Tag: machinery

Our Engineers Work for You

Written on by frain-sales

You wouldn’t knowingly sign off on a cheap machine that doesn’t work or meet your needs, but we hear it happen time and time again.

Many times, we get a 911-like call from a customer who is now even further into the project timeline and realizes that they’ve lost time, opportunity loss and money to bad machinery.

Recently, we came across a start-up company looking to fill 15-20 containers per minute.  They were sold a mono-block automatic filler by a broker, which they did not end up using as it was more machine than they could actually use at this particular stage.

Now, this startup who was learning the hard way contacted Frain to ask if we were interested in purchasing it from them, while also renting a semi-automatic filler to better meet their needs.

Companies of all sizes find value in the rental equipment we provide quickly, but ultimately appreciate the engineering expertise we lend to them free of charge to validate their equipment needs first and foremost.

We get customers who are ecstatic to hear that we can borrow them machinery under rental terms that will work for them, cost them minimal monthly payments and allow them to return as needed.

We appreciate the fact that are many options in the market.  You can and will go anywhere you please and feel comfortable.

But, before you do, we ask that you consider a unique value we provide in validating your equipment needs with experience engineers.

Robots and Automation

Written on by Rich Frain

It seems like I can’t turn around these days without seeing another article about robots. Especially about how robots will be taking over all jobs in a few years. But it also seems like robots and automation are getting confused in the public eye. There’s a lot more to automation than robots.

At Frain we know robots. We work with them every day. With more than 8,000 automated machines in stock, we also know about automation.

Robots are great for a lot of things. They are particularly useful when flexibility is required. Since they are standardized, they can be built in quantity, making them less and less expensive.  There are a lot of packaging applications for robots.

There are also some downsides. Speed is one. Try to find a robot that can cap bottles at 400ppm. Complexity is another. They need programming which is something of a specialized skill. Some companies and some geographic locations do not have access to these skills. A robot intended for general use may never be as good as a machine purpose-built for a specific use.

Robots can take up considerable space. The robot itself may be compact and may actually only work in a limited area. Moving cartons from the line to a case, for example. Guarding must be provided for all possible areas where the robot could reach.

Note the amount of unused area relative to the working area in the picture below. A dedicated automatic machine with the same function might occupy 20-30% of that space.

Image 1

Dedicated automatic machinery my not be as versatile as a robot but it will probably be better at what it does. It will certainly, in many instances, be faster. Lines running 1200 bottles a minute are no problem for standard fillers, cappers, labelers etc. but no robot could ever keep up.

I’ve been hearing how automation was going to take all jobs since I was a kid. I’ve been hearing how robots were going to take all jobs since the 70’s. What we are hearing today is nothing new and nothing bad.

Automation, whether by purpose designed machines or flexible robots means more efficiency and that’s good for everyone.

Equipment Automation: Labor

Written on by frain-sales

Labor is expensive! That is why so many USA companies sent their manufacturing overseas or hired overseas employees. Others decided to automate their process to reduce the cost of labor.

According to IPS Packaging, “Most companies producing packaged products estimate that up to 60% of their total packaging costs are solely labor-related.”

Imagine cutting that number by 40-50%. On average, this can save companies $40,000-$80,000 per year in wages at $10 per hour.

Those savings can potentially pay for a completely automated process, if not more, with increased margins and profit as time progresses.

Robots and artificial intelligence are a common interpretation of intelligent automation. However, an automated process can range from a single machine, such as a case packer, to a complete line and ultimately updated technology.

Our engineers are available to discuss your complete automation machinery or line requirements and help you determine the best solution for your application.

In the end, you are not only saving money due to labor costs. You are also increasing the quality of your product and overall company profit.

Furthermore, with a completely automated packaging line, output consistency, efficiency, and productivity can also be achieved.

 

Resources:

https://info.ipack.com/article/packaging-automation-is-now-the-right-time

Equipment Automation: Efficiency

Written on by frain-sales

What is the source of your plant inefficiency? Does it come from lack of training, damaged product, minimum/slow production, machine set-backs, material costs, or labor?

All the above has the potential to negatively impact your efficiency resulting in minimal production and profit.  The best and fastest way to improve efficiency is by automating an existing process.

