3 things you should know about powder packaging

Let’s face it: consumers demand for convenience and industry demand for packaging sustainability won’t be going away soon. This is the reason why increasing number of companies is choosing a pouch as a container for a broad range of products. It is expected that the powder packaging market will continue to grow due to rising popularity of convenience products. Ground coffee, flour, spices, salt or instant drink mixes - The Premade pouch is a suitable packaging for all these products. Pouch protects the product from moisture and helps it to maintain its properties, so it is also a great choice for baby-food powder, tea powder, milk or protein powder. The Premade pouch is also utilized for non-food powders like enzymes, detergent powder or chemical additives.

Good and reliable packaging equipment manufacturer can develop a powder packaging solution according to your specific demands, but in order for him to provide the best piece of equipment there are three main things you need to know about powder packaging:

Free-Flowing or Non-Free-Flowing?

Powder with not cohesive particles is considered free-flowing.  These powders 'flow freely' when dispensed, like granulated sugar or table salt. These types of powders aren’t compactable under pressure and they don't hold their shape during manipulation.

Powder with cohesive particles is considered non-free-flowing. These powders can be compacted under pressure and tend to hold their shape when manipulated like brown sugar or powdered milk.

Flowability of your product dictates the type of filler you need for proper dispensing of your powder product into the pouch. Free-flowing product falls easily with the force of gravity. Non-free-flowing product because of its cohesiveness needs to be compacted and 'helped along' during packaging. Free-flow powder can be packed with the help of volumetric or free-flow auger product fillers. Non-free-flow powders are packed with the help of auger filler for dispensing of cohesive products.

What about Dusty products?

Let’s take a non-free-flow powder product like flour for an example. Dispersal of flour inevitably results in a cloud of dust. Dust particles cling to almost any surface and they can travel very far. Dust proof enclosures are very important for powder packing, because they prevent mechanical issues due to airborne particulates. Machines with washdown properties are a good solution for two reasons: Machine enclosures are water proof, so no water or dust can enter the machine. Dust particles will probably stick to some surfaces on the machine, but they can easily be removed with a spray of water.

 

What about Bulk Density and why is it important?

'Flowability' of the powder and how compactable it is under the pressure represent third measure called bulk density.  Bulk density is calculated through a basic formula: total mass divided by total volume. Bulk density is usually represented as g/cm3.

Dry, free-flowing products have a low bulk density and usually will not compress very much. Cohesive non-free-flowing products have a higher bulk density that gets even higher when compacted.

So what is the connection between bulk density and powder packaging machinery? Imagine 50g of moist sand vs. 50g of roasted coffee beans. The Weight is the same, but the package dimensions and types vary because of the empty space around and inside of the products. The sand can go in a smaller pouch, because it contains less empty space and is more compressed within the package. The coffee beans will need a much larger pouch because they cannot be easily compressed under the pressure and there is more empty space between the beans. This is why it is important to consider bulk density when packaging powders. Bulk density directly affects the pouch sizes and attributes, the type of filler required, and packaging speeds that can be attained.

If you are in a search for a compact sized, competitively priced and efficient powder packaging solution, check out our ROO-100. TheROO-100 is compatible with all standard filling options for powders; it can feature a washdown structure and allows for a 30 second changeover between a wide range of pouch sizes!

Efficient Packaging Machine Maintenance: Maintenance Kits

The most important element of plant capacity and operational reliability are appropriate maintenance and efficient spare parts management. Inconsistent and inefficient machine performance prevents facilities from working at a high level of output. Diagnosing the problem can take a while, which costs companies time and money even with a reliable supply of functional spare parts.

Unfortunately, the importance of spare parts and timely maintenance is still mostly overlooked. Many organizations operate without implementing fundamental aspects of spare parts management at their site. Don’t be one of those companies. In order to make a difference in the operational reliability, you must pay special attention to effective spare parts management and planned maintenance.

