Must-Knows before Purchasing Packaging for Running Your Products through a Packaging Machine

Switching from manual packaging to automated process is never a bad decision as when you are getting more orders are coming in for your products and that they must be packaged and distributed to local retailers and groceries in bulk and as soon as possible.

Yet what is usually neglected is that concerns around packaging used for machine are totally different from those of packaging just used for manual packing processes. Those unexpected results can be that the packaging purchased cannot be used on the expensive packaging machine you have purchased for USD 120,000 and your supplier of that machine may innocently take the blame from your side – not a joke.

ELITER Packaging Machinery is not just an OEM of packaging equipment but has been working with our clients to determine the right design and characteristics of packaging for successfully running their products through the packaging machine to save operational cost and minimize production downtime. You will be welcomed to send us inquires not only for purchasing packaging but as well for professional suggestions around packaging design.

Don’t be Mean with Your Budget by Reducing Grammage of Your Packaging

Grammage or grams per square meter, referred to as GSM and represents packaging’s mass per unit area, is a metrics for defining the weight of packaging, especially cartons and cardboard.

A typical mistake made by end-user of packaging machine is the desire to saving cost by reducing the grammage. “This is just a slight downgrade in weight, it will not make much difference and I will save more the more I produce on packaging machine” – with this in mind they are never as foxy as they consider themselves and will, in turn, lose big money.

Packaging machine like a cartoner or folder gluer would take a complex process of folding and sealing to run the cartons from blank to a formed carton that can be loaded with products. These complex processes take avail of guides and rails to mechanically fold and cockle flaps and panels of the blank which means the strength and sturdiness of them should matter tremendously for the machine’s consistent operation.

A quick answer is that reducing in grammage can compromise how reliable the blanks are during the packaging process and thus increase significant the failure rate and downtime of your packaging machine.

Lamination Can Affect the Reliability of Gluing and Sealing

Gluing and sealing are critical final processes to finish the packaging’s forming to achieve expected integrity and preventing leaks or failures, however, one often overlooked factor that can significantly impact these processes is the lamination of the packaging material.

For example, laminated materials typically have coatings or layers (e.g., PET, PE, or metallic films) that may repel or weaken adhesive bonds. If the adhesive does not properly penetrate or adhere to the laminated surface, weak seals or glue failures can occur. The hotmelt glue applied from a glue melter, for example, on a sleeving machine that seals a cardboard sleeve around multiple yogurt cups, may fail to get attached to the cardboard sleeve due to the existence of improper coating materials.

Creasing Line Matters: Slight Difference Causes Big Trouble

The creasing lines on packaging boxes directly impact the operational efficiency and quality of packaging machines. Insufficient creasing depth may cause poor cardboard folding, leading to material jams or misalignment; excessive creasing can compromise board strength and affect adhesive sealing. Precise creasing depth and positioning are crucial for smooth high-speed packaging operations.

Optimizing the creasing process can significantly enhance packaging machine performance. Adjusting creasing parameters based on material characteristics and verifying through machine testing can reduce downtime and improve yield. Additionally, fine-tuning the machine’s folding and sealing settings can compensate for minor creasing variations, ensuring stable production.

Talk to ELITER Packaging Before Purchasing Packaging for Your Machines

Choosing the right packaging materials is more than just a purchase—it’s an investment in your machine’s efficiency, productivity, and long-term performance.

ELITER Packaging will help you to review your packaging process to determine that right features and characteristics for your packaging to be used on the machine. We don’t only make packaging packaging, we make also your packaging perfect for automation processes with minimized loss of packaging cost throughout the automated production. Contact us today for a consultation, and let’s build a smarter packaging solution together.