Start Up Packaging Systems

As craft breweries and distilleries continue to grow in popularity across the United States, the idea of craft products seems to be overflowing in to other industries as well, including foods, other beverages and household items. As this trend grows and spreads, so does the demand for start up packaging systems, which can actually take on many different forms.

Typically, start-up companies will have lower production than well-established, veterans to the industry. Most new companies will break in to a market at a local or regional level and attempt to grow from there. So a majority of start up companies will contact Liquid Packaging Solutions looking for a smaller, semi-automatic and cost-effective solution for packaging products. Tabletop packaging systems often fit nicely in to budget, space and production needs. The equipment allows for rinsing, filling, capping, labeling and other packaging processes to be done, literally, on a tabletop. The necessary machines can be combined and placed on the same tabletop to allow for one or multiple operators to perform the different tasks. Most tabletop machinery will require the operator to place containers, activate the packaging function (fill, cap, etc.) and remove the containers once completed. However, even with this operator assisted operation, production speed will increase while adding consistency and reliablity to the different processes.

Of course, not every start up company will start small, as there are always exceptions to the rule. New and unique products may take the market by storm, requiring more than semi-automatic machines to keep up with the demand. In these situations, Liquid Packaging Solutions offers automatic machinery as well. Inline rinsing machines, liquid fillers, capping machines and labeling equipment function at higher speeds without the need for extensive operator interaction. Automatic machines will be set up prior to a production run to handle the product, container, cap, label and other components used to prepare an item for sale. Many machines, such as rinsers and fillers, will use a PLC to record and remember rinse times, fill times, indexing times and other delay and duration settings. Capping machines may simply require hand knob adjustments for different bottles and caps. Automatic machines offer higher speeds while providing continuous, reliable and consistent production.

In between these two machines exist a number of different options that allow packaging machinery to be fine tuned to meet the needs of any start up packager. Semi-automatic equipment, for example, may be built on the full frames used for automatic equipment. This option allows a packager to add automation in the future without purchasing all new packaging equipment. And of course, not every packaging process must be automated. LPS machines can also work as stand alone equipment when a packager needs some help with a single process.

If you are a new company just beginning your journey in the packaging industry, LPS representatives are always available to discuss the different options available and the best solutions for your own individual process.