Why Low-Speed Doesn’t Mean Light-Duty

When is Robust Packaging Equipment Essential?

What comes to mind when you hear the term low-speed packaging operation? An underutilized line where cases trickle through a conveyor, a small-scale operation with limited production requirements or a casual work pace unpressed by deadlines? – In that context, automating a process such as case erecting that runs under 15 cases per minute might seem like a perfect match for a simple, light-duty machine. That assumption, however, can lead to costly mistakes. While “slow speed” may suggest low complexity or low priority, many of these operations are actually high-stakes, high-complexity environments with equally high demands on the precision, uptime and adaptability of their automation.

When Low-Speed Operations Demand Robust Machinery

Many end-of-line packaging operations running 10-15 cases per minute still operate multiple shifts around the clock with little to no time to make up for lost production events. Their output is tied to strict delivery schedules and retail contracts that penalize missed shipments or quality issues. When internal maintenance resources are limited, the problem gets further exacerbated and dependable OEM support becomes critical to success.

Labor challenges – from turnover to skill and experience gaps, reliability issues or broad cultural and linguistic barriers – exist at all throughput levels. Training costs rise quickly, and productivity suffers if machines are complex or unforgiving. In these cases, automation must be designed to help operators succeed quickly and reliably.

Many slow-speed operations run high-value, premium or fragile products, where packaging problems damage more than just the contents. They hurt the brand, jeopardize customer relations and risk losing retail contracts. SKU variety adds even more pressure. With a broad retail base ranging from big-box and club stores to industrial outlets and small convenience stores, manufacturers are asked to offer their products in many forms, sizes and pack configurations. If a line must frequently change recipes, equipment that’s hard to adjust can cause costly delays. Some slow-speed packaging lines run products with short life cycles – maybe a new market introduction requiring flexible machines to allow product finetuning or quick scaling.

All of these scenarios paint a vivid picture: even with low-throughput rates, the cost of production and quality losses are high, making precision, reliability, and ease of use non-negotiable in any automation decision.

When Light-Duty Machines Make Sense

Conversely, light-duty packaging equipment including case erectors, packers and sealers can be a smart choice for less demanding environments. These typically include low-volume operations with single shifts where downtime doesn’t disrupt the overall schedule. If the product format is stable, changeovers are rare, and retail compliance isn’t a concern, equipment requirements are far more forgiving. Facilities with skilled, readily available operators and strong in-house maintenance can be managed with simpler machines. In these cases, lower upfront costs can outweigh the long-term value of a more robust solution.

TCO, Payback, and ROI

To better understand when a robust, well-supported automation solution is the better fit for a slow-speed operation, let’s consider Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), Payback Time and Return on Investment (ROI).

The more complex and constrained your operation is, the more factors feed into your true Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). In these situations, you may have already experienced and are thus keenly aware of the indirect and sometimes hidden costs of a bad decision. While a light-duty machine may seem appealing based on purchase price alone, follow-up expenses often surface quickly and add up immensely.

Many companies also use sophisticated ROI calculations based on a depreciable life of the asset – often 10 years – by factoring in projected costs and savings. Return on Investment (ROI) represents how much profit is generated over the life of the machine for every dollar invested. Expressed as a percentage, the ROI is often used if limited resources warrant a comparison of several investment alternatives to help decide which one will yield the greatest return.

Characteristics of a High-Performing Secondary Packaging Automation Solution

If the previous discussion led you to the conclusion that your packaging operation requires a reliable, OEM-supported and user-optimized automation solution, the following list of – let’s call them Key Performance Indicators – will help in your research and decision process.

Reliability:

• • Equipment must deliver consistent up-time and tolerate real-world conditions such as corrugate variances, random product presentations or environmental stressors like heat, humidity or dusty conditions. Robust equipment uses durable, maintenance-friendly components designed for 24/7 use, with sufficient surge capacity. Technology solutions favor simplicity and active control over each step to guarantee precision and reliability so that unplanned downtime from equipment failures is the exception, not the norm.

Quality Output:

• • For secondary packaging, high-quality output is about perfect case squareness, a secure seal, and products loaded in the right orientation, quantity and pattern. Products shouldn’t stick out of the box, have broken or loose lids, or marked labels. Pallets must be stable so they can be easily moved without shifting, leaning or crushing. A good machine design enables consistent repeatability of each internal process, which then leads to a predictable, high-quality output.

Ease of Use:

• • This may sound simple, but an engineer designing the automation equipment may not consider what it is like to operate the machinery with little technical knowledge or preexisting experience, physical limitations or the ability to fully understand the language.
    Machines should provide ergonomic access for loading, changeovers, and maintenance to minimize strain and injury risk. Clear visibility into the machine reduces time finding faults or changeover points and troubleshooting in various operating modes. Tool-free changeovers with fewer adjustment points speed up recipe switches and a well-designed, user-optimized human-machine interface (HMI) guides operators so that even with little training, limited experience or other challenges, they can work quickly and independently.

