What’s In A Production Line
We often talk about how our equipment can help streamline your production line, but what goes into a full production line? In the blog below, we talk about what a production line is, how to ensure that your production line is flowing smoothly, and the types of machines you can use to maximize your production.
What’s a production line?
A production line is a common feature in the world of manufacturing. Of course, the production line type differs depending on the facility and the product. Still, the goal is to get the product to a desired finished state efficiently. A production line has an organized path, usually set up on a conveyor belt or other equipment that moves the product along. While the product moves, it travels past stations where automated machines or workers add a piece or a process to get to the finished product.
Production lines are great when you are manufacturing or processing high volumes of one item. As technology has advanced over the years, companies have used automation to increase the number of products being pushed through production lines. Another benefit of using automated machines to complete a task is increased workplace safety. Automated equipment can do the tasks that are repetitive or have been deemed dangerous for workers.
How do you create a production line?
It is important to conduct as much research as possible in the early stages of adding or replacing equipment in your facility. First, you want to survey the current space where you are looking to place the new equipment. When researching new equipment, size and location are two important factors. Many companies have equipment similar in functionality, but each piece of machinery can vary in size. If a specific equipment brand appeals to your company, consult with the manufacturer’s sales team to assist you with purchasing and placing the new machine. Additionally, dimensional drawings of the new equipment will help decide if and where the new equipment will fit.
Eastey has a large variety of equipment ideal for streamlining a production line. Starting with the ERX-15 Case Erector at the beginning of a case filling line, it is designed to automatically erect and seal the bottom of your cases at production rates up to 15 cases per minute. The ERX-15 Case Erector enables a single operator to form, seal, and pack corrugate cases. Separators release the leading blank case where eight vacuum suction cups hold the case in a properly formed square position. After a set of stationary flap folding bars fold both minor and major bottom flaps, the case is transitioned, and the bottom is sealed with Eastey’s proven EX tape head.
The case could then be fed into one of Eastey’s variable speed belt conveyors, where the case is packed and filled with the product. The conveyor can be adjusted to speeds up to 100 fpm for various applications. Once the case is filled, it can then transition to an Eastey case taper. Finally, the flaps on top of the case will be folded down, sealed, and moved along another conveyor for final inspection, shipping, or palletization. This is just one of the many examples of how Eastey products can be utilized in a production line.
Eastey also manufactures a full line of shrink packaging and bundling equipment, including shrink and bundling tunnels. These machines are used for packaging and protecting various products ranging from food and beverage to building products and household goods. Read more about our shrink packaging machines in our “Common Questions about Packaging Equipment” blog and the “Shrink Bundling vs. Shrink Wrapping” blog.
As you can see, much planning and preparation are involved when streamlining a production process or implementing a new production line.
Our team of knowledgeable packaging sales professionals will help you find the packaging machinery that will work best for your packaging line and your facility. Visit our website to view our full line of packaging machinery designed to help customers deliver their products to the world.
Visit our website and product pages to learn more about Eastey’s full line of packaging equipment!
