Should You Buy a New Folder-Gluer? Here's the Answer:

Are you considering purchasing a new folder-gluer?

Is it because you're looking for more output?

Or because you're looking to produce a different type of box?

Here’s the truth: Buying a new folder-gluer does not mean more output, faster output, or better productivity.

In fact, many box manufacturers that purchase a new folder-gluer machine do it for the wrong reasons.

Hi! Hani Hallal here from Impack packaging!

For the last 2 years, I’ve spent most of my time immersing myself into the packaging industry, During this time, I had the privilege of speaking with some of the most sophisticated experts in the folding gluing industry. We recently sat down with Mario Persechino, a renowned folding gluing expert with over 40 years of experience in the industry to talk all about the most common folder-gluer problems. 

One of the top asked questions box manufacturers have is: "Does our company need a new folder-gluer?!"

This article will help you decide whether buying a new folder-gluer is right for you or whether you should consider other options.  

Plus, I will walk you through, step-by-step, how to choose the right folder-gluer for your production. 

Do You Really Need a New Folder-Gluer? 

Let’s start with the hard question: Do you even need a new folder-gluer? 

In some cases, buying a new folder-gluer is the solution, and in others, it simply isn’t. 

The first step to answering this question is to identify why do you even need a new folder-gluer in the first place?

Is it because you're looking to increase your output but your folder-gluer has hit its maximum capacity?

Or is it because you're looking to produce a different type of box format?

If your folder-gluer has hit its maximum capacity, then it is important that you dig to the root cause:

👉 What caused your folder-gluer to hit maximum capacity?

👉 And where is the bottleneck taking place?

👉 Is it at the gluing, packing, or feeding stage(s)? 

Once identified, the second step is to collect data on your production and work methods. 

Analyzing this data will give you an accurate picture of where your folder-gluer production is today, where you want to go, and how you will get there. 

Sometimes we see clients that prefer to have a newer folder-gluer over adding a night shift on their gluer because of rising wages, operator job scarcity, or other reasons that are related to productivity and are specific to the client.  

Another common situation where buying a new folder-gluer is the right decision is when a client is looking to produce a different type of box format that cannot be produced on their existing gluer. Here, adding a new folder-gluer is the best fitting solution.

For example, if your existing folder-gluer cannot produce 4-corner boxes but you recently acquired big orders for 4-corners, then you could dedicate your existing folder-gluer for straight-line box production and buy a new folder-gluer for 4-corner boxes.  

The reason this solution is quite common is that a lot of those older folder-gluer machines were so robustly built from heavy metal that won’t break. The electronics might fail, but the hardware is very solid.

Thus, clients are reluctant to get rid of their older gluers, and rightfully so, they use them for more dedicated lines and purchase a newer folder-gluer for more unique box formats. 

🔎 Recommended: If you're still unsure about whether you should buy a new folder-gluer or not, discover here the 5 Most Common Problems that Folder-Gluer Owners Face & the 5 Steps to Deciding and the 5 steps to deciding whether you should buy a new folder-gluer or consider other options. 

So — Is Buying a New Folder-Gluer the Right Choice for You?

Have you made a decision on whether you should buy a new folder-gluer or consider other options?

If you're curious about what folder-gluer models are available on the market, Learn Here About the Different Types of Folder-Gluers currently on the market (Coming Soon).

If you know what type of folder-gluer machine is right for you but you're not sure how to choose, check out this guide on How to Choose the Best Folder-Gluer for Your Company's needs, production, and budget (Coming Soon).

And finally, before you pull the trigger on your new folder-gluer, I strongly recommend you to consider those Top 3 Must-Knows Before Buying a New Folder-Gluer (Coming Soon).