Case Packing Machine — FAQ

Most factories start looking at case packers when they're packing more than 15–20 cases per minute by hand, or running multiple shifts with 3–5 workers just doing case erecting, loading, and sealing.

Here's the math: 4 workers × $15/hr × 8hr = $480/day in labor. A mid-range automatic case packer running at 20 cases/minute does 800 cases in under 45 minutes with 1 operator. ROI: 12–18 months on labor savings alone.

The trigger most people miss: if your warehouse is rejecting shipments because cases are bulging, collapsing, or packed inconsistently, you've already crossed the threshold. Retailers charge back for damaged cases — and those fees add up fast.

Type	Best For	Speed	Price Range
Top-load	Bottles, cans, jars, cartons, tubs	15–60/min	$30,000–$100,000
Side-load	Pouches, bags, flat cartons, blister packs	15–30/min	$30,000–$100,000
Wrap-around	Cans, bottles, cartons in high-volume runs	30–60+/min	$50,000–$150,000
Robotic	Mixed formats, fragile items, heavy products	10–25/min	$80,000–$250,000+

The gotcha: don't choose based on speed alone. A top-loader sounds fast, but if your product is flexible pouches that tumble when dropped, you'll get 60% of rated speed and constant jams. Match the machine type to your product's shape and stability first, then worry about speed.

Case packer: Packs product into heavy corrugated cases (RSC — Regular Slotted Container) for shipping and distribution. Think: 12 cans of soda in a cardboard case. The corrugated board is 3–7mm thick, and the case goes on a pallet.

Cartoner: Packs product into lighter paperboard cartons for retail display. Think: a cereal box, a toothpaste box. The board is 0.3–1mm thick, and the consumer sees this packaging on the shelf.

If you're putting already-packaged products (pouches, bottles, cartons) into shipping cases, you need a case packer. If you're putting loose product into retail boxes, you need a cartoner. Some factories need both — product goes into a cartoner first, then cartons go into a case packer.

Cost Item	Typical Range	Notes
Machine	$10,000–$250,000+	Semi-auto to robotic
Shipping & installation	$3,000–$15,000	Freight, rigging, commissioning 2–4 days
Conveyor integration	$5,000–$20,000	Connecting to upstream line — often overlooked
Compressed air system	$2,000–$5,000	Case packers use significant air for erecting and sealing
Tape or glue system	$1,000–$3,000	Ongoing consumable cost
Corrugated blanks/cases	$0.30–$1.50/case	Your biggest ongoing cost
Spare parts kit	$1,000–$3,000	Vacuum cups, tape heads, belts, sensors
Annual maintenance	$2,000–$5,000	Wear parts, calibration, service visits

The cost nobody warns you about: conveyor integration. Your case packer needs to receive product from upstream and discharge sealed cases to a palletizer or hand-packing station. That conveyor work alone can run $5,000–$20,000 if your line layout isn't straightforward.

1. Your product — what's going inside the case? (bottles, cans, pouches, cartons, bags) Send a photo.
2. Product dimensions and weight — each individual unit and the total packed case weight
3. Pack pattern — how many units per case? (2x3, 3x4, 4x6, etc.)
4. Case style and dimensions — RSC, half-slotted, display case? Inside dimensions (L x W x H)
5. Desired speed — cases per minute. If unsure, tell us your daily production and shift hours.
6. Sealing method — tape, hot melt glue, or both?
7. Your current line — what equipment is upstream and downstream? Integration matters.
8. Floor space — how much room do you have?

A 30-minute call with this information saves weeks of email ping-pong.

Technically yes, but it's a compromise. Each product type has different collation, loading, and stabilization requirements:

• Bottles/cans need tier sheets or partition inserts between layers and gentle handling to prevent tipping
• Pouches/bags need side-loading or careful top-loading with compression to prevent bulging
• Cartons are the easiest — they're rigid, stack well, and work with almost any case packer type

If you're running all three on one machine, you'll likely need a robotic case packer ($80,000–$250,000+) that can be reprogrammed for different pick-and-place routines.

