The Complete Guide To Buying Packaging Machinery

How To Choose A Packaging Machinery And Materials Supplier:

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When it comes to choosing a supplier for your packaging materials and machinery, it is important to do your homework and ask yourself a few questions. You should investigate at least three different suppliers and learn about several important dynamics from each of them.

 

 

Location

It is a good idea to choose a packaging machinery supplier who is relatively close to your geographical location or can easily travel to you. This will have an impact on your business when there is a need for repairs or emergency service for your equipment. Pick a supplier who is in another country and you may find yourself dead in the water for days on end. Choosing a supplier with technicians who are local is always a smart idea. When it comes to your materials, you don't have to be as worried about the physical location as most supplies can be shipped timely.

 

Technicians

It is important to choose a packaging machine supplier with experienced and certified technicians who are professionally trained to work on your packaging equipment. Without the proper certifications, you are taking a chance with your equipment. You could end up paying big when risking service with non-certified techs.

 

 

Customer Service

It may be tempting to source the cheapest packaging materials in an attempt to save money, but if you buy from a company with poor customer service, you may end up losing the anticipated savings anyway. Poor service often means lost dollars. Check out reviews of each vendor and if possible, reach out to current customers and ask about their vendor's customer service and if they would recommend buying from them.

 

Cost

There is an old saying in the packaging industry and that is "shrink film is shrink film". While there are some brands with flashy marketing and sales gimmicks with a premium price, chances are, there are several less costly alternatives that are of equal quality. If you are looking for comparisons, there are generally low-cost films that have lower clarity and higher-cost films that will shine more and have better clarity. Choosing an inexpensive film may cost you in shelf presence.

 

Snake oil and elevator pitches can blur the line between reality and illusion. At the end of the day, you will want to purchase from an honest supplier who carries multiple offerings at different price points and provides superior customer service.

 

 

Parts

Depending on how often your machinery is running, your downtime due to repair needs or emergency service will vary. As time is money, it is important to ask your machine supplier about lead times, parts availability, and preventative maintenance programs.

 

Ask each potential vendor what their average response times for emergency calls are. In most cases, it should not be more than 24-48 hours.

 

Which Packaging Materials Should You Use?

Different types of machinery require different types of materials and utilize different amounts of materials based on the make and model of equipment. For example, while you can save money upfront by purchasing a manual L-Bar Sealer, your cost of goods will likely be higher as a more expensive automatic sealer will generally use less material than the manual machine because the machine will generally be optimized to do so.

 

That being said, the quantity of product that you will be producing must also be taken into consideration. An automatic sealer won't be the right machine for a small business that is only running a couple of thousand items or less each week.

 

This is due to the fact that each model is designed to work with specific maximum and minimum capabilities and materials. Every machine is different. Your packaging line's unique needs must be taken into consideration when choosing the appropriate machine for your application. This can result in higher production costs if your choice of machinery cannot run thinner gauge shrink film. Using thinner gauges of shrink film can result in significant cost savings.

 

Conclusion:

 

Buying packaging machinery is a major investment. The various dynamics of choosing machinery include; safety, budget, physical layout, electrical supply, materials, and a whole host of considerations that can make your head spin.

 

When moving forward with the buying process it is important to start by reviewing the appropriate KPIs with an emphasis on safety first. Next, you will want to be sure to complete the packaging machinery pre-investment checklist. After filling out the information in this valuable tool and getting your results back, you will want to move on to getting quotes from at least two or three vendors.

 

Getting an analysis of your packaging department and collecting data on your current machinery, manual labor, materials, physical footprint, electrical requirements, production levels, types of products and the other important dynamics of running a safe and productive packaging line is key.

 

Once you have been able to fully analyze every aspect of your packaging line, asking for quotes from each of the vendors you are giving an opportunity to quote will provide you with peace of mind that you are going get the best deal and receive the best of what each vendor has to offer.

 

In addition to requesting information and pricing on the packaging machinery you are looking to purchase, be sure to also acquire information about the cost of service, installation, any training available, supply, and repairs. Ideally, you should consider getting a quote for a long-term preventative maintenance plan as this type of program will ensure that your machinery is always running at peak performance and that downtime will be limited when it does occur.

Once you have chosen a vendor to buy from, meeting with your representative and reviewing the machinery offerings that they have will allow you to open a conversation about pricing. Here you can ask about special offers, rebates, additional options, leasing versus buying, and other related dynamics that will help you to get the best price and best plan implemented for your specific budgetary restraints and packaging line needs.

 

Finally, it would do you well to schedule quarterly, bi-annual or annual meetings for review with your chosen vendor's sales representative and one of their maintenance technicians.

 

This will allow you to review data from one meeting to the next and identify places where your machinery and materials could be improved upon to further reduce your cost of production, increase speed to market, create greater efficiency and produce a superior performance on your packaging lines KPIs.

 

Once you have purchased your new machinery and have worked with your chosen vendor to install the machinery, train your operators, and all else has been said and done, be sure to schedule your first review before your representative leaves your building.

