From consumer goods to electronics. From cosmetics to medical supplies. Flexible packaging is a crucial material in the supply chain of many industries and products.
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Flexible packaging combines the best qualities of plastics and films. These versatile packaging supplies are a functional solution that requires minimal production costs.
Flexible packaging is any package or any part of a package whose shape can be readily changed.” Common examples of flexible packaging include bags, pouches, shrink films, tubes, sleeves, and carded packaging.
In this article, we detail why flexible packaging is so beneficial. And, we also outline considerations for purchasing flexible packaging for your products.
Flexible packaging is a solution that businesses turn to for a variety of reasons. For starters, it’s less expensive than rigid packaging. But, it also offers excellent durability and product protection. Polyolefin shrink films are a popular high-quality material. These films are approved by the FDA to increase shelf life.
The quality of flexible packaging isn’t its only calling card, however. It’s also touted for its ability to be tailored to fit the specifics of any product. It’s possible to package products of many shapes and sizes with flexible packaging. And, you can do this with an array of materials.
That is good news for businesses creating packages that help sell their products. With flexible packaging, companies can think outside of the box to engage consumers.
Speaking of consumers, flexible packaging helps designers create attractive packages. These packages are more convenient for consumers. Additionally, flexible packaging is a form of sustainable packaging. These alternatives include cardboard, glass, and other types of rigid packaging.
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There are many different options for flexible packaging materials. For the sake of brevity, we’ll limit our list to the most popular items.
Keep in mind that working with a packaging partner will help you select the best packaging. When you use the ideal solutions, you’ll save time and money in the long run.
One of the best alternatives to traditional packaging is stand-up pouches. They function as their name suggests – standing upright on shelves. This packaging has an airtight closure.
Stand-up pouches (also known as flexible pouches) are extremely easy to pack, and they have incredible branding capabilities through digital printing. Stand-up pouches can be custom printed with eye-catching graphics and breathtaking colors.
Stand-up pouches are fully customizable to your needs. And stand-up pouches have multiple barrier layers of protection. They can suit nearly any product, many of which are listed in the flexible films section below.
As you can already tell, there are many different flexible film materials. Here are 14 of the most popular:
Foils are used mainly by the food and pharmaceutical industries. Foil packaging keeps food fresh. And, it keeps food safe by blocking contaminants, increasing your products’ shelf life. It is also a recyclable material.
Flexible packaging materials range in type and size. They can be designed for all kinds of packaging needs – from small products to large equipment. Flexible packaging can also be used to palletize bulk products.
Air pillows are a great example of lightweight and secure protective packaging. They protect products from shock and vibration. They do this during transit.
Air Pillow Machine
Air pillows are easy to recycle and dispose of. This is especially true when compared to messy packing peanuts. Electrostatic discharge (ESD) bagging is especially great for packaging sensitive electronics. This is done to avoid damage due to static and friction.
Is your goal to increase your product’s shelf life? Do you want to minimize product loss during transit? You can’t know if you’ve chosen the right solution until you’ve defined all of your requirements. You need some parameters to give you a direction.
In terms of protection, you’ll also need to define what your products need protection from. Do you have a long shipping process with many risks for error?
Will your product be delivered to a location at a high altitude? Does the area have high humidity or low temperatures? These considerations all impact what packaging is the optimal solution.
You’ll also need to set your budget, but don’t make the mistake of being too short-sighted. Beyond cost, you must consider whether you’ll need to set up new packaging machinery (for example, form fill and seal machinery).
And, you may need to add secondary packaging to maintain the safety of your product. As early as possible, communicate with your suppliers, aware of your budget. Discuss any financial constraints. This will help you save time in the material selection process.
Speaking of which, you’ll need to budget time for review and modifications. Don’t expect quick fixes to be cost-effective. Give yourself time to review your flexible packaging.
I can see that you are ready to buy packaging materials and machinery for your business! But you should read this first time packaging buyer's guide first!
You want to source the best packaging machinery and materials possible.
But, you have never bought either of these items before. While you may be tempted to hop into a purchase, there are several things that you need to do first.
These include getting clarification on items such as financing, lead times, installation, shipping, and many other related topics.
So it is crucial that you read this first time packaging buyer's guide before proceeding to hit that buy button!
But, which questions will you have to answer before you buy? What information will you need to provide to your chosen packaging company before you can continue with your purchase?
This article will answer the questions above and prepare you for making the right buying decisions for your company and packaging line.
Here you should have everything you need to move forward with your first packaging machinery or materials purchase!
We understand that you are excited to buy packaging machinery and materials for your business. It is an exciting time when you have identified that you are ready to move forward.
However, it would be best if you answered several questions before engaging in the packaging machinery and materials buying process.
Failure to do so may result in a more complicated and time-consuming purchase that does not need to be bogged down with said complications.
But, what are the questions you need to answer when it comes to making these purchasing decisions? Below, we will explore these questions to prepare you in advance of speaking to your packaging vendor!
This may come off as an overly obvious item of consideration. But, many companies reach out for quotes before answering this question.
This often results in complicated buying procedures or the inability to purchase the packaging machinery and materials that you need to run your business.
Packaging machinery can be a big investment for your company. And while there are some affordable entry-level packaging machines available, many of the devices required for product packaging can be a major purchase.
Some packaging equipment can cost you several hundreds of thousands of dollars, while other equipment may cost you much less.
This will primarily be decided by the equipment that is required to package your products and the volume of products you want to package.
So you need to figure a few things out before trying to buy.
First, you have to determine if you can afford to buy the packaging machinery you need for your product packaging requirements outright.
If you have the funding to cut a check for the entirety of the purchase now, you should be good to go.
