At PACK EXPO 2026, we heard plenty of conversations in and around our booth about keeping packaging lines running efficiently. Some of the most common concerns were growing production volumes, new packaging formats, and changing retailer requirements.
Whether you're doing most of your packaging by hand or already have some automation in place, challenges can appear at different points in the process.
Learn how to:
When you're starting out, manual packaging can work just fine. But as orders pick up, tasks like folding cartons and sealing packages can start slowing down production.
In order to keep up, you might have to hire more employees or pull workers away from other parts of the floor. Before doing that, consider which manual tasks take up the most time. If carton sealing is one of them, adding a tabletop sealer could be all that you need at first.
If case packing is another area where you're relying on manual labor, our small business guide to semi-automatic case packing explores what to consider before upgrading.
So what do you do if you have some automated equipment, but products are still backing up between stations and machines need to slow down or wait? Look at where the delays are happening before rushing to buy more equipment.
Watch what happens over a few normal production runs. If products are piling up steadily, one station may not be able to keep pace. If delays only happen after a jam or stop, the problem may be with product transfers or timing.
Unevenly formed trays, improperly closed cartons, and inconsistent seals create extra work for your packaging operators. The time spent inspecting and reworking packages can also slow production.
If most of the errors come from forming or sealing packages by hand, equipment like an automated tray former or carton sealer can help improve consistency.
Already using automated equipment? Look at when defects appear. Do they show up after changeovers or only with certain carton sizes? These patterns can help narrow down whether the issue is the machine setup, worn components, or the packaging materials themselves.
If you're running multiple products or carton sizes on the same line, changeovers can take a significant chunk out of the shift, especially for co-packers and manufacturers handling smaller batches.
The equipment may have the speed you need, but lengthy adjustments between runs can still slow production. When evaluating equipment for multiple SKUs, consider these questions:
If possible, ask to see a changeover using your own carton samples. That process can tell you more about how well a machine fits your operation than what the brochure says.
An oversized case can use more corrugated material than necessary, especially when there's a lot of empty space around the products. Wraparound case packing takes a different approach by forming a corrugated blank around the products for a closer fit.
Econocorp's Wrap Around Spartan forms these cases with manual or automated product loading options. Compare how much corrugated material your current cases use with what a wraparound design would require.
An older packaging machine might have served you well for years, but frequent breakdowns and time-consuming repairs that come with age make it harder to keep production on schedule.
Take a look at your maintenance records. Are you dealing with the same worn component repeatedly, or are problems becoming more widespread? If the issues are isolated and parts are readily available, repairs may be enough to keep the machine running reliably.
If you're regularly scheduling production around breakdowns or waiting on hard-to-find parts, a newer machine may make more sense. When comparing options, consider maintenance requirements, parts availability, and how the equipment would fit into your existing line, not just its speed.
Not every packaging challenge requires a major equipment investment. Sometimes automating one repetitive task is enough. In other cases, replacing aging equipment or connecting several packaging operations into a more automated line may make more sense.
At Econocorp, we design and build secondary packaging equipment in Randolph, Massachusetts, from individual machines to complete lines. We can help you find equipment that fits your products, production needs, and available space.
Contact our team today to discuss your packaging challenges and where automation could make a difference.