As the mattress industry evolves, we’re seeing incredible variation in products. It’s no longer as simple as choosing a queen or a king, or a three- or four-layer mattress. Now converters likely see endless ways to build a mattress. The types of foam, their densities, the order they’re placed, the number of layers, the other materials used for layers or covers, the phase-change coatings, the glue types… all these impact the final bed’s ability to undergo compression packaging.
C³ uses a compression calculator to track these variations and compute what kind of compression each product can handle. This is great since you can then input that value (or “recipe”) into your machine and let ‘er rip!
But what happens when the product doesn’t fit in the traditional roll cage? Or you have a product that can be packaged smaller, but your roll cage doesn’t adjust that small?
This is what our engineers set out to solve – How do we create a roll cage that can handle 60% more variation in package sizes than our traditional cage?
Watch the video to see what we engineered:
Package More With the Same Machine
Our goal with this feature is to increase the number of different products you can package within one machine. The variable cage add-on allows you to roll package a wider range of dimensions and account for a greater range of density restrictions. Let’s look at what this variable cage option can do.
When you replace the standard cage on our CF1396 Compression Folding Machine with the CF9500-VC Variable Cage you gain 60% more variability in end-package dimensions. This cage adjusts from 7.5 inches up to approximately 17 inches. If your facility produces a variety of SKUs, this option will help you create the right packaging for each in the same machine.
We use our compression calculator to determine compression and packaging limitations for various products. If you’re not familiar, it works like this: we enter each layer’s specs – length, width, height, density, and weight – to calculate the anticipated volume change and end density of the desired final product. If the volume change is less than 10 ft3, the density in while in the machine is less than 30 lb/ft3, and the density of the final package is less than 25 lb/ft3, then we are confident your product will recover from compression packaging without experiencing compression set.
But what happened when the calculator indicates that compression and roll packaging isn’t the best option for a particular product? With our standard cage, that meant customers would need to package that SKU a different way.
Now, the variable cage option allows customers to upgrade their machinery to handle a wider range of products. Your business can accept a wider range of product variances and create more package sizes. When you upgrade your machine, you can also take advantage of your film rewards credits from The C³ Partnership Program – making it an affordable way to enhance the capabilities of your facility.
Does our traditional roll cage provide value? Absolutely. You can still package with our standard roll cage and reap the same benefits as the variable system. The value added with a variable cage comes down to the variance in the products you produce. Are there products you can’t use compression package now that you’d like to? How much variance are you expecting to come in the future?
In a market of consumers demanding more options, variability is increasing. If you’re looking for ways to expand your packaging options within a single machine, it’s time to look into a variable cage for a C³ mattress packaging system.
Want to learn more about how our variable cages fit into your operations? Contact us today. Are you purchasing your film through us? Call to ask how our Partnership Program can help you with this upgrade.