A choice of packaging machinery includes technical capabilities, labor requirements, worker safety, maintainability, serviceability, reliability, ability to integrate into the packaging line, capital cost, floorspace, flexibility (change-over, materials, etc.), energy usage, quality of outgoing packages, qualifications (for food, phamaceuticals, etc.), throughput, efficiency, productivity, ergonomics, etc.
Packaging machines may be of the following general types:
- Blister, Skin and Vacuum Packaging Machines
- Capping, Over-Capping, Lidding, Closing, Seaming and Sealing Machines
- Cartoning machines
- Case and Tray Forming, Packing, Unpacking, Closing and Sealing Machines
- Check weighing machines
- Cleaning, Sterilizing, Cooling and Drying Machines
- Conveying, Accumulating and Related Machines
- Feeding, Orienting, Placing and Related Machines
- Filling Machines: handling liquid and powdered products
- Package Filling and Closing Machines
- Form, Fill and Seal Machines
- Inspecting, Detecting and Checkweighing Machines
- Palletizing, Depalletizing, Pallet Unitizing and Related Machines
- Product Identification: labelling, marking, etc.
- Wrapping Machines
- Converting Machines
- Other speciality machinery
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_packaging