The practical answer: most factories run one case packer per product category. It's more capital upfront but dramatically less downtime and changeover headache.

That "up to" number is a theoretical maximum. In real production, expect to run at 60–80% of rated speed. Here's what eats into your speed:

• Product collation: Gathering 24 cans into a 4x6 pattern takes time. Unstable products collate slower.
• Case erecting: Warped or off-spec blanks cause the erecting station to hesitate — 2–3 seconds per bad blank.
• Sealing method: Hot melt glue adds 1–2 seconds of set time. Tape is faster but less secure for heavy cases.
• Operator intervention: Loading blanks, clearing jams, topping up glue pot.

Realistic field speeds:

• Top-load with stable cartons, 12-pack: 20–40/min (rated 30–50)
• Side-load with pouches, 24-pack: 12–22/min (rated 20–30)
• Wrap-around with cans, 24-pack: 30–50/min (rated 40–60+)
• Robotic with mixed products: 8–18/min (rated 15–25)

Always ask for a test run with YOUR product and YOUR cases.

Most Lintyco case packers handle:

Length: 150–600mm  |  Width: 100–400mm  |  Height: 50–350mm

But "handles" and "handles well" are different things. A machine set up for 400x300x250mm cases will run beautifully at that size. Switch to 150x100x80mm and you'll likely need mechanical adjustments — not just HMI settings.

The sizing mistake we see most often: buying a machine rated for 150–600mm because you "might" need the range, when 90% of your production is one case size. You'd get better reliability buying a machine optimized for your primary case.

For multiple case sizes: top-loaders and side-loaders handle format changes reasonably well (15–30 minute changeover). Wrap-around machines are less flexible — each format change requires new blank guides and fold mechanisms.

Method	Pros	Cons	Best For
Hot melt glue	Strong seal, tamper-evident, works on varied board	15–20 min startup, nozzles clog, ~$0.02–0.05/case	Heavy cases, food/beverage, high-speed lines
Tape	Fast, no warm-up, clean look, easy to open	Peels in humidity/cold, less secure for heavy cases	Light-to-medium cases, non-food, ambient storage
Glue + tape	Maximum security — glue bottom, tape top	Two consumable systems, higher machine cost	High-value products, export, heavy cases

Our recommendation: hot melt glue if you're packing anything over 10kg or shipping to humid/cold environments. Tape is fine for lighter consumer goods in controlled logistics.

Glue system gotcha: hot melt adhesive has a shelf life (12–18 months). Old glue darkens and gums up nozzles. Buy in quantities you'll use within 6 months.

Common pack patterns include:

• Straight/Grid (e.g., 2x3, 3x4, 4x6) — Products aligned in rows. The simplest and most common pattern. Good for cartons, trays, stable products.
• Nested/Staggered — Products offset like bricks in a wall. Saves space and adds stability. Common for round containers (cans, bottles, jars).
• Column — Products stacked directly on top of each other. Used for tall, stable products in tall cases.
• Mixed/Assortment — Different products or sizes in one case. Requires a robotic case packer or flexible conventional machine with multi-lane infeed.

Can you run multiple patterns? Yes. Most conventional case packers can switch between 2–4 pre-programmed patterns through the HMI. For frequent pattern changes (more than 2–3 per shift), make sure the machine has servo-driven collation — pneumatic systems are slower and less precise for pattern changes.

1. Enter case dimensions on the HMI touchscreen (1 minute) — length, width, height, flap style
2. Select pack pattern — how many products per layer, how many layers (1 minute)
3. Adjust mechanical change parts — servo-adjusted machines: HMI drives all adjustments automatically (5–10 min). Manual-adjust machines: operator turns hand cranks and moves guide rails (15–30 min).
4. Load new case blanks into the magazine (2–3 min)
5. Run 5–10 test cases and verify pack pattern, case erection, and seal quality (5 min)

Total changeover: 15–30 minutes (servo), 30–45 minutes (manual-adjust).

