do i need a bagging machine? in green text on white background with diagonal blue stripes on sides

Do I Need a Bagging Machine?

Bagging is one of the most popular ways for companies to package and protect their products, and for very good reasons. Poly bags are safe, secure, and offer outstanding protection to the items they hold. Better yet, they come in a huge variety of sizes and styles and can even be customized or printed on to enhance your company’s marketing capabilities. However, there are a few hiccups that often come along with the bagging process on your packaging line – the action itself can take more time and money than many businesses would like to spend. One of the best solutions to these problems is through a bagging machine. If you’ve found yourself wondering whether or not you need a bagging machine in your operation, take a look at some of the key information about these convenient, cost-effective pieces of packaging equipment.

What is a Bagging Machine?

Bagging machines, which are also commonly known as automatic bagging machines, automatic baggers, or auto baggers, are a type of packaging equipment that quickly and effectively fill your products into a poly bag of your choice. After filling, they then weigh and label the bag in order to prepare it for shipment or further packing. One major benefit of an auto bagger is that there are many different versions available to you. This means you’ll have your choice of either a fully or semi-automatic machine, as well as options that can accommodate different tasks and bag sizes while remaining within your budget. Each bagging machine is programmable and durable. When deciding which one may be best for your operation, you’ll simply need to examine the kinds of products you package, the types of poly bags you use, the throughput your business requires, and what kind of spacing and placement restrictions you have on your packaging line. No matter whether you’re packaging items as small as a button or as large as a bag of your pet’s favorite kibble, there’s an automatic bagging machine that’s right for you.

The Benefits of Bagging Machines

Like all varieties of packaging automation, bagging machines come with a wide range of benefits for your business. Depending on your products and the type of auto bagger you select, you can reduce your labor expenses by as much as 80%, save up to 50% on the need for paper mailers, and possibly eliminate your team’s use of corrugated boxes and the manual labeling process that goes along with them. 

sharp max pro 24 automatic bagging machine

Packaging automation is more affordable than it’s ever been before, especially when factoring in the constantly rising costs of materials, energy, and labor. In fact, with the addition of a bagging machine, many companies see a complete ROI in just one year. When working with any kind of automatic bagging machine, you’ll soon see an increase in productivity (because you’ll no longer need multiple people filling, weighing, and labeling each bag), a reduction in production bottlenecks, improved accuracy, and lower expenses across the board (a bagging machine will cost less over its lifetime than the manual labor needed to bag products during the same time frame).

Questions to Ask When Deciding on a Bagging Machine

When it comes down to it, you’ll need to examine your entire operation and packaging line to determine whether or not a bagging machine is right for you. Here are a few key questions to consider when it comes time to make that important decision:

  1. Can my packaging line keep up with production?
  2. Is my packaging high quality and consistent? Has it recently declined in quality?
  3. Am I running out of space in my packaging area?
  4. Are my team members dealing with injuries or strains from repetitive movements?
  5. Do I depend too much on manual labor? If one employee misses a shift, will my production have to backup or decrease?
  6. Can I keep up with customer demand?
  7. Have I experienced any product or profit loss because of overfilled bags?

Your answer to each of these questions is important for examining your existing and future packaging processes. If you can’t keep up with current demand or production requests, need to free up extra room in the packaging area, or your employees are dealing with uncomfortable strain injuries, it’s likely time to add a bagging machine to your line. For those who are currently not experiencing any of these problems but think they may occur in the future, now is a good time to start doing the research so that you’re ready when the time arrives.

Bagging Machines Bring the Out the Best

If you’re ready to include a bagging machine in your packaging line or would simply like to learn more about everything they can do for you, contact IPS Packaging & Automation today at (800) 277-7007 to speak with one of our expert packaging automation specialists.