Large Capacity Coffee Packaging: Match Bulk Packs to Handling and Customer Needs

With Large Capacity Coffee Packaging comes new requirements for the bag to be functional. A heavier filled pack will result in a different carton arrangement and maybe a longer time between opening and emptying – more coffee. Increasing the size of a retail pouch will not solve these needs.

When roasters are providing coffee to cafés, hospitality companies, and wholesale customers, the appropriate pack size should link to the efficiency of production and the amount of coffee used by the customer. The package should also be easily handled during filling, storage, delivery and pouring.

In this guide, we will be detailing how to specify larger flexible coffee packs with Cyan Pak, starting from what a customer can use comfortably, and concluding with an approved delivery configuration.

Select Capacity on the customer's Work Schedule

Let's begin by discussing what is done with the coffee after delivery. A large, busy café grinding all day, vs a small café opening up occasionally and grinding for an hour or so, would have different needs.

Look at the length of time one open pack will last, and then consider the capacity proposed and whether or not this fits that routine. While fewer empty bags are moved if you use a larger bag, if you use less coffee, you may have more left over.

Think about the location of the pack and how staff access the pack. Whether or not a bulk pack is convenient may depend on shelf space, work bench height and the receiving container size.

Inquire from customers on issues of pouring, reclosure and storage problems. These observations will be used to create useful capacity prior to the fixed dimensions and artwork.

Compare Formats that suit a heavier Filled Pack

Cyan Pak's side gusset coffee bags are available for larger volume uses. Their expandable side panels offer space, and keep the coffee in the same packaging format you're used to.

Assess the proposed closure, taking into account the customer's use. You can't necessarily assume that a side gusset configuration will have the same reclosure as a smaller retail pouch.

Cyan Pak's quad seal pouches are another pertinent option for projects that require more defined edges and shape. They have reinforced vertical edges to make them sturdy, and the final specification, at the intended fill weight, remains to be assessed.

Compare samples with same coffee and delivery. Check handling, pouring, carton fit and appearance upon transport. Select the format to suit the application, do not necessarily assume that additional structure automatically addresses all bulk packaging needs.

Always Check Dimensions with the Actual Coffee.

The size of bags is not determined by the fill weight. Various coffees may require different space, and working space is required for dosing and sealing the pack.

Draw a consensus on the measurements of width, height, and gusset. Ask for a drawing and compare usable opening, seal area and foot print to operation.

Test the highest intended dose of representative product. Ensure that the fill can settle without operators having to move beans away from the seal each time. In the case of ground coffee, check the coffee movement and cleanliness around the closure.

Check the bag when staff lift/pour. What can nicely fit on the filling bench might not fit on the customer's grinder. Do not associate the successful size with a generic size indication of the capacity, but size it to the actual coffee and fill weight.

Define Strength throughout Full Supply Pack

The heavier the bag to be filled, and the more it will be used, the heavier the construction that is required. Examine the structure, thickness, film seals and vulnerable areas together rather than demand additional thickness.

Write a description of the way the order travels. Packs can be subjected to varying sequences of movement and pressure depending on the type of van delivery used or whether delivery is by distributor.In local van delivery, and with longer freight routes, packs may be subjected to different combinations of movement and pressure.

Check the pouch in the box that it will be placed in. Determine if the configuration causes sharp bends, excessive pressure on the parts, or excessive bag movement. Protection is provided by the outer carton and the in carton set up.

Accept suitable handling & transport checks for the application. Transfer of results from smaller bag to larger bag without review. Record the combination tested so that the pouch approved will not be subsequently used with an incompatible shipping combination.

Write protection and degassing plans for Supplied Coffee

However, the larger the capacity, the less need to define coffee protection. Before choosing the product structure, discuss the product, packing time, distribution conditions and expected storage time.

Ask for information on the proposed film that relates to oxygen and moisture barrier. Verify the circumstances surrounding the numbers and how the performance of finished-packs will be assessed.

Cyan Pak is the supplier of coffee degassing valve options for compatible packaging constructions. Talk about the need for the valve for freshly roasted coffee, its appropriateness and its location on the larger coffee bag.

In fact, don't presume that a valve fitting for a smaller pack is necessarily suitable, or that a larger pack necessarily needs multiple valves. Check with the supplier to verify the configuration. The valve, barrier construction and seals should cooperate, with the actual conditions of the coffee and filler.

Adjust Supply Format for Packing Process

Coffee can be supplied in large capacity packaging in the form of pre-made bags or achieved by forming appropriate film during the packaging process. The specific route(s) will depend upon the equipment and operating plan.

Cyan Pak's rolls of coffee packing film are applicable for automated forming and packing applications. Always verify the roll specification against the machine, proposed pack size and material selected.

With ready-to-go bags, inspect how the pouch is supported and kept open by the operators/equipment for filling. The heavier filled pack should be able to flow and not be moved in an improvised manner through weighing, sealing and cartoning.

Analyse the suggested production cycle with a representative product. Make notes of appropriate settings and frequent disruptions. The aim is rather to have a pack which yields a consistent acceptable output and which is practical downstream than to approve capacity separately from the pack.

Review and approve delivery and reordering information as a group.

Cyan Pak's coffee packaging samples are available to help with initial format and material comparisons. Establish if the samples provided are indicative of the proposed style, build and materials of the larger size.

Work out those differences prior to final approval. A small sample can show a surface or zipper, but doesn't show how the larger filled bag will behave.

Verify the number of bags per carton, filled carton weight, orientation and identification. Provide distributors or food-service customers with extra information they may require to identify products without opening all of the cartons.

Make delivered & use comparisons of buying costs. Labour for packing, freight, damaged stock, customer handling, and material price all are important. Keep the agreed bag reference and carton arrangement so that reorders are ordered as per the agreed specification.

Conclusion

Large Capacity Coffee Packaging must be dimensioned as close to actual consumption and tested as an entire handling system. Ensure we match the bag format to the fill weight, make sure of the protection and degassing and look at the packed carton. Provide Cyan Pak with your requirements and customer habits, equipment and delivery details and they'll create a targeted bulk packaging specification.

FAQs

Q1. What is considered to be large capacity coffee container?

The term varies, depending on the application. Specify the desired fill weight and use by the customer instead of using a bulk-size description that isn't defined.

Q2. Will the biggest bag available necessarily be more cost effective?

No. Take a look at packaging and delivery expenses as well as coffee turnover, handling and waste. If you're a slower consumer, you might prefer a smaller pack.

Q3. Is it simply a matter of making the film thicker to make the bag heavier?

Not automatically. Examine all the structure, seals, size and shipping, and confirm the suggested combination.

Q4. Do valves always have to increase as the coffee bag becomes larger?

No. The choice of valve used is dependent upon the coffee and packaging application. Check for an appropriate set-up rather than adding valves based on bag weight.

Q5. Is it possible to approve a bulk bag based on a small sample?

Selected features are exemplified by a small sample. Test larger format samples that represent the order for filling, handling and delivery performance.