Choosing the Right Packaging for Your Product

Packaging plays a crucial role in marketing. It determines whether you attract customers or not, and therefore, has a direct impact on your sales. When choosing the right packaging for your product, consider the types of packaging materials available in the market.

Types of packaging material

The options include:

Flexible materials

Flexible plastic comes in many forms, shapes and variations, allowing for multiple types of customisation. It is sustainable, tough and lightweight compared to other packaging. Flexible plastic packaging are classified by the type of treatment, process or product requirement and come in different versions such as high barrier with aluminum, special material for heat treatment, modified atmosphere packaging and for hot-fill, etc.

Semi-rigid materials for vacuum-packing

This type provides a high degree of transparency and excellent preservation properties. It consists of coextrusions with a PA, PE or PP base, which can also incorporate a high barrier and peelability.

 Rigid materials

On the basis of raw material, rigid materials can be segmented into metal, glass, paper and plastic. They offer a tough and resistant option that is highly transparent and recyclable.

Given the plethora of packaging materials available in the market, how do you know which one is right for your product and business. There are some basic criteria to evaluate and decide:

Budget

Materials like glass look great but are expensive to manufacture and transport. It is also breakable. However, sometimes, for certain products, consumers are willing to pay for greater perceived value. Keeping such considerations in mind, you need to define your budget and then search the market for available options in your set price range.

Transportation

Every product requires a high level of protection to get from point A to point B. The journey from factory to consumer can be harmful, so you need a clear understanding of how your product travels. The distance and time taken, modes of transportation used, storage conditions at each step – knowing all this will help you choose a strong and durable packaging that ensures your product remains undamaged and un-contaminated in transit.

Branding

Often times, manufacturers choose packaging that is an extension of their branding. For instance, if your USP is the organic or vegan aspect, you may consider packaging made from recycled, eco-friendly material. Also, packaging should look attractive and appeal to consumers. Flexible packaging offers some advantages in this regard, as it offers excellent printing possibilities and larger space for branding which helps your product stand out on crowded retail shelves.

Package size & shape

Single sale, single-serve, multipack, bulk – your product probably comes in different sizes. You need a packaging material that can adapt to each size with consistency and versatility. Size and shape are important when it comes to shipping and distribution. You should try and find the most ergonomic, convenient and cost-effective shape and size – and select material that helps you achieve these goals.

Sustainability

It’s important that you choose materials that comply with industry regulations, minimize environmental pollution and offer long term sustainability. Flexible packaging and shrink films are lightweight so they are cheaper to ship than bulkier, heavier packaging. If you’re into e-commerce, you need to consider packaging options that protect your product in transit while being easy and safe to dispose of.

Further, automated packaging systems offer speed, minimize wastage and cost-efficiency that makes food packaging or pharma packaging more sustainable. It makes smart business sense to evaluate all the various materials available, and pick the most sustainable one.

Signs Your Packaging Operation is Ready for Automation

Packaging Operation is Ready for Automation

Is your food packaging line largely dependent on manual labour? Are you finding it difficult to keep pace with increasing production? Having issues with labour and cost of packaging? Planning to expand your product range but doubt your current setup can handle it?

Automated Packaging Systems can make a difference. Let's run through some of the most telling signs that your business will benefit from automating your packaging line.

1. Labour

Are labour costs eating into your profits? Do you have difficulty recruiting good resources? Is it a hassle to train and manage temporary staff when your regulars are sick or workload increases? Do long shifts make your labour tired and inattentive? Dealing with human resources on the shop floor is no easy task, and most of the time, in the long run, machines cost much less than labour.

2. Accuracy

After all, we're human. Mistakes are bound to happen. Manual packaging is a monotonous, tiring job and humans are likely to occasionally spill contents, make mistakes in filling, sealing and counting, etc. Automation ensures consistent quality and accuracy while reducing, and sometimes eliminating, errors. 

3. Wastage

Everyone's going lean, and waste is a major no-no for all businesses. Sometimes, you could be using too much packaging material or wasting product dues to spills and poor sealing. You could even be wasting time as labour struggles to maintain speed and cycle times, or extending shifts to cope with extra capacities. Automating your packaging operation can significantly increase packaging line efficiency while reducing costs.

