Flexibility is all the rage these days. Packaging machine manufacturers love to say that their machines are flexible. And we’re no exception. It’s right there in our tagline: Simple. Flexible. Affordable.
But what does flexibility really mean? Is it just marketing-speak, or does it reflect true value that equates to time saved, money saved and money earned?
At RPM, when we say flexible, we mean three things:
- Fitting into an existing line
- Running a wide variety of products
- Adapting to changes in your business
Fitting into an existing line. In a perfect world, a machine should be able to be incorporated into an existing production line with little to no hassle. That is how we design our machines. Their small footprint uses 75 percent less floor space than some other machines, so they can be placed nearly anywhere. Their cantilevered design allows them to be slid over existing conveyor systems, eliminating the time and expense of reconfiguring them. In other words, the machines are flexible enough to be put in (and taken out) of your production lines with minimal time and expense.
Running a variety of products. Today’s consumers have become accustomed to a wide variety of product types, sizes and styles. One needs only to walk down a supermarket aisle to see the countless variety of products available. (Who knew there were so many kinds of yogurt?) To accommodate that demand, food manufacturers have to be able to change their lines over. Fast. At RPM, we design our machines so they can be adjusted to accommodate different package types in minutes. That means manufacturers can run a variety of products on a single line, and that means lower costs and higher profits.
Adapting to changes in your business. Let’s face it, the market can be fickle. Consumer preferences can change on a dime. A product can be discontinued before you know it. That makes the cost and hassle of setting up new product lines risky business. RPM machines are designed to mitigate that risk, because, if necessary, they can be easily reconfigured to accommodate a new product line or a new packaging contract. The same machine could be loading large trays of cookies into a case one day, and loading small chocolate bars into a wrapper infeed the next.
