Once you’ve gotten your packaging line set up, it’s important not to simply churn through the work every day and ignore any sort of maintenance routine for the equipment. Of course, not every machine is going to need the same schedule of maintenance to keep it working the best it can, so it’s ideal to have an organized set-up of when certain maintenance jobs should be done.
Reducing Downtime and Extending Machine Life
When your company takes pride in efficiency and consistency in production, one machine being nonfunctional for even a few days can really jam up the workflow. And when you have multiple machines, there’s the chance that multiple machines can fail at the same time. Planning regular maintenance, regardless of whether your machinery is new or used/refurbished, is highly important when it comes to prolonging the life of the machine. When machines and moving parts are not tended to regularly, issues can pile up resulting in major repairs being necessary. When you purchase used packaging equipment from a supplier, that supplier should be able to help you learn how to properly maintain it, and at High Performance packaging, we do just that.
Customized Maintenance Plans
Few problems within your company can cause as much inconvenience as surprise machine failures and unscheduled downtime for your production line. With a regularly scheduled tune-up and maintenance routine, you can stay on top of potential issues and monitor anything that looks like it may cause problems down the road every time you do your maintenance. High Performance Packaging offers a customized service plan for all of our clients, which means we will work with you to design a customized plan tailored to your specific production line and machines. Because our technicians have decades of experience, they have a thorough understanding of all the machines we sell. When you want to ensure that your packaging line won’t have to shut down because of a simple problem that could have been prevented, implementing a preventative maintenance schedule is key.
Used and refurbished machines are going to cost less than their new counterparts. That not only means that you’ll save money, but also that you have the potential to purchase better machinery—higher end brand names at more manageable prices, due to their refurbished status. You’ll still be getting the same great product, however, and since you’re spending less per machine, you may even be able to expand your production line. This could lead to additional possible production, which could mean more sales, more success. Being able to purchase more machinery for a lower overall cost puts expanding your business well within reach.
If you’re purchasing used machinery to replace your current packaging line or to add more efficiency, using the same film as you did on the previous machinery for packaging may no longer be the best option for the specific machine you are buying. A slightly different width, length, or film type may mean a more efficient packing line, depending on the type or brand of machine you’re using. That doesn’t necessarily mean that your original product will have to be gotten rid of or thrown out, just that there may be a more efficient option that you can switch to when it’s most convenient for your business. It pays to discuss the options with different manufacturers if you can, or a company that sells multiple brands. This way, you can get a good idea of what will work best on your machinery.
The first and perhaps most important thing to consider when choosing a scale is what you’ll be packaging. You will need to find a model that can handle the amount of weight of product you’ll be dealing with. For instance, some machines can handle only a very small amount—up to just eight ounces of product, while other scales can package up to 55 pounds of product at a time in each compartment. Depending on what you’re packaging in your industry, your scale capabilities will obviously be different. Some companies manufacture weighers that are better suited for certain environments, as well. For instance, if the area you’ll be packaging in is oily or greasy, dusty, or exposed to corrosive chemicals, there will be different weight indicators that you should use.
If you’re in the market for packaging machines, consider purchasing your equipment used or refurbished. While you may think that is a risky thing to do or that you’ll end up with a machine that is less reliable than a new machine, that’s simply not the case. Refurbished packaging machinery such as used vertical form fill and seal machines or used combination scales are just as reliable as new machines, but you’ll spend much less on them. Besides saving money, however, what are some of the other benefits of choosing to purchase used machinery for your packaging line?
