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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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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.

Indexing

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.

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

Predictive vs Preventive Maintenance article header graphic - PF Curve

Secondary Packaging 101

Predictive vs Preventive Maintenance: How Do They Differ?

Learn how to tell which type of maintenance your high-value assets need and where traditional maintenance still makes business sense.

CMMS Equipment Reliability P-F Curve Predictive Maintenance Preventive Maintenance

1 2 3 4 5 … 8

Beverage cans and paperboard cartons running through lanes on a multipacker machine

Cost & Price

Beverage Multipacker Cost: Pricing, Specifications, and Buying Considerations

Beverage multipackers have their own unique set of budgetary conditions. Learn how to scope pricing tiers, account for your SKUs, and prepare for vendor conversations.

Beverage Can Packaging Bottle Packaging Cartoner Cartons Multi-Serve Products

Boxed food products packed into cartons with automated equipment

Cost & Price

How Much Does a Cartoner Cost?

Cartoner price is based on many factors including type, product, and customization. Learn about the main cost tiers of cartoners, as well as what affects their price and lead-time.

Cartoner Cost Tiers Cartoner Price Cartoner Types Cartons

Side load case packer packing cartons of pizza into corrugate case

Cost & Price

How Much Does a Side Load Case Packer Cost?

Budgeting for a side load case packer all depends on what you want and how much you’re willing to pay for it. Learn about pricing tiers, cost drivers, add-ons, and value-adders, so you can take control of your buying process.

Budget Cost Factors Horizontal Load Value-Adders

A business person going over a service agreement document

Secondary Packaging 101

Packaging Equipment Service Agreements: What to Look For

Packaging equipment service agreements are more than contracts: they’re commitments to trusted partners. We’ll outline what to look for and help you know if you’ve found a provider you can trust.

Agreements Commitments Contracts Provider

Illustration of various secondary packaging formats, including bags in display trays, shrink wrapped bottles, and beverage cans in paperboard sleeves

How-To

How to Choose the Right Secondary Packaging Format for My Product?

Before exploring automated secondary packaging options, you need to select a packaging format: case, tray, carton, shrink film, multipack or variety pack. We’ll explain these formats, as well as the four factors that make your decision.

Corrugated Cases Multipacks Pack Pattern Paperboard Cartons Paperboard Sleeves Shrink Film Trays Variety Packs

Beverage bottles, snack pouches, yogurt tubs, and candy bags in retail-ready packaging

Secondary Packaging 101

Retail-Ready Packaging: What It Is and What It Means for You

Retail-ready packaging (RRP) means that a single case must protect the product, and present and sell to retailers and customers. We’ll explain RRP and “The Five Easies,” and what they mean for your line.

Display-Ready RRP Shelf-Ready The Five Easies

1 2 3 4 … 12

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

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

What is MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures)?

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

Predictive vs Preventive Maintenance: How Do They Differ?

Beverage Multipacker Cost: Pricing, Specifications, and Buying Considerations

How Much Does a Cartoner Cost?

How Much Does a Side Load Case Packer Cost?

Packaging Equipment Service Agreements: What to Look For

How to Choose the Right Secondary Packaging Format for My Product?

Retail-Ready Packaging: What It Is and What It Means for You

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