Optimizing Bag-in-Box Production

In this case study, we look at how a new bag-in-box project for a global brand required GreenSeed to move beyond its existing machines and invest in a dedicated, high-capacity line.

A bag-in-box product moves down the conveyor of the Alterion CL-170 cartoner at the GreenSeed plant. — Image courtesy of R.A Jones

Choosing the right equipment partner is the difference between fulfilling a contract and building a foundation for long-term growth. When GreenSeed, a prominent contract packager located in Batavia, Illinois, secured a high-stakes project with a global food brand, they turned to R.A Jones to provide an easy-to-use, flexible solution to meet rigorous market demands. By delivering a cartoner that combined affordability with industry-leading reliability, R.A Jones enabled GreenSeed to transform complex requirements into a seamless, same-day operational success.

The Challenge: Meeting High-Stakes Market Demands

A new bag-in-box project for a global brand required GreenSeed to move beyond its existing machines and invest in a dedicated, high-capacity line. The project demanded a partner who could solve for:

Competitive Differentiation – Providing state-of-the-art technology to ensure long-term reliability in a crowded market.
Spatial Efficiency – Engineering a medium-speed solution that fits within a limited facility footprint.
Accelerated Implementation – Moving from initial consultation in late spring to a fully operational installation by year-end.

The Solution: Why R.A Jones?

GreenSeed’s decision to partner with R.A Jones was driven by a strategic shift toward long-term operational excellence over short-term cost savings. As a global leader in the design and manufacturing of packaging excellence for more than 120 years, R.A Jones provided the engineering reputation and proven reliability GreenSeed required for this project. Leveraging a diverse machine portfolio and the global resources of its parent company, Coesia, R.A Jones partners with the world’s leading consumer brands across the food, beverage, household, personal care and pharmaceutical sectors. GreenSeed ultimately selected R.A Jones based on previous experiences where their machinery consistently outperformed the competition.

Several bags-in-boxes move down the conveyor of the Alterion CL-170 cartoner at the GreenSeed plant. — GreenSeed purchased R.A Jones’ Alterion C-170 mid-speed cartoner to meet its new customer’s bag-in-box production needs. *Image courtesy of R.A Jones*

The Alterion CL-170 emerged as the ideal solution to bridge a critical gap in GreenSeed’s existing capabilities. To meet the rigorous demands of a new global contract, GreenSeed required a dedicated cartoner that combined operator-assisted loading with automated cartoning —a level of precision and reliability their existing equipment could not fulfill.

The Alterion CL-170 proved to be the perfect fit, offering a high-performance, mid-speed platform that allowed GreenSeed to streamline operations by running two production lines into a single, reliable cartoner. By delivering superior Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) and the ability to handle quick, repeatable changeovers, R.A Jones provided the technical sophistication and project-specific flexibility necessary for GreenSeed to meet their customer's volume requirements.

Implementation: The R.A Jones Advantage

The R.A Jones Alterion CL-170 proved its value immediately, transitioning from delivery to full production on the very same day as installation. This rapid integration was the result of a short three-month build cycle by R.A Jones at its Covington, Kentucky, manufacturing facility, specifically tailored to meet a demanding project timeline and the customer’s requirements. The new cartoner was shipped and installed at the plant with a minimal learning curve, enabling it to begin running bags into boxes without delay.

Employees at GreenSeed’s Batavia, Illinois, facility load the bag-in-box product into cartons on the production line. *Image courtesy of R.A Jones*

This performance highlights several key technical advantages inherent in R.A Jones engineering:

Unmatched Reliability: Since its late-December installation, the Alterion has experienced zero downtime, serving as a robust and dependable asset for GreenSeed’s bag-in-box packaging operations.
Precision Loading: Utilizing a servo-driven barrel loader and adjustable U-shaped buckets, the machine ensures consistent, loading of pouches into two different carton sizes.
Optimized Throughput: While the Alterion features a top mechanical speed of 170 cpm, it is currently optimized at a gross speed of 120 cpm to align with the plant's production goals.
Labor Transformation: Transitioning to R.A Jones’ automated loading process, where two associates now manage to fill machine product buckets, allowed GreenSeed to reassign other staff to higher-value roles on the line.
Future-Ready Flexibility: With single-point handwheel adjustments for rapid changeovers, the Alterion provides a future-proofed platform that can be easily repurposed for other "bag-in-box" applications once the initial project concludes.

A Blueprint for 2026 and Beyond

The partnership with R.A Jones has provided GreenSeed with a strategic blueprint for their broader operational goals. By proving that R.A Jones' engineering can solve chronic industry challenges like footprint constraints and labor allocation, GreenSeed is now looking to R.A Jones to help automate their remaining manual production lines. With the Alterion CL-170, R.A Jones has empowered GreenSeed to stay ahead of the curve for 2026 and beyond.

Image of workers using the new handload cartoner solution from R.A Jones that features a configurable bucket conveyor length, allowing customers to tailor the machine's footprint and speed to their specific needs. — The new handload cartoner solution from R.A Jones features a configurable bucket conveyor length, allowing customers to tailor the machine's footprint and speed to their specific needs. *Image courtesy of R.A Jones*

Beyond the immediate success of the current cereal project, the Alterion CL-170 was selected as a versatile, long-term asset for the facility. While the initial contract is slated for a three-year duration, the machine's ability to handle diverse bag-in-box applications ensures it will fulfill a variety of needs well into the future. Once the current project concludes, GreenSeed plans to leverage the Alterion’s rapid changeover capabilities and large carton range to seamlessly pivot the line to other products, maximizing the machine's output and ensuring a high return on investment for years to come.