Case Studies | Star Packaging Machinery

Pet Food · Bag Line

Pet food producer recovers $63,000/yr in giveaway

Challenge

A regional pet food producer was overfilling 40 lb bags by an average of 38 grams to avoid underweight rejects, and hand-checking weights twice a shift.

Solution

An Ishida DACS checkweigher with live feedback to the filler, followed by an EDL continuous-motion wrapper for retail multipacks.

Results

Average overfill cut from 38 g to 9 g within two weeks
$63,000 annualized product savings — 14-month payback on the checkweigher
100% weight verification records for their largest retail customer's audit

“The checkweigher paid for itself before we finished training everyone on it. The audit binder went from a weekend project to a print button.”— Plant Manager, pet food producer — Kansas

Food & Beverage · Bottle Line

Salsa maker ends false-reject headaches on a wet, salty product

Challenge

A Texas salsa manufacturer's aging metal detector false-rejected up to 40 jars per shift on their high-salt product, sending good product to rework and eroding operator trust in the reject system.

Solution

A CEIA MS21 multi-spectrum metal detector, demonstrated first on their actual product in our demo lab.

Results

False rejects effectively eliminated — under two per shift
Sensitivity improved on stainless test spheres versus the old unit
Passed a major retailer's unannounced food-safety audit the following quarter

“We watched it run our hottest salsa in the demo lab before we signed anything. That's why we bought from Star.”— QA Director, food manufacturer — South Texas

Paint & Coatings · Pail Line

Coatings plant automates a 5-gallon pail line, redeploys 3 operators

Challenge

A coatings manufacturer filled 5-gallon pails on a 30-year-old semi-automatic filler with three operators denesting, lidding, and crimping by hand.

Solution

An Ideal Pase automatic pail line: dual-stack denester, 2-head net-weight filler, automatic lid placer, and crimping station — integrated with new DTM conveyors.

Results

Line speed up 2.4× with one operator instead of three
Net-weight accuracy holding ±0.5% on every pail
Two operators redeployed to a new second line instead of new hires

“Same building, same people, more than double the output. The integration was the part we couldn't have done ourselves.”— Operations Manager, coatings manufacturer — Missouri

Results From Real Lines

Pet food producer recovers $63,000/yr in giveaway

Challenge

Solution

Results

Salsa maker ends false-reject headaches on a wet, salty product

Challenge

Solution

Results

Coatings plant automates a 5-gallon pail line, redeploys 3 operators

Challenge

Solution

Results

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