Find the visible problem
Jams and stoppages in packaging production
Trace the first loss of control instead of repeatedly clearing the final jam. Start with measured evidence, identify the first loss of control and then use the relevant answer for your product, pack or process.
197specific questions
10production areas
5core diagnostic checks
1measurable result: jam-free product flow
Start with these checks
Find the first point where control is lost; the visible pile-up is often downstream of the real cause.
- Film the event from the side and above in slow motion
- Mark the first item that moves differently from the rest
- Measure the product and pack extremes, not just one sample
- Check transfers, guides, sensors and contact surfaces
- Run at low speed and increase only after the fault point is stable
Common underlying causes
- Dimensional variation or an unstable product orientation
- Guides, transfers, chutes or tooling not matching the full range
- Speed mismatch creating collisions, pressure or gaps
- Contamination, wear or damaged packaging at a contact point
How to use this section
Open the production area below, then choose the question that matches the product, pack or operation. Record the result of each check before changing another setting.
Choose the closest production area
Search these answers →197 answers about jams and stoppages
Liquid filling 15 answers
Troubleshoot thin, foamy, viscous, carbonated, corrosive and flammable product filling.
Why do nozzles or valves block when filling thin free-flowing liquids?Why do nozzles or valves block when filling foamy liquids?Why do nozzles or valves block when filling viscous liquids?Why do nozzles or valves block when filling carbonated drinks?Why do nozzles or valves block when filling hot-fill liquids?Why do nozzles or valves block when filling chilled liquids?Why do nozzles or valves block when filling edible oils?Why do nozzles or valves block when filling syrups?Why do nozzles or valves block when filling sauces and dressings?Why do nozzles or valves block when filling creams and lotions?Why do nozzles or valves block when filling gels?Why do nozzles or valves block when filling liquid suspensions?Why do nozzles or valves block when filling corrosive chemicals?Why do nozzles or valves block when filling flammable liquids?Why do nozzles or valves block when filling solvent-based products?
Powder and piece filling 18 answers
Solve variable weights, dust, bridging, segregation, breakage and hopper-feeding problems.
Why does fine powders bridge, block or stop feeding?Why does dusty powders bridge, block or stop feeding?Why does cohesive powders bridge, block or stop feeding?Why does free-flowing powders bridge, block or stop feeding?Why does flour bridge, block or stop feeding?Why does spices and seasonings bridge, block or stop feeding?Why does protein powder bridge, block or stop feeding?Why does milk powder bridge, block or stop feeding?Why does sugar bridge, block or stop feeding?Why does salt bridge, block or stop feeding?Why does ground coffee bridge, block or stop feeding?Why does seeds and grains bridge, block or stop feeding?Why does pet food pieces bridge, block or stop feeding?Why does granules bridge, block or stop feeding?Why does tablets and capsules bridge, block or stop feeding?Why does snack pieces bridge, block or stop feeding?Why does fragile food pieces bridge, block or stop feeding?Why does mixed-size pieces bridge, block or stop feeding?
Pack formats 22 answers
Find answers for bottles, jars, tubs, cans, pouches, bags, cartons, cases, trays and tubes.
Why does round bottles jam, tip or rotate on the line?Why does square bottles jam, tip or rotate on the line?Why does oval bottles jam, tip or rotate on the line?Why does glass bottles jam, tip or rotate on the line?Why does PET bottles jam, tip or rotate on the line?Why does HDPE bottles jam, tip or rotate on the line?Why does jars jam, tip or rotate on the line?Why does tubs jam, tip or rotate on the line?Why does jerrycans jam, tip or rotate on the line?Why does metal cans jam, tip or rotate on the line?Why does vials jam, tip or rotate on the line?Why does premade pouches jam, tip or rotate on the line?Why does sachets jam, tip or rotate on the line?Why does doypacks jam, tip or rotate on the line?Why does spouted pouches jam, tip or rotate on the line?Why does open-mouth bags jam, tip or rotate on the line?Why does folding cartons jam, tip or rotate on the line?Why does corrugated cases jam, tip or rotate on the line?Why does trays jam, tip or rotate on the line?Why does tubes jam, tip or rotate on the line?Why does bottle rinsing before filling jam, tip or rotate on the line?Why does returnable bottle washing jam, tip or rotate on the line?
Capping and closures 18 answers
Diagnose leakage, cross-threading, variable torque, cap damage and closure-feeding faults.