4. Capacity

Planning to add more products to your basket? Want to cash in on increasing demand from growing markets? If you're planning on enhancing your production capacity, an automated machine should be your first choice. Faster speeds mean more packs per minute - so you save time and operating costs while you keep up with the increased manufacturing output.

5. Customer demand

Today's customers are demanding. They want their favourite foods packed in a variety of pack sizes and with modern conveniences like zipper bags or bags with easy-pour spouts. They want small packs that are easy to afford and carry. To tackle all these variations, automation makes good business sense. Packaging machines nowadays are versatile with easy cleaning & changeover, so you can offer your consumers a variety of products and pouch formats.

Consumers also want neat, attractive packaging. So the primary packaging is crucial but the wrapping & cartoning needs to be accurate and tidy too.

How automation helps

Automation uses technology to improve the speed, performance and optimization of equipment and systems at the unit, line, plant and enterprise levels. In recent years, there have been developments that have dramatically improved packaging line operations. These include:

• Motion control including servo drives;
• Sensors and machine vision systems;
• Touchscreen human-machine interfaces;
• Communications through wireless capability whereby one can monitor and control the packaging machine from anywhere, anytime.

Conclusion

Automating your packaging line can be confusing. It helps to talk to a packaging partner who will take the time to study and understand your needs and future plans. They might even identify opportunities for improvement in packaging line efficiency, cost reduction, and productivity that you may not recognize.

Nichrome India is one such partner. A leading provider of innovative packaging solutions, Nichrome offers custom packaging systems with packaging systems integration. Food packaging systems, pharma packaging systems, secondary packaging systems – Nichrome can design and develop the entire package to suit your operations. With over 4 decades of experience in the field, Nichrome is your trusted partner for packaging systems automation and integrated packaging solutions.

Why Horizontal Form Fill Seal Machines Are Gaining in Popularity

HORIZONTAL FORM FILL SEAL MACHINES

HORIZONTAL FORM FILL SEAL MACHINES - Nichrome Packaging Solutions

When it comes to modern packaging, FFS (Form Fill Seal) machines is now the accepted norm. With their sophisticated computer interfaces and control networks, FFS machines offer greater speed, savings and versatility - both in terms of applications and pouch formats. FFS machines employ a wide range of material types and are used across numerous markets including food, drinks, cosmetics, personal care, electronics, stationary, chemicals and pharmaceuticals.

Horizontal Form Fill Seal machines are growing in popularity because of the volume and range of products that can be packaged using this type of machine. They also offer a wider variety of pouch formats and with different fillers, can package a diverse range of products.

In this sector, a range of machines are available: from simpler lower operational speeds, to higher throughput systems with a wider range of packaging sizes and features such as print registration. In addition, there are also specialist versions tailored to a specific product or need, such as hermetic sealing. As such, control solutions vary from simple stepper based, servo based with simple PLC controllers, motion controllers, PC based or often the vendors own dedicated controller. So based on their applications, space, output expectations and budget, buyers can find an HFFS machine that suits their operations.

Pouch filling & sealing, the HFFS way

In the bagging unit, the film is mounted on a reel unwinder. The heat sealable film flowing horizontally folds around a forming plough, and is then sealed on three sides by vertical sealing units before the pouch is cut vertically controlled by the photocell. The pouch opening device opens the pouch and brings it to the filling station.

The filler dispenses the product in the set quantity into the pouch, and then the top stretching mechanism stretches the pouch to make a clean top seal for the standard 4 side sealed Flat Pouch or Standup Pouches.

