Evolution of Material Handling & Packaging
Material handling and packaging used to be simpler. Now, it's not—and space is tight. Every part must work perfectly with the others. Packaging machinery sales are up—$10.9 billion in 2023, with 5.8% growth—showing that automation is getting smarter and more connected.
Key Drivers Reshaping Component Requirements
Here's what's changing how you need to select components:
- Fewer workers: You need automation that runs reliably with little human help. So, parts must be high-quality and work well together.
- Less space: Machines must do more in smaller areas because space is expensive. Special parts like ULTRIQ™, MICROGEAR®, OVLPRO®, and DURATRK® cylinders help.
- Faster, more accurate: Parts must work together perfectly to meet production speeds. Parts from different companies often cause delays.
- Efficient diagnostics: Leaner maintenance teams need systems where failure patterns are predictable and troubleshooting paths are clear. When pneumatic cylinders, valves, and air preparation components share consistent seal designs and pressure ratings, technicians can diagnose issues faster and stock fewer repair parts.
Because of these changes, you can't just look at parts individually. You must think about how they work together.
Efficiency Bottlenecks
Component Compatibility Challenges
Even if parts meet the specs, they might not work well together when you put them in your system. Do your cylinders and valves lose pressure unexpectedly? Do your actuators and drives have timing problems, even if they meet the specs? When you replace one part, do you have to adjust the others?
If you answered "yes," you probably have compatibility issues. You can fix these by choosing parts more carefully.
Lead Time Ripple Effects
If one part is delayed, your entire production schedule can be stalled. And the more suppliers you have, the longer the delays are should lead times not correspond well with your needs.
Delays cause more problems than just waiting for the part, though. They also slow production schedules, require extra costs to store parts that arrive early or on time, incur fees for rushing orders, potentially sacrifice good will with customers, and force engineers to spend time finding replacement parts.
Quality Inconsistency Across Suppliers
Parts from different companies can have quality differences that cause unexpected problems. Small differences in things like material or seals can cause parts to wear out faster. This is especially true for systems that run constantly, need precise timing, or operate in harsh environments.
Mixing parts from different manufacturers doesn’t necessarily cause immediate problems. But you need to make sure that the parts are compatible and available. That takes a more strategic approach to component sourcing.
The Integration Advantage
You can easily measure the price of a part, but it's hard to measure how much value you get from parts that work well together.
To see the real value, look beyond the cost. Think about:
- How often your systems break down
- How long it takes to fix them
- How much downtime is from mismatched parts
- How much time engineers spend fixing compatibility
- How much it costs to stock different brands of similar parts
- Whether part numbers are clearly tagged or marked to make reordering simpler
Choosing parts that work well together can significantly boost your equipment's effectiveness.
It can also help you reduce the number of purchase orders, simplify supplier management, have fewer support contacts, simplify paperwork, and get better prices by buying in bulk.
The Partnership Factor
The specs of a part are only part of the story. The supplier's engineering knowledge is also important. When choosing a supplier, ask yourself:
- Will they help you with engineering during the design phase?
- Can they help you troubleshoot problems?
- Are they willing to customize parts for you?
- Do they understand the specific needs of your industry?
- Can they quickly reach an engineer for guidance and expertise?
- Can you contact them in different ways (phone, email, online)?
- Can you get replacement parts fast?
- Will they help you quickly if there's an emergency?
A good supplier offers more than just parts; they offer insight. W.C. Branham gives you fast support to avoid delays when you have questions.
Quality Consistency
Consistent quality means you don't have to test new designs as much if you use familiar parts. You can predict when you'll need to perform maintenance. Your systems perform the same way every time. Engineers spend less time checking parts.
W.C. Branham's 40+ years of experience means you get this kind of consistent quality.
Taking the Next Step