Why do screw caps jam in the feeder or capper?Why do pump caps jam in the feeder or capper?Why do trigger sprays jam in the feeder or capper?Why do flip-top caps jam in the feeder or capper?Why do disc-top caps jam in the feeder or capper?Why do twist-off jar lids jam in the feeder or capper?Why do vacuum jar lids jam in the feeder or capper?Why do ROPP caps jam in the feeder or capper?Why do T-corks jam in the feeder or capper?Why do press-on caps jam in the feeder or capper?Why do snap caps jam in the feeder or capper?Why do child-resistant caps jam in the feeder or capper?Why do tamper-evident caps jam in the feeder or capper?Why do aluminium screw caps jam in the feeder or capper?Why do sports caps jam in the feeder or capper?Why do dropper caps jam in the feeder or capper?Why do stoppers jam in the feeder or capper?Why do bungs jam in the feeder or capper?
Labels and coding 18 answers
Resolve skew, wrinkles, bubbles, poor adhesion, unreadable codes and variable-data errors.
Why do round-bottle labels cause web breaks, jams or missed applications?Why do front and back labels cause web breaks, jams or missed applications?Why do full wrap labels cause web breaks, jams or missed applications?Why do tapered-container labels cause web breaks, jams or missed applications?Why do clear labels cause web breaks, jams or missed applications?Why do small labels cause web breaks, jams or missed applications?Why do large labels cause web breaks, jams or missed applications?Why do top labels cause web breaks, jams or missed applications?Why do base labels cause web breaks, jams or missed applications?Why do pouch labels cause web breaks, jams or missed applications?Why do carton labels cause web breaks, jams or missed applications?Why do shrink sleeves cause web breaks, jams or missed applications?Why do tamper-evident neck bands cause web breaks, jams or missed applications?Why do batch codes cause web breaks, jams or missed applications?Why do date codes cause web breaks, jams or missed applications?Why do barcodes cause web breaks, jams or missed applications?Why do QR codes cause web breaks, jams or missed applications?Why do shipping labels cause web breaks, jams or missed applications?
Flexible packaging 14 answers
Solve pouch opening, dosing, film tracking, contamination and seal-quality problems.
Why do pouches or film jam during premade pouch filling?Why do pouches or film jam during sachet filling?Why do pouches or film jam during vertical form-fill-seal bags?Why do pouches or film jam during flow-wrapped packs?Why do pouches or film jam during pillow bags?Why do pouches or film jam during quad-seal bags?Why do pouches or film jam during stick packs?Why do pouches or film jam during stand-up pouches?Why do pouches or film jam during spouted pouch filling?Why do pouches or film jam during vacuum pouches?Why do pouches or film jam during zipper pouches?Why do pouches or film jam during gusseted bags?Why do pouches or film jam during shrink film?Why do pouches or film jam during sleeve film?
End of line 13 answers
Improve cartoning, case sealing, shrink wrapping, case packing and dispatch inspection.
Why do products or materials jam during case taping?Why do products or materials jam during cartoning?Why do products or materials jam during shrink wrapping?Why do products or materials jam during sleeve wrapping?Why do products or materials jam during L-sealing?Why do products or materials jam during case packing?Why do products or materials jam during tray packing?Why do products or materials jam during pallet wrapping?Why do products or materials jam during print-and-apply labelling?Why do products or materials jam during checkweighing?Why do products or materials jam during metal detection?Why do products or materials jam during dispatch packing?Why do products or materials jam during induction foil sealing?
Automation and conveyors 19 answers
Solve tipping, back-pressure, transfer, feeding, accumulation and line-integration problems.
Why does lightweight bottles jam, tip or build pressure?Why does tall unstable bottles jam, tip or build pressure?Why does glass containers jam, tip or build pressure?Why does flexible pouches on conveyors jam, tip or build pressure?Why does cartons and cases on conveyors jam, tip or build pressure?Why does small components jam, tip or build pressure?Why does caps and closures jam, tip or build pressure?Why does pumps and trigger closures jam, tip or build pressure?Why does mixed products on one line jam, tip or build pressure?Why does fragile products on conveyors jam, tip or build pressure?Why does wet containers jam, tip or build pressure?Why does sticky products and packs jam, tip or build pressure?Why does high-speed packaging lines jam, tip or build pressure?Why does multi-format packaging lines jam, tip or build pressure?Why does manual-to-automatic production jam, tip or build pressure?Why does complete filling and packing lines jam, tip or build pressure?Why does component bowl feeding jam, tip or build pressure?Why does production line accumulation jam, tip or build pressure?Why does automatic bottle unscrambling jam, tip or build pressure?
