Helping to Promote Health: Turn-Key, Automated Packaging Solutions for Nutraceutical Producers
Nutraceuticals have grown into a booming industry as more consumers demand products that support their health goals and daily habits.
Derived from natural sources such as herbs and plants or synthetic products created in laboratories, nutraceuticals are any food or food product that provides health benefits beyond basic nutrition. Popular nutraceuticals include vitamin and mineral supplements, protein drinks, dietary fiber supplements, prebiotic and probiotic supplements, herbal products and more. In each case, accurate and precise packaging is essential for safety and usability.
Industry trends point to the global nutraceuticals market size reaching $658.11 billion in value by 2028. To keep pace, and in anticipation of this growth, reliable, automated packaging solutions have become increasingly vital for manufacturers.
BPI offers a variety of machines that can be integrated into turn-key commercial packaging systems for nutraceutical producers, including roll stock baggers, pill counters, pre-made pouch machines, pillow bagger and scale combos, multi-head scales, auger fillers, volumetric fillers, conveyors and pack-off systems. These advanced technologies allow manufacturers to package large volumes of nutraceuticals efficiently and accurately while maintaining high-quality standards.
How Does Automation Help?
Employing precision machinery for the packaging of nutraceuticals offers several benefits such as reduced labor costs through automation, increased production speeds leading to consistent results, diminished chance of human error, accurate dosages and weighments, reduced waste and compliance with strict quality requirements.
Automated packaging systems also improve safety measures by limiting physical contact between workers and ingredients which reduces risks associated with food-borne illness caused by contamination. Read on to learn of BPI’s various components that comprise our comprehensive packaging solution.
Roll Stock Baggers
Roll stock bagging is a common method used in automated nutraceutical packaging. This process involves taking a roll of pre-printed film and filling it with product using a machine that seals each bag shut after it has been filled with product. The bags feature a flat bottom and stand up on their own once filled with product. This makes them an ideal choice for high-speed packaging of food items that require strong seals such as powders, granules, tablets or capsules. With a range of outputs depending on model, BPI’s roll stock baggers can handle up to 600 bags per minute (12-lane stick pack bagger).
Pre-Made Pouch Machines
Pre-made pouch machines provide another popular, automated packaging solution for nutraceuticals. These machines take flat pouches made from polyethylene film or other materials, fill them with product, then seal them shut to create complete packages ready for shipping or retail display, protecting against outside exposure while remaining lightweight and easy to transport.
Pre-made pouches come in many different shapes or sizes including stand-up pouches, spout pouches and three-side seal pouches, among others. Pre-made pouch machines have become increasingly popular for businesses looking to package eco-friendly products due to their ability to reduce materials and waste associated with traditional packaging methods such as bottles or jars.
Bulk items such as vitamins or capsules are usually packaged in pre-made pouches due to their efficient output rates and ability to accommodate different shapes and sizes of products. BPI’s versatile lineup of pre-made pouch machines can produce up to 300 packages per minute! Pillow bagger/scale combinations make quick work of filling bags with multiple types of nutraceutical products, applying precision scales for accuracy every time.
Pill Counters
BPI Packaging Equipment’s automated pill counter offers nutraceutical manufacturers speed and reliability in filling containers. This, combined with BPI’s full line of packaging equipment, can help nutraceutical producers meet the consumer demand for nutrient-rich products. The machine is engineered to accurately count a variety of pills without discarded product, manual sorting or oversight by employees, freeing up employees to handle other tasks. Furthermore, it allows producers to scale production and save time by streamlining the filling process.
Multi-Head Scales
Multi-head scales offer nutraceutical manufacturers another way to accurately fill multiple packages or bags concurrently while minimizing labor costs. Generally consisting of 10 to 24 hoppers, these stainless-steel, multi-head scales are ideal for weighing large quantities quickly and accurately. BPI’s multi-head scales feature technical advantages such as a color touchscreen, live display of amplitude and weight readings, self-diagnostic alerts, multiple or stagger dumps, auto-rejection and auto-zeroing that enable higher accuracy than ever before.
Auger Fillers
Auger fillers are commonly used when packing powders such as protein powders, drink mixes or other finely ground dietary supplements into small containers or packets. If the product being packaged has any non-free-flowing characteristics or if it is dusty, auger fillers are a good fit. This method is more accurate than scoop filling or volumetric fillers because auger fillers use rotating screws to measure out powder amounts precisely based on programmed settings; this accuracy allows manufacturers to maintain consistent weights across all packages regardless of batch size. BPI’s auger filler line features extremely quick changeover times, an HMI color touchscreen, adjustable blending speeds and models capable of up to 80 weighments a minute.
Volumetric Fillers
Volumetric fillers provide an alternative solution over auger fillers when budget constraints are a factor. Ideally, products used in a volumetric filler should be free-flowing, granular and consistently shaped. Capable of up to 60 weighments a minute, BPI’s VF2000 (up to 2000 g weighments) and VF3000 (up to 3000 g) fill containers based on programmed volume settings; this ensures consistent levels throughout all containers regardless of batch size. Both models can be integrated with a variety of baggers, conveyors, hand-fill devices, semi-auto applications and bulk box fill components.
Conveyors & Pack-Off Systems
For end-of line operations within automated nutraceutical packaging lines, conveyors and pack-off systems provide essential functionality for proper packing such as counting/checking accuracy; transferring goods toward cartonizers, palletizers or wrappers; merging multiple lanes into a single lane; and sorting products into groups in order to optimize batches prior to final packing stages. BPI’s reliable and robust conveyor systems provide the foundation upon which automation can be successful. BPI offers top quality-conveyors designed specifically for various applications guaranteed to deliver peak performance in any packaging environment.
Contact Us Today
Backed by years of experience supplying innovative solutions tailored to the nutraceutical industry, BPI ensures your product will be packaged accurately while keeping costs low — making your decision easy every time.
And with industry-leading customer service (we’ll come to you!), nutraceutical producers can be sure they’re receiving the support they need when they partner with BPI. Contact us today with your questions or to learn more about our packaging system options!
