Top 6 Essential Machines Used in the Packaging Industry
One aspect will remain constant whether the world shifts from physical to virtual: packaging will be required in both scenarios. The packaging industry comprises various vast machines that contribute to the final product. Each machine plays a unique and vital role in the packaging process for different businesses and sectors.
Cartoning Machine / Cartoner
A cartoner is one of the most essential packaging machines in the packaging industry. One step into the grocery store can help you understand how vastly a cartoner is used. From foodstuff items, such as juice boxes and milk boxes, to medicine bottles, the cartoner machine spans different industries and business sectors.
A cartoning machine is used to manufacture straight, erect boxes that are folded and sealed with an adherent. There are two types of cartoning machines:
- Horizontal / end-load cartons
- Vertical cartoners
In a horizontal cartoning machine, the package is opened from only one side and placed horizontally, and the cartoning machine fills it up with the product. Its sides are then folded, sealed, and tucked with glue or any other type of adherent.
However, in a vertical cartoner, the cartons are vertically loaded on the magazine, its open end facing upwards. It is then manually or automatically filled or loaded with the product inside. After loading, the carton package is folded, its side flaps tucked in, and then it is sealed for dispatch.
Blow Molding Machine
Blow molding is one of the key advanced manufacturing processes in the packaging industry. These machines are essential for producing various plastic bottles to package everything from beverages to cleaning products. The blow molding process involves heating plastic preforms until they become malleable and then inflating them into molds to form the desired bottle shapes.
A blow molding machine offers several advantages, such as high production efficiency, creating complex bottle shapes, and using lightweight materials that reduce transportation costs and environmental impact.
In addition to manufacturing, recycling plastic bottles is critical to reducing environmental pollution and conserving resources. Many blow molding machines are designed to work with recycled plastics, which helps create a circular economy. By incorporating recycled materials, manufacturers can reduce the amount of new plastic that needs to be produced, lowering carbon footprints and minimizing waste.
Furthermore, using blow molding machines with advanced recycling technologies ensures that plastic bottles can be continuously reused, contributing to a sustainable packaging solution.
Vacuum Skin Packaging Machines
Vacuum skin packaging machines mainly preserve food and extend its shelf life. These machines use high-barrier flexible film that is melted to conform to the shape and size of the pre-made rigid tray or laminated cardboard. The film tightly clings to the food product, eradicating all traces of the packaging atmosphere to create a second skin surrounding it.
Vacuum skin packaging machines utilize high-quality plastic and CPET trays. These materials are durable and heat resistant, making them safe for packaging as they do not harm the food. Various vacuum skin packaging machines have sealing stations, creating 20 to over 150 sealed trays per minute.
Labeling Machine
A labeling machine is a fundamental automation machine in the manufacturing process that is essential to the packaging industry. No packaging is complete without labels stating the product and brand information, so a labeling machine is required.
A labeling machine is used via the barcode for legal purposes, product advertisement, and inventory regulation. Moreover, various types of labeling machines are available in the market, such as:
- Horizontal wrap labelers
- Vertical wrap labelers
- Top labelers
- Front and back labelers
- Top and bottom labelers
- Print and apply labelers
- Custom labeling applicator
Labeling machines are also available for specific purposes. For example, they are designed to place labels on the surface of cans, bottles, cartons, vials for the pharmaceutical industry, and automatic barcodes.
Filling machines
A filling machine is crucial for packaging liquid and gel products. It pumps the liquid consistently and accurately into the container.
Moreover, filling machines are equipped with timers that allow the pump to fill the container for a pre-set amount of time. The pump’s speed can also be adjusted for further accuracy. Some filling machines also employ a pulse-based fill, which measures the movement or revolution of any component of the filling machine for each cycle.
Conclusion
In conclusion, various machines contribute to the packaging industry. Tens of, if not hundreds, of automotive machines are at work to provide consumers with quality-controlled and securely packaged products. The machines listed above are just a few involved in the industry’s manufacturing process.