OEM Support:

• • No matter how robust and reliable the equipment may be, at some point parts reach the end of their life or fail for one reason or another. The machine may require tuning or modifications to support a new retail strategy. – A robust solution must come with comprehensive 24/7 technical support. In an emergency, technicians should be able to arrive within 24 hours, while remote diagnostics allow the correct parts to be sent out in the meantime. In essence, the quality of the service infrastructure is an OEMs long-term commitment to your success and includes many functions you will likely take advantage of at one point or another. For example, project managers ensure your machine arrives on time and on budget, a parts team can help identify correct replacement parts or expedite them, if necessary, a large enough remote and in-field service team is able to respond to urgent requests, and an aftermarket team will help with future machine upgrades or modifications.

Lead Times:

• Sometimes, good things are worth the wait, but in this case, lead times matter. If improving your operation’s efficiency and eliminating downtime or quality losses weren’t urgent, the automation equipment was probably not needed in the first place. In addition, long lead times can tie up substantial down payments without generating any positive gains during that time.

Pearson’s CE15 Case Erector: Built for Low-Speed Yet Demanding Operations

Now that we know what criteria low-speed, yet high-stake operations should look for in their vendor selection, let’s see if Pearson’s latest market introduction – the completely redesigned CE15 Case Erector – checks all the boxes.

Reliable Design with Field-Proven Technology:

• To ensure individual blanks are successfully singulated and picked off the stack, a chain driven magazine ensures proper positioning of knockdowns, angling them in such a way that counterpressure avoids blanks falling backwards or forward into the machine, avoiding jams and shutdowns.
• A vacuum-assisted pick off provides reliable singulation. A controlled case position and dual-opposed vacuum cups – simultaneously pulling the blank open from both sides – ensure consistent repeatability of the opening mechanism even with corrugate variances.

Quality Output: Square Cases with a Secure Tape Seal

• Active folding mechanisms ensure case flaps are accurately folded at scorelines, even with particularly stiff corrugate.
• As the case moves over the tape head employing pressure-sensitive tape, a full-length case hold-down provides downward pressure to ensuring even light-weight cases are securely sealed.
• Synchronous, lugged, flight systems maintain case squareness while it travels through the case erector.

User-Centric Design:

• An open design with top to bottom, clear doors provides full visibility and easy machine access. The space-conscious, sliding panels are removable without tools for even greater access if necessary.
• The magazine sits at an ergonomic height to avoid unnecessary strain and fatigue for operators replenishing corrugate stacks.
• Design simplicity and component reduction produced a maintenance-friendly machine with only nine changeover points. By choosing reliable servos driving the flight system, the need for powered chains and sprockets, lubricating timing belts, and tensioning of chains was eliminated. The active flap folding mechanism for majors and minors further removes the need for cylinders and additional changeover points while guaranteeing consistent operation.
• A full guard package with case-size adjustable infeed guarding, an exit tunnel and reliable non-contact interlocks, keeps operators and maintenance personnel safe by preventing access into a running machine.
• A highly intuitive human-machine interface (HMI) builds on preexisting knowledge of navigating phones and the internet most people possess by adopting widely accepted website design principles. The use of icons supports easier recall, while alerts and messages prioritize actions. Maps help identify the location of a fault, changeover point or sensor and images accompanying guided instructions remove experience, knowledge or language barriers.

Service and Support:

• Pearson Packaging Systems supports its customers with comprehensive technical support, 24/7 access to a live on-call technician, 24-hour emergency in-field deployment, free remote assistance, technical consulting and training, as well as commissioning and run support.
• Our parts team is available 6 days a week, while our online parts store is open 24/7.
• Complementing our tape and glue machines, we also carry a line of industrial-grade packaging tapes and hot-melt adhesives, specifically formulated to enhance the performance of our machines while meeting the wide range of bonding needs of our customers.

Lead Times:

• The CE15 Case Erector is ready to ship in as little as four to six weeks, so you can start realizing efficiency improvements and a return on your investment sooner.

Final Thought: Choose Equipment That Matches the Mission

If your operation is labor-constrained, SKU-diverse, or contract-sensitive, a light-duty machine may seem cheaper upfront but will likely cost more in downtime, training, premature performance degradation and lack of timely support. A durable, reliable and easy-to-use machine is an insurance policy for your production goals, brand reputation, and bottom line.

The CE15 is just one example of Pearson’s line of automation equipment built for manufacturers who need a reliable solution that performs under real-world pressures. Pearsons’ portfolio covers automated machinery to erect cases, insert bags or partitions, and pack, seal and palletize the shipping boxes.