How do corrugated boxes and kraft paper bags work?

01. Appropriate carton size

Automated systems that create corrugated boxes to match the dimensions of the items being shipped continue to be further deployed as they bring benefits such as reduced labor, high throughput, and the elimination of unnecessary voids caused by the use of larger-than-needed standard-sized cartons space and other benefits.

"Being able to resize the packaging helps reduce waste and saves weight and space," said Giancarlo Bobio, marketing director for protective equipment and automation at Sealed Air, which provides packaging automation. "Plus, it eliminates the need to fill voids, which means less material is needed to package the product."

To make the magic of a properly sized packaging automation system work, solutions often incorporate scanning technology in the production line to capture item dimensions, comparing the actual size captured with DIM (size) data in the back-end system.

"To do this at scale, you almost need to combine real data with master data," says Rod Gallaway, chief executive of Packsize, an on-demand carton sizing automation provider. "This is where we see the most success."

Users often want to reduce costs with the right size of the carton, which comes from minimizing shipping costs and eliminating the need for very important people, but ESG-environmental, social, governance factors have taken precedence in our customer base. Creating cartons on demand causes cartons to form tightly around the product or product being shipped. Not only does this reduce material waste, but a tight fit contributes to the integrity of the carton, which helps reduce damage and ultimately improves the customer experience.

"Opening the carton makes for a great experience when the item is perfectly packed in the right size carton," says Rod Galaway. "You don't have to think about what to do with the waste. You don't have a bunch of useless materials to collect. It just makes for a better experience and consumers are more likely to buy from that supplier again."

Packaging automation is increasingly needed to keep up with growing e-commerce volumes without having to scramble to find enough labor to keep up with repetitive tasks under a more manual approach. However, users of package sizing systems also seek speed. Today, automated systems with the right package size can process more than 1,000 packages per hour, outputting one roughly every 3.5 seconds.

"We've found that there are many operations that are struggling to achieve the throughput they need," says Rod Gallaway. "We offer a product with multiple benefits, but the end customer is looking for high throughput and reliability in the e-commerce packaging business."

Sean Weber, director of automated packaging solutions at Sparck Technologies, said there is a trend for solutions with the right package size to meet high-volume e-commerce fulfillment needs. For example, he said, sites using Sparck's high-speed solution can reach 1,100 cartons per hour. Sparck estimates that one system could reduce packaging stations by 8-16, based on previous manual packaging systems.

"We work with our customers to achieve high, sustained rates so that they get the throughput they need out of their systems," says Shawn Webb. "The market is still waking up to all the things you can achieve with auto-binning and how it can benefit their fulfillment process."

02. Automatic bagging machine hug paper

Automatic bagging machines are another major type of equipment that helps operate efficient packaging, rather than using manual packaging and prefabricated bags. Trends in automated bagging machines include the use of curbside recyclable paper mail inventory, as well as robotic solutions that automatically scan and direct items into automated bagging machines.

Greg Begi, vice president of sales and marketing at PAC Machinery, said reducing labor requirements is a core driver of automated bagging, which offers automated bagging solutions, but it doesn't just save per bag compared to manual bagging. The problem is that operations want to put in 10-20 machines, not just 1, because automated bagging eliminates concerns about being able to find enough labor Personnel do manual packing operations.

"Automatic bagging can save you money per bag, but the bigger problem is really that with automation, you don't have to worry about finding enough staff. And you can get more packaging in a smaller space." Greg Begi points out that automated bagging machines can now also use curbside recycled paper material, as well as bags made from recycled plastic. "The great thing about paper is that when it shows up at the consumer's doorstep, they're as easy as curbside recycling, you just mix it with paper."

Accutech has launched an automatic bagging machine using curbside recyclable paper, said Mike Kenelli, president of Accutech Packaging, which provides automatic bagging solutions. The solution performs well on apparel merchandise, with the main benefits being consumer recycling convenience and support for brands to focus on eco-friendly packaging. Today's sustainability is not a fad, but a consumer demand from retailers and e-commerce companies.

Automatic bagging machines that can create curbside recyclable paper mail are now available, giving end customers an easier way to recycle the packaging they use.

03. Reuse when replenishing

Packaging equipment needs to support multiple channels, including in-store restocking and B2B distribution. In the B2B world, reusable containers contribute to sustainability. For example, DHL Supply Chain has used reusable bags for customers conducting clinical trials, but has been put on hold due to health concerns about reusable bags entering households. The return process must be easy for consumers, but reusable containers may suit certain customers' demographics, merchandise, or brands.

For all-pallet shipping, wooden pallets remain the dominant platform, with the sustainability advantage of being made from renewable resources. That said, the price volatility of wooden pallets during the epidemic may have prompted some businesses to consider using plastic pallets in the past few years, said Norm Kukuk, executive vice president of sales and marketing at Orbis, which offers plastic pallets and other reusable container types. " I think factors like the shortage of wood products and the cost have led some companies that might not explore plastic pallets to start using them, and then they see the benefits, in some cases they can be lighter than wooden pallets, the other major The advantage is that they are easy to clean and there are no safety hazards like debris or loose nails. "

PlastiCorr.1 by Orbis is a reusable brown carton alternative to automated packaging lines. "The advantage of these containers is that the plastic edges and structure can be reused well in packaging lines using automatic packing machines or packing machines. It is designed for reuse and we have some customers who have used it up to 100 times in their automated packaging equipment."

PlastiCorr.1 containers are ideal for closed-loop relationships, such as the manufacturer that regularly ships the goods to the co-packer, rather than the shippable cartons to the home, as it requires a reliable return cycle, says Norm Kukuk. "These cartons perform consistently in terms of automation, so equipment downtime also tends to be less because the cartons are very precise." Norm Kukuk added.

When it comes to packaging equipment, what may work for one channel, product or process may not work for other types. Some solutions are high-tech, such as automated binning automation, while others, such as pallet frames and stationary products, can increase the degree of unitization while reducing the need for shrink packaging and are relatively low-tech.

Covering these equipment trends is the difficulty of securing adequate labor for manual packaging operations, especially when it comes to e-commerce fulfillment. As these difficulties continue and labor costs increase, the case for packaging automation tends to become stronger. The ROI has also gotten better due to factors such as higher labor rates, but due to the high demand for the system, the lead time to achieve partial automation is longer than before the epidemic, so some factors need to be considered.