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10 Steps to More Automated Packaging

10 Steps to More Automated Packaging

Automation is a fact of life in any manufacturing sector these days. More and more plants are headed towards automated production and packaging to increase efficiency, improve production, create increased output and profit, and implement higher quality control. The benefits of automation are outstanding.

There are, however, important steps you’ll need to take to ensure that the automation you do implement is the right level for your business and facilities, and that you get the best possible results overall. Learn the steps you need to take to increase your automated packaging, and where to find the best, highest quality automated packaging line equipment.

No Hard and Fast Rules

There are no hard and fast rules or guidelines for automating the packaging process. You don’t have to go in full bore, and it’s not an all-or-nothing proposition. You must choose the level of automation that is best for your business. You can take quick steps to implement some automation right away, while still investigating the possibilities and potential of increased automation in the future.

Automation of your packaging line can actually be an ongoing, organic process which can allow for outstanding flexibility just when you need it most —– during your busiest seasons, for example, to increase output accordingly.

Answering Hard Questions

There are a number of hard questions you’ll need to answer, and the right level of automation will organically answer many of these. In addition, answering these questions will form a number of steps to take to determine the level of automation you need. These questions and steps are:

  1. Do you have a fully defined and developed package? If not, what will your final package look like?
  2. Is your package suitable for automation in the assembly and packing line?
  3. Is there already a refined process in place that meets your known requirements?
  4. Is your package currently running on the existing line, and does your team have experience running it on the existing program?
  5. Will you be running the current package for more than a year?
  6. Will there be multiple different packages and products with different forms and functions on the same line?
  7. Is it feasible to run these variant packages together on the same line?
  8. Will automating your setup increase efficiency over the existing line?
  9. What other strategic considerations are there besides cost per unit and production units per time period might justify automation?
  10. Do you need to completely automate, or can you partially and selectively automate to meet your needs and specifications?
Knowing When to Automate

The key factor in automating your production and packaging line is knowing when to automate and to what level you should automate. The point of automation is to improve efficiency, increase profits, and speed up the process as well as implement quality control.

Choosing the Right Automated Packaging Line Equipment

Of course, knowing when to automate goes hand in hand with being able to select the best automated packaging line equipment. At Raab, we’ve got years of experience helping businesses achieve their automation goals. Contact our customer service representatives today to ask about automation solutions for your company.

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