MJBizMag Packaging Automation Buyers Guide January 2022 - 16

MJBizDaily Buyers Guide Cannabis Packaging Automation
mjbizdaily.com
But he says that with a caveat. If those higher-skilled jobs don't equal higher pay and more job
reliability within the workplace, then employees won't realize the benefits of automation.
" The question is who pays and who gains, " Geiger said.
Keep in mind, Dishion said, that automation packaging machines can be complex.
If a company is going to optimize its workforce, it needs to commit to hiring and training employees
with the aptitude to run and manage the equipment, she noted. And make sure to keep them at that
job rather than transferring them somewhere else a few weeks later.
" You're making an investment in equipment, but you're also investing in your employees, " Dishion
said.
" Those employees are just as important. They're an extension of this equipment. "
UNEXPECTED SAVINGS BY REDUCING OVERAGES
A less obvious but financially significant advantage to adopting automation is the savings cannabis
manufacturers realize by increasing their package accuracy.
Bernard said her company's clients typically average 3.6 grams on a 3.5-gram (an eighth) package
when hand-packed. However, the " Precision Batcher " flower machine weighs down to onehundredth
of a gram, which means it can be much more accurate than hand packaging. As a
result, the average overpack is only 3.54 to 3.56 grams, Bernard said, versus 3.6 grams for handpacked
product.
It may not seem like much, but " over time, when you do the math, it's going to be just as important
if not more important than your labor, " Bernard said.
Dishion added it's not just the value in wholesale dollars that precision automation can salvage-it's
more money at the retail level, too.
" It's not being put on the shelf. It's being lost. Or, actually, it's being given away, " Dishion said of the
overpack.
" Your customers aren't going to complain, but they wouldn't know the difference (if weights are
accurate). "
ADD AUTOMATION INCREMENTALLY
The cost of turnkey, start-to-finish automation packaging lines can be overwhelming, but even
small-scale producers can start seeing automation savings by buying automation components as
they can afford them.
Think of it like Legos, adding on components as you grow, Bernard said.
" Start with just the weighing and the batching. That's the heart of it, " Bernard recommends for
manufacturers that are still debating what sort of final package to use.
" When it's just the batching and the weighing, (that machine) doesn't care if you're using jars, bags,
drams or you put a takeout food container underneath it. "
As manufacturers dial in what packaging they want to use, they can add more automation
components.
Chrzan advises manufacturers to look for a " small area where I can show an immediate win. "
16
Copyright 2022, MJBizDaily, a division of Anne Holland Ventures Inc. You may NOT copy this report, or make public the data and facts contained herein, in part or in whole.
For more copies or editorial permissions, contact CustomerService@MJBizDaily.com or call 720.213.5992 ext. 1.

http://www.mjbizdaily.com

MJBizMag Packaging Automation Buyers Guide January 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of MJBizMag Packaging Automation Buyers Guide January 2022