The majority of consumer product companies looking for a custom high speed case packer today want that machine to be versatile. They explain that their proposed packaging line will handle a variety of packages, and that it is critical to be able to accommodate packages that have yet to be designed. Current and future packages will be presented to the case packer in a variety of orientations for possible shipment in Regular Slotted Container (RSC), Half Slotted Container (HSC), trays, five panel wraparound, harness style wraparound, and other style cases.
Manufacturers and co-packers want the flexibility to ship products not only in case counts of 12 and 24, but also in counts of 4, 6, 8, and 10, depending on the needs of their customers. The case packer, on the other hand, must enable high throughput while also minimising changeover time. The operation and maintenance of case packing systems must correspond to the realities of today’s and tomorrow’s workforce skill sets.
To satisfy today’s retail environment, where big box, online, and small and mid-sized specialty retailers all compete for shopper loyalty and patronage, the desire for maximum flexibility, as described above, is required. Retailers of all sizes want something different on their shelves than their competitors. They want products delivered on demand and packaged in a way that reduces handling and waste. They also want product innovations on their shelves and websites to attract and retain customers.
This is a lot of demands to put on a piece of machinery that has traditionally been designed to run a small number of configurations at high speed for 5 to 15 years or more. When looking for maximum flexibility in a case packer, where should the manufacturer and co-packer start?