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Four Steps to Avoiding Common Pitfalls Related to Cartoning Equipment

Cartoning Equipment Pitfalls
BluePrint Automation

Author - Elisabeth Cuneo, Contributing Editor, PMMI ProSource


Any slowdown on the line, whether upstream or downstream, can have a big impact on your throughput and production goals. When cartoning equipment fails at the end of the line, it can shut your whole line down. Don’t let this happen to you. Follow these steps to avoid common pitfalls and keep your cartoning equipment and packaging line up and running.

1. Assess the quality of your materials

When a problem occurs in cartoning equipment, it’s usually a materials problem. That’s why it’s a good idea to assess the quality of your carton material as well as the glue and glue nozzle you’re using for carton assembly and sealing. Whether it’s the carton or the glue, low quality materials increase the chance of loading jams that halt cartoning operations. Carton quality is a significant factor in consistent machine operations from forming cartons out of flat blanks to picking and opening folded cartons. As speeds increase and carton designs get more complex (i.e., adding windows or other features on the package), the quality of the cartons you use becomes even more critical. The same goes for the glue you decide to use; lower quality glue or inconsistent gluing on cartons can result in jams and slowdowns. Consider switching to no-clog nozzles for more accurate glue application and reduced downtime. You’ve heard the adage, “you get what you pay for” so be sure not to skimp on carton or glue quality for your cartoning equipment.

2. Evaluate automation options

Ask yourself if it’s time to switch from a manual operation to an automated one. While the materials are usually the problem when talking about cartoning equipment stoppages on a cartoning line, typically the biggest reason for a slowdown in cartoning equipment is a loading issue. Primarily, this is due to utilizing a mix of automation and manual loading operations. For example, in today's cartoning equipment, many systems are still semi-automatic systems with operators either hand-loading the end-load bucket infeed conveyor or hand-loading the formed top-load carton trays. Operations involving cartoning equipment are usually paced by the efficiency of these operators -- a pace that can sometimes be too slow or merely inconsistent. To remedy this, consider fully automating the loading of products into your cartoning equipment using either intermittent or continuous motion features. Making the switch to an automatic system means you could get better, more consistent pacing and run your cartons at much higher rates than by using hand-loaded systems.

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