Resources

Packaging line downtime is the undisputed enemy in manufacturing. But do you know how much an hour of downtime actually costs? If you’re unsure, then you should start tracking downtime. Start by calculating the overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) and true downtime costs (TDC) to measure your equipment’s efficiency and overall downtime costs, respectively. You can’t…

Like many other aspects of your lives inside and outside of business, restrictions caused by COVID-19 have  disrupted the normal way of conducting Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT’s). Because of travel restrictions, social distancing, and other precautions companies and governments are taking, the typical way of conducting a FAT is put on hold. Similar to how…

When you purchase a new packaging machine, are you buying it for the next year? Or how about the next five years? Neither should be your answer because you’re looking to invest in a machine that will package your products for the next 20 years. When deciding on a new packaging machine there are many…

Taunton, MA. June 8, 2020 — Harpak-ULMA, the North American arm of ULMA Packaging, has been named as one of Putman Media’s first annual Smart Industry Transformational Leadership Award winners in the category of OEM IIoT Pioneer. The program honors individuals and organizations leading the way to Industry 4.0. This year’s winners, chosen from across…

Taunton, MA. May 14, 2020 — Harpak-ULMA, the North American arm of ULMA Packaging, today announced a new suite of packaging design & prototyping services to help producers more rapidly and cost-effectively develop and operationalize innovative packaging concepts. Harpak-ULMA’s new suite of services enables marketing and packaging engineering teams to now access a combination of…

The conclusion of the COVID-19 pandemic may be drawing nearer, however, its long term strain ion the food supply chain may be felt for years to come. Complex issues like border restrictions and workforce shortages have caused increased delays in the fresh produce trade, as well large shipment of fresh produce to sit without safe…

Cheese packaging automation affords several major benefits for CPG packaging manufacturers. It reduces operational costs by lowering labor costs and minimizing waste from human interaction, increases throughput and productivity, and creates a safer work environment by replacing strenuous, repetitive, manual jobs. Cheese stick packaging is certainly a product that could benefit from this automation. Cheese…

Choosing the right packaging equipment and supplier can make or break a project. There are so many different variables in your decision that choosing the ideal equipment and supportive packaging partner can be challenging. You not only need to think about your present needs, but future innovation to optimize your production. Where to begin? In…

Snacking today is as popular as ever. The fast moving, timed crunched society we live in demands snack packaging be convenient for eating on the go. While there are ways to eat a meal, such as sandwich, more consumers are opting to snack throughout the day to satisfy their hunger. Moreover, consumers are becoming more…

Deciding on the correct packaging method for medical device packaging equipment is important for package integrity. In the medical industry, choosing the right packaging method for high-valued medical devices is essential to the end user and must comply with safety regulations. When engineering a price-to-performance equipoise that meets validation requirements (ISO 11607, EN868, AS TM…