Box-on-demand packaging machines use a corrugated material generally known as fanfold. The use of this material has two key benefits over a fixed-sheet-based raw material. No waste is created in the feed direction of the material, and any activity targeted on the feeding side of the equipment is minimized.
Fanfold is accessible in multiple grades and widths, including military specifications, and can be customized with print. Fanfold is an environmentally friendly packaging solution that reduces waste material by eliminating the need to hold redundant stock. It can also decrease inventory costs by changing multiple box sizes with one solution.
1. What is the fanfold machine?
The machine is accessible to use a of highest six different fanfold sheets to produce corrugated boxes, with multiple functions creasing, scoring, slotting, trimming, and slitting, all processing in one compact machine.
The smart filling and eco-friendly solution helps to recycle and leaves recycled fibers that can be used.
Kraft paper rolls are mechanically cut, punched, folded, and piled into piles for collection. The Fanfold kraft paper has below features:
· Cushions for both heavy and light items
· Sustainable substitute to plastic cushions
· Should be sold per pack
The finished paper is in the folding to be fed to the wrapping/packaging machine, and forms a unique type of paper cushion or paper sheet, these final products are largely used in the e-commerce packaging industry.
2. How does the fanfold machine work?
A fanfold paper folding machine is a completely automatic and clever paper-making machine. By feeding kraft paper rolls into the system, the paper is loaded in an S-shaped way, and the paper can be folded into Z fold according to the present mode via the internal cutter and folding device.
Kraft paper is largely used in the packaging industry. Z-fold paper is generally used in intelligent paper cushion machines, such as Storopack/RanPak and other brand paper void-filling machines.
3. Advantages of fanfold machine
Here are some of the key advantages of a fan fold machine:
1) Cost savings
One of the key advantages of fanfold is cost savings. It is a very efficient way of packaging products because less material and less area is required to make, transport, and store the boxes. This can make a big difference to firms that ship big volumes of products.
2) Different styles
Another benefit of fanfold machine cardboard is that it can be simply adapted to different product shapes and sizes. The zigzag pattern can be adapted to the shape and size of the product, making it a very versatile packaging technique. This also makes it easier to ship and pack, as the boxes are neither too big nor too little for the product they have.
3) Eco-friendly solution
The fanfold machine packaging is a green solution for your business. Every business should focus on decreasing waste, for their own cost-efficiency as well as helping to lessen the impact on the atmosphere. If you are looking for an eco-friendly solution for your packaging needs, then a fanfold machine, coupled with a Box on Demand machine, is a remarkable way for your company to go green.
4) Safe Transit
Corrugated cardboard provides the best level of protection for goods while they are in transit. By using a fanfold packaging machine, you have a supply of cardboard that you can score to size to make sure every product is well protected. With the fanfold machine, you reduce the need for extra filling materials, so saving on cost, but you still provide a remarkable level of protection. Additionally, fanfold machine packaging can be customized for your bespoke needs.
5) Simplified administration
With only one item for your packaging needs, you quickly simplify the administration process for your packaging department. Fanfold packaging means you just have one product to stock take and only one product to order. If you pick a bespoke fanfold packaging machine, you also streamline the full packaging process, making it much easier to parcel goods and get them into transit.
4. How to properly maintain the Fanfold machine
1) Maintenance and persistence
Set up a regular maintenance and cleaning schedule to improve machine performance and lifespan.
2) Daily cleaning and inspection
Use a clean soft cloth to clean the paper scraps and dust on the surface of the machine and pay special focus to cleaning the paper channel and folding area inside the machine to stop accumulated paper scraps from affecting the folding accuracy.
3) Regular check
Regularly check the wear of mechanical parts such as belts and bearings of the machine, including gear cutting and chain parts, and change severely worn parts according to the condition.
Additionally, it is necessary to check the control operation panels and sensors to make sure that the detection function and operation setting function are general, as well as routine safety inspections such as cables and wires.
4) Internal inspection of the machine
Perform preventive maintenance according to the cycle use, including changing filters, checking the hydraulic system, and cleaning important components. If you don’t know how to perform it yourself, you can invite local experts to repair it to ensure the general use of the machine.
5) Ensure consistency and accuracy
Regularly calibrate the position and force of the product folding according to the usage to ensure the accuracy of the folding, and adjust the pressure value and speed according to the thickness of the kraft paper to avoid excessive wear.
6) Emergency plan
The machine is equipped with an emergency stop key to ensure the safety of the operation in an emergency and to make sure the inventory of some general area parts stops any possible failure.
7) Tracking plan
Set the tracking and implementation of the maintenance plan, including the spare parts replacements and degree of maintenance, cleaning, and any maintenance activities of the machine, and keep them on file.
8) Employee training
Give professional operation maintenance and training to employees regularly to make sure they are familiar with the procedures and safety features of the machine.