We are aware that crossing over from reactive to predictive operating strategy isn’t always easy. You have to set up new set of rules, procedures and standards in order to prevent problems before they arise, instead of fixing problems when they happen. Sadly, not all companies have the infrastructure for this kind of change.

This is why companies that cannot afford to stock spare parts and manage inventory turn to maintenance kits. With maintenance kits, you just have to plan for timely maintenance, and perform the required steps according to your maintenance plan. If you strive to cut costs, you should know that it is a more economic option to do machine maintenance once a year, than replacing one part after another as they wear out. Well planed machine maintenance and maintenance kits save your money in several ways:

1.       Less Downtime

Downtime costs your company money. If you know how much money it is, you can factor in lead times and determine the cost of an unexpected shutdown. Then, if you compare that to the cost of machine maintenance, you can see for yourself what’s more economic. Don’t forget that if you wait for the part to wear out, even if the supplier has the part in stock, delivering it to the site will typically cost you a minimum of 24 hours of unplanned downtime.

2.       Top Performance

Maintaining a machine on a regular basis ensures that the machine runs at its top performance. Running the machine with warn out parts results in inefficiencies and inconsistencies in performance and production becomes unreliable and unpredictable.

3.            No maintenance overhead

When a machine starts to show signs of poor performance, it means more work for your maintenance staff. Time is wasted while the maintenance team is diagnosing and searching for the parts that have worn out and need to be replaced.

 So if you are tired of trying to chase down problems on your machines, you might want to consider a machine maintenance kit.

Tishma Technologies’ Maintenance Kits provide all the parts you will need to replace during machine maintenance.  This means minimal downtime to complete the rebuild and greater performance! As already stated, maintenance kits are also a more economic option than buying all of the parts individually.

Contact us to see if we can provide maintenance kits for your machines.

Cannabis Packaging: Standards are high…

By now, twenty-four states legalized medical marijuana and that number will grow rapidly. Currently, cannabis is practically legal in half of the United States. It seems that stereotypes and misunderstandings about cannabis are old news, and the industry is blooming. It’s no surprise that many young entrepreneurs are dreaming of huge returns from the cannabis business. But reality is that business of cannabis is more than just the business of seeds, soil and water. Today's harvest requires a whole lot of innovation and talent.

This is the right time for manufacturers of cannabis products to start developing their brands and selling their goods to their target consumers. It’s also the right time for big and wise decisions since competition is high (pun intended). Cannabis producers need to start searching for a way to cut the production and packaging costs through improvement of the process in order for those huge returns to become reality. If you are one of them, bear in mind that you must understand how to package marijuana if you want to get your message about the benefits of your product across.

Finding and choosing the right cannabis packaging format and packaging system is an important part of the business. Packaging must communicate both the safety of the product and the features that set it apart from others. The right packaging equipment is your greatest ally. Whether you are in the business of recreational or medicinal marijuana, packaging systems that lowers your costs and saves your time and floor space can be one of your competitive advantages. So what is the best packaging format for cannabis?

Most important thing about cannabis packaging is that packaging needs to keep the freshness and aroma sealed inside while blocking harmful impacts like moisture, oxygen, and UV light. For this we recommend stand up pouches made with strong, FDA-approved laminated layers as one of the best ways for preserving cannabis. Whether you’re packaging marijuana itself, or cannabis edibles, flexible, stand up pouches and barrier bags ensure the integrity of your brand and the qualities of your product remain intact. Cannabis packaging that allows colors, graphics, and designs is also a good choice, cause it can really pop and make your brand stand out.

Of course, safety first! Make sure your medical marijuana packaging is childproof and difficult to open by little ones while still being easy to use by adults. On the other hand, resealable pouch is a must if you produce non-single use edibles or any other cannabis product. For this we suggest stand up pouches and bags that can be heat sealed via heavy duty zippers. Also, making your cannabis packaging 100 percent recyclable and landfill friendly is also a big plus. Environment friendly packaging appeals to customers who prefer more natural forms of medicine, such as cannabis.

