Specific Information In The Search For The Ideal Packaging Machinery
As requests for information come in to Liquid Packaging Solutions every day for a wide variety of packaging machinery, we take each one and do our best to find the ideal equipment for each request. For obvious reasons, two of the most asked questions about equipment are:
1. How fast will the machine run?
2. How much does the machine cost?
For users of packaging machinery, the problem with these questions, absent other information, might be quite obvious. But to those new to the packaging industry, the need for additional facts might not be so apparent. Of course, we hold no ill will toward those who ask these questions, that is why LPS exists, to gather the information necessary to identify the equipment that will work efficiently to complete each individual packager's project. Below we explain why our representatives always seem to have so many follow up questions.
To answer the first question, let's look at a typical request for information on a liquid filler. Each week, we receive inquiries asking how fast an automatic filler will run, or how many bottles per minute can be expected. Sometimes the request will include a little additional information, such as the fact that the packager is preparing soap or a sauce, or that the bottle is 16 ounces. But other times, the information received by LPS is nothing more than a request for the speed of a machine. In all of these cases, this is where the representatives of LPS begin their legwork. The speed of an automatic filling machine will depend on many different factors, including those that are sometimes mentioned above. First, the product may well determine which filling principle will be used. For example, someone bottling free-flowing liquid soap may use an overflow filler, while someone with a thick sauce would typically have better results with a piston filling machine. In addition, the bottle size will undoubtedly bear on the speed of the machine. Regardless of the type of machine used, each will fill a 6 ounce bottle faster than a gallon jug. Furthermore, the most important piece of information for LPS as a manufacturer, is how fast does the packager NEED the machine to fill. Automatic filling machines can use different components, from nozzles to indexing systems and vision systems, to reach certain production levels, while also allowing room for growth in the future, should production increase. It is these and many other project-specific details that will allow LPS Packaging Specialists to accurately tell a person how fast a liquid filler can run.
As to the cost of a machine, the same general rule applies. Imagine the same request, only instead of speed, the person asks how much does an automatic filler cost. Many people would be surprised by actual range of answers to that question. Again, the price will depend on a number of different factors. For example, for certain liquids, explosion proof or hazardous location construction might be necessary. Again, the product as well as the industry will play a part in the cost. Does the liquid flow freely? Is a specific volume range a necessity? For some, a gravity filler with simple timers for the fill might be fine. Others may need a specific net weight or highly accurate volumetric fill. As to containers, a wide range of containers may require change parts or even more extensive customization to meet the needs of the project. In the analysis of cost, speed also plays a part, higher speeds and higher automation will typically cost more. Even something as simple as using two fill heads versus ten fill heads will add cost to the machine. Again, project-specific details will also help determine the actual cost of the best machine for any individual project.
As always, the more infomation representatives have about any project, the easier it becomes to find the best solution for that project. A free-flow of information between the packager and the packaging machinery manufacturer will always lead to the free and efficient flow of the packager's product to the shelf. To discuss your own project with a Packaging Specialist, contact Liquid Packaging Solutions today.