Increase Output with Packaging Machinery Upgrades from LPS

Demand for products in any industry expands and contracts over time, with most businesses setting a goal for long term growth. This growth may stem from increased demand or the introduction of new or improved products, but change is the norm in the business world. Business owners usually have a number in mind when looking to purchase packaging equipment, such as bottles per minute. They know the number of bottles that will need to be filled, capped or otherwise prepared every sixty seconds to meet demand. Part of our job is to ensure that the machinery delivered to the packager meets these expectations. But what happens when demand increases, and the business needs to produce a higher number per minute? Fortunately, LPS packaging machinery can be manufactured to allow future upgrades that can increase the speed of the machine or a packaging line without the purchase of new equipment.

Upgrades will differ by the type of machine being used, but whenever possible, the ability to meet increased demand is built into the design of the machine. On both automatic rinsing equipment and liquid filling machines, additional nozzles can be added to an existing machine to increase production. An eight head filler, for example, can include the necessary components to add up to eight more fill heads in the future. These and similar upgrades allow the packager to increase output while continuing to use the originally purchased machine. The same is true of semi-automatic filling equipment, though these machines are usually limited to a lower maximum number of nozzles.

Semi-automatic equipment requires an operator to interact with the machine each time it is activated. While requiring more manual labor, these machines can add efficiency and consistency to the packaging process. As a company grows, using labor with every cycle to meet demand may become unsustainable. A specific upgrade exists for certain semi-automatic equipment manufactured on a full-sized frame. These machines can be modified to run automatically if a company outgrows the semi-automatic nature of the system. Such an upgrade normally requires the addition of power conveyors and an indexing system to move bottles correctly through the machinery, as well as a PLC to control the movements of the equipment and components. By planning and designing the machinery for growth, the same equipment can carry the packaging process through the semi-automatic and automatic stages of production for the business.

Limits do exist on packaging machinery. Tabletop filling machines will top out before reaching a hundred bottles a minute, and if demand grows that high, a packager will need to consider new equipment. But by designing and manufacturing packaging equipment with growth in mind, LPS allows a company to rely on their equipment through the expansion of product output, introduce new products and focus on growth without worrying about replacing equipment with each new jump in demand.