 

If you heed the information in this guide, we assure you that you will make the best possible choice of packaging machinery for your packaging department. Furthermore, you will be able to ensure the purchase and implementation of the best materials for your products and may rest assured that you have done everything in your power to have the best possible packaging line for your business.

 

Should we not have produced answers to some of your questions or content that is crucial to your particular needs in regard to buying new machinery, contact us directly. Your voice can help others in your position in the future!

 

Our dedicated packaging professionals can and will answer any questions that have not been answered by this guide. In addition to what you have read here, we invite you to peruse our blog which is absolutely packed to the brim with useful information, free tools, and quality content that will make for a highly useful adjunct to this guide.

 

Last but not least, you will find a selection of free tools below that will help you on your journey to finding the best packaging machinery for your packaging line.

 

From all of us here at Industrial Packaging, we wish you well on your quest and again would implore you to contact us if you need anything else that you could not find in this guide.

- Sunday, September 1,

Are you struggling with how to package your products? A shrink wrapper may be the right packaging equipment for you. It allows you to package your products safely and efficiently. Shrink wrapping machines use shrinkable plastic film to tightly seal your products.

So, when choosing a shrink wrap machine, it's important that you know some basic information about it. What is a shrink wrap machine? How does a shrink wrapper work? What are the major types of it?

This guide encapsulates everything you need to know about shrink wrapping machines. Once you've read it, I'm sure you'll be able to make a more informed choice when purchasing your own shrink wrapper.

What is a Shrink Wrapping Machine?

A shrink wrapping machine is a device used for heat shrink packaging. When a product enters the shrink wrapper, the machine will wrap a layer of transparent plastic film around it. The heat generated by the machine then causes the film to shrink, wrapping the product tightly. In this way, a strong, tamper-resistant film is formed on the outside of the product.

What are Different Types of Shrink Wrap Machines?

There are many types of shrink wrap machines on the market, each designed for specific needs and product types. Let's check out some of the most common types of shrink wrapping machines.

I-Bar Shrink Wrap Machine

 

Image Source: Pro Pack Solutions

The i-bar shrink wrapper is a manually operated packing machine. It has a very simple design, using only an i-bar sealer and an infeed roller to do its job. The i-bar shrink wrapping machine is operator friendly as it can cut and seal the film at the same time with only one action.

In addition, this i-bar shrink sealer is ideal for stock shrink bags. You fill the product into the stock bag and then shrink the bag with a heat gun. So you have perfectly completed sealing a product. However, this kind of manual shrink wrapping machine has an obvious shortcoming. That is, it can only fulfill low volume packaging needs. Because by its nature, it cannot operate at high speeds like an automatic shrink wrapper.

L-Bar Shrink Wrap Machine

L-bar shrink wrappers are the most popular category of shrink wrap machines. In the shrink sealer market, l-bars are usually available in manual, semi-automatic and automatic models.

• Manual L-Bar Shrink Wrap Machine

Manual l-bar shrink wrap machines rely heavily on the operator. Operators play a hands-on role in the packaging process. They manually place a product into the sealing area and then pull down the sealing lever to create a seal on the film around the product. This kind of manual control allows for more precise sealing of products. So, the manual l-bar shrink wrapper is ideal for small-scale production.

• Semi-Automatic L-Bar Shrink Wrap Machine

The semi-automatic l-bar shrink wrapper combines manual and automatic functions. Although the operator still needs to manually feed the product into the machine. But once the product is in place, the semi-automatic l-bar shrink wrapper uses its sealing bar to automatically cut and seal the film outside the product.

This level of automation ensures consistent and accurate sealing and reduces reliance on operator skill. The sealing bar of the semi-automatic shrink sealer is controlled by a very simple control panel. The operator can adjust parameters such as heating temperature and time from the control panel.

• Automatic L-Bar Shrink Wrap Machine

Compared with the first two types of l-bar shrink wrap machines, automatic shrink wrapper runs faster and can pack more products in the same amount of time.

In addition, automatic shrink wrappers are more versatile, allowing for automatic film feeding, sealing, shrinking, and product discharge. With virtually no manual labor needed, this type of machines provide the fastest speeds and highest efficiencies for high-volume production lines.

Side Seal Shrink Wrap Machine

Image Source: Texwrap

When it comes to side seal shrink wrapping machines, you will be faced with two options: intermittent and continuous. Both types of machines are efficient solutions for packaging your products, but they work in totally different ways.

• Intermittent Side Seal Shrink Wrapper

The intermittent side seal shrink wrapper runs in cycles but with intervals. Once the product is placed on the conveyor, the sealing strip drops and seals the film around the product. After sealing, the film and product will move a set distance before stopping, and the operator places the next product. This cycle is repeated for each product.

Because intermittent side seal shrink wrappers can only handle one product at a time, so they will be slower than the continuous type in terms of speed. This type of wrapping machine is more suitable for small to medium sized projects.

