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Safety in a manufacturing environment is essential in preventing and reducing workplace injuries. The safety of Douglas employees is always at the top of our list. To keep safety front-of-mind, we have taken many proactive measures and implemented a number of programs to enhance our company safety campaign. All employee owners and guests need to be aware of and involved in executing safe practices in order to truly create a safe working environment. Through increased communication and awareness, we make it a priority to ensure a high level of safety for all of our employees, customers, vendors and guests.

Due to our increased focus and commitment to safety, we are excited to share that Douglas has earned a Governor’s Safety Award! Douglas will be recognized for excellence in workplace safety and health during the Governor’s Safety Awards ceremony on May 7 – 8, 2019 during the 85th annual Minnesota Safety & Health Conference at Mystic Lake Center. We are one of 294 employers to be honored through the awards program, coordinated by the Minnesota Safety Council.

“Every day in Minnesota, about 100 workers get injured or ill to the point that they can’t go back to their job the next day,” said Paul Aasen, president of the Minnesota Safety Council. “Congratulations to

Douglas for their hard work to make sure their employees are not part of this statistic.”

Since 1934, the annual Governor’s Safety Awards program has honored Minnesota employers with exceptional safety performance. Applicants are judged on several years of injury data as it compares with their industry’s national statistics, and on their progress in implementing a comprehensive safety program.

Winners are recognized at three levels:

• Meritorious Achievement (170 winners): Incidence rates that are better than the industry average for at least three years, and a score between 50 and 74 on a 100-point safety program evaluation scale.
• Outstanding Achievement (83 winners): Continuing improvement and/or a continuing outstanding record with incident rates that are 51%-90% better than the industry average, and a score between 75 and 90 on the safety program evaluation scale.
• Award of Honor (41 winners): Incidence rates at least 91% better than the industry average, and a score between 91 and 100 on the safety program evaluation scale.

Douglas received a Meritorious Achievement Award for exemplary workplace safety results in 2018. The Governor’s Safety Awards recognition is part of the Minnesota Safety & Health Conference, coordinated by the Minnesota Safety Council. The conference is the oldest and one of the largest gatherings of workplace safety and health professionals in the region. The Minnesota Safety Council, founded in 1928, is a non-governmental, not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life in Minnesota by preventing unintentional injuries.

As part of our comprehensive safety program, we have implemented regular safety inspections and audits, Job Hazard Analysis (JHA), a Near Miss program which is a method to report potential hazards that have not yet taken place, and utilized one of our programs called DIPs (Douglas Improvement Projects) for employees to submit ideas to improve productivity, quality, safety and other practices. A strong focus on safety-related DIPs has drawn positive attention toward employees looking for ways to perform their daily tasks in a safer manner.

Training also plays an important role at Douglas for on-the-job safety. We have developed a Douglas Safety Management System on our intranet site that provides one location for access to training, such as general safety, AWAIR, Right to Know and multi-topic training videos. Additional safety programs can be found on this site to help ensure employees are performing their daily tasks safely, to protect themselves, and to protect their co-workers.

Douglas takes ownership of designing, planning and arranging work processes within the company so that safety hazards are eliminated or minimized. A Safety Manager, Safety Technician and Corporate Safety Committee work together to increase safety awareness and work with all employees so they can contribute to providing a safe and healthy work environment.

At Douglas, we believe that the foundation of any successful workplace safety effort is one that encourages employees to identify unsafe behaviors and opportunities for improvement while also making well-informed safety decisions during daily routine tasks. We are thankful to have earned this recognition and continue to make safety a priority in our daily environment. We are also committed to providing a safe, customer-driven experience for our customers. Through warranty programs, maintenance programs, training & documentation and remote technical support, you can be assured that Douglas is there by your side so you can experience safe operation of your equipment, for the life of your machine.

At Douglas Machine, we’re passionate about connecting every business with the best secondary packaging solutions for their unique needs. So today, we’ll be comparing and contrasting RSC and wraparound cases to help you make the right investment. Let’s start with a description of each.

