Which Water-activated tape dispenser is for me?

Many of you might be wondering the answer to this exact question, the honest answer is – it depends. It depends on a variety of factors, including your budget and your processes. In this post, we will try and unpack whether a manual or electronic tape dispenser is the choice for your business.

Water activated tape (WAT) is fast evolving in the marketplace today with the plastic tax in sight of many consumers. Many consumers are already reaping the benefits of switching from plastic to paper tape, including cost, time, and productivity. So, lets deep dive into the pro’s and cons of both the manual and electric water activated tape dispensers.

Manual Water Activated Tape Dispenser

Our range of manual (WAT) dispensers are ideal for users that may not have access to electricity near their packing station or do not box more than 50 cartons a day. The most basic manual WAT dispenser requires the packer to pull the tape over a wet brush and then manually tear the tape by pulling it against the blade.

Other manual WAT dispensers such as our BP-222 and BP-333 are a little more advanced and assist the packer with the process of wetting the tape and cutting it with the push of a lever. The BP-333 has 15 clearly marked preset tape lengths, allowing the packer to set their desired tape length, and cut all in one.

Pros:

• Lower cost than electric WAT dispensers
• Do not require electricity to function
• Great for packing stations without electricity
• Great for packing stations that require mobility for the machine
• Increase efficiency for the packing and shipping process
• Great for low to mid volume packaging stations
• Require little to no operator training

Cons:

• Does require minimal manual effort by the packer in order to operate

Electronic Water Activated Tape Dispensers

Electronic WAT dispensers remove the manual effort for the packer and increases productivity within the packing station. They are perfect for the packing stations packing >50 cartons per day.

The BP-555 is made for fast-paced shipping and packaging environments. The BP-555 is easy to use and has an inbuilt keypad that indicate preset lengths of tape for packers to simply choose from. On top of that, dispensing the tape is even simpler, with a push a button, tape will immediately dispense to the preset length.

The BP-55 is the only electronic water-activated tape dispenser in the industry to be UL Listed and Approved by the independent safety certification company, Underwriters Laboratory.

Pros:

• Extremely efficient for packing and shipping stations
• Great for high-volume, fast-paced packaging environments
• Durable
• Customizable
• Require very little operator training
• Reduces employee risk

Cons:

• More expensive than manual WAT dispensers
• Requires electricity in order to operate

Which one is the right one for my budget you still may ask? Again, this depends on a wide variety of factors, if your answer is yes to the questions below, an electronic tape dispenser is the one for you, if not, we recommend going with a manual tape dispenser to fulfil your needs.

• Do you have a high-volume carton shipping department?
• Do you have access to electricity near the packing station?

Still unsure which WAT dispenser is the one for you, please call one of our expert team members today, 1300 66 11 61.

Going Green with Packaging Makes Good Business Sense

In 2017, statistics show that 85% of Australians have internet access and this number is increasing. Around 20 million of us have a smartphone. Access to the internet and handheld devices has pushed eCommerce sales to reach $35.56 billion in 2017. Australians are up there in the top 10 of global online shoppers. This is called the Amazon effect.

With this gargantuan rise of eCommerce in the last five to ten years, the world has seen enormous amounts of packaging used to freight online purchases. We see cardboard cartons packed with fillers, polystyrene, plastic doculopes attached to the outside of boxes, bubble wrap, tapes and sealers and plastic bags. It seems like everything we touch is wrapped in plastic. We are drowning in packaging waste.

Is recycling part of the solution?

Cardboard is made from wood pulp, so it is easy to draw a direct line between deforestation and the increase in eCommerce freight. How is the demand for wood pulp going to keep up with this astronomical demand? Recycling is part of the solution but how much packaging is actually recycled and how much natural material, like cardboard, is contaminated with plastic coating? It is estimated that less than 10% is recycled, meaning that most cartons end their life in landfills.

