How Packaging Equipment Delivers Positive Shelf Impact

Of course every packager of a product wants that product to look good sitting on the shelf next to all of their competition. Much time and money can be spent on a marketing department just to determine how to stand out from the competition. While the package itself is probably the best way to achieve this type of goal, packaging machinery also helps a product to look good when presented to consumers.

For containers and bottles, rinsing machines can help remove dust and debris before product is placed inside. While in most cases any dust and debris would likely not be noticeable, these machines offer a first step in a sanitary process and also help to assure no visible debris remains inside with the liquid. Rinsing machines can also be manufactured to wash the outside of bottles or other containers, removing spots, dust or debris that may accumulate in transportation or storage of the bottle. Clean bottles on the shelf offer one very obvious benefit to shelf impact.

Filling machines introduce product to the now clean bottles in a variety of ways, with some filling by volume using a pump or simply gravity and others filling by the net weight of the liquid or product being packaged. While having the correct volume or weight in each container might not immediately have a positive shelf impact (unless a shopper is carrying a beaker or a scale!), there is one filling machine that greatly impacts the visual representation of the product on the shelf. Overflow fillers, unlike those filling machines mentioned above, fill each container to a specific level, regardless of weight or volume. Among other benefits, this type of liquid filler allows packagers using clear or opaque bottles to ensure each and every container is filled to the same line. When rows of product are lined up on the shelf, the level filled bottles will add aesthetic value while also keeping customers from feeling cheated if they miss the bottle that was slightly higher than all the others on the shelf.

Capping machinery, generally speaking, seals bottles or other containers. While not immediately apparent, positive shelf impact can be garnered from properly sealed containers. Imagine a customer grabbing a bottle and spilling product down the aisle because the cap was loose, or someone buying a product and needing vise grips to get the lid off the container. Knowing a product is properly protected with a cap, neck band, cork or any other seal will make the product more appealing to consumers.

Finally, labeling machines apply labels to products in a variety of shapes, sizes and orientations. Labels allow the packager the ability to speak directly to the consumer, be it through a logo, product information or any other communication. Imagine labels applied to bottles or containers with some off center, some too high, some on the lid and others on the back. Consistently applied labels will generally have a positive impact on the presentation of the product (though in some cases, odd labeling could arguably be a marketing tool!). For those who have tried to consistently hand apply labels, you already know the value of a labeling machine.

Of course, there are hundreds of ways to positively impact shelf appeal, but packagers should keep in mind that the machinery they choose to complete their production runs can also have a positive effect on the way consumers see their product.