How to Become More Efficient In Thermoforming
As thermoformed packaging articles are now being widely used for the purpose of food packaging and also by various other industries like electronics, pharmaceuticals and toiletries, the heavy gauge thermoforming market of our times is growing at a rapid rate and becoming more competitive simultaneously. Quite naturally, thermoforming companies too are looking for new ways for gaining better efficiency as a company’s success is largely dependent on that. Though companies are working with engineering firms, consultants and suppliers for improved efficiency, they are not necessarily required for implementing the various improvements most of the time. From a general viewpoint there are a number of other areas which can result in the desired levels of improvements.
If you are in the business of manufacturing clamshell containers or blister cards through thermoforming, the first thing you must understand is that as a process it has been around for more than 50 years and so are the thermoforming machines. But with advancement in technology new machines have been made available in the market that can considerably improve production efficiency and if you are still sticking with your 30 years old machines – it is very much time now to go for an upgrade. As a matter of fact inefficient machines are considered by experts as the single largest obstacle that restricts manufacturers from running their businesses with maximum efficiency and company success is also largely dependent upon that.
If you are manufacturing thermoforming articles for cosmetic packaging suppliers requiring clamshell package and especially blister packs in various sizes and designs and regardless of the machinery that is used, mold designs and material used for constructing the moulds can dictate performance considerably. One must also focus on improving the cycle times and if there is any issue at the time of heating or at the time of cooling and forming – they must be addressed immediately. Ovens are another important part of thermoforming packaging production and they must be properly maintained to make the machines work with maximum efficiency. Companies should also try to have better control over the ovens and machines that don’t have separate zones are better avoided. If a company is working with smaller sheets there is no use of the entire oven being operated which will add considerably to the utility cost. Presence of zones doesn’t only allow shutting off areas not being used for heating the sheet along with allowing the operator more control over the entire process.
Most thermoforming companies now use Roll Fed machines as the Sheet Fed machines previously used were considered suitable for smaller volume applications and your choice of machine is also a determining factor behind your success. As different types of thermoplastics can be used for this purpose like Polystyrene, PVC, Apet or Polypropylene – the right choice of thermoplasting material will also improve production efficiency considerably. If you are looking for more vital information on how to improve your manufacturing efficiency you can visit Southpack.com
About The Author
SouthPack is among the most renowned product packaging companies, providing full service custom thermoformed clamshell packaging, blister packaging, vacuum formed trays and contract packaging. They offer custom, stock & eco-friendly packaging for various markets including medical, pharmaceutical, food and cosmetics.