Fertilizer and special nutrients used in the marijuana growing process can also be packed in a Pouch. Various film layers that work together provide strength and stability for the packaging to stand up on its own.

Pouch packaging also demands an efficient and economic pouch packaging machine. Search no more, because our ROO-100 pre-made pouch fill & seal machine is the right tool for the job. It can be enhanced with various add-ons and it is compatible with all standard filling systems. For example, the ROO-100 can be enhanced with code/date printer which is especially useful for printing serialization codes on medicinal marijuana pouches. In order to keep your cannabis product fresh for extended period of time, the ROO-100 can feature nitrogen gas flushing right before sealing the pouch. Since marijuana is sensitive to high temperatures, the ROO-100 can also cool the area of the pouch that got heated by sealing with the help of a seal cooler.

So, if you are an aspiring entrepreneur that aims high, arm yourself with the cannabis packaging equipment that will increase your efficiency! Choose our ROO-100 and get your cannabis on those shelves! Not only will your product stand out, it will also help shed the misunderstandings and misperceptions of this medicinal herb and the booming marijuana market itself.

8 Packaging Tips: Natural And Organic Cosmetics

Gorgeous packaging is a temptation for us all; in the end, that is why we decided to develop packaging solutions. As stated many times before: packaging is the first impression your products make, and that is why it is so important. With the rapid emerging of new brands of organic products, we prepared 7 tips that will help you choose packaging for your skin care products.

Packaging: It Matters More Than You Think

There are a lot of things that you must consider when you choose packaging for your natural and organic skin care line. The packaging must visually reflect your values, your commitments and your brand. If being green is important for you and your brand, you need an eco-friendly packaging and a packaging solution that is up for the task.

Brand Promise: The book is judged by its covers

Sometimes you open a package and realize that the product isn’t up to your expectations and the packaging’s promise? Other times you don’t want to buy a product due to an unattractive packaging and then you discover that the products are amazing. This is why we advise you to answer these 4 questions when choosing your brand expression on packaging:

1. What type of container best matches my brand?
2. What colors best match my brand?
3. Do I want an innovative packaging like bags?
4. Do I want my customers to recycle or reuse my packaging?

Product Delivery: Match the packaging with the environment

Farmer’s Markets, festivals, spas, salons, e-commerce, traditional retail… Where will you be selling your product? Whatever you chose, keep in mind that the packaging should match the buying environment. Secondly, you should take into account how you will transport your products. If you intend to sell your product through retail, think about shelf-ready packaging solution. If you plan to ship larger amounts of product to your distributers, read more about case packers and palletizers.

Pricing: It’s More Than Just the Cost of a Container

So, private label manufacturing is new to you? Prepare to learn how to include costs for filling and labeling and also the shipping fees in your packaging cost. Let’s say that you fell in love with a 4-ounce hexagon glass jar with a silver twist top. Classy, fun, and above all, it is within your budget of less than a dollar for the entire container. Now you need to know the cost of the packaging equipment for this packaging format. If your packaging equipment manufacturer can’t easily handle this type of jar, you might get charged more than you might for a packaging solution for different format. If you plan to ship this product across the country, the shipping cost will probably be higher than what the cost would be for a light-weight plastic jar. We don’t say you should give up on the hexagon glass jar; just need make sure that your end price allows you to make money without going beyond your brand’s price point. 

The Lid: Make or brake the experience

If something can make or break the product experience, it is the lid. If you’re selling a liquid product, like a facial toner, you need to put it in a bottle with a spray pump or a disc cap to make it easier for the customer to use and to avoid spilling out. Container lid types include:

• Dispensing Caps (disc caps, spout caps, orifice reducer caps, flip tops, shaker tops) – Appropriate for lotions, washes, serums, cleansers, toners, powders or any product where you don’t need to remove the lid to use the product
• Pumps (Treatment Pump, Up-Lock Pump, Down-Lock pump, airless, foamer) – Ideal for lotions, washes, serums, cleansers, conditioners, soaps
• Sprayer/Mister – Good for toners, misters, air fresheners, linen sprays, body perfumes
• Non-Dispenser Tops (Jar or Tub Lids, Phenolic Lids) – good for cremes, balms, essential oils (phenolic), powders or any product where you have to remove the lid before product use
• Droppers (euro and pipette) – most often used for essential oils, mixed carrier oils, toners or serums
• Brush Caps – mixed carrier oils for cuticle care
• Sealers and liners – can only be used with dispensing and non-dispensing caps. This is for added protection to show that the product hasn’t been tampered with.

