Your Guide to Buying an Automatic Cartoning Machine

Automatic cartoning machines have revolutionised industries across the world. Since their invention, cartoning machines have helped countless businesses streamline their production lines to meet the market’s high demand for their goods.

Cartoning machines have since become an integral part of businesses’ operations and growth. For companies with high-speed production lines, having the right machine eliminates time wastage and allows for optimised production. For growing businesses, upgrading to automatic cartoning machine significantly improves production processes, allowing businesses to supply more goods and expand operations.

Emphasis must be placed, however, on having the right machine. Despite the numerous benefits of automatic cartoning machines, relying on equipment that does not suit your production’s process and goals could be a waste of investment and running costs.

To help you find the best machine for your operations, let these five steps guide you:

Set a budget

Establishing a budget goes beyond determining what your company can afford at present. The process of setting a budget urges you to look at your operation’s present costs as well as your objectives for return on investment. By determining these figures, you can set a budget range that could prove economically feasible.

Set the product as the main determinant

In numerous cases, the product dictates the type of cartoning equipment necessary for the job. Granular and loose pieces like cereals and detergent powder, for example, require vertical style cartoning equipment. There are also cases where the desired presentation for the product dictates the most suited equipment. Ready meals, for instance, are packed best with wraparound cartoners while products such as coffee capsules work best with end load cartoners.

Determine the speed required

This is one of the hardest steps for many buyers. Many businesses will approach a supplier asking for the fastest-acting machine in their budget range and end up with a product that is either slowing down or over-killing their project.

For online packaging processes, compute your required speed by calculating the maximum rate it takes to create a product, divided by the number of units that go into a carton. For offline packaging, calculate the number of cartons per minute required by considering the daily, weekly or monthly box quota.

You can compute for the possibility of increasing the volume of your products, but be careful not to overestimate and wind up with a machine that is larger and more costly than needed.

Determine your company’s capabilities and needs

You have to consider your current staff’s technical expertise before deciding on a machine. Unless you’re willing to invest in hiring qualified operators or in staff training, it is best to steer clear of machines with technical requirements that are not aligned with your staff’s knowledge and expertise.

Research your machine options

Once you’ve gone through all four steps, you should be able to narrow down your options to a more manageable number. Gain as much knowledge as you can from internet searches, industry network, trade shows or wherever you can gain knowledge about the machines you’re about to invest in.

If you need more help in your buying decision, our team would be glad to give you expert and unbiased advice.

Call PAKSMART today on +61 2 9630 9464 or send us an e-mail at [email protected]