When it comes to buying or leasing packaging machinery, you will want to make sure that you qualify for financing for any of the machinery that you would like to buy if you cannot afford to buy the equipment outright.
Should you find yourself in the latter situation, you must find out if you qualify for financing.
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Generally speaking, most leasing companies will not approve you for financing if you are not a credit-worthy company that has been in business for at least five years.
So, suppose you cannot afford to buy your desired packaging machinery outright and do not meet the financing qualifications. In that case, you will have to purchase more affordable equipment or work with a leasing company to get qualified.
If you are unsure if you can afford to purchase or finance your packaging equipment, you will want to speak with a financial professional or a packaging expert.
They will be able to help you figure out which type of machinery you can afford to buy or lease. For the most part, if you can figure this out before speaking with a packaging professional, your buying process will be both faster and easier.
In some cases, buying packaging materials is more straightforward than buying packaging machinery. If you only require a few rolls of film or another type of packaging material, you will most likely be able to afford to purchase outright.
However, if you need large quantities of packaging materials, this may not be the case. In that situation, you will need to find out if financing options are available for making larger purchases.
Additionally, some materials, like printed shrink film, will involve more complex production logistics, such as creating and purchasing printing plates and related elements.
Packaging materials such as printed shrink film also come with minimum order requirements. Suppose your chosen packaging materials have these requirements. In that case, you may not be able to buy the materials unless you can commit to a specific sized order.
In some cases, you may be able to place an order for a smaller amount of materials than the minimum order requirement.
Some companies will allow you to do this if you are willing to pay additional fees for not meeting the minimum order requirements.
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Lead times are the amount of time that passes between the placement of your order and the arrival of said order to your physical location.
Some materials and machinery have shorter lead times. In contrast, others can take weeks or even months to arrive at your business.
Packaging materials lead times broadly vary based upon the dependent materials markets that your packaging supplies rely on.
For example, most plastic packaging materials will fluctuate in price based on the dynamics of the plastic resins market.
If the cost of plastic resins goes up, so will the price of your plastic packaging materials. Events that can cause packaging material prices to increase include:
Before you make a packaging materials purchase, it is imperative to determine the time frame you will need to acquire your packaging materials.
This information must be presented to your packaging company before purchasing to ensure that you can get the materials you need within the required time frame.
Failure to give this information to your packaging vendor may result in timing and related logistics problems that can cause various unwanted headaches and slower speed to market.
As it is with packaging materials, lead times for packaging machinery are also a fundamental dynamic to consider before making a purchase.
Lead times for packaging machinery depend on the availability of the equipment you would like to purchase and other elements within the packaging machinery supply chain.
For example, some packaging machinery will not be built until you place an order. So, when buying packaging machinery, lead times for pre-made equipment will be shorter than machinery that will require custom builds.
Other elements that can increase or decrease lead times for packaging machinery include supply chain disruptions, war, pandemics, petroleum market fluctuations, and various other planned and unexpected events.
To ensure that you receive your packaging machinery in a time frame that will allow you to meet your goals, it is vital that you speak with a packaging specialist before placing your order.
Failure to do this may result in extended lead times, logistics problems, and slower speed to market for your products.
It is crucial that you speak to your packaging company in advance of attempting to make a purchase, as your desired packaging equipment and supplies may or may not be available.
Suppose the materials and machinery you want will not be available for long periods of time.
In that case, you may have to think about purchasing different packaging machinery and materials to complete your packaging project in the time frame you want it to be completed.
Now you may find that the packaging machinery you want to buy is currently available and can be shipped to your location within the time frame you want.
But, you also need to find out if parts for your machinery are also available.
If you purchase packaging machinery, but there are no spare parts kits or related machinery parts available, you may find yourself with extended periods of downtime.
You will want to discuss parts availability with your chosen packaging partner's technicians to ensure they are in stock.
If not, you may need to consider buying different packaging machinery for your packaging project or putting the project on hold till a later date.
While you may be able to source both the packaging machinery and parts that you need to keep said machinery running, you will want to find out the availability of repair and preventative maintenance technicians for your chosen equipment.
Depending on where you purchase your packaging machinery, there may or may not be technicians available to install, repair and maintain your devices.
Before you make a packaging equipment purchase, it is essential that you identify the availability of certified packaging technicians who can work on your machinery.
If you buy packaging machinery that does not have technicians available to work on your equipment, you may find yourself battling excessive downtime, which for all intents and purposes, is the bane of productivity!
While it may be an afterthought, the physical proximity of your packaging vendor to that of your location is a critical dynamic to consider.
Generally speaking, the closer your packaging company is to your physical location, the faster and cheaper your packaging material and machinery orders will be.
This is mainly due to the shipping cost that you will incur when purchasing packaging materials and machinery.
Additionally, suppose you are looking to outsource your packaging with a contract packaging company. In that case, you will want to make sure that you are a six-hour commute or less from the company you choose.
Anything beyond these distance restraints may result in a relationship that does not make sense from a financial perspective.
You may be able to find a packaging partner who meets all of the criteria above. But, if their customer service is poor, each of those items will likely suffer.
While it may cost more to source packaging from a company with top-tier customer service, you will likely find a significant reduction in soft costs and many unwanted headaches.
Poor customer service may result in long lead times, pricing disputes, logistics problems, excessive paperwork, and extreme stress.
When it comes to choosing a packaging vendor, the quality of their customer service is one of the most important things to consider before making a purchase of packaging materials and equipment.
The questions above are some of the most important questions that you must answer before making a packaging machinery or materials purchase.
But, you probably have other questions that have arisen from answering these questions! So, where can you get answers to these new questions?
For more Flexible Packaging Manufacturing Processinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.
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