Types of Carton Machines play a key role in improving the efficiency, quality, and flexibility of industrial production and distribution processes.
Overview types of Carton Packing Machines
Classification based on the degree of automation
Semi-automatic cartoning machine:
- Characteristics: A combination of manual and automatic operation.
- How it works: The operator puts the barrel into the machine and activates the packaging process.
- The machine will automatically perform the remaining steps.
- Advantages: Lower cost, suitable for small and medium-sized production.
- Cons: Still needs human intervention, the speed is slower than a fully automatic machine.
Fully automatic cartoning machine:
- Characteristics: The whole process is done automatically.
- How it works: The machine automatically folds the barrel, puts the product in, closes and pastes the carton without human intervention.
- Advantages: High speed, large productivity, suitable for large-scale production lines.
- Cons: High initial investment cost, requiring professional maintenance and operation.
Intelligent cartoning machine (with AI integration):
- Feature: Uses artificial intelligence to optimize the packaging process.
- How it works: The machine is capable of self-adjusting parameters, identifying and classifying products, and automatically changing the appropriate carton size.
- Advantages: High flexibility, minimizing errors, optimizing the use of raw materials.
- Cons: The price is very high, requiring expert operation and maintenance.

Classification based on packaging method
Tape carton packing machine:
- Characteristics: Use duct tape to seal the carton.
- How it works: The machine automatically cuts and applies the tape to the edges of the barrel.
- Advantages: Simple, easy to use, suitable for many different types of barrels.
- Cons: The tape needs to be changed frequently, the packaging quality depends on the quality of the tape.
Hot glue carton packing machine:
- Characteristics: Use hot glue to seal the barrel.
- How it works: The melting machine melts the glue and sprays it on the edges of the barrel, then presses it tightly.
- Advantages: High durability, cost-effective in the long run, fast speed.
- Cons: It takes time to warm up the glue, which can cause burns if not careful.
Lock-type cartoning machine:
- Characteristics: Using the special structure of the barrel to lock the edges together.
- How it works: The machine folds and presses the edges of the barrel together to form a natural lock.
- Advantages: No need to use tape or glue, environmentally friendly.
- Cons: Specially designed carton requirements, which may not be suitable for all types of products.
Choosing the right type of cartonizer depends on a variety of factors such as production scale, product type, budget, and speed requirements. Each type of machine has its own advantages and disadvantages, so businesses need to carefully consider to make the investment decision that best suits their needs.
The importance types of carton machines in industry
Carton machines play an extremely important role in industry, especially in the processes of production, storage and transportation of goods. Here are some of the reasons that show the importance of carton machines in industry:
- Increased productivity: Automatic cartoning machines can work faster and more continuously than manual packaging
- Labor Savings: Reduce the need for manual labor, which saves significant labor costs
- Quality Assurance: The machine produces more uniform and sturdy cartons than manual packing
- Safer: Reduce the risk of injury to workers when handling large quantities of cartons
- Raw Material Saving: The machine uses the correct amount of adhesive tape and packaging materials, reducing waste
- Flexible: Adjustable for a variety of tank sizes and types
- Line Integration: Easy to connect to other automated systems in the factory
- Statistics and control: The machine can provide data on the production quantity, which makes the management more efficient

Common Types of Carton Machines
Types of Carton Machines semi-automatic
Detailed Features:
- Size: Usually compact, occupies little floor area, about 1-2m2.
- Capacity: Usually from 300-800 barrels/hour depending on the model.
- Power supply: 220V or 380V, power from 0.5-1.5 kW.
- Packaging Capacity: Suitable for a wide range of carton sizes, from small (15x15x15cm) to large (60x60x60cm).
- Material: Powder coated steel frame, stainless steel or aluminum contact parts.
Detailed Operating Principle:
- Bin Loading: The operator places the pre-folded carton on the inlet conveyor.
- Sensor: An optical sensor detects the presence of a barrel.
- Conveyor belt: The carton is fed into the packing area by the conveyor belt.
- Edge Folding: The folding mechanism automatically folds the top and bottom edges of the barrel.
- Adhesive tape: The tape applicator automatically seals the edge of the barrel, usually using 48mm or 60mm wide tape.
- Pressing the tape: The pressing wheel ensures that the tape adheres firmly to the bin.
- Carton: The closed barrel is ejected from the machine via the output conveyor.
Specific Application:
- Suitable for small workshops, warehouses, retail stores.
- Ideal for products with frequently changing sizes and weights.
- Suitable for small orders, batch production.
Types of Carton Machines automatic
Detailed Features:
- Size: Larger, usually occupies an area of 3-5m2.
- Capacity: From 1000-2000 barrels/hour, depending on model and configuration.
- Power supply: 380V, power from 2-5 kW.
- Packaging Capacity: Handles a wide range of carton sizes, from 20x15x10cm to 65x50x50cm.
- Material: Sturdy steel frame, light alloy moving parts for speed.
Detailed Operating Principle:
- Automatic bin feeding: The automatic bin feeding system takes the bin from the warehouse and puts it into the machine.
- Barrel forming: The forming mechanism expands the barrel from flat to box-shaped.
- Product Stacking: In some models, it is possible to integrate a robotic system to load products into bins.
- Edge folding and tape: Similar to semi-automatic machines but faster and more accurate.
- Quality Inspection: Built-in packaging quality inspection camera system.
- Code printing: A barcode or QR code printing system can be integrated into the bin.
- Cartoning: The high-speed conveyor system takes the cartons to the palletizing area.
Suitable for large manufacturing plants, distribution centers, very ideal for mass production with large and stable quantities. Suitable for industries such as food, beverage, pharmaceutical, electronics.
Types of High Speed Carton Machines