Cardboard isn’t the only culprit in single-use freight packaging. Plastic is also a recyclable commodity but around 90% of plastic is not recycled. Since the first year of commercial production of plastics 8.5 billion tonnes has been produced. Much of it has ended up in landfills, waterways and oceans causing so much harm to marine animals and birds.

eCommerce is not the only cause of packaging waste. Logistics companies use a lot of plastic pallet wrap, plastic and steel strapping, plastic edge protectors and pallets. While pallet wrapping is necessary to protect loads from the elements during shipping, it makes up tonnes of plastic waste. It can be recycled and there are companies around Australia that have recycling programs for this kind of waste.

Brand image and corporate responsibility

Supply chain managers are in a powerful position to make an impact on company packaging processes. It is an opportunity to directly influence and promote sustainability and drive change towards greener practices. Most companies won’t have a choice soon as our Government will be introducing legislation that eliminates virgin packaging and requires the adoption of a more circular recycling economy.

Sustainability, carbon emissions and global warming are concerning more and more consumers. It is a critical time for our environment, and we all have a role to play. Logistics companies who have positive sustainability branding, proactively address plastic reduction and have a carbon footprint strategy are more likely to meet customer expectations. It makes good business sense to take on clean green brand identity and adopt packaging solutions that will impress your customers while reducing waste.

It’s a no brainer that sustainability sells. Being an industry leader in environmental packaging and sustainable business practices will win you customer loyalty and repeat business.

Cost-effective

By reducing the amount of packaging, you use to ship consumer goods saves you money on materials and saves freight costs because it’s lighter and takes up less room on a pallet or in a carton. Reduce your bottom line by choosing the right carton for the job and avoid the need for excessive void fill. If the goods are not fragile, consider freighting in flexible packaging such as biodegradable padded pouches and tough bags.

Greener packaging

There are industrial packaging supplies that are 100% biodegradable like void fillers for cartons made from corn starch, pre-stretched pallet wrap and gummed paper tapes made from natural Kraft paper. Kraft paper is one of the most affordable and sustainable void fillers and there are Kraft paper dispensers that scrunch it up perfectly for the job. Pallet wrap has strength and comes pre-stretched so less is needed than conventional films. Better still it is 100% recyclable.

Recycling

All plastic strapping is recyclable, not just steel strap. Polypropylene and polyester strapping can all be recycled. Cartons sealed with Kraft paper tape are easy to flatten down and recycle as you don’t need to tear off the tape like you do with cellophane or plastic tapes. Polybags used for posting smaller items can be recycled to produce more flexible packaging which creates a circular system.

Industry leaders

There are many companies and industry groups that are announcing greenhouse reduction targets and tackling packaging reduction.

Amazon has a mission to reduce environmental waste and reduce its environmental footprint with its Frustration-Free Packaging Program. Their aim is to provide ‘minimal, protective and functional packaging’ by eliminating clamshell plastic packets and optimising the original package to eliminate the need for additional packaging. The item will ship in its own packaging. They are changing the rules and mandating that packaging must be a rigid six-sided shape, padded bags and rigid envelopes are allowed. Polybags are off the cards, by 2022 Amazon will eliminate them from their supply chain.

Australia Post is leading the way by committing to use 80% recycled plastic in their postage satchels. Their satchels are now 100% recyclable and can be dropped off at a Redcycle collection point at major supermarkets across the country.

Unilever who owns the brands Dove, Ben & Jerry’s, Lipton and Omo is committed to creating a circular economy for its plastic production. By 2025 it will cut its virgin plastic use by half instead, including recycled plastic in its packaging and it will collect and process 600,000 tonnes of plastic annually.

Addressing your company packaging use

There really is no reason not to address packaging issues within your company. Consumers want it, other companies are changing and supplying less impactful solutions. It’s time to catch up if you haven’t developed a sustainable packaging and recycling policy. Reducing packaging waste and using recycled and innovative materials will only improve your bottom line in the long run. When we reduce waste, we inevitably improve efficiencies. That’s got to be good for the bottom dollar.

How many times do you wrap a pallet?

