Packaging Challenges in the Cosmetic Industry

Each industry served by Liquid Packaging Solutions presents unique challenges, and the cosmetic industry is no different. Though not every cosmetic product will present the same challenges, there are some recurring themes when working with these items. Below are a few of the many challenges that are offered by manufacturing packging machinery for the cosmetic industry.

SMALL, UNIQUE OR NUMEROUS PACKAGES

The cosmetic industry includes products such as lipstick, perfume and other make up products that are not packaged in a typical container such as a bottle. These containers can be smaller than the average package, unique in shape and one packager may use a wide variety of both size and shape. One of the tricks, then, is to be able to transfer these containers while also keeping them stable. This can be achieved by using a puck to hold containers where the bottom is not flat or the container would not otherwise move smoothly along a power conveyor system. As an alternative, many of these items may be packaged on a monoblock machine, which would use starwheel indexing to move containers to the filling machine, capping machine and other packaging components.

MULTIPLE PRODUCTS, COLORS, FRAGRANCES

Just like the containers, a packager of cosmetics may be working with multiple products, or the same product in various colors and odors. What this can mean for the packager is multiple runs over the course of one production day, switching out products, colors or fragrances. As a packaging machinery manufacturer, our job is to make the cleaning and changeover as simple as possible. For different projects this can mean different things. A multitude of fragrances may call for a peristaltic pump at the filling stage, allowing the packager to easily change out tubing. Other systems may include a clean-in-place (CIP) system to quickly remove residue from the current product and prepare for the next. Again, the actual solution will depend on the unique characteristics of the project at hand.

SPACE LIMITATIONS

We have already touched on the fact that smaller containers are often utilized in the cosmetic industry. As a result, the typical turnkey, inline system may not be the best fit for many in this industry, whether due to space restraints, sustainability concerns or simple desire. Again, monoblock systems often present a beneficial alternative to the inline system. These machines can handle the smaller containers using a starwheel type indexing system. As the containers move around the starwheel, they will be presented to the filling machine, capping machine and other packaging equipment. The monoblock system cuts down on the production floor space required while still achieving the necessary speeds to meet production demand.

These three challenges are often encountered when we build packaging equipment for those in the cosmetic industry. Of course, they are in no way an exhaustive list of the challenges facing a packager or packaging machinery manufacturer. Each packaging project must be analyzed on a case-by-case basis to determine which combination of packaging machinery will present the best solution for the specific project. For questions regarding packaging cosmetic products, or for more information on any of our packaging machinery, contact a Packaging Specialist at LPS today.