Articles by John Henry

11. Dispensing Heads Are Key To Correct Label Positioning 10/21/2015

    Most pressure–sensitive (PS) labelers are fairly simple, as packaging machinery goes. All work the same way, pulling a web over a peeler plate to dispense the label. Most of the time, labelers are pretty repeatable.

12. Get A Handle On Labeling 10/6/2015

    In my last column, I started talking about pressure sensitive (PS) labeling. I felt that I needed to say a few words about the labels and wound up spending the entire column on some of the issues to look out for with the labels. We also can't talk about labeling without talking about product handling, so that is this column. I promise, in my next column I will talk about the actual labelers and getting the label onto the product.

13. Horizontal Or Vertical Baggers Form, Fill, And Seal At Speed 9/1/2015

    Form/Fill/Seal (FFS) is a bit of a vague term. I first heard it back in the 1980s when working with a system that molded a plastic bottle, filled it with liquid, and then sealed it closed. These days, I mostly hear it used to describe horizontal and vertical bagging machines, and that's how I'll use it here. Horizontal FFS machines are often called “flow wrappers.”

14. Good Alignment And Torque
    Are Key To Capping Success 8/18/2015

    Capping a bottle isn't difficult, we do it every day. Capping hundreds of bottles each minute, without scuffing, over or under tightening or misalignment isn't that hard — provided that the cap, bottle, and machine are properly matched.

15. Filling Machine Options Are Based On Volume Or Fill Level 7/30/2015

    Some people go off on liquid filling adventures without getting all the answers first. One reason this happens is because they may not know the right questions beyond, "How fast does it go?" It may be true that speed is a question of money, but if you don't get the right filler for your needs, it won't matter how much money you spend. You won't go anywhere.

16. Robots Serve Expanding Role In Food Operations 7/16/2015

    Feed the machine or let the machine feed us? If we're talking the food industry’s robots, it's likely to be the latter. Robots are becoming so common today, from vacuum cleaners to automated yogurt kiosks and beyond, that we hardly notice them anymore.

17. Choose Automated Case Packing To Match Product Needs 7/6/2015

    It's easy for a magician to pull a rabbit out of a hat. The hard part is getting it in there to begin with. Likewise, your shipping cases. How do you place your product into the case?

18. Knowing Changeover Costs: First Step To Gaining Control 6/18/2015

    How much are you willing to pay to reduce changeover time by 30 minutes? If you don't know how much those 30 minutes cost, it is hard to give a meaningful response. If you don't know your changeover costs, you aren't alone.

19. SMED Unleashes The Power Of Lean Manufacturing 6/2/2015

    I first heard the word SMED at a dinner with a former boss. He had just purchased a failed company and told me that SMED was his secret weapon to turn that business around. Twenty two years later, my boss sold the company for several billion dollars.

20. How To Distinguish Between Price And Costs In Equipment Decisions 5/13/2015

    Food manufacturing is notorious for low margins. Manufacturers must do everything possible to reduce their processing and packaging costs. Because of this, it is natural to see machinery purchases as an opportunity to avoid some costs.