Automating cartoning production lines brings a host of benefits
When processes are out of date and your level of efficiency is not optimal it might be time to consider automation. Not only will this reduce labor costs but it will also speed up production – and in the end it will allow you to offer a superior quality product at a lower cost.
New York-based contract cosmetics manufacturer Mana Products designs, manufactures and supplies cosmetics to some of the biggest names in the industry, including L’Oreal, Clinique, Estee Lauder, Fenty Beauty, and Bobby Brown, on top of manufacturing and selling its own brand globally. By automating production lines, the company has not just reduced labor costs but also streamlined and optimized production processes.
Why automation?
There were a number of reasons Mana Products decided to automate with cartoning machies. One of the biggest reasons was to reduce labor costs: introducing each automated cartoner allowed the company to free up five of their resources and allocate them from the production line to other departments. Increasing the quality of product was also a big reason: through automation, Mana was able to ensure product consistency, something that is tremendously important in the cosmetics industry.
Benefits of automation
Introducing automated cartoners has had a big impact on a number of areas: production lines are more controlled, speed has increased exponentially, and the scrap rate has been significantly reduced.
“When we were working manually the scrap rate was anywhere from 10-12%. By automating, we were able to reduce it down to 2%,” explains Sanjay Kumar, Vice President Engineering, Mana Products. “Material, movement, and products have been flawless because now that we have automated our production line, and we are better able to control the flow. We can now 100% guarantee that things like labels and lot codes are perfectly placed on the carton, and the speed of our cartoning has gone up significantly. With manual cartoning, we could do maybe 20-25 pieces per minute. With automation, we are now able to do about 60 pieces per minute – so, basically a 300% increase, which is great for a healthy bottom line.”
That healthy bottom line applies to both Mana and to their customers. Reducing costs while increasing speed and raising the level of precision means that not only can Mana pass on those savings to customers, they are also able to increase output.
“Our customers are really happy,” says Sanjay Kumar from Mana Products. “With automation we are able to reduce lead times and offer faster delivery. So, basically, we are able to deliver a better, higher quality product faster, which means our customers can serve their customers better. There’s a real knock-on effect that benefits everyone.”