Packaging is a major operation for many businesses in the agricultural industry. From grains to fertilisers, soils and hay, a bulk agricultural packaging system needs to be able to handle various kinds of product and package them efficiently before transport. Filling bulk bags or containers manually uses a lot of time, energy and manpower, and it increases your risk of product wastage. Automating the bulk agricultural packaging process will often result in a wealth of benefits for farmers.
Enhanced safety
The more manual or labour-intensive your packaging process is, the higher the chances of workplace accidents. If your workers have to manually move machinery, close filled bags, or use heavy equipment to lift packages, they are more likely to be injured. Automating your bulk agricultural packaging line means your workers will be able to supervise or control the process from a distance, and they won’t need to be directly involved with any hands-on steps of the packaging process. An automated bulk packaging line can also be designed with dust collection systems and exhaust ventilation, which will reduce your workers’ risk of exposure to hazardous materials.
Extra control
When you use an automated bulk agricultural packaging system, you’ll have much greater control than you would with a manual system. A fully automated packaging line can instantly alert the operator to any problems, such as an improperly filled container or a jam on the line. Automated systems can be set to reject containers that have not been filled correctly, and they can even move product from a defective container to a new one. Having more precise control over your packaging system, and being alerted to any irregularities, means you can quickly identify and resolve any technical issues – minimising your downtime and increasing your productivity.
Increased efficiency
Automated lines are designed to achieve the highest filling speed with the least amount of labour. With the ability to load multiple bags or containers simultaneously, it’s possible to achieve an output of 15-20 bags per hour in an automated system. If you are packaging heavy products, automating your system will increase your efficiency even further as the weigh-bagging line can support weights over 1,000kg. Some lines can even be designed to use the same piece of equipment for two different functions at the same time.
Flexibility
You can pre-program an automated bulk packaging line to fill bags and containers of different sizes, shapes and weights. Automated systems are also intelligent enough to handle setting adjustments in filling height, speed, conveyer width and an array of other operations.
Reduced waste
Automated packaging systems reduce the chance of product damage and loss because they are more accurate at filling bags and containers, and they reduce the likelihood of cross-contamination. By making sure bags are filled precisely, automated systems can minimise or eliminate the amount of bags transported with too much or too little product. In addition to this, an automated system can pause the whole line if there is a technical problem during the filling process, which helps reduce the chance of lost or damaged products due to equipment breakdown.
Saves you money
While there is an upfront cost in installing an automated bulk packaging system, the investment will pay off in the long run by saving you time and money. Automating the packaging line will reduce your labour costs, improve safety for workers, and dramatically speed up your packaging time. This all translates to less time spent filling each container, and more product packaged per day.
AccuPak is a professional provider of packaging equipment, with years of experience supplying bulk packaging solutions for clients in the agricultural sector. With industry expertise and a commitment to ongoing training, the team at AccuPak can advise you on the best equipment to automate your bulk packaging process, meet regulations, or simply update your existing system with the latest technology. To find out how an automated packaging system can benefit your business, call your closest branch today.