RSC Cases

RSC is an acronym for Regular Slotted Container. It’s also known throughout the industry as a KD, or Knock Down case. An RSC case design has the manufacturers flap or 5th panel pre-glued. RSC cases are most commonly used for loading product vertically (or top-loaded) through the flaps, which are then closed and sealed manually or automatically using either tape or glue.

Wraparound Cases

A wraparound case is basically a flat piece of corrugated that can be formed and sealed around the product. Most of the time, the wraparound blank is partially formed to allow for product to be loaded into it from the side. The end flaps and manufacturers flap are then closed and sealed with glue. This is typically done using automatic equipment.

Choosing the Right Case Design

Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) manufacturers are continually researching ways to reduce the cost of their products. Material cost is also taken into consideration, which includes the corrugated case that is used for shipment of product to their customers. Changes to case style is something that is often considered for cost savings. Changing from an RSC design to a wraparound design is fairly common. Below is a list of reasons that are considered when choosing between RSC and wraparound cases:

1. There is an additional cost for the material supplier to form and seal the manufacturers flap on an RSC case.

2. The quality (squareness) of a finished case is affected by the quality of the pre-glued joint on an RSC case. The quality of a finished wraparound case is more consistent due to all flaps being formed and sealed using automated packaging equipment.

3. Less RSC case blanks fit on a pallet compared to wraparound cases.

4. The magazine of an automated case-erecting system will hold roughly half the quantity of RSC blanks compared to wraparound blanks. Using wraparound cases allows operators to fill the magazine less often.

5. While there is a common perception that RSC cases have greater stacking strength when palletized, a wraparound case can have just as much stack strength if designed correctly.

There is a caveat to making a change in case design, as the design of a wraparound case is not just taking an RSC case and opening it up to be a flat blank. Most of the time a wraparound case is a completely different design.

Make Case Packing Simple with Douglas Machine

Douglas Machine provides several different secondary case packaging options to create a machine that accommodates your case and product needs. We also offer a range of equipment options based on your product requirements, speed and concept. We produce a variety of infeed, metering and loading systems to best serve your needs. Most importantly, all of our machines are supported with cutting-edge technology and superior customer service that Douglas is known to provide.

Contact us online or give us a call at 320-207-2361 to learn more about the packaging systems we offer — including details about case styles, specifications and the technology used to create the ideal secondary packaging machinery for your product. We look forward to hearing from you.

When you hear “Pepsi,” you think red, white, and blue—the iconic can colors. When you hear “Nike” the swoosh image invariably pops up in your head. These companies have mastered what all sellers of consumer products strive for: successfully branding their products. From marketing soda and shoes to secondary packaging solutions, branding plays an essential role in the success of any business.

What Is Branding?

Branding is setting your product apart with a unique presence that ultimately builds trust, attracts new customers and retains existing customers. Branding is physical, like that famous Nike swoosh, but also includes the non-physical—the emotional response associated with the brand. For example, you would know instantly that anything with that swoosh on it was a Nike product, athletic in nature. If you’ve had positive experiences with other “swooshed” products, just seeing that image will likely evoke a feeling of trust and a willingness to purchase another product with the Nike logo on it.

Successful branding isn’t easy, and it doesn’t happen by accident. According to Trillion Creative, a professional branding and design firm, the initial branding process can take anywhere from four weeks to six months. And that’s just the start. After that, long-term efforts and roll-out must be factored into the timeline.
In other words, successful branding takes a ton of time and effort. It’s what sets your product apart. You’ve worked hard to make sure your customers know who you are and what your products stand for—and at Douglas Machine, we get that.

What’s the Difference Between Branding & Packaging?

While branding takes on the entire image of a product, packaging focuses on the physical aspects and, when designed well, incorporates and promotes the brand.

The three layers of packaging are primary packaging, secondary packaging and transportation packaging. Primary packaging is the immediate (or direct) packaging of the product. For example, a bottle of soda’s primary packaging would be the bottle itself. The soda’s secondary packaging could be a tray, a case, a layer of clear or branded shrink wrap film, or a combination. Once in its secondary packaging, the soda is ready for its transportation packaging. This is the final packaging that will ensure the soda makes it safely where it needs to go.

