Case Erector and Case Sealer Selection: RFP and Acceptance Tests for Thai Factories

“At the end of the line, people fold flat corrugated blanks into boxes by hand and seal the bottom and top with OPP tape. We can’t hire enough people, some of them hurt their backs, and we have even had complaints from logistics because the tape was crooked.” We often hear this from production engineering managers and plant managers at Japanese factories in Thailand. That is when case erector selection, together with case sealer selection, comes onto the agenda.

Here is the conclusion up front. What decides whether a case erector and case sealer succeed is not the rated speed in the catalog. It is whether the machine can keep producing square boxes without stopping when running your own corrugated board (the number of box sizes, the board quality, and humidity), and how well it hands off to the downstream case packing, checkweigher, labeling and palletizer. Selection comes down to five decisions, in this order: (1) a box inventory, (2) the sealing method, (3) board quality and storage, (4) the connection to upstream and downstream processes, and (5) safety and maintenance.

Note that all headcounts, labor costs, initial costs, annual costs and payback periods in this article are this article’s own estimates and assumed placeholder values based on the model factory described later. They are neither industry averages nor survey data, and they are not manufacturer prices. Please read them as a “calculation template” to be replaced with your own measured values and quotations.

Why case erector and case sealer selection matters now for factories in Thailand

The processes that cannot attract workers stop first

Erecting and sealing boxes at the end of the line looks like simple work, but it is actually a process where staffing is hard. Workers stand, pull up a flat blank, fold the bottom flaps, run the tape, lift the box and pass it on, and they repeat this for an entire shift. It involves a lot of bending forward and lifting boxes, which makes back injuries likely. When someone quits, the line runs short of boxes and stops that day. No matter how fast the upstream filling or packaging is, you cannot ship if the final box is not ready in time.

Assume that the minimum wage “differs by region”

Thailand’s minimum wage is set by region under Wage Committee Notification No. 14 (effective July 1, 2025), the notification we were able to confirm at the time of writing. The daily rate of 400 baht applies to Bangkok, Chachoengsao, Chonburi, Phuket, Rayong, Koh Samui District in Surat Thani, and some other areas. Looking at regions with many Japanese factories, Samut Prakan, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Samut Sakhon and Nakhon Pathom are at 372 baht, while Ayutthaya, Saraburi, Prachinburi, Khon Kaen and others are at 357 baht. Chonburi and Rayong, home to the industrial estates of the Eastern Seaboard, fall into the highest category of 400 baht.

However, the number to use when thinking about automation payback is not the minimum wage itself. It is the actual annual cost per person, including social security, allowances, bonuses, overtime, and recruitment and training costs. The calculation later in this article also uses an assumed annual labor cost rather than the minimum wage.

Sealing quality leads directly to logistics complaints

With manual sealing, the tape can drift left or right, wrinkle, or peel off because the tape ends are too short. If the side walls of a box are not square, the corners do not line up when the boxes are stacked on a pallet, which can cause load collapse and crushed boxes. Case erector manufacturer Lantech states in its own materials that “boxes with uneven sides lose 30% of their stacking strength,” but it does not cite the research behind this. It is reasonable to treat the figure as a manufacturer’s claim and take away only the idea that “square boxes matter for stacking and for downstream processes.”

What are case erectors and case sealers: how they work and the main types

The figure above shows the flow at the end of the line from left to right. Flat corrugated blanks enter the case erector, are pulled from the magazine one at a time, opened into a box shape, have their bottom flaps folded, and have the bottom sealed. The finished box receives product at the case packing station, has its top sealed by the case sealer, passes through the checkweigher and label application, and is stacked on a pallet by the palletizer. A case erector is “a machine that makes empty boxes,” and a case sealer is “a machine that closes boxes that already contain product.” There are also models that combine both functions in one machine, and integrated systems that include case packing as well.

The most common box: FEFCO 0201 (RSC, regular slotted container)

Most corrugated boxes used at the end of a line are of the style called FEFCO 0201, or RSC (Regular Slotted Container) in English. According to Fibre Box Association materials, in an RSC all flaps are the same length, and the outer flaps (usually on the long sides) are half the width of the box, so they meet at the center of the box when folded. It produces little waste in manufacturing and is described as the most common box style.

