August 7, 2023
(press release)
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(This article appeared in part in the July issue of FlexoTech magazine) By Raul ElFakdi - Slitting Unit Business Director Invariably, there comes a moment during the life cycle of a company when the workload becomes excessively high and cannot be managed solely with labour. Nowadays, companies need to decide on the best methods of workload management. Labor costs are constantly increasing, and companies also need to use their employees for tasks that require maximum critical thinking, as creativity cannot yet be automated. The manual processes performed in each reel generation cycle in a slitter are crucial. A two-shafts machine, under normal conditions, may only be operational 30% of the time. This percentage increases to 70% when high-productivity solutions are used, such as turret slitters, automatic blade positioning, automatic mandrel positioning, or automatic taping/gluing. Automate All the Manual Processes After achieving such a high level of automation in slitting, and when combined with the current state-of-the-art slitters available in the market, which are capable of running at production speeds up to 1.000 m/min, another constraint appears in the field of operations: the impossibility of manually processing the high number of reels that the slitter is capable of processing. To overcome these new constraints, we must automate all the manual processes that take place after slitting, such as weighting, labelling, bagging or palletizing, by using reel management and handling systems connected to the slitters. By integrating and linking all these processes, we eliminate all the current limitations that prevent slitters from working at maximum performance, eliminate idle times between processes, and optimize overall production. Five Advantages of Automated Flexible Packaging Lines The investment costs associated with new equipment may make several companies reluctant to adopt automated solutions. However, automation can bring enormous benefits as these new technologies increasingly facilitate the automation of process steps. Below are five advantages of automated flexible packaging lines: Goal: Zero Defects in Delivery However, although the most striking data in ROI calculations is the savings in wage costs, there is another significant benefit that is more difficult to measure. When a manual operation is repeated, there is always a possibility of errors due to fatigue or distractions. It is not difficult to find a mislabelled or misplaced coil in a manufacturing batch. Although companies have made efforts to design fail-safe systems, it is highly likely that defective coils are delivered to each customer concerning manual handling. The demands of major brands regarding quality parameters are increasing every day. For this reason, it will become increasingly challenging to meet these requirements without the help of automated systems or a more suitable and innovative slitting area. Automation is the optimal approach to achieve zero defects in delivery. In conclusion, automated packaging lines can be highly beneficial for product manufacturers. By taking on the burden of repetitive and tedious tasks, these systems reduce the risk of ergonomic injuries and enable workers to be allocated to higher-value tasks where they are most needed. Additionally, these systems can boost productivity and improve quality control measures, all of which ultimately translate into higher profitability. A simple maxim encapsulates the essence of this approach: a system that controls flexible packaging must, therefore, be flexible.
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