Advantages of HFFS Technology

• Ideal for fragile products which cannot withstand a high drop
• Built for high volume production environments; duplex modules double output
• Delivers a variety of pouches (standup pouch, pouch with zipper or spout, etc.) for better product aesthetics and shelf presence
• Bags made on HFFS are less expensive than pre-made bags
• Total automation – savings on manpower costs
• Consistent packing rate
• Accurate filling; precise amount of product is dispensed into pouch without spillage
• Fast - increased production rate, reduced number of shifts
• Strong seal integrity
• Easy and quick to clean-out between production batches
• 'Online' film printing provides readable bar code and product info

Conclusion

Interested in getting an HFFS machine for your packaging line? We suggest you talk to a packaging solution provider who will work with you to understand your requirements, then select and integrate the best packaging equipment to optimize your company's operations. Nichrome works with you through the complete lifecycle to provide customized packaging solutions and technical support that truly enhance productivity with performance. To know more, www.nichrome.com

Nichrome: End-to-end packaging solutions with single-source convenience

END-TO-END PACKAGING SOLUTIONS

Complete Packaging Solutions

For marketers, packaging is crucial for the success of the business. If you sell and transport a product around the country or internationally, you’ll know that good packaging is one of those vital factors – without it, the outcome could be disastrous.

At Nichrome, we offer integrated packaging solutions with single-source convenience. Nichrome is a pioneer of the packaging industry in India; a business built upon the values of innovation, efficiency, reliability and affordability. Since its inception in 1977, Nichrome has been working relentlessly to deliver cutting-edge technologies and excellent customer service – at competitive prices.

Today, armed with 4 decades of experience in Primary Packaging, Nichrome is powerfully positioned to design and deliver complete packaging solutions. Pre-primary, primary, secondary, tertiary – Nichrome’s expertise covers the entire packaging line. Project design from concept to commissioning, integration of new machines in existing lines, customization of solutions to suit individual needs and challenges – Nichrome offers it all, under one roof.

By integrating and automating tasks on the packaging line, the rate of productivity rises while operation costs reduce. While the speed of the package line improves immensely, there are other benefits too.

Increased efficiencyAutomated, integrated packaging lines increase the speed and accuracy of operations, providing better precision with little human error. What’s more, employees can focus on areas that require more minute attention.

Waste reductionWhen it comes to packaging in secondary and tertiary packaging, there can be a higher rate of misfeeding, miscalculations, wastage and other human errors. Integrated packaging can help reduce that human error.

Maximization of human resourcesIntegrated packaging solutions help packagers to increase product line efficiency and productivity without having to employ more. This saves money, and also maximizes ROI. Moreover, integrated packaging lines drastically reduce injuries to manpower and enhance well being.

Minimization of downtimeEarlier, product changeovers posed downtime’s of up to three hours. With modern technology and state of the art package integration, downtime’s are reduced substantially and can be done within minutes.

For integrated packaging solutions that result in increased and timely productivity for a profitable business outcome, contact Nichrome. www.nichrome.com

Optimize Resources and Productivity with Nichrome’s Integrated Packaging Solutions

Established 4 decades ago, Nichrome is India’s leading innovative packaging solution provider. Starting as a pioneer of indigenous milk pouch packaging machines to support India’s White Revolution, Nichrome today offers a wide range of automatic packaging & filling machines for diverse industries. Nichrome’s footprint extends to over 7,000 successful installations in more than 45 countries.

Today, with growing automation, expanding markets, and increasing emphasis on quality, speed and accurate filling & sealing, more and more manufacturers rely on modern automatic packaging systems. Moreover, there is a growing need for Project Integration which aligns and integrates different machines, stages and processes of packaging into a seamless chain.

Whether you require standard industrial packaging solutions or custom-made alternatives, consumer-sized packaging or bulk-sized packaging, Nichrome provides the most efficient solutions, under one roof. With sound project design capabilities, Nichrome provides end-to-end packaging solutions right from pre-packaging, primary packaging, secondary packaging and tertiary or end-of-line solutions. Nichrome partners with clients to provide packaging solutions that suit their specific product needs and performance criteria.

Nichrome offers a variety of Pre and Post Packaging equipment’s that provide a Complete System Solution. They can also be customized and fitted into existing packaging lines. Such integrated packaging solutions for pre and post packaging, definitely result in increased and timely productivity for a profitable business outcome.

Under Pre-Packaging solutions, Nichrome offers Intermediary storage equipment, product cleaning & grading equipment, blending equipment, processing equipment for grain, tea & spice sector, food safety equipment and conveying accessories.

In Post-Packaging Solutions, the range includes food safety equipment, pouch collation, conveying accessories, on line check weather, crating and cartoning/ baling.