Detailed Features:
- Size: Large, usually part of the production line, occupying an area of 10-20m2.
- Capacity: From 2000-6000 barrels/hour, may be higher depending on the model.
- Power supply: 380V or 480V, power from 10-20 kW.
- Packaging Capacity: Usually specialized for a few specific carton sizes.
- Material: Heavy duty industrial steel frame, moving parts use lightweight and durable composite materials.
Detailed Operating Principle:
- Ultra-fast barrel feeding: Multi-lane barrel feeding system, which can feed multiple barrels at the same time.
- Forming and positioning: Using servo technology to form and position the barrel accurately in an extremely short time.
- Product Stacking: High-speed robot system or specialized palletizing mechanism.
- Fold and glue: Use hot melt technology instead of tape to increase speed.
- Multi-dimensional inspection: High-speed camera system combined with AI for quality inspection.
- Printing and labeling: High-speed inkjet printing system and automatic labeling.
- Sorting and routing: A system that sorts bins by order or destination.
For large-scale manufacturing corporations, national distribution centers. Suitable for the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry, e-commerce with 24/7 production lines with extremely high productivity requirements.
Criteria for choosing suitable types of carton packing machines
Production Scale and Packaging Needs
Number of cartons to be packed daily:
- Less than 500 barrels/day: Semi-automatic machines can be enough.
- 500-2000 barrels/day: Automatic machines should be considered.
- Over 2000 barrels/day: High-speed machines are the optimal choice.
Stability of demand:
- Demand changes a lot: Semi-automatic machines are more flexible.
- Stable, predictable demand: Suitable automatic or high-speed machines.
Product Packing Type:
- Variety of sizes and weights: Semi-automatic or automatic machines are adjustable.
- Uniform product: The most efficient specialized high-speed machine.
Space requirements:
- Limited space: Semi-automatic machines are more compact.
- Large space available: Automatic or high-speed system installation is possible.
Flexibility and customizability
Variety of barrel sizes:
- Wide range of barrel sizes: Choose a machine with quick adjustment, usually a semi-automatic or flexible automatic machine.
- A few fixed sizes: Specialized high-speed machines are more suitable.
Product Change Frequency:
- Frequent changes: Semi-automatic or automatic machines have a short reset time.
- Rarely change: The high-speed machine is optimal for stable production.
Special Customization Requirements:
- Need to print codes, labels: Choose a machine with integrated these functions.
- Special Packaging Requirements: Customized or semi-automatic machines may be needed for more flexibility.
Investment and operating costs Initial investment budget
Drawbacks:
- Semi-automatic machines have the lowest cost.
- Medium: The automatic machine is the balanced choice.
- High: High-speed machines require large investment but deliver high performance.
Operating costs:
- Power consumption: High-speed machines consume the most, semi-automatic machines the least.
- Labor cost: Automatic and high-speed machines greatly reduce labor costs.
Maintenance Cost:
- Simple maintenance: Semi-automatic machines are the easiest to maintain.
- Complex maintenance: High-speed machines require professional technicians.
Expected payback period:
- Short-term (1-2 years): Semi-automatic machines typically have the fastest ROI.
- Medium-term (2-5 years): The machine automatically balances investment and efficiency.
- Long-term (over 5 years): High-speed machines require a longer period of time but offer high efficiency in the long term.
When choosing a carton machine, businesses need to carefully consider all of the above criteria, and at the same time consider their long-term development strategy.
Please contact us immediately to receive professional advice and optimal solutions for your needs.
Contact Information
VIETNAM TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT AND TRANSFER JOINT STOCK COMPANY.
Office: VT09-BT02 – Xa La Urban Area – Ha Dong – Hanoi.
MST: 01 05 158 192
Website: https://vnatech.com.vn
Email: contact@vnatech.com.vn
Hotline: 0903 418 369 / 0977 550 085
ĐT: 024 668 3 261 / 098 311 7863