• Determine Needs

Research what you need specifically for your product or process. Determine what pain points this piece of machinery will help solve and your goals for the future. Will this be used to replace an old or outdated piece of equipment? Consider how this will help fix inefficiencies in your production line, such as bottlenecks or quality control issues. If you’re just starting a business, research what packaging equipment is necessary for the product you’re going to be packaging.

• Choose Type of Packaging Equipment

Now, choose the type of packaging equipment you need for what you’re trying to do. This could include multiple pieces of machinery ranging from depalletizers to conveyors to packaging lines. If you can’t afford all of the machinery at once, prioritize which packaging equipment will be best to start with and put together a timeline of when you can add in the other pieces.

• Logistics

Make sure to choose equipment based on the space you have available. Determine the floor space necessary for the equipment once it’s set up. This is important from a safety perspective for workers, but also to keep your production line operating efficiently to cut down on processing times. Also, be sure there’s enough room for the equipment to be brought in and installed. Packaging equipment is not a small piece of machinery. Pay attention to your door width, ceiling height, and power supply options.

• Scalability

When making this purchase consider the future of your business, evaluate the scalability of the equipment you want, and consider your long-term business goals. If you choose to expand your business in five or ten years, will you need to replace this equipment? What equipment will be best for your business as you scale in size?

• Upfront Cost

Consider how much money you have budgeted for this piece of equipment. Some important questions to consider include: how much are you willing to pay in cash? Are you looking for a brand new piece of equipment or have you considered used packaging equipment to save money upfront? Keep in mind there is financing available specifically for industrial machinery if you need an advance or want to grow your business but don’t have the funds. During this part of the process, you should also determine your return on investment (ROI) to determine how long the machinery will take to pay for itself.

• Long-Term Costs

While the initial cost of a piece of machinery is often top of mind for purchasers, people also need to keep in mind long-term operational costs. This could include maintenance for the packaging machine over time (including the cost to replace parts), insurance costs, and training costs for staff. Be sure to calculate how any unexpected downtime could cost your company both time and money.

• Material Type

Packaging equipment can be used to package everything from bags to bottles. When landing on the right equipment for your business, determine which machinery works best with the product you’re looking to purchase. For example, if you’re looking to package food products, vertical form fill and seal machines are known to package products such as chip bags, breakfast cereal, and coffee beans. Separately, a horizontal form fill and seal machine is often used for packaging products such as bread, cheese slices, and frozen pizzas. If you’re unsure how the machine will handle your product, request product samples from the seller.

• Versatility

This leads to versatility. Determine how specialized you’d like your packaging equipment to be. Make sure it can handle products of all sizes, shapes, and packaging you need to be done. For instance, if you’re looking for a cartoning machine to make boxes for different types of toiletries, you’ll need to find one that can make all the necessary carton sizes and be able to complete the required closure methods for each type of box.

• Integration

Packaging equipment is one piece of the puzzle in a product line. That means it needs to fit with what equipment or machinery you already have. If you are building your production line from scratch, consider what changes you could undergo in the future and how it would integrate with future machines. Some packaging machines also have more than one function. Rather than getting a simple conveyor, you could invest in something like an accumulating conveyor, helping with two parts of the production process with just one piece of equipment.

• Speed

When it comes to the packaging process, speed is of the utmost importance. The more products you package in a shorter amount of time means more inventory and, therefore, more profit. As you size and scale your operation, you need to consider how this will help you improve your production process. Going from something like a semi-automatic capper to a fully automated capper can transform the packaging process for any product.

• Customization

This is a major investment, so one key consideration to think about is customization. If you’re looking to package something unique or unusual, you can customize your packaging equipment. This may require a bigger investment on the front end, but certain customizable features could pay off in the long run.

• Brand

It’s important to zero in on a brand or two you’d like to target when choosing your packaging equipment supplier. That will make it easier to figure out where to go when purchasing your equipment. Do you want a more expensive brand with a better reputation? Or are you looking for a specific piece of equipment and don’t care which brand designed it?

• Seller

Finally, you need to choose a seller. If you decide to go with the original equipment manufacturer, consider the lead time it will take before you get your equipment and if it will be worth the wait. If you purchase used equipment, you will be able to skip that lead time. But make sure to buy it through a reputable, trustworthy source.