September 2024

Welcome back to Corrugated Connections! As businesses strive to meet the demands of a fast-paced global market, they often turn to automation to streamline operations and free up valuable human resources for more strategic, creative endeavors. From manufacturing to customer service, the ability to automate repetitive tasks and complex processes has become a crucial component in maintaining a competitive edge.

Understanding the importance of automation is essential for any organization because it offers opportunities for scalability, cost savings, and enhanced accuracy. However, identifying and adopting the right automation solutions can be a daunting task. With technology continuously evolving and an ever-growing array of options to evaluate, businesses often face the challenge of making the right choices that align with their goals and budget. Case in point, packaging lines.

Automated packaging equipment is getting more sophisticated (and powerful) every year. Advances in robotics, AI, and machine learning are enabling packaging systems to handle a wider variety of tasks with greater precision, speed, and efficiency. On top of that, the packaging machinery market is immense, making it a complex environment for buyers to navigate. That’s why PCA provides its customers with expert advice on automated packaging equipment and how to leverage factory acceptance tests to validate that new equipment meets set requirements. Yet, identifying and testing the right automated machinery is only half the battle.

Installation and training are vital to successful equipment integration and future productivity. Click here to learn installation and training best practices that can push your packaging automation project over the finish line with flying colors.

Even when your internal packaging operations are fully optimized, there remain external risks that your products face as they enter the distribution cycle. The trouble with these risks is that they often occur in situations where your company may lack direct control and oversight— – like transit and warehousing. Now, to throw another wrench in the mix, what if your product includes extremely fragile elements—such as glass?

Well, that’s the exact dilemma one of our customers was facing with the distribution of the custom doors and windows they manufacture. After collaborating with the PCA's expert team, this company adopted solutions to this problem and that significantly reduced their annual damage claims. Discover how here.

We hope you enjoyed this edition of Corrugated Connections. Thanks for joining us and we’ll see you in October!