Packaging Machinery Solutions for Start-Up Companies
Start-up companies can take many different forms, just like the products that they produce and package. While some start-ups may immediately require a complete and automated packaging system, many new companies will start with lower production ranges and serve local or regional areas with an eye toward expansion in the future. For these smaller companies, Liquid Packaging Solutions offers a wide range of packaging equipment to meet their needs while also allowing for some growth in the future.
TABLETOP PACKAGING EQUIPMENT
Sometimes space can be a major concern for a packager just getting started on their project and process. Companies won't always start with an empty warehouse and an unlimited budget to fill up that warehouse. Luckily, a number of different packaging processes can be completed with simple to use, space-efficient tabletop packaging machines. The most popular machine in this category is probably the tabletop liquid filler. Tabletop filling machines can use the same filling principles - fill-to-level systems, volume fills and more - as automatic inline bottle fillers while also adding efficiency to the filling process. But tabletop equipment does not begin and end at the liquid filler.
Tabletop machinery is also available for capping and sealing bottles, labeling containers, coding packaging and many other packaging functions. While such equipment will almost always speed up the process, the machines also allow for consistent and repeatable fills, seals, label applications and more. The benefits of such machinery can include added shelf appeal from reliable performance of each of the machines.
In addition, even at the tabletop level, equipment manufactured by LPS will include an ability to grow with the start-up company whenever possible. For instance, a company that begins production with a two head tabletop filling machine will be able, in many cases, to add up to an additional four fill heads to the machine as the demand for their product grows!
OTHER SEMI-AUTOMATIC EQUIPMENT
Tabletop machines represent some of the most simple to use packaging equipment on the market, but between tabletop equipment and fully automated turnkey packaging lines lie numerous alternatives to fit the needs of almost any packager. As noted above, different start-up companies will begin production with wildly different production demands.
Semi-automatic packaging equipment, including all of the different types of machinery noted above, can also be manufactured on a portable frame - the same frame that would be used for automatic, inline machinery. Many times, rather than use a power conveyor, these semi-automatic machines will include slide tracks, allowing the operators of the equipment to "slide" the containers into position before activating the packaging cycle with a foot or finger switch. Using filling machines as an example again, these machines may also start with a lower number of fill heads, but the larger frame will allow expansion to up to sixteen fill heads in many cases.
However, growth for these type of semi-automatic machines goes beyond the addition of existing components. Should a start-up company find demand for a product growing rapidly, semi-automatic equipment on portable frames can be upgraded to perform in an automatic manner. Typically, a power conveyor system will replace the slide track for each semi-automatic machine. A control box and PLC will be added to equipment where necessary, as well as the indexing systems for those machines that need them. This design allows for incremental growth that will greatly increase the life of the packaging machinery and accomodate a wide, wide range of production demands.
As noted, there are many other possible solutions involving semi-automatic packaging machinery, and each project will be analyzed on a case-by-vase basis to ensure the best solution is designed and manufactured for the individual packager. If you have a project you would like to discuss with a Packaging Specialist, contact Liquid Packaging Solutions toll free at 1-888-393-3693 today.