End-of-Line Automation: Case Packing and Cartoning
The unglamorous stage that quietly decides your line's true output.
By PPI Technologies Group · · 7 min read
Key Takeaways
- Cartoning places product into folding cartons; case packing loads primary packs into shipping cases
- Wrap-around, top-load, and side-load case packers suit different products and case styles
- End-of-line is labor-intensive when manual — and a common hidden bottleneck
- Automation improves pack consistency, throughput, and ergonomics
- Integration with upstream and palletizing is what makes the whole line flow
The stage everyone underestimates
Plenty of plants invest heavily in a fast primary packaging machine, then hand-pack the output into cases at the end. That manual end-of-line caps the real throughput of the whole line and ties up labor in repetitive, injury-prone work. Automating cartoning and case packing often unlocks capacity you already paid for upstream.
Know your machine types
The end-of-line lineup:
- Cartoners — erect and load folding cartons (horizontal or vertical), often for retail-ready primary packs
- Case erectors — form and bottom-seal shipping cases from knocked-down blanks
- Wrap-around case packers — wrap a flat blank tightly around grouped product; strong and material-efficient
- Top-load case packers — place product down into a pre-formed case; flexible for mixed and delicate items
- Tray formers — build display and shipping trays for club-store and retail-ready formats
Match the packer to the product and case
Wrap-around shines for uniform, sturdy products and tight, efficient cases. Top-load is the flexible generalist for varied or delicate items and odd case patterns. The right answer depends on your product, case style, and pack pattern — not on which is 'better' in the abstract.
Real scenario: pouches into cases
A line running stand-up pouches hand-packed cases at the end, requiring several operators and capping throughput. A wrap-around case packer integrated with the existing line removed the bottleneck, redeployed labor, and improved case consistency for the retailer — without touching the primary machine.
Bottom line
Don't let a manual end-of-line throttle a fast front-of-line. Match the cartoner or case packer to your product, case style, and pattern, and integrate it cleanly with upstream and palletizing so the whole line flows as one system.
Equipment for this topic
Machines and brands we supply that apply to what you just read.
- RKZ-18NG — RADPAK · Case Packing: Latest-generation wrap-around case packer with compact dimensions, vacuum conveyor, and diagnostic computer — up to 25 cases per minute.
- SGE Robotic Case Packer — SGE Robotica · Case Packing: Robotic case packer with vision-guided pick-and-place for flexible, high-speed packing of rigid and flexible products into cases and cartons.
- RGH-100 — RADPAK · Case Packing: Side-load case packer for American box (RSC) format — PLC control (Allen Bradley / Siemens / Schneider), FEFCO 0201 four-flap carton forming, self-adhesive tape sealing, up to 6 cases per minute.
- RKH-06C — RADPAK · Cartoning: Continuous-motion horizontal cartoner for small cartons 30–100 mm wide — RADPAK's fastest side-loading model, at up to 180 cartons a minute.
Browse the full line-up
- RADPAK Machines — VFFS & End of Line
- SGE Robotica — End-of-Line Robotic Solutions
- End-of-Line Automation — All 30 machines
Buyer's guides: Case Packers · Cartoning Machines
Frequently Asked Questions
What is end-of-line packaging?
The final stages — case packing or cartoning, palletizing, and stretch wrapping — that prepare product for shipping.
What's the difference between wrap-around, RSC, and tray case packers?
They form different case styles: wrap-around wraps a blank around the product, RSC loads regular slotted cartons, and tray packers use trays with or without shrink film.
Can case packing be automated and integrated?
Yes. Case packers integrate with cartoners and palletizers for a continuous, automated end-of-line.
Keep reading
- Robotic vs Cobot Palletizing: Which Fits Your Line? — Maximum throughput or compact flexibility — choosing the right palletizing approach.
- OEE for Packaging Lines: Measuring What Matters — Availability times performance times quality — the one number that exposes hidden losses.