Packaging format: Convenience and costs

Tubes are just perfect for some products and cylindrical bottles with treatment pumps are convenient for others. Besides finding a way for the customer to enjoy your product in the best manner, you must think about how costly it will be to pack. Before you pay for expensive product designs, it’s important to choose the container parts—container, lid, liner, brush and the packaging solution. If a manufacturer has to develop a packaging solution for you from scratch, it will cost more. Some manufacturers rely on modular design. They can make you a solution from existing modules, so it will cost you less.

Be cautious with refurbished equipment

Be very cautious if you consider buying a second hand or refurbished packaging machine. It can cost less initially, but there is a risk from hidden costs. The machine you purchased can turn out to be inefficient and unreliable.  There is also a question of spare parts and service. Are they available? Can you acquire them easily? Don’t forget about safety standards that are constantly rising. Can a refurbished machine meet them? There is also a risk of unpleasant surprises like expensive modification of a machine in order to make it work for you. Finally, warranties on used machines don’t usually cover all the important components, that is, if there even is any warranty. Read more about new and refurbished packaging equipment.

Labeling

Labeling can be critical for natural and organic cosmetic products. You want the label to match your brand and your distribution channels while remaining compliant with FDA Labeling Guidelines. A good label has to describe the product and specify its contents, identify the product or brand, show the grading of product, help in promotion of products and provide information required by Law. Read more about proper labeling.

Instead of a conclusion

It’s good to do some focus groups with your product using the hand-filled versions of your product packaging ideas. This will provide you with good feedback about usability, value vs. perceived value, and whether or not your customers will fall in love with your entire product. Once you choose a primary packaging, the rest is easy. Check out our cartoners, case and tray packers and palletizers for full end-of-the-line packaging solutions. 

Tips on Increasing Packaging Automation Uptime

Unfortunately, we still haven’t invented a cartoner, case packer, tray packer or palletizer that can work 24/7, with no downtime. Our machines are built solid, but even the most reliable machines occasionally need to be shut down in order to do maintenance and replenish materials that the machines use.  All managers strive to increase the efficiency of certain processes. One of the ways to increase efficiency is to maximize the automation processes and minimize downtime.

Key techniques for increasing efficiency

Start with gathering precise information about your packaging line. This is how operators can analyze the efficiency of the line and discover if there is a room for improvements. Engage the workers on the factory floor in the process and you have a winning strategy. Stimulating your employees to benchmark and analyze their performance will make them more energized and willing to discover new ways to improve efficiency.

Changes to manufacturing practices can also create efficiencies and increase throughput. One of the major causes of downtime is material or product loading and utilizing an automatic loading system can significantly reduce downtime and increase profitability. Automation of processes often means that fewer operators can manage the task, which reduces the labor costs.

There are two areas you should focus on in order to accomplish a high degree of packaging automation uptime: redundancy and availability. Redundancy is about backup systems that can take over the production during the maintenance, servicing or failure of some of the main components. Without the backup system,all these cases would end in system downtime.

Redundancy in Packaging Automation

Printer/applicators: These machines need a steady supply of labels that come in large rolls. Instead of shutting down the operation when it is time for a roll change, a second machine can take over the full production load during maintenance. Actually in many cases, having two printers running at the sametime enables a higher label application rate and actually works better than keeping one machine as a backup, because it eliminates the time needed to get the spare machine on line.

Packing list inserters: These machines require paper replenishment, and depending on the air humidity, there is constant risk of paper jams.This can be easily solved with 2 machines working side by side.