The Importance of Secondary Packaging

As your secondary packaging partner, it’s our priority to make sure your brand is well represented—and that your products are protected as they make their way to the point of sale. Exceptional secondary packaging not only prevents damage to the product, but also draws the attention and interest of consumers. As an extension of your brand, primary (and often secondary) packaging is the first thing customers see.

Douglas Machine offers a wide variety of packaging automation solutions to enhance your customers’ experience with your brand. From shrink wrappers to sleevers, palletizers to case and tray packers, our goal remains consistent: to elevate your brand through the packaging process.

Visit our website or contact us today to discover the perfect secondary packaging solution to promote your brand.

by Joyelle Threinen

I began my career at Douglas Machine in 2007, and for nine of the last twelve years I have been assisting my fellow employee-owners with developing the skills needed to increase their job performance. In my role within the Talent Development department, I have the opportunity to meet with every new employee on their first day at Douglas. One of my greatest joys is seeing excited faces, and watching that excitement grow as we talk more about the company, our machines, and the people with which they’ll be working.

A comment I hear from new employees fairly often is that they are impressed with our level of training for new employees. As important as the training is from the perspective of our new employees, it’s even more beneficial to the company as a whole. Well-trained staff support greater productivity, accuracy and a safer work environment, which ultimately leads to a more successful company for its employee-owners. With the creation of our extensiveonboarding program, new employees can reduce the typical learning curve by an average of 50%, making them effective members of the team that much sooner!

Building Skills Internally

Talent Development at Douglas doesn’t just focus on building skills for new employees; we also focus on the continued training of existing employees. In this way, I’m able to stay connected with a large number of my co-workers. This training format helps to build our relationship with one another—and reminds them of my availability when questions or training concerns arise. Training requests might be for a refresher course on an infrequently used software, classroom training for a new process or procedure, or hands-on training for new technologies. Our machines are constantly being improved upon to better serve our customers, which creates a need for continuous training for those who design, build and service our equipment.

We partner with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to provide the hands-on training necessary for our employees to better understand new technologies and overall changes to our machines. Yet, hands-on training is only one piece of the overall training puzzle. When our employees travel regularly, as is the case for our service technicians, Douglas provides an online learning platform to keep everyone up to speed. My co-workers can log in from airplanes, hotel rooms, or customer facilities around the world and have quick access to instructional videos and presentations on dozens of topics.

Some of the training opportunities available to our employee-owners revolve around continuing education. Douglas encourages and provides financial support for employees who are looking to start and/or complete their degrees in higher-learning. With a company that is constantly growing, there are always opportunities for employees to pick up new skills and turn a good job into a great career.

I think this philosophy is one of the things I appreciate most about Douglas; the way that the company encourages each of us to continue to improve ourselves in whatever way makes sense to us. There are always opportunities for people who seek them out. Employees can take their education into their own hands by signing up for one of our monthly professional development courses. These courses cover topics that build specific skills and abilities, as well as those designed to increase knowledge on a specific subject. In addition, Douglas has two different programs geared around teaching new leaders, and potential leaders, all the skills necessary to be great at their jobs.

Training Designed for Douglas Customers

Taking it one step further, the knowledge gained through employee training is directly passed on to our customers. Douglas has certified technical trainers ready to provide Introductory Hands-on Training or Formal Training for our customers.

During hands-on training, a Douglas trainer works with the customer’s personnel, at the machine, to explain machine function from infeed to discharge. This type of training takes place close to the time of machine installation. The technician asks and answers questions to ensure the customer has a complete understanding of how to operate their equipment.

Douglas also offers a formal training program that customers can purchase, designed to provide high levels of technical training to strengthen the technical skills of a company’s staff and to streamline their performance and the performance of their machine.

Formal training is a combination of classroom and hands-on training. The optimal time to schedule this type of training is 4-6 weeks after the machine has been installed. A typical formal training session has up to 10 operator personnel in a classroom setting for three hours, and hands-on at the machine for five hours. In the day or two following, up to 10 maintenance personnel experience six hours of classroom training and 10 hours of hands-on training. The training manual and presentation provide visuals and videos of a customer’s particular machine and covers topics such as safety, sequence of events, changeover, servo homing, maintenance and troubleshooting.

