Bundling Configurations There are multiple ways to bundle product  but two basic ones.  They involve creating the bundle in line, like soldiers or in layers side by side. Creating the Bundle In the first one the boxes are lined up like soldiers.  Since the most preferred method is to put the tuck and fold on […]

Packaging Waste Packaging waste is a big topic these days. Solid waste landfills are overflowing. Some states and municipalities are now requiring restaurants to compost food waste. As of January 2015, Fed Ex and UPS are charging not simply by weight but for volume.  The shipper  has to provide the dimensions of the package and is […]

At a Customer Site Recently I visited with a customer who has one of our FA-ST servo overwrapping machines as well as an old FA overwrapping machine. The newer FA-ST had replaced two old FA overwrappers running at 40 per minute.  When this customer bought the overwrapping machine we promised them 70 per minute with 100 gauge […]

we are working on developing some new machines including ones for sausage wrapping with paper. Please contact us for more info.

We will be closed November 26-30, 2014 for the Thanksgiving holiday. We wish customers vendors and prospects a wonderful time with family and friends.

So much advice on the internet today about marketing says Ask Your Customers to get the best ideas or to build meaningful relationships. Yet most prospects don’t want to spend time with potential vendors until they have learned everything they can without direct contact.  So many mistakes could be averted if we would simply ask […]

Huge Growth in Candy and Food Entrepreneurs There seems to be a explosion of candy and food entrepreneurs.  And it makes sense.  Not only are many consumers looking to buy more locally, they want higher quality ingredients. Major food companies are buying up successful food entrepreneurs. So a food entrepreneur can exploit his or her […]

Package Machinery will be closed October 13 but we look forward to talking to you on October 14.

Set Up to Fail a Factory Acceptance Test We recently had a challenging factory acceptance test. The  product was not yet on the market so the boxes were not filled to the right levels with the real product. The cartons we had to wrap were made by hand and therefore not consistently folded. They had […]

Package Machinery will be closed July 3 and 4 for the Independence Day holiday.  We reopen on July 7.

Changing the Packaging Process It is wonderful to see our customers embracing waste reduction. When they call us, it is to talk about changing the packaging process to reduce their materials consumption. Two blogs crossed my computer today and they both relate to this indirectly.   The first – Why Going Lean is the New […]

How important is registered  or printed film to your branding? If it is important, how accurate is the positioning of your printed film?   Film positioning is critically important when working with printed film. It is how the manufacturer gets to communicate with the customer about the product they are buying. All the areas of […]

Everyone is on the bandwagon about minimizing packaging materials.  And there is significant opportunity to do that with bundling. I read an article recently that discussed product and packaging shipability.  I always think about the issue from the packaging perspective but this pointed out that an investment in the product sometimes pays off in improved […]

Flexibility to change speed or product size are the most common considerations but ability to change material should also be a consideration in purchasing a wrapping machine. When we are approached about buying a wrapping machine, often an inquiry regarding material for wrapping follows on its heels. Over the lifetime of one of our wrappers, far […]

I was reading an article on Clay Christensen’s MilkShake Marketing and applying it to what we do at Package Machinery.   It made me realize that Bundling is a job to be done by many of our customers and what we provide is a means to help them do it with our bundle wrappers. It […]

Wrapping is about branding and product protection. There are many ways to do branding and product protection and we get inquiries all the time for wrapping machines for a variety of applications. We like to think we are wrapping experts, but we also know our limitations.  So here is our little guide to what we […]

The best approach in evaluating wrapping machinery is to look at the Total Cost of Ownership. However, some products requires specific kinds of wrap in order for issues of product preservation to be effective.  As I wrote in Deciding How to Wrap, product and marketing requirements are paramount. Beyond that, it is important to think about […]

Once you know you need to wrap a product, you need to decide how to wrap the product. You need to weigh the appearance, product protection and costs of your options. In all cases we are talking about consumer products needing to be wrapped for one reason or another. Factors to consider: Appearance: What does […]

Sometimes it helps to think about why products are wrapped in the first place. In a dynamic packaging market, this is a useful first step toward sustainability and cost reduction. Whether we are talking bananas, which come with their own built in wrapping, or a delicate piece of glass, products are wrapped for a very […]

In 2014 sustainability in packaging will make serious progress. 2014 should be a fascinating year for sharing best practices in packaging with our customers and for seeing our customers share internally and externally themselves. What do  I mean by that?  Beyond simple changes in process,  I see much greater sharing of knowledge leading to improved sustainability […]

Thank you to our employees, vendors and customers for your support in 2013. We are very grateful and look forward to working with you in 2014.