Continuous innovation has been Nichrome’s forte over the years. Nichrome has its state-of-the-art R&D centre and manufacturing facility at Shirwal, about 50 kms from Pune, where an experienced team designs, manufactures and tests packaging machineries that deliver flexible, reliable and efficient performance. Combining strategic planning with creative execution to enhance automation, optimize space and resources, decrease wastage or downtime, Nichrome delivers an unbeatable single-source advantage for clients in diverse applications such as solids, liquids, viscous, RTE, pharma and more.

Visit for more details: http://www.nichrome.com/system-solution.php

Spice Packaging Machines-A Global View

Spice consumption is increasing globally and demand for spices is rising with the growing demand for convenience food and for health and wellness food. This global scenario is expected to promote the development of spice processing industries of many countries.

Currently, only a few countries like India, Indonesia, Bhutan and Sri Lanka, predominate commercial production of the major spices in Asia. With increasing demand for spices in the global market, many countries having suitable natural resources for growing exotic spices, are expected to concentrate on the growth of their spice industries. The Spice processing industry has a huge growth and export potential in these countries.

Asian countries like Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal, Afghanistan and Myanmar are working towards systematic development of the spice industry and promoting the export of spices. Spice processing clusters are rising in these countries to facilitate the growth of spice industries. African countries like Sudan and Kenya are also planning to make the most of their resources like soil and climate which are highly favourable for growing spices. All these developments are expected to benefit the global spice industry. The main challenge for these new players is to maintain the quality standards of the products and the packaging, to successfully survive the competition from established brands in the global market.

India is known as the home of spices and has been processing and trading spices since ancient times. As the largest producer and exporter of spices, India has immense growth potential. Technological advancements, R&D and cutting-edge spice processing and packaging technology allow Indian spice exporters to offer high grade products to consumers globally.

Nichrome has witnessed and has been associated with the development of this heritage industry of India for more than 40 years. Nichrome is one of the India’s leading packaging machine manufacturers. Supplying hi-tech packaging solutions to Indian food processors since 1977, Nichrome has a large base of satisfied customers in India. With the pioneering Form-Fill-Seal Machines for a special application like spices, Nichrome is the preferred packaging solution provider to many top brands of spices in India.

Packaging plays a crucial role in preserving the quality of spices. Nichrome packaging machines are designed to meet the international quality standards. Nichrome’s state of the art powder filling and packaging machines are at par with top international packaging machine brands. Packaging in our machines guarantees complete preservation of the quality of spices.

Nichrome offers a wide range of packaging machines, suitable for spices in different forms and to meet wide capacity requirements. The vertical form-fill-seal machines are highly suitable for spices in powdered form. Our machines are designed for accurate weighing, safe handling and perfect packaging of spices.

With proven expertise and vast experience in Indian Spice Packaging Machines industry, the company now aims to participate in the global spice processing market. Nichrome is based in India which gives geographical advantage of easy access to many Asian, African and Middle East countries. This can facilitate timely technical support for installation and servicing in any of the countries.

With experience and technical excellence Nichrome can provide the complete technology for different applications and capacity requirements of spice processors globally. 

Spice Packaging Machines-A Global View

Spice consumption is increasing globally and demand for spices is rising with the growing demand for convenience food and for health and wellness food. This global scenario is expected to promote the development of spice processing industries of many countries.

Currently, only a few countries like India, Indonesia, Bhutan and Sri Lanka, predominate commercial production of the major spices in Asia. With increasing demand for spices in the global market, many countries having suitable natural resources for growing exotic spices, are expected to concentrate on the growth of their spice industries. The Spice processing industry has a huge growth and export potential in these countries.

Asian countries like Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal, Afghanistan and Myanmar are working towards systematic development of the spice industry and promoting the export of spices. Spice processing clusters are rising in these countries to facilitate the growth of spice industries. African countries like Sudan and Kenya are also planning to make the most of their resources like soil and climate which are highly favourable for growing spices. All these developments are expected to benefit the global spice industry. The main challenge for these new players is to maintain the quality standards of the products and the packaging, to successfully survive the competition from established brands in the global market.

