The coffee packaging industry is one of the most demanding. Partly because the product that is handled is very delicate, and the packaging conditions must be optimal. A packaging machine must meet these requirements and fulfil its purpose perfectly.
What factors should be taken into account when choosing a coffee packaging machine? Aranow presents a case study on options available and how these characteristics determine the prices.
Type of packaging
The first factor that influences the price of a packaging machine is what the packaging being produced is. It is not the same to choose a coffee bean bag sealer as choosing single-serving packaging systems for ground coffee which require millimetre precision. Nor is is not the same to install a vacuum packing machine with an automatic packing machine as it is to install a hopper for loose packets that will pass along a belt.
Machines for single-serving containers.
Packaging in a stick pack is the most innovative in the coffee industry. Each serving is packaged individually, thus maintaining the properties of the product without affecting the rest, as only what is needed is used.
To be able to properly pack the coffee in this way a very advanced machine is needed, which manufactures the packages to the appropriate size and allows high precision work to be carried out. A packaging that must be able to adapt at all times to the product being handled, in this case granulated or powdered, depending on whether the coffee is soluble or it is a serving to be inserted into a coffee machine.
Processing speed
Another factor that influences the price of a coffee packaging machine is the ability to pack at high speed. A higher speed means having to control all of the movement more precisely, since a single millimetre of difference can mean that the packaging is not in the best condition to proceed to the packing stage. Improper sealing, misplacement of the coil or an imbalance in the weight can ruin an important part of the work.
Other coffee packaging systems
– Vertical sealing machines
Vertical sealing machines were the most used machines in the coffee industry. Its cost is the most economical, it requires a small space and can operate at a significant speed. You just need to pay attention to the packaging reel and the coffee hopper. When closing the bag, the base for a new packet is created, into which coffee is dropped by gravity. A timer is responsible for setting the time to seal the bag again, which an operator can pick up or it can be allowed to fall on to a conveyor belt.
This type of packaging machine is mainly intended for bulk packaging. Some have a valve insertion system to extract CO2 without oxygen entering.
– Vacuum packaging machines
Ground coffee is better preserved in vacuum packaging, so specific machinery is also used for this format. Its cost is significantly higher than the previous ones, in addition to occupying a larger area due to incorporating various systems and a more complex control unit. The packaging process begins in a similar way, dropping the coffee through the hopper until the containers are filled. But instead of going directly to the collection step, they move to vacuum bells, which removes all the air inside, at which time the top is sealed. A guillotine cuts the excess of the flap and a wrapping machine may place a piece of cellophane so that the package is left as a square. It is also possible for each package to be placed in a single box before going to the storage box.
– Continuous packaging
Continuous packaging, keeping the same format during the process, allows for the speed to be accelerated without too many complications. The control systems are responsible for creating the perfect packaging to accommodate the product. Although, clearly the faster and more accurate a machine is, the higher its price. Its profitability is also higher due to reducing errors to as little as possible without sacrificing productivity.
– Variable format packaging machines
Coffee packaging machines that have to adapt to different weights and measures usually sacrifice some speed. The packaging they manufacture must take into account parameters that can change both their shape and size. So that a machine capable of manufacturing the same number of containers per minute as the previous ones, its price is also higher due to the need to incorporate more control elements.
“Packaging, an essential factor in the world of coffee”
A coffee packaging machine can be as efficient as the packaging it creates. That is why it is essential to develop machinery that suits all needs. It is not only the duration of the product that depends on good packaging. Also the image of the company itself in the eyes of its customers
The presentation of coffee in inadequate packaging can ruin all the efforts made by the producer. A poor-quality container or on that has imperfections gives a very bad impression, causing consumers to choose another brand. Investing in a good packaging machine is always profitable, keeping in mind that it allows current sales to be maintained and for an increase future one if the right image is given.
The Article Was Originally Published by Aranow on December 21, 2018
Based in the heart of the Barcelona Packaging School, the firm was founded in 2003 with the aim of offering companies all over the world a variety of user-friendly multilane machines for any type of product.
Aranow Packaging Machinery is a company specialized in the design and manufacture of single-dose multitrack packaging machinery (stick pack and flat sachet) with the possibility of completing it with secondary machinery (stand-up pouch, gusset, flowpack, cartoner, tray within flowpack)