We will be closed December 23- January 1. If you need emergency assistance, please call 413.732.4000 and leave a message. We will return your call. We will you a Merry Christmas and a prosperous and fulfilling New Year.

What is Packaging Sustainability? One thing I have learned is that packaging sustainability is not simply about making the earth greener. No company looks at sustainability without internal motivations to strengthen their brand, increase their profits and improve their market position. Usually those motivations relate to savings or branding. Let’s face it: packaging is a […]

Why Flow wrap? There are several critical reasons to flow wrap products. The product to wrap has nuts, whole grains or raisins that need to be wrapped in an airtight package so they don’t go rancid. A gas flush to remove oxygen can be used to extend the flavor and life of the product. Shelf life […]

Our new inline bundler can reduce your corrugate consumption. See the video.

May you enjoy the time to be grateful, as we are grateful for the support of our vendors, customers and associates. Happy Thanksgiving.

I find the process of creating a new wrapping machine fascinating, perhaps even more because I am not an engineer. From there I wonder about how the packaging is created from a brand owner’s viewpoint. A lot of thought goes into the package appearance on the shelf, the tensile strength of the packaging materials to […]

Welcome Vince Pisani as our new sales engineer and Bob Eccher as Director of Engineering and Production. For more information, see here.

The four components to make the wrapping process work are the wrapping machine the product the wrapping material the operator and mechanics Seems pretty simple doesn’t it? But most people forget the impact of changing just one component on the whole process. No question but our FA-ST servo overwrappers are complex machine with lots of […]

There are times when it helps to think about how we live our lives and why we do what we do. By my calculations I have lived over 35 years within 1.5 miles of the Connecticut River. I had been on it once as a child, when I was not allowed by my mother to […]

Over the past few years we have built overwrappers for both cake and bread. Wrapping cake, bread or other baked goods present their own unique challenges. What sets this overwrap process apart from a standard overwrapper is the demands of the product for a less than tight wrap.  Both cake and bread are fragile and […]

Gourmet caramels are growing in popularity. They represent a small treat that does not break the bank but gives a moment of pleasure. Over the past few years,  I have had a chance to sample some of the best as we have built  TTDF diefold wrapping machines to wrap caramels. Caramel wrapping has its peculiarities. […]

Our newest wrapping machine is large and inline for bigger packages or bundles. See the ILW, which comes in sizes configured for your needs.

Teaching a wrapping machine involves hands on learning. It is also a two-way street. While our customer’s staff need to learn the ins and outs of our overwrapper, we need to make sure that we understand their product and how it behaves while being wrapped. There are four component to a successful transition: a machine […]

See us at Booth 2436 in the Central Hall to discuss our newest wrapping machines and how we can help you with your packaging issues. Pack Expo Las Vegas is September 23-25.

What is Packaging Waste? Packaging waste is unnecessary packaging that does not provide protection, integrity and security to products from the manufacturer to the consumer. I was just reading about food waste is approximately 30% of total food.  This is scary in a world of growing population and shrinking agricultural lands with a little global […]

The mantra for packaging waste is reduce, reuse and recycle. The EPA on its web site has the following statements. “In most parts of the developed world, packaging constitutes as much as one-third of the non-industrial solid waste stream. As the developing world races to raise living standards, more countries are seeing significant growth in […]

If you are buying a wrapping machine, you are worrying about delivery time the same way you worry about delivering your product on time. One impacts the other. I was recently discussing a food customer who has high seasonal variability. Their solution is to hire unskilled  temporary workers to operate their machines and use trained […]

We have seen significant interest for overwrapping machines to wrap boxes of frozen vegetables over the past 18 months.  I was puzzled as to why that might be, so I did a little homework. According to Gene Lester, a plant physiologist at the USDA, quoted in Eating Well magazine, “Fruits and vegetables chosen for freezing […]

There has been a significant increase in demand for bundle wrapping. Half our our machine volume in the past year has been bundle wrappers, so it seems bundle wrappers are useful all of a sudden. This is because bundle wrappers improve corporate social responsibility and corporations care more and more about that. The reason for […]