Industries 40 answers
Customer-focused answers for food, drink, health, chemical, industrial, packing and logistics operations.
How do I find and remove bottlenecks in bottled water production?How do I find and remove bottlenecks in soft drink production?How do I find and remove bottlenecks in brewery packaging?How do I find and remove bottlenecks in cider production?How do I find and remove bottlenecks in wine bottling?How do I find and remove bottlenecks in spirits and distillery packaging?How do I find and remove bottlenecks in dairy production?How do I find and remove bottlenecks in plant-based drink production?How do I find and remove bottlenecks in sauce and condiment production?How do I find and remove bottlenecks in honey and preserve production?How do I find and remove bottlenecks in edible oil production?How do I find and remove bottlenecks in bakery ingredient production?How do I find and remove bottlenecks in snack and confectionery production?How do I find and remove bottlenecks in coffee and tea packaging?How do I find and remove bottlenecks in spice and seasoning production?How do I find and remove bottlenecks in pet food production?How do I find and remove bottlenecks in seed and grain packing?How do I find and remove bottlenecks in cosmetics manufacturing?How do I find and remove bottlenecks in skincare production?How do I find and remove bottlenecks in personal care production?How do I find and remove bottlenecks in pharmaceutical packaging?How do I find and remove bottlenecks in medical device packing?How do I find and remove bottlenecks in nutraceutical production?How do I find and remove bottlenecks in fragrance production?How do I find and remove bottlenecks in household cleaning production?How do I find and remove bottlenecks in industrial chemical packing?How do I find and remove bottlenecks in agrochemical production?How do I find and remove bottlenecks in paint and coating production?How do I find and remove bottlenecks in adhesive and sealant production?How do I find and remove bottlenecks in lubricant and automotive fluid production?How do I find and remove bottlenecks in construction powder packing?How do I find and remove bottlenecks in laboratory and technical liquid packing?How do I find and remove bottlenecks in contract packing?How do I find and remove bottlenecks in e-commerce fulfilment?How do I find and remove bottlenecks in warehouse dispatch?How do I find and remove bottlenecks in general component assembly?How do I find and remove bottlenecks in hardware and fixings packing?How do I find and remove bottlenecks in wet wipe and hygiene product packing?How do I find and remove bottlenecks in returnable bottle operations?How do I find and remove bottlenecks in recyclable packaging conversion?
Planning and improvement 20 answers
Measure and improve production performance, safety, validation, maintenance, sustainability and investment decisions.
What commonly causes poor line speed?What commonly causes poor format changeovers?What commonly causes poor planned maintenance?What commonly causes poor production downtime?What commonly causes poor product giveaway?What commonly causes poor packaging waste?What commonly causes poor operator workload?What commonly causes poor overall equipment effectiveness?What commonly causes poor machine safety?What commonly causes poor hygienic design?What commonly causes poor production traceability?What commonly causes poor process validation?What commonly causes poor ATEX and hazardous areas?What commonly causes poor sustainable packaging changes?What commonly causes poor second-hand machinery?What commonly causes poor critical spare parts?What commonly causes poor utility planning?What commonly causes poor factory acceptance testing?What commonly causes poor site acceptance testing?What commonly causes poor return on automation investment?
Common search questions
Questions customers also ask
Open a question for a concise answer, then use the detailed guide above for the full production checks.
How should I use the Jams and stoppages in packaging production page?
Trace the first loss of control instead of repeatedly clearing the final jam.
What information should I collect before comparing equipment for Jams and stoppages in packaging production?
Collect representative product and packaging samples, dimensions, format range, current and required good output, measurable tolerances, utilities, site layout and cleaning requirements.
Why should I test the hardest product or pack first for Jams and stoppages in packaging production?
The most difficult product, smallest dose, largest pack or least stable container normally exposes limitations that an easy sample can hide.
How should I compare two machinery routes for Jams and stoppages in packaging production?
Compare sustained good output, quality, changeover, cleaning, operator work, utilities, maintenance and the acceptance test—not only catalogue speed and purchase price.
When should I ask for a sample trial for Jams and stoppages in packaging production?
Ask for a representative trial before committing when product flow, foam, dust, particles, seals, labels, closures or pack stability could materially affect the result.