FEFCO codes are an international system, created by the European Federation of Corrugated Board Manufacturers (FEFCO) and the European solid board organization (ESBO), that uses codes to represent the shapes of corrugated boxes. The code book says these codes can be used in purchase orders and specifications. Codes beginning with 02 are “slotted-type” boxes, which are delivered flat and closed with flaps.

FEFCO codes help in case erector selection for two reasons. The first is that they keep the box style from being ambiguous in conversations with vendors. If you write “FEFCO 0201” instead of “an ordinary corrugated box,” even an overseas manufacturer will picture the same style. The second is that the way to state dimensions is defined. In the FEFCO code book, unless otherwise specified, dimensions are inside dimensions (mm), given in the order length (L) × width (B) × height (H). L is the longer side of the opening, B is the shorter side, and H is the distance from the top of the opening to the bottom. On the other hand, some equipment manufacturers state the range of boxes they can handle in outside dimensions. In your RFP, always require vendors to state clearly whether figures are “inside or outside dimensions.”

For each box style, the code book also shows “M” for boxes normally erected by hand, “A” for boxes normally erected automatically, “M/A” for either, and “M+A” for boxes that need a combination of both. This is positioned as reference information based on current practice. Checking this marking when you list your own box styles gives you an idea of whether a box is easy to automate.

There are four sealing methods

The FEFCO code book lists glue (cold or hot melt), tape, interlocking, and stitching (metal staples) as closure methods, used alone or in combination. It also states that “correct and secure closure is as important as the construction of the box itself.” Tape and hot melt are the most common on case erectors and case sealers.

How an automatic case erector works

Details differ between manufacturers, but the basic flow of an automatic case erector is the same. A 2005 brochure from Combi Packaging Systems explains that flat case blanks stand upright in the magazine, are picked one at a time by vacuum cups, opened into a box shape by a squaring arm, have the rear inner flap folded 90 degrees, and are then carried by two belts through a tape head that seals the bottom with 2-inch-wide pressure-sensitive tape.

Lantech’s leaflet (Rev. 2016) explains that a pickup frame pulls the box from the magazine and opens it square, folds the flaps while holding the box still to lock in the square shape, and then a pusher bar parallel to the rear wall feeds the box into spring-loaded side belts that absorb width variation. The blank is held by eight vacuum suction cups. The same document also says that “thin corrugated board, changes in temperature and humidity, and variation in case blanks” cause boxes that are not square and cause machine jams. In other words, the manufacturer itself acknowledges that the condition of the board affects machine stability. This point connects directly to the section on board quality later and to the design of acceptance tests.

Case erector selection points: box types, magazine, forming method, and how to read speed

Start with a box inventory: the number of sizes and changeover frequency determine the machine type

Case erector selection must not start with collecting machine catalogs. The first step is an inventory of the boxes used across all SKUs. For each box, list the FEFCO code, inside dimensions (L × B × H), flute type, single or double wall, the board supplier, monthly usage, and which line it is used on.

This list tells you two things. The first is how many box types a single case erector needs to handle. It is common, for example, for one line to use only two box types while another line switches among eight types day by day. The second is changeover frequency. How many times you change sizes per day determines whether tool-free manual changeover is enough or whether you need automatic changeover.

Check the handling range: box style, flute and dimensions

Every case erector has a range of boxes it can handle. For example, Lantech’s 2016-revision leaflet for the C-300 lists its supported box styles as RSC and HSC (FEFCO 0201 and 0200), flutes as B, C and E, single wall and double wall, and outside dimensions from a minimum of 200 × 150 × 150 mm to a maximum of 500 × 350 × 600 mm. If even one box in your list falls outside this range, that box either stays manual or requires a different machine. “Most of our boxes fit” means the same thing as “some boxes will remain manual.”

Magazine capacity and refilling effort

A case erector has a magazine that holds the flat blanks. According to the manufacturers, Lantech’s C-1000 has a magazine of about 200 blanks, and Siat’s (Maillis Group) F44, F144 and F344 have a 150-blank magazine. The magazine capacity and the erecting speed determine how often, in minutes, someone needs to come and refill it. If the refill interval is short, you end up stationing a person next to the machine anyway. The working posture for refilling (how high the bundle of blanks must be lifted) is also worth checking as a back-injury countermeasure.

Read speed as “manufacturer-stated” together with the model name

Case erector speed is usually given in cases per minute (CPM). The manufacturer-stated figures for the main models are shown below. All come from the manufacturers’ own materials, are not third-party verified, and do not mean that the same speed will be achieved with your boxes.

