they could improve in their use of the machinery.

Ongoing Maintenance

Whether or not your packaging equipment company offers it, you need regular maintenance as part of your packaging performance improvement regimen. Maintaining your equipment carefully and regularly is crucial if you want to keep up your operation’s efficiency, and on occasion, this may also mean ordering spare parts. You may find it useful to order packaging equipment from a company that also deals in spare parts, so that you know you can access what you need when you need it later on. If a packaging equipment company sells refurbished machines and spare parts, and also provides maintenance services and training, you have virtually everything you need to maximize your packaging performance.