The answer would be in the type of pallet load you are wrapping; how tall your load is and how stable it is. Unstable and heavy loads need to be wrapped securely onto a pallet to keep them intact during transit. Pallet wrap is also used to protect goods from the elements

How many times you wrap a pallet also depends on the pallet wrap you are using and whether you are applying it by hand or machine. For hand and machine stretch wrapping we use pre-stretch film Orbitwrap Save. This is our high-performance ultra-thin wrap film that goes much further than conventional wraps. It comes in rolls of film that has been pre-stretched with high elastic memory that can shrink back on itself and form a tight layer around a pallet load. This is what gives pre-stretched film its unique load stabilising strength and its green credentials as you use far less wrap to get a better wrap result.

If you are hand stretching, the level of stretch you can expect from hand application is between 30 to 40%. Pallet wrapping machines can stretch the film up to 250%!

Steps to a good wrap result

1. Make sure your pallet goods are tightly packed together and the load is stable. Your load should not hang over the edge of your pallet.
2. To begin wrapping a pallet by hand you would start from the base. Pull some film from the roll and twist it into a rope-like shape and thread it through the corner of a pallet or tuck it under a corner of a box on the pallet if you have a boxed load. Tying it to the pallet in a knot is unnecessary and makes for extra work removing it when the pallet is unpacked.
3. The most important function of a wrap is to secure the load to a pallet. Your first revolutions around the load are to make sure you wrap the base of the load onto the pallet with about a three-centimetre overlap. The wrap must tuck under the corners of the pallet to prevent the film from slipping up at this stage.
4. Keep the roll of film taut if you are hand wrapping and stretch the wrap around the corners to get a tight fit. Each revolution around the pallet should have a 50% overlap on the previous film layer.
5. Continue your wrap from bottom to top, wrapping the lower half four to five times before moving to the top half. If the wrap is applied by machine, then twice to three times around the lower half of your load is more than adequate, depending on the weight.
6. When you have completed the wrap at the top of your load apply approximately three centimetres of film over and down the top corners, tear the film and stick the tail to the film wrap.

We recommend using the right tools for the job and rather than bending down and walking around in circles covering pallet after pallet by hand we have a range of hand dispensers that make it easier for smaller operations. Once you find you are wrapping 10 or more pallets a day it would be wise to consider a pallet wrapping machine. This will speed up your processes and avoid employee fatigue and back injury.

The answer to how many times do you wrap a pallet is if you are wrapping by hand it is four to five times, and if you are using a wrapping machine it is three to four times on the bottom and a couple of times on the top half.

Carton sealing options for your freight

When sealing your cartons for shipping there are a few options to consider. Sealing cartons will depend on the type of carton, the product enclosed and the shipping method. The most common sealing methods are plastic pressure-sensitive tapes, water-activated paper tape, staples and glue.

Pressure-sensitive tape

Pressure-sensitive plastic tapes are the most commonly used carton sealing option. These tapes are made from petroleum and are not biodegradable.

Advantages

• Plastic pressure-sensitive tapes are easily applied with a tape gun or dispenser
• They are transparent so company branding and handling instructions on the cartons is visible
• Water activation or solvents are not needed to stick the tape to the carton surface

Disadvantages

• Tampering with the carton is easy compared to other forms of carton sealing
• Tamper evidence is not visible
• Plastic tapes float on the surface of the carton so seals are easily broken or torn
• They are made from non-sustainable resources
• Usually applied with a hand-operated tape gun which can cause repetitive strain injury
• They are not resistant to environmental conditions such as moisture and UV exposure
• Tapes and dispensers are noisy to use
• Careful application is needed or tapes will scrunch and buckle
• Tapes need more than one strip to seal with a risk of excessive amounts of tape wasted and more time is taken to seal

Ideal situations

• Sealing lightweight cartons
• Sealing cartons that will be palletized and protected with pallet wrap
• Cartons containing inexpensive items
• Cartons that don’t contain items that would encourage tampering and theft

Water Activated Tape

Water-activated tape is predominantly made of kraft paper and gum adhesive. These tapes are either brown or white. Some reinforced gummed paper tapes are strengthened with layers of fibreglass. Water-activated tape dispensers apply moisture to the adhesive as the tape is being dispensed.

