Case sealed: the benefits of packaging automation

Monday, 24 August, 2020 | Supplied by: 3M Safety & Industrial Business Group

Every year billions of packages are transported worldwide, and both the carton and the tape are of paramount importance. The cardboard box does its job of protecting the contents while the tape keeps the package sealed, keeping the delicate cargo safe and secure until it arrives at its destination.

Taping a carton sounds simple, right? But this labour-intensive process forms a big part of the shipping and fulfilment process for many operations.

The packaging process involves several steps to bring a product and package together to expedite shipping to manufacturers, distributors and the consumer. The final stage at the end of the line is case sealing, a time-consuming process that is an indispensable activity to get packaged products to their final destination.

Today many operations embrace packaging automation for carton sealing versus hand taping or stapling, taking advantage of the many problems it solves, along with the benefits it provides.

Mechanical case sealing is a harmonious blend between man, machine, carton and tape. The food and beverage industry can leverage the many benefits of case sealing automation as detailed below:

Capacity	Case sealing automation boosts packaging line efficiency by reducing downtime and increasing productivity to get finished goods out the door faster.
Quality	Seals effectively prevent damage, contamination and tampering of your food/manufactured products hence protecting your brand equity and reputation.
Safety	Increases worker safety by reducing the risk of repetitive strain injuries caused by performing recurring tasks and movements typical in the taping process.
Social distancing	Assists in adhering to physical distancing measures in packaging areas due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on business operations.
Waste reduction	Automation ensures the correct amount of tape is used every time, minimising waste by eliminating double- or over-taping and uneven tape lengths to reduce material costs.
Reduced factory/warehouse footprint	Automation reduces the need for multiple packing benches and workstations associated with the manual labour process, freeing up valuable floor space for other processes or utilising smaller facilities to further reduce costs.
Labour allocation	Automation allows businesses to make significant labour savings and reallocate this valuable resource to other areas of the operation.

3M-Matic Case Sealers

For over 50 years, 3M has helped companies worldwide find better ways to improve the performance of packaging operations using its case sealing equipment and Scotch tape. 3M-Matic Case Sealers provide economical automation for carton sealing, offering a range of solutions with everything from semiautomatic adjustable systems to fully automatic random systems to increase capacity while decreasing packaging costs for a safer, more efficient and productive operation.

The case sealers combined with box sealing tape provide a total packaging system that delivers consistent, accurate sealing and advanced throughput, for virtually any packaging requirement and any size operation.

Some other benefits and features include: it meets all local electrical safety standards and compliance requirements; AccuGlide 3 Taping Heads patented technology is fast, reliable, accurate and low impact to protect carton and contents; pre-inspected, ensures they are ready to go when they arrive on the production floor; and a wide range of machines available, including fully automated, stainless steel and flap folding models.

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