Packaging tips for challenging times

We know that businesses are having to operate amidst an ever-changing situation if you are facing unprecedented operational demand we thought you may appreciate us sharing a few pointers in how to increase efficiencies in the packing process.

Organising the picking area to deal with increased stock

If you need a quick solution to reduce picking times and improve the effectiveness of your warehouse space then temporary pick bins could be the answer.  They can reduce this logistical headache without significant capital investment.

Temporary pick bins can be dismantled in times of lower capacity and stored away for use as needed.

Speeding up the packing goods out

There are a couple of ways to speed up the packing process:

• A quick win is to replace standard flap shipper cartons (0201s) with a crash lock base box to minimise the amount of tape required.
• If you use a design with a self-seal lid this can reduce packing time by up to 60%.
• Minimise the amount of tape needed to seal the box by switching to a strong water-activated tape, removing the need to H tape as the tape is much stronger than plastic tape.

Use automation:

• an automated water-activated tape dispenser produces pre-programmed lengths of tape
• void fill dispensers can be pre-set to issue the right amount of protection quickly
• semi-automatic strapping machines can speed up the application on boxed items

Increasing the speed of packing pallets

Use automation to increase the throughput of palletisation.

• stretch wrapper machines can wrap pallets in a fraction of the time
• Friction welders to speed up the strapping application

Maximise your transport loads

It may be tempting to use any size carton you can find, but be mindful of delivery vehicle capacity. Maximise pallet and vehicle space by using a variety of carton sizes that fit your products correctly – this means that you can maximise your vehicle payload and save on resources.

If you need any help or advice during these challenging times, please don’t hesitate to contact Macfarlane Packaging. We’re here to support your business and to help you do more, with less.