India is known as the home of spices and has been processing and trading spices since ancient times. As the largest producer and exporter of spices, India has immense growth potential. Technological advancements, R&D and cutting-edge spice processing and packaging technology allow Indian spice exporters to offer high grade products to consumers globally.

Nichrome has witnessed and has been associated with the development of this heritage industry of India for more than 40 years. Nichrome is one of the India’s leading packaging machine manufacturers. Supplying hi-tech packaging solutions to Indian food processors since 1977, Nichrome has a large base of satisfied customers in India. With the pioneering Form-Fill-Seal Machines for a special application like spices, Nichrome is the preferred packaging solution provider to many top brands of spices in India.

Packaging plays a crucial role in preserving the quality of spices. Nichrome packaging machines are designed to meet the international quality standards. Nichrome’s state of the art powder filling and packaging machines are at par with top international packaging machine brands. Packaging in our machines guarantees complete preservation of the quality of spices.

Nichrome offers a wide range of packaging machines, suitable for spices in different forms and to meet wide capacity requirements. The vertical form-fill-seal machines are highly suitable for spices in powdered form. Our machines are designed for accurate weighing, safe handling and perfect packaging of spices.

With proven expertise and vast experience in Indian Spice Packaging Machines industry, the company now aims to participate in the global spice processing market. Nichrome is based in India which gives geographical advantage of easy access to many Asian, African and Middle East countries. This can facilitate timely technical support for installation and servicing in any of the countries.

With experience and technical excellence Nichrome can provide the complete technology for different applications and capacity requirements of spice processors globally. 

Edible Oil Packaging

Edible oil packaging in India has evolved and come a long way. Manufacturers are doing away with tins and glass bottles. Semi-rigid containers or flexible pouches are gaining more popularity as they provide long shelf life; are light weight, economical, offer more hygiene, safety and can be easily transported.  However, a lot of cooking oil and fats still continue to be traded in loose or in unpacked form. This leaves lot of scope for companies to come up with economical and safer cooking oil filling & packaging solutions.

Refined oils are being replaced by healthier options like olive oil, canola oil and refined rice bran oil. Olive oil which was earlier used for personal care purpose has gained a foothold in the premium segment Indian edible oil market. Also there has been a rise in demand for newer categories of oil segments like palm oil, soya bean oil, gingerly and mustard oil. Manufacturers have therefore started concentrating on the new trend and demand while choosing contemporary cooking oil packaging machines. 

Indian edible oil companies are also entering the fortified oil segment where these oils have vital vitamin content viz. A, D & E, to help fight malnutrition. Rising demand for low fat & cholesterol oil which addresses the health aspect and enables users to stay light and active is another major trend witnessed in this industry. There has also been a steady rise in demand for branded edible oil market with sunflower and soya oils leading the market. Oil manufacturers have been benefitted with customized oil filling and packaging machines that help pack in various pouch formats.

Also buying edible oil in bulk versus smaller quantities is another major trend where sectors like hospitality do bulk purchase like purchasing 15litre tins, whereas a general household purchase oil units like 1 litre and 2 litre oil pouches and ghee pouches or 5litre cans. Oil packaging machine manufacturers have been closely following these new market trends.

 Oil is a commodity. In a competitively growing scenario, it is the design and communication which will help the brand to gain visibility and stand out on the retail shelf. A good design which addresses the convenience aspect will help companies to gain customer brand loyalty and thereby greater ROI for brands owners. To attain this, a design has to stand to its brand promise and should stay strong in the market for at least five to six years.  

Nichrome is one of the leading automatic packaging machine manufacturers that offer superior quality automatic edible oil filling machines, oil pouch packing machines, ghee pouch packing machines, and various other automatic packaging machines like spice packaging machine, snacks packaging machine, salt packaging machine, sugar packaging machine and so on.

Our high-speed and automatic oil filling & packaging machines maintain accuracy in performance and ensure minimal wastage of products. High production rates, maximum accuracy and consistent pouch quality as per clients’ requirement are hallmarks of our end-products. Visit http://www.nichrome.com for details about high-end & premium quality automatic oil filling & packaging machines from the pioneers.