Engineering a new overwrapping machine takes more time than we like. It is true for mechanical design and for controls software. We discovered recently that our new controls supplier thought that controls for an overwrapper would be similar to a flowwrapper. This led them to budget less time than needed to get the job done. Fortunately we had left enough time for the programming, so it did not impact the customer’s installation. Overwrappers are more complex than other wrappers. There are software cams that need to be programmed and the proper timing of different functions can take a while to synchronize. There is so much in the controls that is mechanical in other machines including changeover from one size to another.

The machine design is still mechanical at its most basic. This puts a burden on our engineering staff to get it right the first time, so there are no delays in assembling the machine. On a new machine, unfortunately the last thing that gets designed is one of the longer lead items to  get made – the frame that supports the whole machine. This is because we have to design everything else first to know where they will fit on the frame.

Our engineers are working hard on a new machine design right now and in their zeal to dot “i”s and cross “t”s they are being very careful. This is frustrating to the rest of us who want to get on with the machine build. However, bitter experience has taught us that less time in engineering is more expensive in time and money later. This is a hard message to convey to our customers who, having made a decision to buy, would like the installation to come the following day.