A nutraceutical manufacturer was under pressure. They needed to run a line capable of sleeving more than a dozen different SKUs, each with its own container size or shape, while keeping up with demanding production schedules. Some products were needing tamper-evident and full-body sleeves at 200 containers per minute. Others needed to be formed into club-store multi-packs at 65 containers per minute. On top of that, one of their most important products was filled in a rounded square jar, a container shape that made perfect orientation imperative for label and graphics alignment.
Most shrink sleeve systems would struggle to balance that kind of variety without jeopardizing speed or accuracy. Finding a partner who could bring together the right equipment, custom engineering, and real-world packaging experience was the only way forward for this manufacturer.
They found that partner in Tripack.
The Labeling Challenges
The company’s production requirements were not simple. Here's what the team was up against:
1. High-Speed Labeling of Individual Containers
Individual containers needed to be sleeved at high speed, 200 containers per minute, with both full-body graphics and tamper-evident bands. That alone would be a challenge for most systems.
2. Club Store Multi-Pack Sleeving
On top of that, they needed to create multi-packs for club stores and sleeve them cleanly at 65 containers per minute.
3. Orientation of Non-Standard Containers
One of their highest-volume SKUs came in a rounded square jar, which meant orientation wasn’t optional. If the sleeve didn’t land perfectly, the label wouldn’t line up with the container and it would show.
4. Over 15 SKUs with Different Shapes and Sizes
Rounded jars, tall bottles, wide-mouth containers – every SKU was different. The line had to switch constantly, and every change had to be fast.
Tripack’s Solution: The HSA-405 with Custom Engineering
To solve the issues with speed, orientation, and SKU variation, Tripack supplied the equipment and setup that made sure everything ran fast and the labels went on right every time.
2 HSA-405 Shrink Sleeve Applicators
Tripack’s HSA-405S shrink sleeve applicators were the core of the setup. Two were used so the line could handle both single products and multi-packs without switching equipment. They were fast, stable, and could keep up with everything the customer needed without becoming a bottleneck.
Custom Mandrel and Screw to Group and Orient Containers
Grouping containers for multi-packs is one thing. But this system also had to rotate specific jars, the rounded square ones, so that labels didn’t go on crooked. Tripack built a custom mandrel and screw to do both at once. It kept everything aligned and moving through the machine cleanly.
Max Applicator Speed: 500 PPM
The customer was running at 200 PPM for singles and 65 for multi-packs, but the machines were built to go faster. 500 PPM gave them extra capacity when needed; no risk of outgrowing the system or slowing things down under pressure.
Lay Flat Range: 40mm – 400mm
Sleeve sizes varied a lot between products. Some were just tamper bands, others were full-body labels. This machine could handle the full range with no need for extra equipment or major setup changes. That flexibility saved time and kept everything on the same line.
Real-World Results: What Changed on the Line
With Tripack’s solution in place, the nutraceutical manufacturer turned a complicated set of packaging requirements into a simple and successful process. High-speed runs maintained accuracy, multi-pack bundles were formed and sleeved on schedule, and even the challenging rounded jars came off the line with sleeves placed exactly where they should be.
The company kept production on track across more than fifteen SKUs and avoided the problems that would have slowed their line down. Instead of constant stops and adjustments, they had a system that delivered steady and flexible performance day after day.
Partner with Tripack
Packaging lines are messy. Different shapes, speeds, and products always throw curveballs. Tripack works with brands across food, beverage, nutraceutical, and personal care industries to solve the kinds of packaging problems that can derail production schedules. What we do is listen, understand your specific headaches, and figure out a solution that actually works.
If you’re tired of dealing with packaging headaches and want something that just works, we’ll help you fix it.
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