5. Troubleshooting issues of the fanfold machine
Fanfold machines can experience many problems that impact production efficiency and product standards. Troubleshooting these problems promptly is important to make uninterrupted operation and maintain the desired output. In this section, we will provide you guide to troubleshooting general issues with fanfold machines, helping operators and maintenance professionals identify and resolve these issues successfully.
1) Paper breakage
Cause: misaligned or worn-out cutting knives, improper paper tension, or uneven drying.
Solution: Check cutting knives for wear or misalignment and change if necessary. Adjust the paper tension to make sure it is neither too loose nor too tight. Check the drying system for any uneven airflow or heating, and make the right ventilation to stop moisture buildup.
2) Roll defects
Cause: Bad roll winding tension, worn-out roll covers, or imperfections in the cardboard sheet
Solution: Adjust the roll winding tension to stop creases or wrinkles. Check the cardboard sheet for any defects, such as tears or holes. Change worn-out roll covers to maintain a perfect winding surface.
3) Machine shutdowns
Cause: mechanical failures, electrical faults, or operator errors.
Solution: Implement regular stop maintenance to identify and address possible electrical problems. Check for mechanical damage or wear and repair or change worn-out components. Make sure operators are perfectly trained and follow standard operating procedures.
4) Energy consumption
Cause: insufficient system design, worn-out components, or improper machine operation.
Solution: Implement power-efficient equipment and processors. Train operators on power-saving practices. Change worn-out parts that may increase power use.
6. Future of fanfold cardboard machinery
The corrugated packaging market is growing very fast, helped by the explosion of e-commerce and development in digital printing technologies.
The global fanfold corrugated market is growing quicker than expected, confusing some predictions that forecast a slowdown in fanfold use.
The future of corrugated packaging in 2024 – generally exclusive analysis on how this market is rising, growing around 3.7 percent annually to reach $308 billion in 2024. The report also shows that the electrical goods end-user sector will view the highest levels of growth.
1) Sustainability
Fanfold cardboard is proving famous in packaging as sustainability becomes a more vital problem across the value chain – it is easy to recycle and the pulp and paper industry is already adapted to converting these latest generations of container board. These quantities mean there has been an increase in the popularity of corrugated protective formats over polymer-based alternatives, such as EPS foams.
While lightweight boards have been long affecting the corrugated industry, rightsizing and right weighting are playing an increasingly vital role in this market, not only in response to consumer demand for successful packaging but also in response to the logistics chain adoption of dimensions weight (DIM pricing.
Lightweighting has been mainly successful in Western Europe, where box weights are now generally about 80 percent of US weights. The significance of lightweight will continue to be felt over the coming years as retailers look to save costs as well as attract end users.
2) Retail changes
Retail-ready packaging has established itself as a big cost saver for retailers, mainly in Western Europe. This continued profit pressure is providing an impetus to use more retail-ready formats as a labor-saving solution, as it is guessed that these secondary packaging formats can decrease shelf-restocking and handling costs by up to fifty percent. It is also mainly famous for sales in convenience stores or discount retailers such as Walmart or Aldi. For brands, it provides the added bonus of giving them the best control over the presentation of their goods within the retail space.
3) E-commerce
E-commerce retail sales are continuing to rise, with estimates of approximately 20 percent annual growth in e-commerce trade in Europe.
Global internet sales are guessed to be over $5.6 trillion in 2024. This will have a profound impact on packaging demand, mainly in the fanfold corrugated industry as it represents eighty percent of demand in e-commerce.
The increasingly complex logistics chain for direct-to-consumer delivery – e-commerce packages are guessed to be handled up to twenty times or more during standard distribution – means there is new demand for affordable secondary corrugated board packaging.
4) Fit-to-product
Born out of e-commerce has been the arrival of fit-to-product or box-on-demand systems, driven in particular by the needs of dedicated e-commerce sellers such as Staples and Amazon. This technology permits the production of customized secondary packaging based on the product size being packed, including irregular shapes. For the end-user, this eliminates the need for big inventories of standard-sized boxes which generally need copious amounts of filter materials.
As Ftp platforms become more famous, there will be more demand for boards sold as fanfolds, as well as finishing equipment, such as printers, that can run with them.
7. Fanfold machine FAQs
1) Which application segment leads the Fanfold corrugated market machinery share?
The e-commerce segment accounts for the biggest share of the global fanfold corrugated machine market in 2024.
2) What are the key areas in the global fanfold corrugated machine market?
Based on the area, the Fanfold corrugated machinery market has been classified in North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, Africa and Middle East and Latin America. North American dominates the global fanfold corrugated machinery market.
8. End words
Advancement in automation technology has led to the development of very efficient and high-speed production equipment for corrugated fanfold packaging. Automated machines for die-cutting, folding, gluing, and stacking fanfold corrugated sheets better production accuracy, speed, and consistency while decreasing labor cost. CAD systems have greatly better the prototyping and design processes in the fanfold corrugated machinery and industry. These program tools permit efficient and right design creation, permitting for fast visualization and modification of packaging designs.
