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Best practices when specifying flow-wrapping equipment

Flow wrappers are a cost-effective way to package products. Because they are often used for baked goods and other products whose dimensions and other characteristics can change, a thorough knowledge of the product and process is the key to success.

1. Communicate with your chosen equipment supplier. Your supplier needs all the pertinent information about the product, its characteristics, and the film you plan to use. Especially if it is a new product, dimensional specs and variations need to be addressed up front.

2. Ask plenty of questions. If you’ve always done manual wrapping, and this is your first flow wrapper, you may not even know what questions to ask. Back-and-forth visits between your plant and the supplier’s facility will acquaint them with your particular products.

3. Do your best to submit samples for validation. Baked goods, in particular, vary in dimension by their very nature. Muffins are top-heavy, icing complicates things, and not every bagel is the same size. Submit as many relevant sample variations as possible to the supplier: fresh-baked, after shipping, frozen, etc.

4. Do your preinstallation prep work. As the packager, you have some preinstallation work to do after the contract is signed and before the truck pulls up at your door with the new machine. If your supplier assigns you a project manager, so much the better. If not, here are some things to remember:

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