Efficiency is at the crux of innovation in today’s modern warehouse. There are a lot of reasons why a company chooses to invest in innovation and improvements, and most of those reasons center on efficiency. Investopedia describes efficiency as:
A level of performance that describes using the least amount of input to achieve the highest amount of output. Efficiency requires reducing the number of unnecessary resources used to produce a given output including personal time and energy.
The types of enhancements and improvements that make a difference impact output and often reduce the stressors on your workers. They also reduce the amount of time required to move products through the supply chain and to the end user.
Efficiency influences all areas of a company and even sub-segments of the supply chain. Suppliers can offer lower prices and higher quantities; companies can offer lower prices and reach more consumers.
Getting efficient in the warehouse has an impact across the board. Automation, robots, and cobots (or collaborative robots) historically had barriers due to cost, size, and other rigidness in functionality. Innovation has taken over, and advanced, modern equipment can be introduced for small and large companies alike.
While every warehouse has different needs, these 5 types of packaging equipment are multi-functional and have brought more efficiency to a wide span of industries.
Hand-Held and Tabletop Packaging Equipment
Hand-held and table-mounted packaging equipment are cost effective ways to increase efficiency in your warehouse, speed up processes, and reduce stress on warehouse staff. Applications include:
- Automatic twist tie machines for industries like bakeries, retail, and e-commerce to speed up the twist tie process
- Bag openers are convenient for assisting your packaging line workers when it comes to opening bags; our bag openers are adjustable for various sizes and are built to endure daily use and operation
- Label dispensers make it easy to adhere labels to your packaging and are available in a variety of sizes and functions
Click here to learn more about hand-held and table-mounted packaging equipment
Shrink Wrapping Equipment
Shrink wrap solutions are useful when packaging your products in bundles or groups. By shrink wrapping your products, you can reduce damage and keep your products protected, while at the same time optimizing storage space and making it easy to transport. We offer a variety of shrink wrapping equipment to serve a variety of applications and sizes:
- Semi-automatic shrink wrappers
- Fully-automatic shrink wrappers
- Semi-automatic bundling equipment
- Fully-automatic bundling equipment
- L-Seal wrappers
- Side seal wrappers
- Shrink tunnels
- Lap Seal systems
A Hughes packaging expert can help you to navigate the shrink wrap options listed above. Selecting the right shrink wrap film is just as important as selecting the right equipment. We offer the two most popular types of shrink film: PVC shrink film (for non-edible products) and Polyolefin shrink film (for more flexible storage).
Case Packers
Manual case packing is a dated and cumbersome task for warehouse workers. Case packers are the best solution for filling cases with products. This equipment increases product speed by reducing the amount of time it takes to fill a case, allowing you to get more product out the door at a faster rate.
There are a number of different case packers available depending on volume and size, as well as automated vs. semi-automated:
- Drop packers: Pack at quicker speeds; heavy duty with fast changeovers
- Hand pack stations: Useful for products that require inspection or are difficult to handle automatically; improves ergonomics for staff
- Horizontal Case Packers: ideal for optimizing floor space and serving a variety of products
- Pick and Place Robot for case packing: Customizable patterns and sizes; optimal solution for a variety of industries including food and beverage, e-commerce, and pharmaceutical
Click here to learn more about our case packers.
Palletizers
Using a palletizer solves the end of line logistics issue of organizing and transporting products. Using equipment for palletizing helps to make your workforce more efficient and increase the rate at which products are able to be sent out for transit. Like the other packaging equipment we offer, palletizers come in a variety of applications, sizes, and functionalities:
- Low level palletizers: The most economic option to increase productivity and seamlessly fit in to your end of line operations
- High level palletizers: Build multiple layers at high speeds with the lowest downtime
- Robotic palletizers: Smart technology for highest output and productivity; highest reduction on labor costs and burdens; variety of options and applications
Click here to learn more about our palletizers.
At Hughes, it’s our top priority to help business of all shapes and sizes bring top of the line equipment and consumables to their supply chain. This also means having the most efficient approach to solving warehouse problems and implementing efficient equipment. Contact a Hughes packaging expert today to find out if you could be operating more efficiently.