Siat’s figures are given per hour. Dividing simply by 60 to convert to per minute gives 8 boxes/min for the F44, about 11.7 boxes/min for the F144, and about 18.3 boxes/min for the F344 (a simple conversion made for this article).

The important point is not to choose a machine by these speeds, for three reasons. First, the rated speed is a “maximum” and changes with box dimensions and board condition. Siat states clearly in its catalog that it “varies with box size.” Second, the capacity of the whole line is set by its slowest process. Even if the case erector can make 20 boxes per minute, if the downstream case packing handles 8 boxes per minute, the line runs at 8 boxes per minute. Third, the number of stops affects capacity more. If a 10-boxes-per-minute machine stops once an hour and takes 5 minutes to recover, its actual output in that hour is about 550 boxes, nearly 10% below the calculated 600 boxes.

A realistic approach is to set the required case erector capacity as “the maximum downstream capacity plus a small margin for catching up right after a restart,” and then to confirm in acceptance testing “how many times it stops per 1,000 boxes with your own board.” For reference, Lantech states on its product page that “an average operator manually erects about 3 cases per minute,” but it does not show the supporting data. Read this as an equipment manufacturer’s guideline, and use your own measured values when calculating headcount reduction.

Forming method: vacuum and mechanical case opening

Machines also differ in how they open the box. Many models pull out and open the blank with vacuum suction cups, but the manufacturer explains that Wexxar’s WF20 and WF30 use a mechanical case-opening method called “Pin & Dome.” Which method suits your board cannot be judged from a catalog. The only way is to run several lots of your own boxes in acceptance testing and see.

Case sealer comparison: random vs uniform, drive type, tape width, and tape vs hot melt

Random and uniform case sealers

There are two broad types of case sealer. According to a technical article from packaging machine manufacturer Eastey, uniform (fixed-size) sealers are common for “operations that run the same box size,” while random sealers suit “lines where box sizes change within a single production run.” A random sealer automatically adjusts to the height and width of each incoming box.

The choice is determined by the box inventory described earlier. If one line runs a single box type for long periods, a uniform sealer is sufficient. Where boxes from several lines merge, or where boxes of different dimensions are mixed on the same line, a random sealer becomes a candidate. However, because a random sealer measures and adjusts to each box, it has more mechanisms. Rather than choosing “random, just in case,” check against your list whether boxes really are mixed before deciding.

Drive type: bottom belt, side belt, top and bottom belt

There are also different belt positions for moving the box. According to the same technical article, bottom-belt drive suits filled boxes whose contents support the box, side-belt drive has advantages with large, light or loosely filled boxes, and top-and-bottom-belt drive, with four belts in total above and below, suits tall, narrow and heavier boxes. A product whose contents are light so the top of the box dents easily, and a heavy product whose box bottom sags, call for different drive types.

Manufacturer-stated figures for case sealers

Case sealer speeds should also be read as manufacturer-stated figures. The 3M-Matic 800r is a semi-automatic random case sealer that adjusts automatically to box height and width, sealing top and bottom at the same time at up to 20 cases/min (as stated in the 2015 datasheet; the manufacturer notes that these are “typical values and should not be used for specification purposes”). Shirai’s IL-703 automatic case sealer has a manufacturer-stated maximum of 25 cases/min and tape widths of 38 to 50 mm (60 to 75 mm as an option).

Tape width

On the main models, around 2 inches (about 48 mm) is the standard tape width, and several manufacturers offer wider widths as options. 3M-Matic offers 2-inch tape heads as standard on the 800r and 3-inch tape heads on the 800r3; Combi’s 2005 brochure lists 3-inch and 6-inch tape heads as options; and Siat’s case erectors use a 50 mm tape unit. Heavy or large boxes may need wider tape, so decide this together with your list of box weights and dimensions.

Tape vs hot melt: both sides of the argument come from vendors

Whether to seal with tape or hot melt is a frequent debate. However, most published comparisons are claims by manufacturers selling one side’s equipment or materials. Here are both side by side.

ITW Dynatec manufactures hot melt equipment and Graco manufactures adhesive dispensing equipment, but Graco’s material describes the advantages of both. Lantech also publishes a calculator comparing hot melt and tape that displays a payback period as its result, but the assumed case counts and unit prices are not disclosed on the page.