• Continuous Side Seal Shrink Wrapper

The continuous motion side sealer is a wrapping machine that can run continuously. There is no need for downtime between sealing and cutting cycles. The product is placed on a moving conveyor belt and the machine automatically seals the product as it passes over the sealing strip.

In addition, the supply of film is uninterrupted and the operator doesn't have to stop or restart the machine to load the film. This type of machine is capable of high-speed packaging, making it ideal for applications requiring high throughput and efficiency.

Features

Intermittent Motion Side Sealer

Continuous Motion Side Sealer

Working Principle

Cycles with intervals

Continuous motion

Packaging Speed

Moderate

Much Faster

Accuracy

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High accuracy

Sacrificing some accuracy for high speed

Product Handling

Very flexible

Less flexible

Cost

Manual loading and unloading

Little to no human involvement

Operator Involvement

Lower cost

Higher cost

 

Heat Gun

In a complete shrink wrapping process, the heat gun is often used as an auxiliary device to the heat shrink sealer. The shrink sealer applies and seals the film to the product, while the heat gun heats and shrinks the film.

Using a heat gun requires skilled manual handling and constant attention. As a result, this equipment is only suitable for small-batch packaging or small-sized products. A heat gun produces concentrated hot air, but its heat distribution is not as even as that of a shrink tunnel. This can lead to uneven film shrinkage and may even damage the product.

Shrink Tunnel

In addition to heat shrink sealers and heat guns, shrink tunnels are also common equipment used in the shrink wrapping process. This type of equipment is designed to meet the needs of large-scale industrial applications. On a product packaging line, you may often see shrink tunnels used in combination with L-bar sealers. This kind of combo maximizes the wrapping efficiency.

Shrink tunnels have a much greater heating capacity than heat guns. In a shrink tunnel, each side of the product is heated evenly. The film wrapping the product shrinks with the heat, and creates a tight, secure seal around the product. A heat gun, while also effective at heating the product, is still a slow, manual device by nature. So, it can't meet the demands of high-volume production like shrink tunnels can.

Want to better understand the differences between shrink tunnels and heat guns? You can check out the table below.

Features

Shrink Tunnel

Heat Gun

Function

Shrink film automatically or semi-automatically

Shrink film manually

Heating Method

Infrared, convection or steam

Centralized hot air

Applications

High-volume, larger products

Low-volume, smaller products

Size

Requires some floor space

Compact and portable

Cost

More expensive

Cheaper

Safety

Enclosed environment ensures safety

When using it, you need to be careful to avoid burns

 

Top Choices for Shrink Wrappers in

If you want to provide the best protection for your products, a shrink wrapping machine is definitely a good choice. Below we've shortlisted 2 of the top shrink wrapping machines for you, so you can choose the most suitable one depending on your product type and required output.

1. FQL 450A Semi-Automatic Shrink Wrapping Machine

The iPharMachine FQL-450A l-bar shrink wrapper combines sealing, cutting and bagging functions in one machine, using high quality shrink film as the packaging material. If you are not a large producer but want an efficient packaging machine, then this FQL-450A model is the best choice for you.

Features & Benefits

• This model of shrink wrapping machine is simple to handle
• It can operate independently or in conjunction with other packaging equipment
• The sealing and cutting units of the machine are equipped with overload protection
• The machine is very durable and has a long service life

Main Parameters

Model

FQL 450A

Supply Voltage

AC220-240V/50-60Hz

Power Consumption

W

Sealing & Cutting Time

0-3sec

Conveying Time

0-10sec

Max Conveying Weight(kg)

25

Conveying Speed

0-10(m/min)

Thickness of Film(mm)

0.015-0.08

Maximum Product Size(mm)

500×450

Dimension(mm)

×850×960

Overall Weight(kg)

120

 

2. DS H400 Shrink Wrapping Machine

The iPharMachine DS-H400 shrink wrapper is a compact, cost-effective packaging machine. If you are on a budget, why not try the DS-H400?

Features & Benefits

• This is a stable machine with high heating efficiency
• It has low maintenance cost
• It adopts electronic stepless speed regulation and intelligent temperature control system
• Low noise level when the machine is in operation

Main Parameters

Model

DS H400

Applicable Materials

PP, POF, PVC, PE

Speed

0-12(m/min)

Temperature Range

0~300°C

Max Conveying Weight(kg)

5

Power Consumption

3KW

Supply Voltage

220V 50HZ/110V 60HZ

Dimension (mm)

x430x580

Weight

54kg

 

Final Tips for Choosing the Right Shrink Wrapping Machine

By now, you should have a good understanding of shrink wrapping machines. However, you may still be unsure which shrink wrapper is best for your project. Don't worry, at the end of this guide, we will provide you with some tips on how to choose a shrink wrapping machine.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of Automatic l-Bar Sealer Shrink Wrapper. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.

• First, you have to determine the type and size of your product.
• Secondly, your future monthly production volume needs to be taken into consideration.
• Choose the film material for your product.
• Determine your budget and find out the price of your interested shrink wrapping machines.