Maybe there is a source in your backyard that is a great source for new bottled water. Maybe he mixed a drink with a perfect unique taste in his kitchen. Or you can even use the perfect combination of ingredients to clean wood, tiles or other household items. In other words, you have a new product that you think would appeal to the rest of the world. But now that you have a lot of important decisions to make before you get the first bottle, can, or container of your product, and all of those decisions affect how easy or difficult it is to pack your product.
PRODUCT
Of course, the product itself also affects the packaging machines needed to prepare the goods efficiently and consistently for the customer. Some filling machines and equipment work better with thicker products, while other machines ensure the consistency of free-flowing liquids. Some products also require special electrical components and construction if they are flammable or hazardous. While a new packer usually doesn’t have much freedom to change the features of their product, there are other aspects to launching a new product that give you a little more control.
PACKAGING
The container, lid, label, and other packaging materials chosen for a product have a greater impact on the packaging machine needed by a start-up, but the packer also has more control over exactly what is used to place and advertise the product. . If one bottle or other packaging may stand out on the product shelf, new packers should be aware that custom packaging machines may be more expensive than industry standards. It may also be desirable to offer some products in a package, from small samples to large bulk containers. If the choice is wide, more than one packing line may be needed to meet both size and demand. To begin with, the packer must balance the need for creativity with the diversity of product sizes and the cost of efficient and reliable product packaging.
MARKET
Of course, the demand for products is partly determined by the size of the market served. Often, a start-up puts itself in a smaller market to test the waters, so to speak. As demand grows, the market generally expands, although there are specialty products that appear to be immediate national or global hits. The demand for a product usually directly affects the level of automation required to package that product. Lower demand or a smaller market size may allow a packer to access tabletop packaging equipment, from double-headed filling machines to single-headed corkers and table-top labels. However, if growth is expected, as is almost always the case, a new packer may wish to start with semi-automatic or even automatic packaging machines to allow for upgrades and future expansions.
ROOM
When starting a new packaging project, the availability of free space must also be taken into account. If the first bottles of a new product are made in a garage or kitchen, automatic packaging machines are unlikely. However, as noted above, desktops – from bottle rinsers and liquid fillers to capping and labeling machines – are available for space-constrained projects. Of course, when demand reaches a certain level, the packer may be forced to find the necessary space for automated packaging machines, but cheap but efficient table machines are often the right starting point for new products. .