Pro tip: the first time you set up a new case size, budget an hour. By the third or fourth changeover, operators hit target time. Keep a log of settings for each case size.

1. Collation timing is off
Lane dividers and pusher bars are timed to your line speed. If upstream speed varies, products arrive bunched up or spread out and the pattern falls apart. Fix: use an accumulation table or buffer conveyor upstream to deliver products at a steady rate.

2. Guide rails are set wrong
Even a few millimeters of slack lets products drift out of position. Check rail spacing with a caliper — it should be product width + 2–3mm, not "close enough."

3. Recipe not loaded correctly
A "4x6" entered as "6x4" means 24 products in the wrong arrangement. Lock the HMI to recipe-only mode and train operators to NEVER manually edit pattern parameters.

4. Product size variation
If upstream produces units with more than 2–3mm size variation, the pack pattern won't hold. This is an upstream quality issue, not a case packer problem.

• Single magazine: You have to pause the machine to reload. Magazine holds 100–200 blanks, giving 15–30 minutes of run time between reloads. Standard on entry-level and mid-range machines.
• Dual magazine with auto-switch: When one empties, the machine auto-switches to the other while you reload the first. Adds $3,000–$5,000 but eliminates reload downtime.
• Blank hopper with auto-feed: A large hopper holds 500+ blanks with automatic feeding. Common on high-speed lines.

For most mid-volume operations: a single magazine is fine if your operator loads blanks during normal production. The trick is to reload at 20% remaining, not when completely empty — running dry means the machine stops, and restarting takes 2–3 minutes of test cases.

• Merging conveyor: Two or more infeed lines merge into a single lane before collation. Works if products are the same type and lines run at compatible speeds.
• Accumulation table: A rotary or inline table buffers products from multiple lines, releasing them in a controlled sequence. Essential if upstream speeds vary.
• Dual-lane infeed: Some case packers accept two product lanes simultaneously, collating them side-by-side. Good for two-flavor or two-product case assortments.

The gotcha: merging lines from different product types into one case packer only works if the collation system can handle the mixed format. If you're running Product A from Line 1 and Product B from Line 2 into the same case, you need a robotic case packer or a conventional machine with a specialized multi-lane collation system.

If you're stacking bottles or jars in multiple layers, you need tier sheets between layers to prevent damage:

• Manual insertion: Operator places pads by hand between layers. Works but slows you down. Common on lines running under 15 cases/min.
• Semi-automatic pad dispenser: A magazine-loaded dispenser drops a pad at the right moment. Adds $3,000–$7,000. Works reliably for single pad per layer.
• Integrated partition inserter: For glass bottles or fragile products needing individual cell dividers. Adds $15,000–$30,000+ and requires precise coordination.

Our advice: if you're packing less than 3 layers, manual pad insertion is fine. If you're running high-speed multi-layer (breweries, sauce bottlers), invest in the automatic pad dispenser — the labor savings and consistency are worth it.

When	What	Time
Every shift	Inspect tape head or glue nozzles. Clean blank magazine dust. Check case discharge alignment.	10 min
Weekly	Lubricate linear guides and chains. Check vacuum cup condition. Inspect pneumatic lines for leaks.	30 min
Monthly	Calibrate case dimensions and pack pattern timing. Check belt tensions. Clean sensors. Full fold mechanism inspection.	1–2 hr
Quarterly	Replace vacuum cups (even if they look OK). Inspect drive chains and sprockets. Check glue pot for char buildup.	2–3 hr
Annually	Full mechanical inspection: bearings, bushings, servos. Replace worn guide rails. PLC battery check.	Half day

What breaks first: vacuum suction cups (case erection), tape heads (jamming/tearing), and glue nozzles (clogging). These three items account for about 70% of all case packer downtime. Keep spares on hand and replace on schedule — don't wait for them to fail.

Daily:

• Remove tape dust and adhesive residue from wiping blade and tension roller. Use the manufacturer's recommended cleaning solvent — not generic solvents that degrade rubber rollers.
• Check that the tape cuts cleanly after each case. A dull blade leaves a "stringy" cut that tangles on the next cycle.

