Learning Center

Whether you’re looking for solutions to specific challenges or wanting to deepen your overall knowledge of secondary packaging, our Learning Center is designed to give you the resources to make confident decisions about your secondary packaging systems.

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Maintenance process timeline with repair highlighted

Secondary Packaging 101

What Is Mean Time to Repair (MTTR) and What Drives It Up or Down?

Understand MTTR along with its components and drivers so you can identify where downtime actually happens and where to focus improvement effort for the fastest payback.

Douglas representative sitting at desk with laptop and headphones on a video call

Comparisons

Remote Service vs. Remote Monitoring: What Your OEM Actually Delivers

Understand the difference between remote monitoring and remote service and how these things affect how you budget, manage security, and partner with your OEM.

Cybersecurity Diagnostics Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) Remote Monitoring Remote Service

Group of people standing and having a conversation by a packaging machine

Comparisons

OEM vs. System Integrator: Which One Should You Hire?

One company builds the machines. The other ties the line together. Here’s how to tell which is right for your project — and why “both” is often the real answer.

Commissioning Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) Line Integration Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) System Integrator (SI)

Operator working on a machine's HMI, with a large checklist icon overlay

Secondary Packaging 101

What Is a Machinery Risk Assessment and Who’s Responsible for It?

Machinery risk assessment is a multi-stage process where OEMs, integrators, and end users each assess different hazards. Understanding who is responsible for what, prevents safety gaps.

Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) Risks Safety System Integrator (SI)

Spray bottles upright on conveyor and spray bottles upright inside case

Secondary Packaging 101

What Is Product Orientation in Secondary Packaging and Why Does It Matter?

Understand what product orientation is, how it impacts your equipment, and what decisions need to be considered when choosing your packaging equipment.

Across Machine (AM) Direction of Travel (DOT) Display-Ready Loading Product Orientation

Bags of croutons on conveyor, arrow pointing down conveyor labeled DOT and arrow pointing across conveyor labeled AM

Secondary Packaging 101

What Is ‘Direction of Travel’ (DOT) and ‘Across Machine’ (AM) and Why Do They Matter?

Learn the definitions of DOT and AM, how they affect your product and equipment, and what questions to ask before you spec a new machine.

Across Machine (AM) Direction of Travel (DOT)

Secondary Packaging 101

What Is an SAT in Packaging Equipment?

Learn how Site Acceptance Testing differs from FAT, what SAT is meant to verify onsite, and why real production conditions can change the outcome.

Site Acceptance Test (SAT)

Men Working on Tablet by Packaging Machine

Secondary Packaging 101

Why Startup Support Still Matters After FAT and SAT

Learn why startup support still matters after FAT and SAT and how it helps stabilize production, build team confidence, and improve line performance.

Commissioning Field Service Support

Secondary Packaging 101

What FAT Should (and Should Not) Prove Before Your Machine Ships

Learn what a strong Factory Acceptance Test should validate before shipment, what FAT cannot prove, and how to use FAT to reduce downstream surprises.

Factory Acceptance Test (FAT)

1 2 3 4 5 … 7

How-To

How to Read and Respond to Common K6000 Faults

Kinetix 6000 (K6000) fault codes can often be remedied with the right know-how. We’ll help you understand how to read power-ups, status lights, and fault codes, to get to the root cause of drive issues.

Fault codes Faults K6000 Kinetix Servo Drive

Kinetix 6000 part with "discontinued" banner on top

Problems / Challenges

How Do I Navigate K6000 Obsolescence?

Allen-Bradley moved the Kinetix 6000 (K6000) servo drive to obsolete status, which means no new units and a used-only supply. We can help you navigate this change and offer options on how to proceed.

Aftermarket Obsolescence Risks Servo Drive

Hand holding a security padlock next to the eight listed steps of lockout tagout

How-To

What is the Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) Requirement for Packaging Equipment?

Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) is a federal safety requirement that makes sure machines are de-energized before maintenance. We’ll walk you through the eight-step procedure, explain your role, and show how it applies to the equipment you work with.

Federal Safety Requirement Hazardous Energy Lockout LOTO OSHA Safety Tagout

Split image showing before and after of machine refurbishment

Comparisons

What Is Equipment Refurbishment and When Is It Better Than Replacement?

Learn the 50% rule and a five-question framework to help you distinguish when refurbishment and when replacement makes the most economic and operational sense.

Machinery Lifecycle Obsolescence Refurbishment Repair

OEE = availability x performance x quality

Secondary Packaging 101

The Three Components of OEE: Availability, Performance, Quality (and the Six Big Losses)

Understand the three independent components of OEE and learn how to identify which one is dragging your OEE down.

Diagnostics Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) Productivity

Productivity comparison graphs of non-vertical startup and vertical startup

Secondary Packaging 101

Vertical Startup: Why It Matters

Vertical startup is the achievement of stable throughput and quality within days of going live, not just the installation event. Understand the difference and how you can plan for this success.

Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) Productivity Return on Investment (ROI) Startup Vertical Startup

1 2 3 4 … 10

HORIZONTAL LOAD

TOP LOAD

SHRINK WRAPPERS

SHRINK PACKERS

MULTIWRAPPERS

CARTONERS

SLEEVERS

MULTIPACKERS

Learning Center

Whether you’re looking for solutions to specific challenges or wanting to deepen your overall knowledge of secondary packaging, our Learning Center is designed to give you the resources to make confident decisions about your secondary packaging systems.

Filter by Category

Filter by Topic

Filter by Type

What Is Mean Time to Repair (MTTR) and What Drives It Up or Down?

Remote Service vs. Remote Monitoring: What Your OEM Actually Delivers

OEM vs. System Integrator: Which One Should You Hire?

What Is a Machinery Risk Assessment and Who’s Responsible for It?

What Is Product Orientation in Secondary Packaging and Why Does It Matter?

What Is ‘Direction of Travel’ (DOT) and ‘Across Machine’ (AM) and Why Do They Matter?

What Is an SAT in Packaging Equipment?

Why Startup Support Still Matters After FAT and SAT

What FAT Should (and Should Not) Prove Before Your Machine Ships

How to Read and Respond to Common K6000 Faults

How Do I Navigate K6000 Obsolescence?

What is the Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) Requirement for Packaging Equipment?

What Is Equipment Refurbishment and When Is It Better Than Replacement?

The Three Components of OEE: Availability, Performance, Quality (and the Six Big Losses)

Vertical Startup: Why It Matters

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