The Salient Benefits of an Automatic Production Line in Manufacturing
Some companies can be reluctant to adopt automated solutions due to the upfront costs of new equipment and personnel training. Nevertheless, automated packaging can have essential benefits, and innovation makes automation of more parts of the process simpler.
For product makers, automated packaging lines can be pretty beneficial. These innovations can lessen the risk of ergonomic injuries by taking on a load of repetitive and tiresome operations, liberating personnel for higher-value work where they are more urgently needed. Here are the top three benefits of automation:
Improved Quality Control
Automation systems in the past weren’t always dependable enough to totally automate the task of managing packing line quality control. The lengthy and repetitive task of examining every item was left to human workers. This is changing as new technology is developed, particularly machine vision employing artificial intelligence (AI), which enables computers to “see” faults as human workers do.
The capacity of automated quality assurance (QA) systems to identify defects doesn’t fluctuate throughout a shift because of their constant activity.
Improved Production Speed
Businesses may significantly increase production efficiency and product throughput by implementing the proper automation solution. Additionally, automated packaging systems can multitask and integrate several components of the packing procedure into a single step, such as labeling and sealing. By doing this, these solutions may free up more than one staff.
Therefore, these technologies can both boost productivity and maximize people to concentrate on tasks like shipping, receiving, and selecting that require human labor or benefitting from it.
Reduced Labor Costs
Packaging companies are already feeling the effects of a more competitive labor market as the US unemployment rate has reached record lows and consumer demand has continued to climb.
Automation is one potential answer to this issue. Businesses may ensure that workers are only recruited when needed by automating as much of the packaging line as possible.
Examples of Automated Equipment
Labeling Machines
Different goods, products, containers, or packages can be labeled using a labeling machine to dispense or apply labels. Some labeling devices include printing capabilities and dispensing or applying tags.
Various labeling machines that accurately and quickly do the jobs are available, from high-production equipment that enables total print automation and uses the process to manual devices that provide straightforward label dispensing.
Filling Machines
High-quality fillers like Pack Leader filling machines are utilized for packaging, generally for food and beverage, yet sometimes for other goods. Depending on the product, a bottle or a pouch can be filled with them.
The packaging business uses a variety of filters. The type of food or beverage filling equipment to be used is often decided by the kind of product to be filled, speed requirements, expectations for quality and shelf life, resource availability, technological viability, and other factors.
Capping Machines
Bottle capper machines that are completely and semi-automatic operate quicker and more effectively. For example, a bottle capper that automatically closes bottles in line may produce up to 350 caps per minute. As a result, more items are on the market, leading to increased sales. There are fewer supply chain restrictions due to a streamlined production process.
Wrap Around Labeling Machine
The round bottle labeler applies labels by rolling them onto the container’s surface. This application technique is easier than pick-and-place techniques and produces outcomes comparable to shrink-wrap. Although wrap-around labels rule the marketplace for round containers, they may be applied to virtually any container.
The label’s printing area is maximized by wrapping it around the container’s perimeter (it sticks to plastic, glass, metal, and cardboard). This method enables you to include all relevant brand information on a single label when packaging beverages.
Final Thought
Workers frequently experience job-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), also called ergonomic injuries, in the manufacturing and packaging industries. Workers typically do highly repetitive activities throughout long shifts.
Employees’ natural risk of MSDs can be reduced by minimizing the number of repetitive tasks they must execute. Process automation solutions are already an excellent fit for repetitive or exhausting operations, which often benefit from regularity. It is possible to enhance productivity and lower the risk of employee damage by substituting automation for workers in process steps that require repetitive motion.