Packaging Machinery - Fitting An Application To A Machine Specification

By Author: David Hayward
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When you're looking for a supplier of packaging machinery, there are some key questions you need to ask:
1. What experience does the supplier have?
2. What areas of packaging do they cover?
3. Are their machines standard or bespoke?
4. Who are their current customers?
5. What reference sites can they offer?

Now let's consider these questions in turn, and look at the sorts of answers that you should expect. 1. Experience is important, as only experienced suppliers will have the know how needed to provide you with packaging machinery that meets your specific needs efficiently and cost effectively.
However, don't rely on the age of the company as a guide to its experience; what really matters is the experience of its key staff. A young company could have very experienced staff who, because they are not restricted by the traditions and "baggage" of an older organisation, may well be able to offer you innovative and beneficial solutions.
2. It's essential to find out where the supplier's expertise lies. Some companies specialise in primary ...
... packaging - the packaging directly applied to the products - while others specialise in secondary packaging - typically the packing of cartons into cases. This distinction is important: putting biscuits into packets, for example, is a very different task from putting packets of biscuits into outer cases. Always make sure, therefore, that the supplier has expertise that matches your requirements.
3. Standard machines offer an economical solution for standard applications. For more specialised or unusual applications, however, a bespoke machine is often the best option and will actually save money in the long run, compared with trying to use a standard shrink wrap machine in a application for which it is not well suited. The ideal supplier, therefore, is one that can offer both standard and bespoke products.
4. Judge suppliers by the company they keep - or at least by the companies they supply! Ask potential suppliers for the names of some of their customers. If these include well-known "blue-chip" organisations, you can have a high degree of confidence in the supplier's capabilities. After all, such organisations always carry out extensive supplier evaluations before placing orders, and they're most unlikely to settle for second best.
5. One of the best ways of checking out a supplier is to talk to existing customers, so don't be afraid to ask for details of reference sites and the names of contacts at those sites. A quick telephone conversation with one or two existing customers will probably tell you all you need to know, but if you want more, then it may be possible to arrange to visit a site where your potential supplier's equipment is in use. There's no better way of judging a supplier's capabilities than to see its equipment in action. These are simple questions, and any supplier worth its salt should have no problem in providing answers. By asking these questions, however, you'll be sure that you're sourcing packaging equipment that's right for your needs, and that will prove efficient, reliable, durable and cost effective.
About Author:
Linkx Systems Limited
Anson House
Anson Way
Ellough
Beccles
Suffolk
NR34 7TJ

David Hayward is Managing Director of packaging machinery specialists, Linkx Systems Ltd of Beccles, Suffolk.