Weekly:

• Inspect the wiping blade edge — if rounded or chipped, replace it. A $5 blade prevents hundreds of dollars in tape waste and downtime.
• Check tape tension. Too loose = doesn't adhere. Too tight = tape snaps or wrinkles.

Monthly:

• Remove the tape head assembly and deep-clean all rollers and moving parts.
• Check spring tension on wiping fingers — they should press firmly against the case flap with even pressure.

Tape quality matters: cheap tape with inconsistent adhesive or uneven thickness is the #1 cause of tape head jams. Spend an extra $0.005/roll on quality tape and you'll save hours of downtime.

Daily:

• Inspect nozzle tips for char or residue buildup. Wipe with a clean cloth while warm (wear heat-resistant gloves — glue is 160–180°C).
• Check glue level in the pot. Running dry scorches remaining adhesive and creates char that clogs everything downstream.

Weekly:

• Purge the glue system — run adhesive through all nozzles with no cases passing to flush buildup.
• Check hose connections for leaks. Hot melt under pressure finds any weak fitting.

Monthly:

• Remove nozzle tips and soak in cleaning solvent. Use the wire probe (supplied with the machine) to clear the internal channel.
• Inspect the glue tank for char accumulation. If adhesive is dark brown or black at the bottom, drain, clean, and refill with fresh adhesive.

Glue selection tip: match the adhesive to your board and environment. For cold storage applications (beer, frozen food), use a low-temperature adhesive formula — standard glue turns brittle below 5°C and cases pop open.

Replace when:

• You see 2–3 failed erections per shift (blank doesn't open properly)
• Cup edges are cracked, rolled, or hardened
• Cup has lost its concave shape and sits flat
• It's been 3 months of regular use (replace on calendar, not just on failure)

Material options:

• Nitrile rubber (standard): good for most corrugated. Replace every 2–3 months. Cost: $2–5 each.
• Silicone: better for dusty or textured corrugated. Lasts 4–6 months. Cost: $5–10 each.
• Polyurethane: longest lasting (6–12 months), best grip on dusty surfaces. Cost: $8–15 each.

The false economy: buying the cheapest nitrile cups and replacing monthly seems cheaper than polyurethane at 3x the price. But every time a cup fails mid-production, you lose 10–15 minutes of downtime. The $5 difference per cup is nothing compared to 15 minutes of stopped production. Buy the good ones.

Part	Quantity	Cost
Vacuum suction cups	1 full set (6–12 cups)	$30–$80
Tape head wiping blades	5	$5 each
Tape head cutters	3	$10 each
Glue nozzle tips	4	$15–$25 each
Drive belts	2	$30–$80 each
Solenoid valves	2	$30–$80 each
Photoelectric sensors	2	$40–$100 each
Pneumatic fittings and tubing	Assorted	$50 total
Guide rail mounting hardware	Assorted	$30 total
HMI fuses	5	$2 each

Total kit cost: $500–$2,000. Covers 90%+ of issues that cause unplanned stops. Lintyco ships spare parts from our warehouse within 24 hours via DHL Express.

1. Vacuum cup issues (check first)
Are the cups clean? Dust from corrugated blanks coats cups and kills grip. Are cups the right size? Too small = not enough grip; too large = can't form a seal. Is the vacuum pump holding pressure? Check gauge — should read -60 to -80 kPa during operation.

2. Blank quality
Corrugated blanks that are warped, damp, or stored poorly won't erect reliably. Check blank scoring — weak scoring = flaps don't fold cleanly; over-scored = blanks tear at the crease.

3. Mechanical timing
The erection sequence must unfold in order: vacuum grabs blank → pulls open → major flaps fold → minor flaps fold → case moves to loading station. If any step is early or late, the case crushes. Check timing settings in the PLC.

4. Magazine loading
Are blanks stacked correctly? All facing the same direction, no bent blanks mixed in. One bad blank in the stack can jam the entire feed.

