Packaging is an integral part of the manufacturing process. A well-packaged product often speaks of the integrity and safety of its content. However, not all packaging is the same. If you observe closely, you’ll notice that the packaging on a bag of apples is different from a television box.
Manually creating the right package for a product requires intense skill and lots of time. It can also be very hectic. Thankfully, in recent years, this has been made easy. A useful device for such a function is called the case erector. Here are some of its advantages.
1. Increased Output
Packaging is one of the final stages of the manufacturing process. This means that the high-speed wrapping of your product is crucial. However, manually making a case takes a lot of time. Also, when done by hand, consistency isn’t guaranteed. This when a case maker comes to the rescue.
The average case maker spends a minute making three cases, while the average small-scale case erector makes ten boxes in a minute. To make the same number of cartons in a minute, you’ll likely need four staff members—which will be costly. The reliability of this case erector machines can’t be overstated. All in all, they help to increase productivity, which is synonymous with higher output. Ultimately, this translates to increased supply.
2. Enhanced Staff Wellbeing
As mentioned earlier, competition is rife in the manufacturing sector. Additionally, the more goods produced, the more energy workers have to put in. Let’s say, for example, you run a pharmaceutical plant that manufactures generic drugs. As this is a highly competitive industry with tight regulations and drug pricing crackdowns (as seen in the John Arnold case), you need to ensure you’re production output meets the pharmaceutical standards.
The tricky part is that your business needs to produce 20,000 cartons a day, you’ll need approximately thirteen workers to put in 8 hours of work. This is strenuous and exhausting. Worse yet, such a working environment can leave workers vulnerable to injury health problems. With an automatic case erector in place, you can avoid all this. A much higher, consistent yield is also assured.
3. Better Quality of Products
Certain products require apt and quick boxing. This is because prolonged exposure to the outside environment can be detrimental. This applies to perishable goods like fruits, juices, and drugs. With a box erector, you’re guaranteed a quick production turnaround time. This will limit exposing the goods to such unfavorable conditions.
Also, the right erector equipment will offer specific packaging for your needs. Some case erectors also work with perforated boxes that offer adequate aeration of the contents. They can also make sturdy, durable cartons for bulky devices such as generator plants. The best part is, with the right automatic machine, you can customize each production round to the required specification for the appropriate flaps and folds.
4. Cost-effective
In the short term, acquiring a case erector appears to be more expensive. However, in the mid and long term, you’ll end up saving more. In addition to the guaranteed efficiency, you’ll save on staff salaries and allowances. And as your business expands, there will be no need to spend on more workers. A good box erector should be able to handle the increased demand.
Even better is the fact that some box erectors are multipack. In other words, they work on more than boxes at a time. This speeds up production output. You’ll probably only need to cash out on some additional accessories. These include glue, sealers, bottom taper, etc. You can use this money elsewhere in the business, for example, for employee safety and various health insurance incentives.
All in all, if you run a manufacturing business, a case erector is a necessary piece of equipment that comes with many benefits. So, to answer the question, does your brand need a case erector? Well, it entirely depends on your business’s output requirements.