Training Packaging Machinery Technicians

Customer service is a big part of manufacturing packaging machinery, and the Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute (PMMI) recently found that less than 50% of end users were satisfied with the number and availability of knowledgeable service technicians. While packaging machinery manufacturers are surely responsible for part of this low level of satisfaction, the technology behind packaging machinery and expectations also serve to keep the number of end users satisfied with service low.

As technology improves, the role of a service technician necessarily changes. While service technicians have historically played the role of a mechanic, expectations now require much more than just these skills. Computers and PLC's play a larger role in packaging machinery today than they ever have before. In addition, customers expect to find a company today to integrate different packaging machinery from a number of manufacturers. These two simple expectations completely redefine "knowledgeable" as used for a service technician.

Imagine a packaging line that consists of a power conveyor system, bottle unscrambler, liquid filling machine, capping machine and a wrap labeler. In almost all cases, there will be multiple machine manufacturers, in some cases a different manufacturer for each individual piece of equipment. When it comes time to install the packaging machinery for the end user, the job will likely fall to a single manufacturer or a company that specializes in the installation of packaging machinery. In other words, there will not be five separate technicians at the installation in most cases, but rather one or two installers from a single company. It logically follows, then, that the technician must understand not only the packaging machinery manufactured by his or her own company, but all of the packaging machinery on the line. In essence, the definition of "knowledgeable" has just expanded by about a factor of five.

A Better Anti Vibration Pad Means a Better Product

Just about any machine, even a very simple machine, is going to suffer from the effects of vibration. Any time that you are working with a machine, you are working with moving parts. Those moving parts are the causes of the vibration, and it can be very difficult to eliminate the vibration in the machine. Of course, if you want to have a better machine, whether you are manufacturing them for sale or you are creating a machine for use in your own factory, eliminating as much of the vibration as possible is essential. Fortunately, you will be able to do that if you have the right anti vibration pad.

Problems with Vibrations in Your Machines

When you have too much vibration passing through the device, it is going to be uncomfortable for people to use. For example, if you are manufacturing a handheld tool, it is going to be difficult to hold onto properly, and this could be dangerous. A washing machine or a dryer, for example is going to be excessively loud because of the vibrations. You need to make sure that you have the right anti vibration pads and mounts in your machines to ensure that they are safe and that they are not as loud.

One of the other big issues that you are going to find when you are creating machines that are without the best anti vibration pads is accelerated wear and tear. The vibrations add more stress to the machine, and this can lead to failure in the machine far more quickly than if you were to have the proper pads and mounts. Customers are not going to be very happy if they buy a device that you manufacture and it only lasts a fraction of the time of your competitor's products.