When you purchase a new packaging machine, are you buying it for the next year? Or how about the next five years?
Like many other aspects of your lives inside and outside of business, restrictions caused by COVID-19 have disrupted the normal way of conducting Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT’s). Because of travel restrictions, social distancing, and other precautions companies and governments are taking, the typical way of conducting a FAT is put on hold. Similar to how business has evolved during this time, FATs are now being successfully carried out remotely using digital tools. As the world and industry changes, OEMs must evolve with it.
COVID-19 has created an increase in demand for medical equipment including syringes. Hospitals are increasing orders for syringes because of the influx of more patients requiring care and the inevitable mass immunization of COVID-19 once a vaccine is created and approved. Early estimates suggest that at least 70% of the population will need the vaccine including more than 300 million people in the United States.
Our current situation has placed a strain on the fresh food supply chain. Issues like border restrictions and workforce shortages have caused increased delays in the fresh produce trade causing large shipment of fresh produce to sit for prolonged periods of time. From the time produce is picked on a farm to when it’s eaten there’s a race against time. The tried, tested, and accepted way of packaging produce in the U.S. is not to package it at all. Most fruits and vegetables make their way through the food chain in crates, totes, cartons or some sort of vessel for distribution. This method of transporting produce through the supply chain, from farm to table, can (and does) expose the produce to germs and spoilage, ultimately resulting in health risks and unnecessary waste.
Choosing the right packaging equipment and supplier can make or break a project. There are so many different variables that it can be challenging to find the exact equipment and support that will meet your needs for now and for the future. Here we have outlined some things to consider when evaluating your options.
Snacking today is as popular as ever. The fast moving, timed crunched society we live in demands packaging be convenient for eating on the go. While there are ways to eat a meal, such as sandwich, on the go, more consumers are opting to snack throughout the day to satisfy their hunger. Moreover, consumers are becoming more health conscious. Consumers want snacks that reflect their on-the-go lifestyle that offer convenience and are healthy.
Automation affords several major benefits for CPG packaging manufacturers. It reduces operational costs by lowering labor costs and minimizing waste from human interaction, increases throughput and productivity, and creates a safer work environment by replacing repetitive and strenuous manual jobs.
Deciding on the correct packaging method for medical devices is important for package integrity.
The pressure is on for the government to supply hospitals around the country with enough medical equipment to fight Coronavirus.