In the end, which is better depends on your own conditions. Many claims say hot melt has the edge if you choose on material cost and fewer stops, while tape tends to be chosen if you put more weight on safety and training effort, a large number of box sizes, or sealing requirements set by logistics partners or customers. Customers or logistics companies sometimes specify the sealing method, so check that requirement first and work backward from it. In addition, in March 2026 Siat announced the “EZ-Box Glue,” a new hot melt sealing model with a built-in 8-liter hot melt unit (the announcement gives no speed figure). The choice of hot melt-capable machines is still growing.

Corrugated board quality and humidity: ECT, BCT, warp and storage

The figure above shows the control flow from receiving corrugated board to issuing it to the case erector. When board arrives at the factory, it is inspected on receipt, stored first-in, first-out in a designated storage area, and only the amount needed is issued to the line. During high-humidity periods, pay particular attention to the storage location and storage duration. The figure contains no numbers; it shows the order of control steps.

ECT and BCT: what each test measures

Two indicators are commonly used for corrugated board strength. According to an explanation by testing machine manufacturer ZwickRoell, the box compression test (BCT), which crushes the box itself from above, is defined in ISO 12048 and TAPPI T804, while the edge crush test (ECT), which looks at the strength of the board material itself, is defined in ISO 3037 and TAPPI T811. ISO 12048 defines both compression and stacking test formats, while TAPPI T804 defines only the compression test and is used mainly in North America. ASTM D642 (current version D642-25) is another box compression test, and ASTM states that it meets the requirements of ISO 12048.

When you specify strength in an RFP or a board purchasing specification, always state which test standard the value is based on. Values with the same name cannot be compared if they come from different standards.

Corrugated board weakens as humidity rises

Corrugated board is paper, so it softens when it absorbs moisture. A technical note (April 2018, updated May 2019) by Dr. Roman E. Popil of the Georgia Institute of Technology’s Renewable Bioproducts Institute presents a first-order approximation, based on the relationship between moisture content and compression strength of unbleached kraft liner, that “a 10-point change in relative humidity changes compression strength (SCT) by about 10%, and therefore ECT and BCT by about 10% as well.” The same note says that the BCT loss factor table published by the Fibre Box Association shows a 32% BCT loss at 80% relative humidity, while Dr. Popil’s formula gives about 27%, and that the two are broadly consistent. However, it also states clearly that generalizing to multi-ply board requires experimental confirmation and that new additives could change the relationship.

According to the Thai Meteorological Department’s climate normals (1991 to 2020), relative humidity at the Bangkok station averages 73% over the year, with the highest monthly average of 79% in September and the lowest of 66% in December. The average daily maximum humidity is 87% for the year and 92% in September.

The caution here is that you cannot multiply these two together and conclude that “corrugated board in Thai factories becomes X% weaker.” The technical note is a first-order approximation based on US materials, and humidity in a factory warehouse also differs from outdoor humidity. What can be said goes only this far: “Bangkok is humid all year and even more so in the rainy season. As humidity rises, board moves in the direction of becoming weaker. Therefore, you should confirm in acceptance testing whether the case erector stops with board from the high-humidity period.”

Warp and blank variation

Loss of strength is not the only problem for a case erector. Board that has absorbed moisture warps more easily, which causes double picks and missed picks when blanks are pulled from the magazine one at a time. If the scores (fold lines) vary from box to box, the flaps do not fold at the intended angle and the box does not come out square. The “thin corrugated board, changes in temperature and humidity, and variation in blanks” cited in Lantech’s leaflet describe exactly this phenomenon.

Decide storage and issuing rules first

Countermeasures start on the operations side, not the machine side. On receipt, check that the board matches the purchasing specification (strength such as ECT, dimensions, warp). In the warehouse, do not place it directly on the floor, use first-in, first-out, and do not keep it too long. Issue only the amount needed to the line, and do not stack several days’ worth beside the line. Shorten storage periods during the high-humidity season. Setting rules like these before installing a case erector also makes acceptance test results more stable.

Connecting upstream and downstream: handoff to case packing, checkweigher, labeling and palletizer

Case erectors and case sealers do not operate on their own. Case packing sits between the case erector and the case sealer, and the checkweigher, label applicator and palletizer are connected downstream of the case sealer. In end-of-line automation, what usually stops is not the machines themselves but the spaces between them. This idea is covered in detail in our articles on case packing automation robots and packaging line automation.

