One customer, a supplier of jewelry components such as fasteners and beads, was using a hand-counting and hand-loading system. The other customer also struggled with a hand-loading operation.
Low productivity plagued the jewelry supplier, while extremely high maintenance costs were the bane of the other company. For the jewelry supplier, a Sharp MAX™ 12-inch Bagger with integrated thermal imprinter was the answer.
Previously, an operator would open a bag, count pieces (such as beads) into it, close the bag and put a label on it. Sharp’s MAX Bagger prints a label right on the bag. It blows open the bag, counts pieces and loads them using a Batchmaster III vibratory bowl feeder, then closes the bag. This automated system runs 24/7 with just one operator.
This customer uses a 2.0 mil general purpose film with a white opaque back and clear front. Thermal imprinting of barcoding on the front creates a scannable product and allows viewing of the contents. The blending of two types of film— high density on one side and clear on the other—is a Sharp Packaging exclusive.
We also offer a 2.0 mil high-density white film that mimics paper and provides extra strength for thermal imprinting. All of our films are coextruded, a more advanced process which achieves application-specific properties without sacrificing performance.
In the case of the other customer, the Sharp MAX 12-inch Bagger with vibratory bowl feeder was the answer as well. Compared to their previous system, which required proprietary parts, our Sharp Packaging equipment uses off-the-shelf parts, which saves time and money on maintenance. Customers increase the ability to service their own baggers, and downtime is decreased.
The fully automated capabilities of the Sharp MAX Bagger allows the operator to set up a job and then move on to other tasks.
The jewelry supplier previously needed five to eight people to meet its packaging requirements; now it requires just one employee for the same output. The company has saved 33% on material costs and increased productivity by 61%.
Accuracy has increased versus the old system of hand-counting or weighing, and the company has seen a decrease in customer giveaways or returns.
The fully automated capabilities of the Sharp MAX Bagger allow the operator to set up a job and then move on to other tasks. The other customer has achieved substantial savings on maintenance.
Previously this company spent $3,500 per year on maintenance; now it spends $125 per year. Productivity is three times faster due to the system’s simplicity and ease of operation. Accuracy of piece counts has increased by 40%.
Total Packaging Cost Summary
- 33% savings on material costs
- 61% increase in productivity
