The rule of thumb when deciding between robotic or conventional case packers is not as true today as in the past, because robots now cost less and are easier to use, creating more options for packagers. Here are three suggestions for gaining advantages from the new economic realities of robots in case packing.

When do you know it’s time to automate your packaging processes? Sometimes it isn’t clear until it’s too late and you are missing your deadlines for delivery due to a sudden increase in demand that you hadn’t planned for. The overhead cost for an in-house employee to manually package your products may outweigh the cost of automated packaging machinery, it just isn’t obvious that a capital investment like this will have the quick ROI you need.

Great packaging tells your customers about your product, your brand and what you stand for, and is a must for anyone producing physical goods for the consumer marketplace. You must get creative with your packaging design to portray the right message to the right people—and you need to attract your target market and get them excited to buy your product. When it comes to packaging food, there are many factors to take into consideration for a successful product.

When the pace of sales overwhelms the pace of production, the immediate response is often to increase packaging line speed, usually by buying the latest machinery. But before investing in high-speed tablet counters, desiccant inserters, cappers and neck banders, consider how a faster machine may affect the other steps in the packaging line. Here are some tips before deciding to invest in the latest automated machinery. 

Niche beverage manufacturers do not have the resources or capital to make the same purchase decisions as their larger competitors. As these smaller beverage companies grow, it places them in the unfortunate situation of deciding what upgrades are available and what things to target for future growth. 

In today's digital age, having a great website, creating a personality for your branding and packaging business on social networking sites, and making yourself easily accessible to customers online, has rightly become a top marketing priority for many businesses.

Tamper-evident packaging (TEP) provides many benefits to businesses in almost every industry. The most evident benefit TEP provides is security. If you are in the pharmaceutical industry, tamper-evident packaging as well as tamper-resistant packaging (TRP) are in almost every case a requirement. 

By reviewing your packaging process and production line, you can find several ways reduce your total cost of packaging and impact your labor numbers while improving efficiency. 

Shrink wrapping is an easy process that only requires two things: the right kind of plastic wrap and heat. With just a roll of shrink wrap and a heating source, you can waterproof, weatherproof and tamperproof just about anything. But even this great packaging solution has a few potential hiccups.

How big of a factor does color selection play in your package design process? From a consumer's perspective, the color of your packaging can greatly, or gravely, impact the decision to purchase your product over your competitors.