Improving Packaging Productivity with Shrink It Right & Cryovac® Shrink Film

Case Study: Manufacturer

Overview

Crawford Packaging recently worked with a welding wire manufacturer located in the Greater Toronto Area. The Manufacturer was seeing poor shrink wrap packaging rates and frequent roll changes. They thought this may be the result of the wrong shrink film for their application. The Manufacturer was having difficulty improving productivity working with their shrink film supplier.

A Crawford Packaging Specialist visited the Manufacturer’s facility for a free packaging consultation. The consultation was the first step in Crawford Packaging’s Shrink It Right program. Shrink It Right is a program designed to improve shrink wrapping solutions. This is accomplished through a process of continual improvement and review. Following the consultation, the Packaging Specialist and the Manufacturer trialed a new shrink film on their equipment. The trial showed that Crawford Packaging’s film could help increase their efficiency. The film would help them to increase their production rates and reduce waste.

Challenge

A Manufacturer of welding wire was questioning the performance of their existing shrink film packaging. The Manufacturer was concerned their current film wasn’t suited for their product and their relationship with their supplier was complicating the issue. The Manufacturer was using a 60-gauge shrink film, which resulted in short run times between roll changes.

 

Process

Crawford’s Packaging Specialist visited the Manufacturer’s facility to conduct a free packaging consultation and Shrink It Right audit. During the audit, the Packaging Specialist noted the heavy 60-gauge shrink film being used. The Specialist recommended the Manufacturer trial Cryovac® CT 304 film on their shrink wrapper.

The Packaging Specialist and Crawford Technician returned for a second plant visit to trial the CT 304 shrink film on the Manufacturers shrink wrap equipment with the Manufacturer’s Plant and Operation Managers. The trial demonstrated that the lighter, 55-gauge film was the ideal film for their products. The high-quality film offered impeccable strength and clarity as well as a higher film yield per roll.

Solution:

Shrink It Right

Crawford Packaging’s Shrink It Right program audits and reviews a client’s existing shrink wrap practices, materials, and equipment. By identifying areas of inefficiencies and areas for improvement, the co-packer was able to increase productivity and reduce per-pack costs.

 

Cryovac® CT-304 Shrink Wrap Film

Cryovac® CT-300 series shrink films are based on a patented micro-layering technology platform. This revolutionary shrink film provides the versatility to wrap small lightweight to large heavy products, and everything in between. The extended footage provides efficiencies to the user, and the strength maintains that just-packaged retail appearance. Patented micro-layering technology provides source reduction without compromising performance. Longer rolls translate to the additional environmental benefit of reduced cores, cartons, pallets and logistics, plus the production efficiency through extended up-time and reduced changeovers.

 

Results

This knowledge-based, impactful packaging solution has helped the Manufacturer to increase productivity, improve labour efficiency and reduce waste in their industrial packaging solutoin.

 

Improved Labour Efficiency

The lighter gauge of premium grade Cryovac® film offers the Manufacturer increased runtimes between roll changes. This has helped the Manufacturer to reduce the number of changeovers per shift. Employees now spend more time wrapping and boxing the Manufacturer’s products and less downtime to change out film rolls.

 

Reduced Waste and Consumption

The 55-gauge Cryovac® Shrink Film offers increased strength at a thinner gauge. The thinner gauge reduces the raw materials used per foot on the roll. The increased roll length increases the shrink film yield per roll. Longer rolls also offer additional waste reductions with fewer cores to dispose of per run. The thinner film also needs less heat in the shrinking process which reduces shrink tunnel power consumption.

 

Increased Productivity

The new Cryovac® CT-304 film has helped the Manufacturer to greatly increase their shrink wrap productivity. The increased roll lengths reduce the time between roll changes and increase the running time of the shrink wrapper. This results in less downtime for the Manufacturer and increased levels of product throughput. The lighter film gauge also reduces the wear and tear on the Manufacturers L-Sealer’s cutting system, reducing the time for cutting system maintenance.

 

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