Advantages of Automation
Are you ready to see how automation will improve your bottom-line? We sat down with Andrew, our Vice President of Business Development, to find out how real businesses have benefited from automating their packaging line.
Automating your packaging line has a bunch of benefits. According to Andrew, the key benefits of automated packaging equipment are:
Increased throughput which allows the customer to ship more product out each day.
Reduced labor and overhead expenses.
Eliminating repetitive motion injuries/workman's comp claims.
Consistency in the package. Operators tend to do things their own way, where a robot or machine can be programmed to perform the same task each time.
Ability to grow product lines and business without having to hire more employees.
Every customer has different needs when it comes to automation. Katzke has a vast range of experience implementing automated equipment and works with customers to understand their specific processes in order to recommend solutions that will provide the best ROI (return on investment). Andrew’s most recent experience implementing automated equipment demonstrates the impact of automation.
“I recommended that our customer purchase a Sharp bagger after touring their facility and conducting a packaging audit. This customer had five operators seated at a table placing their product in a bag by hand. After the product was placed in the bag, the operator would seal the bag with tape and place a bar code label on the outside. All five operators worked full-time five days a week performing this same task. Our customer was having a difficult time keeping up with orders because they couldn't package their product fast enough to keep up with demand. The customer decided to purchase a Sharp bagger with a thermal transfer printer and bags on a roll from Katzke. Once the machine was installed, the customer was able to bag more product in one shift using one operator than five operators could bag over five days previously. The customer was ecstatic! Not only could they ship more product, but they reduced their labor expense by $150k per year. The machine's ROI was less than 30 days.”
One factor that is often a concern for customers is the initial investment of equipment and machinery. While discussing this concern with Andrew he tells us, that “some customers are reluctant to spend money on equipment, but there's a saying I heard from a business owner that goes something like this, ‘Whether you buy the equipment or not, you're paying for it either way.’” That’s why Katzke helps determine our customers ROI when proposing a piece of equipment. As Andrew explained, implementing equipment in one facility saved them $150,000 per year, and the amount they invested was returned in less than 30 days! However, if a customer is still not able to make that investment, Andrew points out that, “there are leasing options available that make machinery affordable,” which is something that a lot of customers overlook. Katzke believes that automated equipment can benefit businesses of all kinds, both big and small.
Talk to one of our packaging & automation specialists today to find out how you can benefit from automated packaging equipment. Contact us today!