Availability in Packaging Automation

Availability is about the percentage of time the system components are available for operation in comparison to the time they are not (when they need to be turned off for maintenance or repair)

Some solutions are better than others when it comes to availability. So,for promoting packaging 

automation uptime, consider these solutions:      

          Use glue machines for carton sealing instead of tape: Gluing the top and bottom of a carton saves money in materials, it can improve the opening experience for your customers and it dramatically increases uptime for your automated packing system as well. In order to replace tape rolls the machine has to be shut down. Glue on the other hand is stored in a reservoir that can be refilled while the machine is in operation.

·         Use machines with servo controls instead of VFD driven or pneumatic machines: Servo controlled equipment requires less maintenance and adjustment during operation and it is easier to change over between sizes than VFD driven or pneumatic equipment because of preloaded programs.

Increases in productivity and efficiency result in increase in the profitability of the business. With maximum line efficiency, each package is able to absorb more of the plant overhead. The existing capital structure can be used to fulfill more customer orders at less cost per unit. Relatively small but highly strategic capital investments, such as automatic packaging equipment, can be returned quickly and ultimately lead to even greater line profitability.

If you are looking for a way to minimize downtime and increase efficiency, search no longer! Tishma Technologies manufactures fully automated packaging machines and systems with various modular add-ons that allow you to automate every aspect of the packaging process, from product feeding to printing and labeling.

Serialization and Pharma Industry – Are you ready for changes?

Over 40 countries have laid down track-and-trace laws in order to protect drug integrity and trace the product through the supply chain. It is excepcet that by 2019, these laws will affect 75% of the world’s prescription medications. Law requirements vary depending on a country, but they all focus on one key aspect: Serialization.

Implementing serialization might appear simple; it is all about assigning unique numeric codes to each individual product. Yet, there are a lot of details you must pay attention to, before you begin with serialization of your products.

Until now, manufacturer’s main concern was to produce identical units that follow an exact standard. New rules demand that after production, each item is to be identified and marked with unique code which is then further communicated to supply chain partners. Manufacturers are also held responsible for that data for a period of time that may last for several years. 

Line Upgrades

Appling serialization requires upgrading your packaging line, and in order to do that, you need to precisely define your requirements and answer a few questions.

Equipment. For start, what are your new equipment needs?  Can your current printing equipment produce the required 2-D bar codes? Are your vision systems ready for the challenge?  

Downtime. You cannot upgrade a packaging line without certain amount of downtime, depending on how much time each upgrade takes. Try to adjust production schedules to ensure you will have enough products in stock while your machine is being upgraded.

Artwork. Changes in design do not directly affect the packaging process, but they aren’t to be overlooked. Quite a number of pharmaceutical companies have to redesign their labels to ensure there is enough space for the 2-D bar codes and other human-readable components. How much time will it take for your designers to redesign the label and how much time will it take for FDA to approve your new layout?  

With all of this in mind, implementing serialization might seem like a real hassle. Yet, be aware that serialization brings many improvements to your management data, so try not to see it as just a law enforced obligation.

1.       Recall Management       

Recalling bad, tainted or spoiled products is a challenge for any manufacturer.  If you don’t track the product through distribution and retail channels, you cannot do the recall accurately which results in costly general recall of all products. Serialization helps you to reduce the impact of a recall, reduce the time to complete the recall and save the brand image.

2.       Alerting

The sooner you receive an information that something went wrong, the sooner you can fix it and thus reduce costs or errors and prepare and plan for issues before they occur.

Controlling your supply chain and tracking the product allows you to alert your partners when things are not going as planned.

3.       Expiration Management              

For products with limited shelf-life, the batch number can be used to determine product’s End-Of-Life (EOL) and help to implement certain management disciplines and strategies. True, this may require certain supply chain partners to capture, monitor, communicate, and act on expiration data, but in the long run it reduces obsolescence, reduces returns, and improves replenishment planning and accuracy.

