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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Cost & Price

What Actually Drives Secondary Packaging TCO (Ranked by Impact)

Learn where total cost of ownership is actually created—so you know where to spend time, where to push vendors, and where cutting corners will cost you later.

Return on Investment (ROI) Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)

Light column that indicates status of machine

Problems / Challenges

Why CPG Secondary Packaging Projects Underperform: 20 Fixable Gaps

Walk through 20 of the most common and costly equipment gaps in secondary packaging—and how to mitigate them early.

Delays Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)

Bags of pet food being loaded into a case

How-To, Problems / Challenges

High-SKU Pet Food Operations: How to Cut Changeover Time in Case Packing and Palletizing

Break down what’s really happening in your end-of-line operations and build a plant-floor playbook that separates what’s process, what’s equipment, and what’s design.

Changeover Pet Food

How-To, Secondary Packaging 101

A Buyer’s Guide to Automating Frozen Pizza Packaging Lines

Walk through the most important factors to consider when automating frozen pizza packaging—so you can make a confident, future-proof decision.

Frozen Food Pizza

How-To, Secondary Packaging 101

How to Automate Variety Pack Production Without Overbuilding or Overpaying

Learn which type of automation is right for your production scale, space, and SKU needs—whether you’re packing beverages or assembling snack assortments.

Variety Pack

People talking in front of top load case packer

Cost & Price

How Much Does a Top Load Case Packer Cost? Budgetary Pricing & Key Factors That Impact Price

Learn the budgetary price ranges you can expect, along with the specific factors that drive those prices.

Case Packing

Douglas Service Technician working on machine

Problems / Challenges

How Quickly Can I Get a Service Technician to My Site?

Get realistic timelines for emergency and planned service, plus practical steps that can reduce delays by days.

Delays Field Service

Comparisons

Managing Replacement Parts for OEM Equipment: Choosing the Right Partner Model

Break down the real-world pros, cons, and risks of sourcing parts from OEMs, distributors, or directly from component manufacturers.

Aftermarket Replacement Parts

Comparisons

U.S.-Made vs. Imported OEM Packaging Equipment: Which Is Actually Better in the Long Run?

Get a side-by-side breakdown of what makes one operation more cost-effective than the other—in terms that refelct the realities of manufacturing operations.

Imported Made in the USA

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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)

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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 Actually Drives Secondary Packaging TCO (Ranked by Impact)

Why CPG Secondary Packaging Projects Underperform: 20 Fixable Gaps

High-SKU Pet Food Operations: How to Cut Changeover Time in Case Packing and Palletizing

A Buyer’s Guide to Automating Frozen Pizza Packaging Lines

How to Automate Variety Pack Production Without Overbuilding or Overpaying

How Much Does a Top Load Case Packer Cost? Budgetary Pricing & Key Factors That Impact Price

How Quickly Can I Get a Service Technician to My Site?

Managing Replacement Parts for OEM Equipment: Choosing the Right Partner Model

U.S.-Made vs. Imported OEM Packaging Equipment: Which Is Actually Better in the Long Run?

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

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