Our Hands-on and Formal Training are designed to be customizable to meet our customer’s exact needs. Douglas Technical Trainers will work with customers to ensure their personnel are comfortable working with their equipment—and have the knowledge to operate and maintain it. With a well-trained staff, satisfied with knowing how to do their job well, an organization will benefit from increased performance and maintain its competitive edge.

Customized Training Solutions from Douglas Machine

Ready to learn more about Douglas and our customizable training solutions? Then be sure to call or message us today. You can also connect with us for more information on our powerful secondary packaging solutions. We can’t wait to hear from you.

by Todd Welker & Mike Uphoff, Douglas Beverage Sales Team

“Secondary packaging of bottles” is a general term used in the beverage industry (as well as food and other consumer product industries) that has a different definition for multiple individuals. Secondary packaging for bottles involves a number of factors and variables, including the purpose of the packaging, bottle material, packaging material and tertiary packaging. Many of these same thoughts also apply to beverage cans as well.

Finding the Right Packaging Solution for Bottles

The first factor to consider is the purpose of the packaging. Knowing the purpose will determine what type of substrates can and should be used. For instance, if the primary purpose of the secondary packaging is to unitize several bottles, an economical solution (such as plastic rings) may be used. If the primary purpose is to market a multipack, a paperboard carton or sleeve would be the better choice due to the marketing space available and printing characteristics of paperboard. If shipping or e-commerce is the primary goal, a corrugated substrate is ideal due to the protective characteristics of corrugated boxes.

Bottle material is also a factor, as some bottles (glass, for example) require more protective packaging than polyethylene terephthalate (PET), high-density polyethylene (HDPE) or aluminum. Protective packaging may require partitions or a tight wraparound case to ensure the unitized load cannot jostle during shipment. While partitions add cost, they certainly ensure protection. Wraparound cases without partitions are gaining popularity for use on larger bottles; however, tray/shrink remains the most popular unitizing packaging for small bottles.

Depending on the bottle material and design, some bottles can carry significant vertical compression loads. Aluminum and PET bottles can be packaged in almost any format, depending on the end user’s goals. Stacking strengths are dictated by the bottle material and design, as well as the filling method—pressurized, heat-set panels, hot-fill, aseptically filled, etc. Tray/shrink packaging generally allows for a tightly unitized package at minimal costs, as long as the bottles can handle the vertical compression of the pallet(s).

Bottle Packaging: Insights & Innovations

Single-serve bottled water is a case study in and of itself as producers have moved from full cases to tray/shrink, pad/shrink—and recently film-only nested packages. There have been many developments over the years to greatly reduce the secondary packaging material used in this market, including the use of linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) film as the secondary and final package. In many cases, the secondary AND tertiary package material is film. For example, the secondary package could be a 6-pack of water bundled with film, and the final tertiary package is four 6-packs bundled with film. Many producers are running bottles as light as 7 grams and still sending their product to the market in film-only packages.

Packaging materials used for secondary packaging of bottles can include plastic shells, corrugated cases, paperboard cartons, tray/film, u-board/film and film only. Reusable shells have been falling out of favor recently as bottlers often only get 3-4 returns of the shells, especially in populated urban settings. Many individuals have red or blue shells in their garages holding paint cans, car parts or gardening supplies. Some producers have jumped past tray/film and are driving towards film-only packages for rigid pressurized bottles that handle stacking strength extremely well, yet their petaloid bases tend to be unstable as the collated load is transferred to wrapping tables.

Tertiary packaging plays a role in the specifications of secondary packaging as well. Will the secondary package be placed into additional protective packaging—such as a carton placed into a case or tray? Will the secondary package be palletized directly? Are tier sheets used? Are pallets double stacked? Will the secondary packaging hold up to the rigors of palletizing and transport? These are all questions that can play into the design of the secondary packaging.

Make Bottle Packaging Simple With Douglas Machine

Douglas provides packaging solutions for paperboard packages, corrugated case solutions (wraparound and pre-glued Regular Slotted Cases (RSC) in side- and top-load configurations), as well as tray/shrink, pad/shrink and film-only solutions. Contact us today to find the best solution for your unique packaging needs. We look forward to hearing from you!