Engineering and the Packaging Line Process

While the Engineering Department at Liquid Packaging Solutions has a number of different day to day functions, we would like to remind packagers why they are important when setting up a complete line for any given project. In general terms engineering will work with the sales department and the customer to ensure that the best solution is designed specifically for the project at hand.

Of course the engineering department helps to design individual machines, from conveyors and turntables to filling machines and capping equipment, to ensure that components work together to make the equipment as productive and efficient as possible. Part of their job is also to look for ways to improve that equipment and stay on top of the latest innovations and developments in the industry. However, the engineering department will be involved with almost each individual customer that is putting together a fully automatic packaging system.

As the project progresses, engineering will work with the customer and the sales department at LPS to provide a line layout for the packager. A line layout will take in to account the space available for the project on the customer production floor. By gathering information on the space available and even the process of bringing product and components in and out, the engineering department will help to arrange the machinery in the most efficient manner on the floor. In addition, a line layout will assist with utilities, aiding the packager in understanding where power drops and compressed air will be necessary. So the line layout helps not only with the positioning of the equipment but also in the preparation for the delivery and installation of the equipment and utilities.

In addition, each project will have a set of parameters different from almost any other project. Differences in bottles, products, closures, labels or any other packaging component may require changes to what might be termed "standard" machinery. When oddly shaped bottles, highly viscous liquids or tough caps may cause issues for packaging equipment, our engineering department will get to modifying machinery to better suit the needs of the individual projects. Whether grippers or grabbers for stability, specially designed nozzles for particles or foam or adjustments to sizes and shapes of various other components, these modifications will be hand tailored to the project to create custom machinery. These modifications also, of course, save a lot of time in production and remove the need for repeated trial and error by identifying and resolving trouble areas before the equipment is built.

So while the engineering department's presence in the process of creating a packaging solution may not always be apparent, it is always necessary at LPS to ensure the ideal packaging solution for each and every customer. To learn more about any of our equipment or to discuss a line layout for your own project, contact LPS Packaging Specialists today.