4.       Supply Chain Planning   

Unique product codes are helping you to always know how many of your products are left, for example, in the in-store inventory and to predict when and where to replenish the stocks. It also helps you to asses all sorts of merchandizing issues, from displays to distribution patterns.    

As a conclusion: Implementing serialization is a serious process, but the benefits are worth it. And thought it seems complicated, all you really need is a trusting partner who will help you to prepare your packaging lines in order to respond to these new requirements. Tishma Technologies is a first choice, so check out Tishma Technologies' cartoners, tray packers, case packers or palletizers, available with laser and ink jet printers and Serialization vision and tracking capabilities.

New Technology and New Standards - Packaging Machine Safety

Safety standards in the packaging industry are changing at a fast pace. Once, safety was a matter of a few requirements and maintenance, but today this topic is wider and much more complexed. Packaging industry needs cartoners, case and tray packers and palletizers with greater speeds, faster change overs and less downtime, while the market demands new products and packaging styles.

Shutting down a machine is not just a minor step back anymore. With today’s automation of packaging lines, shutting down a machine is impractical and it leads to productivity loss. Bringing newer packaging machines and systems back online may in some cases be a more complex and time-consuming than with older machines. Not to mention that if you shut the machine down while there is product in it, before you can turn it on again you will have to clear the product from the machine. Apparently, the matter of safety cannot simply be reduced to an "emergency off switch".

Anyway, machines do require maintaining and servicing, and we simply have to find a way to perform safety related tasks without stopping the production. A modular design approach can be handy in theese cases. Some parts of the machine can be slowed down or put in a different mode of operation, so that a downtime is kept to a minimum. The operator is safe and when he is done, the machine can run faster again.

What about the standards?

The only standards that have the support of law in USA are the standards set by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Yet, multinational companies are quite persistent in demanding compliance with various sets of standards. Non compliance can even shut the door for some markets, for example Europe. On the other side, new technologies can make packaging machines safe and productive, according to demands and new safety standards.

The two most important standards in this field are ANSI/PMMI B155.1 2011 and EN ISO 13849-1. Other standards might refer to a specific aspect of a machine or system operation, such as robotics, but these two standards are the main drivers in redefining safety requirements for packaging machine manufacturers and users.

Zoning and optoelectronics – New way of doing things

New safety technology utilizes the same Ethernet network as the machine control system. Moving to a networked safety system allows packaging machines and lines to be zoned, replaces wiring and provides additional diagnostic information.

With the zoning approach you can safely control speeds, torques and motion in specific sections of machines or lines without having to stop the entire line. This way the system can be safely slowed down rather than e-stopped and restarted.

We are already familiar with the importance of robotics in packaging. What you may not know is that the great percentage of robot-related injuries occurs not during production but during programming and maintenance. To access the robot, workers must expose themselves to risk, because they need to turn off some or all of the old, binary on/off safety devices. New technology and new standards allow workers to access robots and still be protected. The Robotics Industry Association (www.robotics.org) has recently revised its ANSI/RIA R15.06 2012 Industrial Robot Standard according to the risk assessment methodology of EN ISO 13849-1 to adjust to this new reality and allow today’s advanced programmable safety devices to be used.

Light curtains, laser scanners, safety cameras and other similar devices are becoming more and more reliable and coupled with integrated controllers, they provide more flexibility as well.

Optoelectric devices such as safety light curtains are getting cheaper while adding additional features making these devices more affordable to incorporate. 

Introduction of new safety technologies like safety controllers allow these and other devices to be easily incorporated into machines and systems. Advanced communications and the flexibility of the safety controller reduce the machine down time thus improving manufacturing efficiency. The safety controller is expendable, so it allows a customer to standardize on a single platform for all their machines.

New technology equals new options, so when you set off on a hunt for a new packaging machine, ask for a machine's safety specification and choose the machine that can meet your requirements in terms of safety and productivity. Start now; get a quote on Tishma Technologies' cartoners, tray packers, case packers or palletizers.