Guideline for buying your first packaging machine

It will take you around 6 minutes read this article, below table of contents will help you to reach to the chapter that interests you.

Step one, make sure your packaging requrements are clear and precise

When you contact a packaging machine manufacturer for the best packing machine, there will be bunch of questions asked, so spend time and make good preparation will help you to get there.

1. Learn more about your product specifications?

You should have a deeper understanding for the product that you want to pack, not only know they are powder, granule or liquid, and should know more physical properties about them, for example:

And what about the safety and hygiene requirements? Knowing more about the products physical properties is base for you to choose the correct packing machine.

2. What bag styles are you requesting?

Confirm your bag style is very important, yes, many different bag styles can be produced on flexible packaging machines, but if you can do the market research and confirm the correct bag styles, it can help you get the perfect packing machine with higher efficiency and lower cost.

Above are some popular bag styles for example, hope it can help you to understand diffrent bag types.

3. Clarify all your packaging requirements

Besides the products specifications and the bag styles, other packaging requirements also should be definite, such as below:

After finished step one, actually you can negotiate with packing machine manufacture directly, but if you want to be more professional and avoid any misleading, I suggest you go to step two right now.

Step two, learn more about packing machine

Know more about packing machine will help you to make the correct desicion when buy a machine, and also it can help you to negotiate with supplier, easily get the point and avoid waste time.

1. How to distinguish between different packaging machines?

The packing machine can be divided into different categories based on different classification methods, we think below classification suggestion is easily to understand.

1). Based on diffrent filling way, we divided into vertical packing machine(VFFS) and horizontal packing machine(or called flow pack machine). VFFS normally use to pack the powder, liquid and granule products, which is small size. And horizontal packing machine normally use to pack bulk, such as soap, bread etc.

2). Based on the size and output, we can simply devided into small packing machine and standard packing machine, if you just want to start a small business and no need high output, the small packing machine is a economical choice for you.

3). We also distinguish the packing machine based on the different applications, it is very common way but the result will be multitudinous. Such as powder packing machine, liquid packing machine, granule packing machine, tea packing machine, food packing machine, coffee packing machine etc. You can select the matched packing machine according to the packing solutions.

2. What is the difference between semi-automatic and fully automatic packaging system?

A fully automated packaging system is optimized for high speeds, it can effectively eliminate processing errors and reduce labor intensity. A fully automated line can complete multiple processes at once: make pouch forming, measuring/weighing, filling, sealing and cutting. It has a very obvious advantage in improving the product quality and production efficiency in product pack. Besides, automated systems provide a high level of accuracy and consistency, but require a larger upfront investment. These solutions are best for companies that run a high number of products with relatively low variation.

The semi-automatic packaging system still requires a lot of labor. Compared to fully automated systems, semi-automatic packaging lines are relatively cheap, but they are slower and less accurate. In many cases, the various parts of the semi-automatic production line can be integrated with other equipment in the future to create a fully automated system. Although the production efficiency will be reduced, it is also a good choice for companies with limited budgets.

3. Can one packaging machine handle allkinds of products?

It is certain that one packaging machine can handle many different kinds of products. You  could fill up more than one product by making a few changes in your machine.

However, you should be noted that sometimes it isn’t the best choice for one packing machine to handle all kinds of products. If your packaging needs are varied, adapting to these changes in machine parameters can be complicated, costly, and inefficient. The more diverse your needs, the more meaningful to invest in multiple systems.

Sometimes, it is better to have a machine that really does a good job than a machine that can do a lot of things.

4. How much does packaging equipment cost?

There is no accurate answer to this question. The price will be variable according to your particular needs, such as: the products you want to package, the speeds you would like to achieve, your pouch styles and sizes, the complexity of your process, and how quick you need the machine delivered.

We can provide a range: if your package bag size is small and needed output is low, each bag volume is less than 100ml, the economical small packaging machine can meet your needs, the price is low and generally from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars. And if what you needed is standard packaging machine or packaging line, the price will be much higher, from thousands of dollars to tens of thousands of dollars. Generally, the more complex, customized, or high-speed the packaging process is, the more you will pay.

Although price is certainly a consideration for all customers, we believe that more attention should be paid to the quality of the machine. Because the downtime loss and maintenance cost caused by the failure of low-quality machines in production will lead to a worse ROI. Furthermore, it may even cause the loss of customers and the market.

5. How about the running speed of packaging machine?

The speed of packaging equipment is usually expressed in bags per minute (BPM), which is how many bags can be produced per minute. Generally, the speed of the automatic flexible packaging machine can be rated from 10-100 bags/cycles per minute.

However, the actual production speed depends on many factors. Your product performance, bag size and style, factory environment, and operator’s technical skills will all affect the actual speed.

Step three, evaluate and choose your first optimum packing machine

After above 2 steps finished, you are able to negotiate with packing machine manufacture and get the correct packing machine, but if you want get the best one, let’s continure step three.

1. Supplier evaluation

It is important also but is a bit difficult if you can not visit the factory directly, but there are 2 things can help you.

First check the business license, maybe you can not read the language, but the date of establishment is easily to find, old factory is more trustworthy then new one and 5 years old or above is necessary.

Meanwhile you can evaluate during the communication, profession, timeliness, or other certifications are the factors you can consider. And for the key points, you can cross check with diffrent suppliers and get the best conclusion.

2. Installation and after-sales service

After-sales service is very important for machines, you should carefully check with vendor. The warranty time and policy details should be clarity, which include the user manuals, installation service, maintenance service, parts service and local or online technic support, etc.

In addition, it is also important to choose equipment with simple installation and operation and low maintenance cost. At the same time, it is more important to ensure the high efficiency and low failure rate of production than the cheap purchase price.

3. Should I buy from a local distributor or import from China?

Take from local distributor or Chinese manufacturer is never problem, the most important is that your first packing machine should meet your expectations and requirements excellently.

If you buy the packaging machine from a local dealer, You can directly see different models of products and understand the product performance more intuitively. Everything is simpler and you can get your machinery faster.

However, the cost of local distribution machinery is relatively high, and it is standard ready machine, and can not be customized according to your specific requirements.

If you buy from a Chinese manufacturer, the price will be more competitive, and you can customize it according to your needs. After decades of development for China’s machinery industry, the technology and quality are in the high level of world now.

But there is one thing you should pay attention, not all the Chinese suppliers are in the same level, It is undeniable that in order to offer lower price, they may choose poor quality parts, which may cause problems in the use of the equipment and a relatively short lifespan. Therefore, we recommend that you pay more attention to quality when choosing a packaging machine from China.

4. What should I do if I have no experience in importing products from China?

GF machine is committed to providing customers with one-stop service. Even if you have no import experience, we will assist you to complete the entire process of packaging machine confirmation, payment, and customs clearance. You only need to choose a local import agency. We will complete the machine export from China by sea. At the same time, we will cooperate with your customs clearance agent, and provide all the documents required by the customs to assist your customs clearance in your country.

5. What GF Machine can do for you?

As a professional supplier of packaging equipment for 15 years, our product range covers economical small packing machines, powerful high-speed standard packaging machines and a complete set of fully automatic packaging line. The packaging products cover various products such as powder, granule, liquid, paste, and so on. Our company are able to manufacture all kinds of filling and packaging machine to meet the different needs of customers.

GF machines not only provides customers with high-quality packaging machine products, we also provide customers with one-stop solutions, including:

If you still have questions about how to choose your first packing machine, pls feel free to contact with us, our professional team will help you to make the optimal decision!