Advantages

• The water-activated adhesives in gummed paper tape penetrate the fibres of the carton, creating a total bond
• The tape cannot be removed from the carton without leaving traces of damage, unlike pressure-sensitive tapes
• Water-activated tape is made from renewable natural resources such as recycled paper and natural gums
• Recycling cartons is easier as the paper tape does not need to be removed before placing into the waste stream
• The adhesive bonds instantly to cardboard, even if it is low grade, previously used, or not entirely flat
• Requires only one strip per seal. Overlapping strips are unnecessary, saving on tape usage and packing time
• Reduces risk of repetitive strain injury as water-activated tape bench-top dispensers replace the use of heavy handheld tape guns needed to apply plastic pressure-sensitive tapes
• Branding can be printed on the tape
• Dispensers can be electronic, semi-electronic or manual operation
• The dispenser can be set to dispense the right lengths of tape for variable carton sizes

Disadvantages

• Requires a more expensive tape dispenser
• Cannot be used with a tape gun

Ideal situations

• Cartons with heavy contents
• Cartons containing costly items
• Cartons that require tamper-evident sealing
• Variable carton sizes
• Fast-paced carton sealing by hand
• Marketing and branding on cartons

Stapling

Staples are made of metal strips and are a bigger and more robust version of the paper staples you have in the office. Carton stapling is much heavier duty and is used to hold the seals, corner reinforcement and edge boards in place.

Advantages

• Staples are a sturdy sealer
• Staple seals hold up to the rigours of shipping and multiple handling
• They are tamper-evident

Disadvantages

• Stapled cartons are hard to open
• The carton will get damaged when opened
• Potential to cut your hands on a staple while grappling with the seal
• Staples may tear pallet wrapping if cartons are palletized
• Goods contained in the carton need extra lining for protection from staples
• Difficult to separate out the staples so the cardboard can be recycled

Ideal situations

• Cartons containing very heavy goods
• Palletized heavy goods that need to be freighted by truck or rail

Glues

Polypropylene adhesive is the glue used to seal cartons. It will bond with most materials and forms a flexible yet tamper-evident seal.

Advantages

• Is resilient to most environmental factors such as moisture, heat, cold and UV exposure
• Glues are able to be used in a factory setting with high demand machine sealing
• Is tamper-evident

Disadvantages

• Costly machinery is required
• Regular machinery maintenance is required
• Fumes can be harmful and expensive ventilation is required
• Messy and leaking glue can damage goods and packaging

Ideal situation

• Factory situations with fast-paced production lines and uniform sized goods

So far we have looked at some tried and true methods and some innovative carton sealing options that are robust and set to change the way we do carton sealing into the future. Moving more towards sustainable carton sealing is not only good for your company green credentials but also good for the bottom dollar in the long run.

Strapping

Strapping for cartons is often made of polypropylene. Strapping is used to keep cartons intact during transport, especially if the items contained are heavy or the carton is not able to be sealed with tape or staples. Strapping can be applied to cartons with a hand strapping tool or by a speedy automatic strapping machine.

Advantages

• The carton stays securely closed without risk of closing flaps or lid opening
• Reinforces the carton to hold heavy contents
• No damage to products
• Strapping is lightweight with a high holding strength
• Most strapping is recyclable

Disadvantages

• Strapping can be recycled but not in a local recycling facility
• Sealing a carton can take time if done by hand
• Busy production lines need expensive strapping machines to keep up with output

Ideal situations

• When using a strapping machine in a fast-paced factory
• Sealing heavy items in a carton
• In freight situations when goods are loaded and unloaded multiple times

Packline Solutions

Packline has carton sealing solutions suitable for fast-paced carton sealing production lines through to the smaller home business. For more information on our carton sealing range visit our carton sealing product range here.

Extension to the Instant Asset Write-off

The Federal Government has extended its Instant Asset Write-off by 12 months to June 2022. All Australian businesses that have an annual turnover of up to 500 million will be able to take advantage of the scheme.

The threshold value of each eligible business asset was set at $150,000 or less per asset, but new terms announced in the last federal budget remove this threshold amount. With an instant asset write-off, businesses can claim the full depreciation deduction of the asset at tax time in the financial year the asset was purchased. The asset must be first used or installed ready for use before June 30, 2022.

If the asset is used for both business and personal activities, only the business portion of the asset is covered by the scheme.