From case erector to case packing

Empty boxes made by the case erector are carried by conveyor to the packing position. Decisions to make here include how many boxes to accumulate (the buffer), how to set box orientation and position, and whether packing is done by people or by a robot. If a robot packs the boxes, variation in box position and squareness turns directly into packing failures. Our conveyor design article is a useful reference for designing merges and accumulation.

From case sealer to inspection, labeling and palletizer

After sealing, boxes pass through a checkweigher that confirms weight and a label applicator that labels the box, and are then stacked on pallets by the palletizer. If the sealing tape sticks out or the box is distorted, the label position may shift or the palletizer’s gripper may fail to grasp the box properly. Selection of each machine is covered in our articles on checkweigher selection, automatic label applicator selection, and palletizer selection.

Behavior when downstream jams or boxes run out

The most important part of the connection design is behavior during abnormal conditions. Where does the case erector stop if downstream jams? What happens to a partially formed box inside the machine when it stops? When the magazine runs empty, who is notified, and how does the machine restart after refilling? Define these as signal specifications (PLC I/O or communication) and write them into the RFP. If you place the order without deciding them, after installation you end up operating so that “every time it stops, a person removes the half-formed box and resets the machine,” and you keep a person there for that purpose.

Cost and ROI: phased implementation seen through a model calculation

The figure above compares, with horizontal bars, the payback periods of the three cases for model factory P explained below. Case sealer only (S) is about 1.8 years; both case erector and case sealer with an actual reduction of 8 people (F1) is about 3.9 years; and the same investment with a reduction of only 4 people (F2) is about 9.2 years.

All numbers from here on are this article’s own estimates and assumed placeholder values. They are neither industry averages, survey data nor manufacturer prices.

Common assumptions (model factory P)

• A Japanese food and household-goods factory in eastern Thailand (Chonburi Province). It has two packaging lines where box erecting and sealing at the end of the line are done by hand, running two shifts
• Current staffing is 3 people per line per shift: 2 for erecting and 1 for sealing. 2 lines × 2 shifts × 3 people = 12 people
• Labor cost is provisionally set at THB 180,000 per person per year. This is an assumed value that adds social security, allowances, bonuses and so on to the minimum wage; it is not the minimum wage itself

Two approaches are compared.

• Approach S (automate only case sealing; erecting stays manual): the sealing staff are no longer needed, reducing 2 lines × 2 shifts × 1 person = 4 people. Initial cost THB 1,200,000 (for two lines, assumed to include installation and conveyor modification); annual cost THB 60,000 (maintenance and consumable parts)
• Approach F (automate both case erecting and case sealing): of the 12 people, 1 person per line per shift (4 in total) is kept for refilling and monitoring, reducing 8 people. Initial cost THB 4,800,000 (for two lines, assumed to include guarding, installation and signal connections); annual cost THB 200,000

For approach F, we add one more case: one where people are still needed for size changeovers and box jams, so that in practice only 4 people could be reduced (F2).

Calculation

Annual net is calculated as “annual benefit minus annual cost,” and payback as “initial cost divided by annual net.”

Takeaway 1: look only at the “increment” from automating case erecting

Let us isolate just the increment when expanding from approach S to approach F. The additional initial cost is 4,800,000 – 1,200,000 = 3,600,000. The additional reduction is the difference between F1’s 8 people and S’s 4 people, i.e. 4 people, worth 4 × 180,000 = 720,000. The additional annual cost is 200,000 – 60,000 = 140,000, so the additional annual net is 720,000 – 140,000 = 580,000. The payback is 3,600,000 ÷ 580,000, or about 6.2 years.

In other words, automating case sealing pays back quickly, while automating case erecting takes longer to pay back. And the payback on case erecting changes greatly depending on “whether there are few box types,” “whether board quality is stable,” and “whether the people freed up can really be moved to other processes.” The difference between F1 and F2 shows this. With the same investment, simply going from 8 people reduced to 4 extends the payback from about 3.9 years to about 9.2 years.

Takeaway 2: do not double-count

The F1 and F2 figures already include the 4 sealing staff reduced in S. Do not add S and F together, as in “S gives 660,000 a year, F1 gives 1,240,000 a year, so 1,900,000 a year in total.” The two are mutually exclusive: if you choose approach F, you do not choose approach S.

Also, count the reduction not as “the number of people who should no longer be needed once the machine is installed,” but as “the number of people who were actually reassigned or not replaced.” If a person is still standing next to the machine, that person’s labor cost has not gone down.

