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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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.

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People talking in front of top load case packer

Cost & Price

How Much Does a Top Load Case Packer Cost?

Budgeting for a top load case packer is highly dependent on your product, your operation, and your expectations. Learn some price range estimates, major drivers, and questions you should answer before talking to vendors.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Problems / Challenges

Packaging Automation Mistakes: How Poor Communication Leads to Delays, Reworks & Cost Overruns

Learn about the six most common ways communication gaps derail automation projects — and exactly what to provide your OEM upfront to avoid them.

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Bags on conveyor being picked by delta robots

Cost & Price

What Drives the Cost of Packaging Automation for Pouches and Bags? 7 Factors That Affect Price

While some cost factors can be generally applied, packaging automation for pouches and bags has its own set of cost drivers. This guide will highlight these factors, so you have a more informed buying experience.

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Illustration of dashed arrows indicating intermittent motion and one long arrow indicating continuous motion

Comparisons

Intermittent vs Continuous Motion Packaging Machines: What’s the Difference?

Packaging machines move either intermittently or continuously. We’ll help you understand both types of motion and how they impact things like cost, speed, product handling, and changeovers.

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Graph showing mean time between failures with design-target mean time at 24 hours and field-tested mean time at 19 hours

Secondary Packaging 101

What is MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures)?

MTBF is a common spec sheet number, and one that many buyers don’t understand. We’ll outline what MTBF is, how to calculate it, and what it means for your line.

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Kinetix 6000 drive

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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