Second-hand assets also qualify for the deduction.

Take advantage of the scheme with Packline Solutions

The purpose of the instant asset write-off scheme is to encourage businesses to purchase new assets. Spending on improvements to existing assets is also eligible for the deduction.

This is great news for all packaging companies or businesses who are looking to streamline their packaging processes by purchasing or upgrading mailroom assets, pallet wrapping machines, strapping machines and carton sealing machines.

By purchasing new machinery and claiming the instant asset write-off you will reduce your taxable profit, saving money at tax time.

For more information on the instant asset write-off for business, visit the Australian Taxation Office information page here.

To work out if your business is eligible and which of your assets fall under the scheme terms and conditions, you should contact your accountant.

Heat Sealers for the Food Industry

Consumption of takeaway food and premade meals has increased as our lives get busier. The convenience of takeaway and ready-made meals circumvents the labour of a home-cooked meal. COVID-19 has caused an upswing in the consumption of packaged meals and dine in food outlets have added takeaway menus to maintain business. This has caused an increased interest in heat-sealed food preservation.

Conscious consumers are demanding fresh food and are more aware of packaging issues and food miles. There has also been a consumer-driven rise in support for values-based artisan foods, small local producers and direct purchasing from markets. Preservation and presentation of foods direct to the consumer have led to innovations in heat-sealed food packaging, especially with artisan dairy products and free-range meats.

So, what is heat sealing?

When referring to heat sealing for the food industry we are talking about sealing in food-grade thermoplastic bags and trays. There are many types of sealing packs and some include cardboard and paper with an adhesive that won’t contaminate food. Heat sealers can also weld laminated layers of different materials if one layer is thermoplastic. Each mix of materials will require a specific set of heating and cooling times to get that perfect airtight seal.

How do heat sealers work?

Heat sealers work by welding thermoplastic layers together to form an airtight leak-proof sealed bag or food tray. This is to preserve the perishable food and prolong its shelf life. While sealing food can keep it fresher for longer, if it is perishable like dairy, and meat, it will still require refrigeration.

There are two types of heat sealers for the food industry. The impulse heat sealer applies heat in short intervals of one to 10 seconds when the jaws that conduct heat are closed on the plastic bag. To complete the sealing an operator pushes down the jaws to heat and melt the thermoplastic layers together. The element then shuts off and the welded area cools quickly to harden the seal.

The second type of sealer is a continuous heat sealer where the heating bar stays continuously hot. Continuous sealers work best for fast-paced sealing jobs with a large volume of sealing to complete. Rotary band sealers have a motorised conveyor belt that feeds the packaging through the constant heat-sealing jaws at a regular speed to create a consistent quality seal. These machines are good for even quality and sterile sealing.

Styles of heat sealers

There are different styles of heat sealer such as a hand-operated sealer requiring an operator to push down a heated lever on the bag to create a weld. There are foot pedal operated sealers that engage the heating bar. Operating a foot pedal frees up the operator’s hands to accurately position the packaging in the sealing jaws. Some models come with a conveyor belt to keep up a fast-paced production line.

Heat sealing machines come in many sizes and methods of application with single heat sealers capable of sealing a few products per day to larger semi-automatic machines for production lines where output is high.

What sized sealer do you need?

Heat sealers come in a variety of widths. As a rule, choose one that is a minimum of 20mm deep and a maximum of 50mm wider than your sealing area. You should make sure your packaging isn’t wider than your heat clamps, so you get a nice neat and straight seal without air pockets and gaps. Also, think about the volume of sealing you need to do per day and choose a machine that will not overheat.

Textured seals

Some heat sealers imprint a textured seal on the packaging. This is called crimping and is good for strengthening the seal and tamper evidence. Textures can come in a crosshatch, corrugated or honeycomb crimping and is often chosen for a professional and aesthetic look to the packet.

Across the packaging industry heat sealing technology has levelled the playing field so that every producer large and small can present their products safely and with professional quality to their customers.

Packline Solutions

Packline Solutions have a number of heat sealers that will suit your packaging applications. Our range of heat sealers can be found on our product pages here.