An automatic application can usually at least double the output of any given process. Automatic packaging or processing machinery typically requires no operator, little to no supervision, and can run 24-hours per day with proper maintenance.

It’s fair to note that efficiency goes hand in hand with production and the goal is to achieve maximum output with minimum expense.

Many companies and individuals interested in automating their process fail at justifying the cost of automation. Corporations weigh out their options, but occasionally miss a few angles that include leveraging the cost of operators, benefit packages, production, efficiency, and more.

Shedding light on these hidden costs can easily justify rapid automation.  If the cost of your efficiency is weighing you or your company down, then it’s time to address the issue.

With the help of Frain, you can be as efficient as you are meant to be.  We offer the largest packaging and processing equipment inventory, accommodating rental and leasing options, and the quickest delivery in the industry.

Equipment Automation: Productivity

Written on by frain-sales

Manual and semi-manual production rely highly on their employees and operators. This, over time, leads to product inconsistencies, damage, and ultimately decreased production. Not to mention a boost in material costs.

Individuals become tired, slow down, and have a shorter attention span as an eight or ten-hour shift progresses. The product and/or product packaging are now at risk of becoming inconsistent or damaged.

Moreover, people cannot compare to machines when it comes to speed. Depending on the application, individuals can safely and accurately produce up to 1/4 of product – on average – compared to an automatic machine.

For example, Frain took a customer from a manual process that on average produced 5 complete bottles of product per minute to 20. In a 50-minute 10-hour shift, the company produced 2,500 bottles manually while the Frain automatic application yielded 10,000…four times as much production and revenue.

The bottom line is that automated packaging produce more than manual labor/operators and ultimately cut down costs while increasing productivity.  In fact, it’s better to couple your best people with machinery for getting the job done more efficiently.

A wide selection of automatic packaging and processing equipment with flexible rental and leasing options is the first step in easily automating your application and maximizing profit.

Connecting Islands of Automation

Written on by frain-sales

In John Henry’s white paper, Flat-Top Conveyor Basics, he explains that “conveyors are intelligent bridges between islands of automation.”

A complete, dry product filling line filling 16 ounces of peanuts at 20 bottles per minute is a great example.

Each automated machine is connected by different conveyors – 3 bottomless side belt and 1 table top –  that push the product to the next machine. When the product arrives at its final destination – an unscrambler – the product is ready to be boxed.

Would it be possible for these islands of automation to effectively generate the same product without conveyors? Maybe, but smart automation cannot occur without automated machinery or the bridges that connect them.

Islands-of-Automation-Meijer

Optimizing production relies on different variables, including equipment, technology, artificial intelligence, data, and more. It helps increase productivity, efficiency, quality, and safety while reducing the cost of labor and damaged material.

At Frain, we can quickly and effectively help you connect islands of automation to intelligent bridges.

Our team is available to help you enhance and automate your production application faster than anyone else.

Click here to learn more about the complete packaging line that is shown above.

It’s Time to Sell

Written on by frain-sales

With so many websites and mobile applications that help people buy and sell anything from socks to packaging and processing equipment, it has become extremely easy to transact business within a few finger taps.

And, although there are many excellent sites and apps for doing so – this sometimes leads to commoditization of products.  The seller becomes exposed to an OBO (or best offer) and the customer to a bidding war, fake postings, and a lack of seller response.

Within the used packaging and processing equipment arena, Frain cuts out the back-and-forth waiting game played in online auctions. We deal directly with the seller and provide up to 4x more instant revenue.

Not sure when to sell your packaging or processing equipment? Let us help you.

The best time to sell is when you are ready to free up space, a project has ended, equipment is idle, beginning a different application, or have an excess of equipment. Less clutter and unwanted equipment will provide available storage/floor space, and income for a new venture.

Storage fees, idle, and surplus equipment can slowly and easily dig a hole in the company’s pocket. For a fast and easy transaction, contact Frain to sell your packaging and processing equipment.

Let us help you turn your equipment into a working asset.

Taxonomy of Packaging Machinery

Written on by John Henry

I’ve been working with packaging machinery for longer than I want to confess. One issue that has always bothered me is that machinery terms vary from builder to builder, industry to industry and person to person. When people use the same word to describe two different machines, misunderstandings can lead to costly mistakes. It is critical is that any definition or terminology be used consistently and understood the same way by all concerned.

