Is it time for an automatic packing machine? Many food and consumer-goods factories in Malaysia still pack by hand: a row of workers with scoops, scales and a sealer. It works, until it doesn’t. This guide is for owners and managers making that decision, and explains what the change really involves on the factory floor.
It will not tell you that every factory should automate. Some should not, yet. It gives you a way to decide with your own numbers.
Five signs hand packing is costing more than you think
1. Labour is your ceiling
If output rises only when you add people, and finding or keeping those people is getting harder, your packing capacity is capped by recruitment rather than by demand. Automation turns that ceiling into a machine speed you can plan around.
2. You are giving product away
Hand filling is usually set a little over the declared weight so that no pack is short. That margin, repeated on every pack, every day, is product you pay for and do not sell. Weighing systems such as a multihead weigher packing machine choose the combination of weigh heads closest to the target, which reduces that giveaway.
3. Rejects and complaints are rising
Poor seals, inconsistent weights and missing date codes lead to rework, returns and difficult conversations with retailers. A machine repeats the same seal and the same fill on every pack.
4. You are turning down orders
If you have declined a supermarket listing or an export order because you could not pack the volume, the cost of not automating is already visible.
5. Hygiene is a worry
Every hand that touches the product is a hygiene risk and a question from an auditor. An enclosed filling and sealing process reduces handling.
One or two of these signs may be manageable. Three or more usually means hand packing has become the expensive option.
Semi-automatic: when it is the right first step
Automation is not all or nothing. A semi-automatic setup keeps an operator in the loop for part of the job, for example loading the product or starting each cycle, while the machine does the weighing, filling or sealing consistently. It is a good first step when:
- volumes are moderate, or you run many products in short batches;
- you want to learn to run and maintain a machine before committing to a full line;
- floor space or budget is tight.
The same logic applies at the end of the line. Our page on the pallet wrapping machine explains the choice between semi-automatic and automatic wrapping, which is decided largely by how many pallets a day you ship.
The key is to choose the first machine with the later line in mind, so it can be joined up with conveyors and other machines when volumes grow.
Working out payback on an automatic packing machine
You do not need a consultant to get a first answer. Use your own figures:
- Labour saved per month = number of packing staff the machine replaces or redeploys, multiplied by their full monthly cost (wages, levy, housing, overtime).
- Giveaway saved per month = average overfill per pack today, multiplied by packs per month, multiplied by product cost per gram.
- Rework and rejects saved per month = packs reworked or rejected today, multiplied by the cost of each.
- Extra margin from new capacity = additional packs you could sell, multiplied by margin per pack. Count this only if the demand is real.
- Running cost added per month = power, compressed air, maintenance, spare parts and any film difference.
Monthly benefit = (1 + 2 + 3 + 4) minus 5. Payback in months = the full project price divided by the monthly benefit.
Be honest with the numbers. If payback only works when you count orders you do not have yet, the case is weaker than it looks. If it works on labour and giveaway alone, it is strong.
What changes on the factory floor
People
You will need fewer people packing and at least one person who understands the machine: setting it up, changing over, clearing jams, doing daily cleaning. Plan for training at installation, and choose a supplier who will come back to help.
Changeovers
Changing bag size or product takes time on a machine. If you run many products, ask how changeover works and how long it takes, and plan production in longer runs.
Space, power and air
Measure the space, including room to load film and to reach the machine for maintenance. Check utilities: the Hayssen Ultima SV bagger, for example, needs 230 VAC single-phase power at 20 A and compressed air at 2.5 scfm and 65 psi. Other machines have their own requirements, and a line adds them up.
Materials
Automatic machines run on roll film or standard containers. Your packaging material needs to suit the machine, and a supplier should test with your film.
Choosing the first machine by product type
- Free-flowing solids such as rice, snacks, nuts, coffee beans or pet food: a weigher with a bagger. See the multihead weigher packing machine and the vertical form fill seal machine.
- Powders, spices and single-serve sachets: see sachet, stick and powder packing.
- Liquids, sauces and creams: a filler matched to the product’s thickness. See our liquid filling machine range.
- Solid items that cannot be dropped, like biscuits and bars: a horizontal form fill seal machine.
Questions to ask a supplier about support after installation
- Is installation, commissioning and operator training included?
- Where are the technicians based, and how quickly can they come?
- Which spare parts are kept in stock locally?
- Will you run a test with our product and our film before delivery?
- What preventive maintenance do you recommend, and can you do it for us?
Take the first step with Welpack
Welpack’s own technicians install, commission and support every machine we supply, from Puchong, Selangor, with spare parts in stock locally. Tell us your product, pack and volumes, and we will recommend a first machine that fits where your factory is today and where it is heading. Talk to us about automating your packing.