Use-Case Report — ECOBAND-A Automatic Banding Machine (installed in an EU printing facility)

Prior to Automation (Manual Bundling)

A medium-sized printing and packaging facility in Austria previously bundled brochures, instruction leaflets and small cartons by hand.
One member of staff manually wrapped a paper band, applied tension using a simple tensioning tool, sealed it, trimmed the band and then moved the finished bundle aside.

Actual output before automation

• 2 minutes required for each bundle
• 30 bundles produced per hour
• 240 bundles completed in an 8-hour shift
• Labour expense: 25 €/hour → 0.83 €/bundle

This labour-intensive approach led to bottlenecks, uneven strap tension, operator fatigue and occasional re-banding due to slack bands.

Following Automation (ECOBAND-A)

The ECOBAND-A machine was positioned in line with the packing benches. Now, a single operator places each bundle into the machine arch, presses the start button, and the machine automatically feeds, tensions and seals the band. The operator then removes the finished bundle and loads the next one.

The ECOBAND-A is capable of up to 20 bands per minute (1,200 per hour).
The plant operates the machine at just 60% of its maximum speed = 12 bands per minute (720 per hour)
This figure takes into account practical constraints such as manual loading and unloading, changing band rolls and variable batch sizes.

Consistent production rate after setup: 500–600 bundles per hour
This allows for interruptions including:

• Aligning bundles
• Replacing band rolls
• Operator breaks
• Inspection stops

Revised labour cost per bundle is approximately 0.05 €

Comparison Table: Before and After

Return on Investment Calculation

Machine cost: 5,899 €.
Savings for every 1,000 bundles:

• Previously: 833 € in labour
• Now: 50 € in labour
• Total saving: 783 € per 1,000 bundles

If the facility processes 50,000 bundles annually:

• Yearly saving: 50 × 783 € = 39,150 €

Payback calculation:
5,899 € ÷ 39,150 € ≈ 0.15 years, or around 2–3 months

Even if only half of this saving is achieved, the return on investment is still under six months.

Summary

The ECOBAND-A eliminated production bottlenecks, increased throughput by more than fifteen times, enhanced the quality of the finished product and lessened operator fatigue. The investment was recouped swiftly and brought greater stability to the packaging process.

Testimonial

“Prior to introducing the ECOBAND-A, we struggled to process even 300 bundles per day. Now, we comfortably exceed 4,000, and that is with the machine operating at just sixty percent capacity. Our labour expenses have fallen significantly and the workforce is noticeably less fatigued. This stands out as one of the most effective improvements we have made.”
— Lukas Steiner, Production Manager