To that end, I propose the following taxonomy for use in describing packaging machinery.

Function > Type > Level of automation > Package movement > Package orientation > Machine direction > Speed

Depending on the machine there may be additional nomenclature that will be appropriate. Some of the above will not always apply. What the above taxonomy will do is provide a common basis for describing packaging machinery.

Function

Function refers to the main, overall, function of the machine. It may be a filler, a capper, a case packer or something else. It gives an immediate, if rough, description of what the machine will be used for.

Download the complete Taxonomy of Packaging Machinery Whitepaper to continue learning about packaging machinery.

Machinery ASAP

Written on by frain-sales

A question we always ask every customer is – when do you need the machinery?

Or, we’ll ask, when do you need the equipment up and running with your product at your facility?

Sometimes, we hear laughter. Sometimes we hear panic. But, usually, we hear something to the effect of:

  • “I need it now, right away.”
  • “I need the equipment yesterday.”

Or, the very brief and to-the-point answer the sums up when most customers need the equipment:

  • “I need it A.S.A.P.”

Many of our customers are in a race against time.

We like to hear that. Why? Because we’ve uniquely built our business around getting you quality machinery quickly at a discount from new equipment.

With a vast inventory of new and used equipment available for rent, lease or purchase, we can have single machines or entire packaging lines to customers in days – not weeks or months.

We are your pit crew to get you back into production as quickly as possible with equipment you can trust.

In cases of complete packaging lines, we purchase new equipment weekly that is often included within these lines simply for the fact of having these pieces of the puzzle available when our customers need them.

We keep 150,000 square feet in replacement parts for our customers who automatically get 6 months warranty on replacement parts in addition to our satisfaction guarantee.

Our customers can go anywhere online to find equipment and machines – and sometimes cheaper.  But, they come to Frain when the want to get quality, working machinery or complete lines A.S.A.P.

At Frain, we specialize in delivering quality machinery and complete packaging lines A.S.A.P.

4 Failed Myths to Avoid When Obtaining Machinery

Written on by frain-sales

Obtaining equipment is a huge commitment that many companies may or may not be ready to pursue. Many seek traditional alternatives like buying equipment, while others follow a contemporary route by renting or leasing equipment. Whatever the choice, Frain is here to help clarify some common myths.

Myth 1: Purchasing is always the way to go.

While purchasing equipment may be the right solution for some companies, it is certainly not a one-size-fits-all approach. Buyers often rely on advisors with little-to-no knowledge of the industry, equipment or application to guide their decision. Thus, businesses may purchase equipment not best suited for the job. This creates setbacks that companies are usually not prepared to manage such as cash flow constraints. On the other hand, companies that are well advised and have successfully introduced the product to market are best suited for equipment purchases.

Myth 2: Purchasing NEW is the only risk free solution.

Many individuals and companies prefer to buy new (OEM) equipment because of the machine warranty and established name. Others prefer to buy new because it has become part of the business routine. Several companies have a difficult time understanding that purchasing new equipment is not the only risk free solution. With used certified pre-owned machinery offering the same warranty as OEM’s at a faster turnaround times and satisfactory guarantees, companies can save time and money on equipment purchases. This, consequently, decreases downtime and gets the product to market faster than the traditional OEM solution.

Myth 3: Alternative procurement methods are too risky or nerve wrecking.

As stated above, some companies are set in their ways and often turn to purchasing equipment because it is what they have done for years. The fear of doing something that can cost the company a lot more than it saves holds several individuals back from innovation. A lack of adaptation can push toward the demise of an enterprise, and has held true in different cases from animal extinction to equipment and technology. In the packaging and processing industry, Frain responded to the way the consumer market seeks equipment with an innovative rental option that gets products to market faster. The rental option offers several benefits, including a lower investment, manageable payments, cash flow control, and increased production.  A flexible program, like Frain’s rental service, is best suited for seasonal peaks, product introduction, company expansion, or contract packagers, but anyone can take advantage of it.

Myth 4: Renting and leasing are basically the same.

