4 Tips for Packaging Machine Maintenance

Longevity, lasting efficient service, stability, and reliability throughout the lifespan, all packaging machines are implemented with the expectation for streamlining and cost-saving, rather than causing troubles and unexpected expenses resulting from downtime.

After all, in no circumstances will it be a funny joke when the stack light on your cartoner or overwrapping machines turns red with a warning. Then if it were a serious technical issue, nobody would like to keep the packaging machine in downtime waiting for the OEM to dispatch their own people or a field service technician from their regional partner.

And here we must note the importance of troubleshooting your packaging machines to prevent the problems from scaling.?

In this article, we will provide expert tips for packaging machine troubleshooting and maintenance, which will help you with your preventive and scheduled maintenance.

1. Get Familiar with the Mechanism

Having a clear idea of how each mechanism and section of your packaging machines work. Refer to the component lists and drawings the OEM will provide for your packaging equipment.

A packaging machine, regardless of its application like flow wrap, cartoning, sleeving, case packing, etc, is always developed with various functional sections integrated into it.

Such as on a cartoner there would be a bucket conveyor, carton blank feeder, insertion section, tuck folders, etc.,

or with a VFFS (vertical flow wrapping machine / vertical form-fill-seal machine) which would come with a Dosing system, Forming area, Film feeding and alignment, Sealing and cutting, etc.

Getting familiar with each section and its mechanism is ideal for an operator or technician to have an overall idea of the machine's working principle, and once upon an error occurs, they can find out the root cause in an immediate manner. Speed is the key!

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2. Read Carefully the Service Manual

A service manual is a document that the OEM would provide as a guide to the safe installation, maintenance, operation, adjustment, and repair of the packaging machine they manufactured. As a practice, it is suggested all operators at the facility read and understand the instruction in the service manual before and during working on or around the machine.

The OEM, taking avail of its abundant pass experience in installing mentioned the machine, would have listed in the service manual probably circumstances, situations, and cases where the machine could find itself with errors, technical issues, worn out, fault, and will correspondingly provide advice and their solutions.

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3. Train one of your People with the Packaging Machine

Having among your payroll a trained person with the packaging machine offers tremendous benefits.

End users can expect to save technical costs with such a person now that Hiring an outside expert to operate and maintain a packaging machine can be expensive. By training one of your current employees, you can save money on labor costs and avoid incurring additional expenses like recruitment fees.

With an in-house employee trained to operate the equipment, you can minimize downtime and quickly resolve any issues that arise. Your employee can immediately identify problems and work to solve them without having to wait for a third-party technician to arrive. Note that usually, a company may purchase a packaging machine from another country. Asking for dispatching technicians will be expensive taking into consideration the travel, accommodation, and the technical rate each OEM would define.

When a member of your team is operating the packaging machine, they can facilitate communication with other departments about production timelines and potential issues, leading to improved overall teamwork. Note that, each second of the downtime would stand for significant production loss with the end user. While the manufacturer may be able to support remotely with video, remote control, or with documents sent, the in-house support would be swifter in action.

4. Counting on Field Technical Service

Field technical service with packaging machine refers to a type of support and assistance provided by a technical expert on packaging machinery equipment. This type of service involves sending trained technicians or engineers to the site where the packaging machine is installed to troubleshoot problems, conduct repairs, provide maintenance, and perform other tasks.

The field technical service may also offer training sessions for the personnel responsible for operating the packaging machine, as well as consultation services to recommend improvements for the equipment's performance and longevity.

The field technical service in the area of packaging machinery provides an essential resource for organizations that rely on such equipment for their daily operations. By providing on-site expertise, quick repairs, and necessary maintenance, it ensures a smooth and seamless process to meet production goals.

This is the reason that packaging machine manufacturers usually have to count on partners in their regional technical service network to offer fast support to local clients.

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Customer Value-Driven Afters-ales Service & Support

Our effort in offering technical support set us apart from other Chinese companies in the field.

Choosing ELITER Packaging Machinery means that you will enjoy our global technical service network and fast local support to minimize your downtime. Contact us to find out our solutions in terms of technical services.