1. Collation timing — the most common cause. Products need to arrive at the collation station evenly spaced. If they're bunched up or gapped, lane dividers catch them wrong. Check upstream conveyor speed and synchronization with the case packer.

2. Pusher bar position — the mechanical pusher that sweeps collated product into the case needs to be aligned with the case opening. Even 5mm of offset means products jam against the case wall. Adjust with a machinist's square, not by eyeballing it.

3. Case size vs. pattern — are you trying to fit a 4x6 pattern of products into a case sized for 3x5? Calculate: (product width x count across) + tolerance gap must be less than case inside width. Same for length and layers.

4. Upstream product variation — if your cartoner or filler produces units that vary by more than 2–3mm, the pack pattern drifts. This is an upstream quality problem, not a case packer problem.

1. Case flap alignment
If minor flaps aren't fully folded before tape applies, the tape bridges the gap and wrinkles. Check the flap-folding mechanism — minor flaps must be flat and overlapping before the tape head contacts the case.

2. Wiping blade pressure
The blade that presses tape onto the case must apply even pressure across the full width. If one side presses harder, you get wrinkles on the other side. Adjust blade angle and spring tension.

3. Tape tension
Too much tension = tape stretches and snaps back (wrinkles). Too little = tape sags and doesn't adhere. Most tape heads have a tension adjustment knob — set it once for your tape type and leave it alone.

4. Corrugated surface
Dusty or coated corrugated doesn't take tape well. If your case supplier uses heavy wax coating or blanks are dusty from storage, tape adhesion drops. Wipe the sealing surface with a dry cloth, or switch to glue.

1. Glue temperature too low
Adhesive needs to be 160–180°C at the nozzle. Check the glue pot thermostat — if it reads correct but glue at the nozzle is cooler, you have a hose heating element failure. The hose must maintain temperature from pot to nozzle.

2. Open time exceeded
Hot melt glue has a 2–5 second "open time" — the window where it's still tacky enough to bond. If time between glue application and flap compression is too long, the glue skins over. Check timing between glue gun firing and flap compression station.

3. Not enough glue
Nozzle clogging reduces glue volume. Also check the glue pressure setting — if too low, adhesive doesn't penetrate the corrugated surface.

4. Flap compression too brief
After glue application, flaps need to be held together under pressure for 1–3 seconds. If the compression station releases too early, the bond doesn't set. Adjust compression dwell time in the PLC.

1. Product-to-case size mismatch
Measure the collated product cluster (with tolerance gaps) and compare to case inside dimensions. You need at least 5mm clearance on each side. Zero clearance = guaranteed jams.

2. Loading speed too fast
Pushing products into the case too aggressively causes them to tilt, tip, or snag on flaps. Reduce pusher speed by 10–15% and see if jams stop. A jam-free run at 18 cases/min beats 22 cases/min with three jams per hour.

3. Case erection incomplete
If the case isn't fully open when product enters, the leading edge hits a partially-folded flap. Check that the erected case is square and fully open at the loading station.

4. Product orientation
Tall bottles or unstable products need to be oriented correctly before entering the case. A bottle that's slightly tilted at the collation station will be badly tilted by the time it reaches the case — and it jams. Add an orientation guide upstream if needed.

1. Magazine too full or too empty
Overloading compresses blanks and they stick together (friction + static). Under-loading means top blanks aren't held firmly enough for vacuum to pick a single sheet. Keep the magazine at 40–80% capacity.

2. Static electricity
In dry conditions, corrugated blanks develop static charge and cling together. The vacuum picks up two or three blanks at once. Install an anti-static bar on the magazine ($100–$200) or increase ambient humidity.

3. Blank separator worn or missing
Most magazines have a mechanical separator (rubber wheel or air jet) that separates the top blank from the stack. If worn or misadjusted, the vacuum pulls multiple blanks. Inspect and adjust the separator gap to just slightly more than one blank thickness.

