A case packer is a machine designed to feed products like bottles, jars, boxes and others into American-type cartons and it can also pack items in trays or RSC cardboard boxes. Automatic case packers are even more purposeful and, in conjunction with case erection, offer an all-automated case-packing solution for products from a large number of sectors, from Food to Wine & Spirits, from Home Care to Cosmetics.

What is an automatic case packer and how does it work?

Automatic case packers work in a completely automated fashion and can be tailored to the customer’s needs. Custom versions can be made according to the type of product, speed requirements, carton size, and required carton closing system. During the case packing process, the automatic case packer will pick-and-place primary product packages like bottles, jars and cans and then proceed to load the products and fill the boxes either horizontally (from the side) or vertically (from the top). Horizontal filling is ideal for bundles made of products with a well-defined shape and which can be easily stacked. Vertical automatic case packers are, instead, the preferred choice for high-speed output of regular or irregular items. Vertical case packers arrange the lot according to the set configuration and place it inside the carton with a pick-up head that can be set-up based on case packing requirements. Once the products are inside, the carton is conveyed to the closing station where it is sealed with PVC tape or hot-melt glue.

There are also case packers designed to meet diverse packaging and product type needs, including wrap-around case packers or shelf-ready box solutions, as well as a large number of add-on modules, like for honeycomb divider placement.

Is it time to switch to an automatic case packer? 

To know if it’s really time for your business to invest in a vertical case packer, or other kind of case packer, you should reflect on a few things. The first aspect to consider is your workload. With the advent of e-commerce and its continuous expansion, more and more companies are realising they can’t meet the demand or accept big contracts. That’s why many decide to rely on case packers to boost their order fulfilment capacity and sales. 

Next is labour: workers are becoming increasingly more expensive and harder to find and retain. When you choose an automatic case packer, you can put your collaborators to work in tasks that have a higher added-value.

Ecology and efficiency are two other important concepts associated with case packing process automation. As the market grows more competitive and the world more conscious of environmental issues, the use of case packers is a way to produce less waste while boosting the efficiency levels of your business. 

The advantages of choosing a vertical case packer

Vertical case packers can prove to be an essential resource to speed up and simplify your company processes, but what are the benefits you will get from adopting a case packer? 

• Increased productivity: more work done, faster
• Significantly fewer errors
• Material savings
• Lower production costs
• Maximum flexibility and tailored solutions according to type of product, speed requirements and carton size
• Employee energy on tasks with a higher added-value
• ROI within a short time 

So the real question now is not so much: “Can my company benefit from an automatic case packer?” but more like: “Why keep on producing the same number of packages when we can make more at a lower cost?”