Leasing offers a hybrid of the contemporary rental and the traditional purchase. It allows individuals to purchase equipment while spreading out payments as desired by the customer (12, 24 or 36 months). This flexibility gives the customer cash flow control and insurance from purchasing equipment outright. This opportunity may not be suited for everyone, but many individuals find comfort in flexible operational and/or capital costs.

In general, obtaining equipment can be challenging. Ultimately understanding the needs of the business, project scope, company capital, and testing the effect of a new product or production increase will aid in weighting the pros and cons of a machinery purchase, rental or lease, and help individuals make educated decisions.

Not sure where to start or how to get the equipment you need? Frain can lead the way.

The One Thing

Written on by frain-sales

Whether you’re talking sports, politics, or business – typically success and failure are not entirely attributed to one thing – but rather a series of good or bad decisions.

That doesn’t stop teams, like the Bears or Browns, who ended up again at the bottom of the NFL barrel, from looking for that one, hero QB that will change everything for them next season.

Likewise, some businesses also try to find a single lever that they can pull to send sales soaring.  They may say things like: “If only we had ­­­­________________, we would certainly improve our numbers.”  However, it’s typically a combination of things that will open the door to success.

Frain knows we’re not the one thing.  But, we do know that we’re one good decision to make every time you have a packaging or processing project and here’s why:

Qualification

We connect you immediately with engineers to get details critical to your success.  Our engineering staff won’t sign off on getting you equipment until they’ve matched physical samples of your product and your specifications with a machine in our inventory.  Some folks are just in a hurry to get a quote or machine, but we insist on getting you right quote and the right machine.

Speed

Once qualified, we’ll get your machinery to you much sooner than traditional channels.  An efficient route to market is certainly one key to success.  Our customers gain additional market share and revenue in this time span or are able to more quickly adjust planning based on the market performance, sooner rather than later.

Insurance

Your project is only as good as your idea.  Even if Frain can help you get an idea to market faster – it doesn’t mean it’s a good one.  However, getting to know what works and what doesn’t faster will help.  And, when you can rent the machinery and return it to Frain when finished testing the market, you can mitigate risk or exposure to bad ideas.  You’ll never be stuck with thousands of dollars of perfectly good machinery used to execute an idea that didn’t stick.  Good decision!

Budget

Your company has money, but may not have budget for your project.  Instead getting sign off on machinery purchase, you can get your project jump started for a fraction of the cost by renting or leasing.

Quality Inventory

80% of CPG projects fail and sometimes quickly.  Frain capitalizes on the new and like new machinery daily, which is no longer being used.  We have approximately 9,000 machines stored within four buildings, totaling 1.5 million square feet of storage.

Frain does not sell machinery “as is.”  We verify that the machinery we have will work for you and customize it to meet your needs.  Only after discussing your project with you (and your team if applicable) can we give you a quote to put you in the best position to succeed.

When you purchase from Frain, there’s no question that the machinery is going to work the way you want it to because it won’t leave our building until you’re fully satisfied and sign off.

Our technicians fully re-calibrate and customize each machine or complete line to your specifications and satisfaction – guaranteed.

All of our machinery comes with a 6-month replacement parts warranty so you can leave Frain with confidence in your investment.

 

 

 

Ace of Machinery

Written on by Frain Blogger

You’ve heard the saying:

“Jack of all trades, master of none.”  Basically, it refers to someone possessing many skills, but mastery of no particular one skill.

The opposite could be said about Frain Industries.  Frain has successfully modified machinery spanning hundreds of packaging and processing categories to meet the needs and timelines of thousands of customers and projects.  The knowledge and skill sets of our engineers and technicians are as diverse as the inventory we hold in over 1.5 MM square feet of inventory.  Click here for a tour.

Regardless of the category we’ll meet your equipment specifications and timeline.

Here are some of recent case studies:

  • Global Confectionary Manufacturer Gets Millions of Incremental Revenue with Speed to Market
  • Luciano Introduces Manufacturers to Used Packaging Solutions
  • As Hurricane Relief Needs Heat Up, Heatermeals Responds with Self-Heating Meals
  • Leading Yogurt Company is Up and Running 75% Faster

Ultimately, our expertise and speed to market capabilities become your ace in the hole.