How to prepare your company to automate the packaging station

The expansion of your business goes through several important changes. One of the most complex and challenging, for sure, is to automate the packaging process. Designing an operation that meets the increasingly urgent needs of the market requires a lot of attention and there is no much room for mistakes.

Automation is a big step forward for your business and planning is the key to the success. It does not matter if you are new in the market or if you are an experienced in business. Changing the way your company performs the packaging operation impacts the entire production line.

Keep in mind that the more you understand your own packaging process, the easier it will be to design the industry’s automation design.

We list below a step by step plan to prepare the automation of the packing area in your company.

 

Map your packaging process from beginning to end

 

Adopting automation in your company is an exciting process, after all, in addition to optimizing and streamlining the service, it increases profitability. However, it is essential to have the entire production line in the packing station mapped before the first equipment arrives.

An essential factor, often forgotten without a complete mapping, is the transition points in your packing line. It is the when the product arrives in the packing area and when it departures.

Without thinking about it, many times will be necessary to make late changes to the packing area and it can generate undesirable extra costs. In addition, having to change some equipment position ends up delaying the sector’s transition and this may even stop your factory!

The important thing here is to think about what happens before and after packaging. How do the products arrive in your new equipment and where do they go next? Is there a transportation system prepared at the end to take the final bags to your warehouse? Nobody wants to have the products falling to the ground, so it is essential to be aware at that moment.

 

 

Prepare the room where the equipment will be installed

 

High-level equipment such as automatic packaging requires efficient installation. It is necessary to prepare both expectations and the place where the equipment will be installed.

The first step is to develop a receipt plan. Is your dock prepared to receive such equipment? How will the unloading process be like?

The second step is to think about handling the machinery from the dock to the installation point. Investing in a properly transportation and ensuring that the way is free and safe are essential to avoid unexpected expenses with damages and adaptations.

Next, it is very important to have enough material to test the equipment before putting it into full operation. A factory defect that is not noticed can damage your production line up front. In addition, not having test material during installation can delay the commissioning.

 

Employee training

 

An automatic equipment, eliminates large part of human activity in the packaging process. However, the complexity of the machinery requires a good training.

Employees who are going to operate the machine must be committed to correctly learning all processes of the new equipment. At this time, you need to evaluate your staff with assertiveness. Having the right number of employees and ensuring that they are all trained accordingly is a basic item for the success of your new operation.

 

Plan for the future

 

Have you ever thought about investing in high quality machinery and after a while it stops working due to lack of maintenance? While high quality equipment require little concern in this regard, a prudent company avoids losses.

Be aware of the need to change parts. Having to wait for a spare part with the equipment out of operation will bring losses. Check with the packaging machine manufacturer about how often is necessary to replace every single part and always be one step ahead of the need.

Make a preventive maintenance planning. Add to that a partnership with a specialized company in the field. Indumak is a worldwide reference in packaging machines and is ready to meet any needs of your production line.

Incorporating technology in your packaging process requires planning, but guarantees optimization and profitability in the future.

Do you want to automate your packing station? We show you the best way to make this change! Ask for a quote now!