4. Corrugated blank quality
Blanks with ragged edges, inconsistent scoring, or surface contamination don't feed reliably. Hold your blank supplier to consistent quality. If cutting blanks in-house, make sure the die-cut tooling is sharp and aligned.

Category	Price Range	Speed	Best For
Semi-automatic erector/sealer	$10,000–$25,000	5–10/min (manual load)	Low volume, tight budget
Automatic top-load	$30,000–$100,000	15–40/min	Bottles, cans, jars, cartons, tubs
Automatic side-load	$30,000–$100,000	15–30/min	Pouches, bags, flat cartons
Wrap-around	$50,000–$150,000	30–60+/min	High-volume single-format
Robotic	$80,000–$250,000+	10–25/min	Mixed formats, fragile, heavy
High-speed integrated	$300,000+	60–100+/min	Large-scale full line integration

Price drivers: servo vs. pneumatic actuators (servo adds 20–30%), format flexibility, integrated vs. standalone, brand of controls (Omron, Siemens, SMC vs. generic), glue system vs. tape system (glue adds $5,000–$10,000), certifications.

Scenario: 4 workers hand-packing 600 cases/shift, 2 shifts/day

Factor	Manual	Automatic Case Packer
Labor	8 workers × $15/hr × 16hr = $1,920/day	2 operators × $15/hr × 16hr = $480/day
Product damage	~3% from inconsistent packing	<0.5%
Tape/glue waste	~5% from operator error	<1%
Throughput	600 cases/shift (max)	800+ cases/shift
Daily labor savings	—	$1,440/day

Machine investment: ~$60,000 (mid-range automatic). ROI: 6–8 weeks (labor savings alone). Even conservatively ($800–$1,000/day combined savings), most operations reach ROI within 3–6 months.

The hidden ROI: automated case packing produces consistent, square, properly sealed cases that stack on pallets without leaning. This reduces warehouse damage, improves truck container utilization, and eliminates chargebacks from retailers for damaged shipping cases.

Semi-automatic case packers (case erector + sealer where operator manually loads product) cost $10,000–$25,000.

Go semi-auto if:

• Your volume is under 500 cases per shift
• You pack multiple product types with very different pack patterns
• You want to automate gradually — start with erector/sealer, add automatic loading later
• Your budget is under $30,000

Go fully automatic if:

• Your volume is over 500 cases per shift
• You're running 2+ shifts — labor savings compound fast
• Your product is uniform enough for automatic collation
• You need consistent pack quality (food, pharma, export)

The semi-auto trap: some buyers go semi-auto to save money, then discover they still need 2 operators. The labor savings are half what they expected. If you're running enough volume to justify any case packing machine, do the math on full auto — the payback difference is often just 2–3 months.

Standard warranty (1 year) covers:
Manufacturing defects, electrical component failure under normal use (PLC, servo drives, HMI, sensors), structural defects (frame welds, bearing housings).

Usually NOT covered:
Wear parts (vacuum cups, tape head blades, glue nozzles, belts, seals), damage from improper operation, damage from poor maintenance, consumables (tape, glue, corrugated blanks), damage from using non-spec blanks.

Questions to ask:

1. Does warranty include remote support or only hardware replacement?
2. Who pays shipping for warranty parts?
3. Can I extend to 2 years, and what does that cost?
4. What's the response time guarantee for production-stopped situations?

Included with purchase:

• Installation and commissioning (2–4 days on-site)
• Operator training (2–3 days)
• English documentation with photos and step-by-step procedures
• Video tutorials for all maintenance tasks
• 1-year warranty on manufacturing defects

Technical support when you need it:
Most problems can be resolved remotely via video call — we walk your operator through the fix in real time. For issues requiring an onsite visit, we schedule a certified technician as quickly as possible.

• Phone/WhatsApp: +86 138 6882 7095
• Email: info@lintyco.com
• Remote video diagnosis: schedule a call, point your camera at the machine

Preventive maintenance packages: three levels tailored to your operation size. Includes onsite inspections and wear parts reports. Learn more

Genuine spare parts: German and Japanese materials, ship within 24 hours. Browse parts