Takeaway 3: some benefits are not included

This calculation does not include, as monetary amounts, fewer back injuries and occupational accidents, or fewer logistics complaints thanks to better sealing quality. This does not mean these benefits do not exist; converting them into money requires separate evidence (such as your own occupational accident records, or the number of complaints and their handling costs). If you include them, add them as a separate line with the evidence stated.

Takeaway 4: phased implementation tends to be the rational choice

With model factory P’s numbers, a “phased implementation” that installs case sealers first, then moves on to case erectors after putting the box inventory and board quality control in order, looks rational. However, this applies only to the assumed numbers. The conclusion can change completely depending on labor cost, box types, number of lines, number of shifts and machine quotations. Please redo the calculation with your own numbers.

12 items to include in a case erector and case sealer RFP

An RFP (request for proposal) is a document that tells vendors “what you want them to build.” For case erectors and case sealers, we recommend including at least the following 12 items. For how to proceed when ordering a dedicated machine or a whole line, see also our article on special-purpose machine procurement.

Standards to list under safety

Under safety, listing the standards that form the basis of machinery safety makes the conversation with vendors more concrete.

• ISO 12100:2010: general principles for the design of machinery safety; the basic standard for risk assessment and risk reduction
• ISO 13849-1:2023 (4th edition): methodology for the design and integration of safety-related parts of control systems (including software design)
• IEC 60204-1 (the current consolidated version is Edition 6.1, 2021): electrical equipment of machines
• ISO 14119:2024: principles for the design and selection of interlocking devices associated with guards, including guidance on measures to minimize defeating of interlocks
• ISO 14120:2015: general requirements for the design and construction of fixed and movable guards (interlocking devices are covered by ISO 14119)
• EN 415-10:2014: general requirements for packaging machines; used together with machine-specific parts to form requirements for particular machine types
• ANSI/PMMI B155.1-2023: the US safety standard for packaging and processing machinery. The 2023 revision added clarification of the responsibilities of suppliers, users, modifiers and buyers of used machinery, as well as requirements on remote operation and full-body access, among others

Care is needed with the European machine-specific packaging standards. For EN 415-7, which covers group and secondary packaging machines, the current published version is EN 415-7:2006+A1:2008, and the British Standards Institution (BSI) lists it as under review. A revision is being developed as a draft (FprEN 415-7) titled “Cartoning and case packing machines.” However, whether case erectors are explicitly included in the scope of this standard cannot be confirmed without reading the standard text. In the RFP, the safe approach is to list it as a “potentially relevant standard” and confirm whether it applies through the manufacturer’s declaration of conformity. Note also that EN 415-3 is a standard for machines such as form, fill and seal machines, not for case erectors.

Validation of safety functions and what to keep as evidence at acceptance are covered in detail in our article on safety PLC implementation.

What to check in case erector and case sealer FAT/SAT

FAT (factory acceptance test) is carried out at the vendor’s factory, and SAT (site acceptance test) at your own factory. Using the same procedure and the same record format in both lets you compare the results. The indicators and target examples below are placeholder examples for this article, not standard values.

The board used for testing

The most important thing is the board used for testing. Even if you test with clean board prepared by the vendor, there is no guarantee you will get the same result in your factory. For testing, supply the vendor with board from the lots you actually use. If possible, include board from several board manufacturers, board stored for different lengths of time, and board stored during the high-humidity period. Then record the lots of boxes used in FAT and in SAT.

Items to evaluate

Stops are normalized “per 1,000 boxes” so that results can be compared even when the number of test boxes differs. For example, if you run 500 boxes per size and the machine stops once, that is 2 stops per 1,000 boxes.

Compressed air consumption affects how much spare capacity your factory compressors have. For how to think about pneumatic equipment, see also our air cylinder selection article.

Put a high-humidity recheck into the contract

SAT can end up being completed in the dry season. To confirm the effect of Thailand’s high humidity, you need a rainy-season recheck after start-up. For example, agree in the contract to “record the number of stops for one week in the rainy season and compare it with the FAT and SAT results.” Discussing in advance what you will work out with the vendor if performance has worsened helps avoid disputes.

Issues specific to Thailand and ASEAN

1. High humidity and board storage

As noted earlier, relative humidity in Bangkok averages 73% over the year and 79% in September. Decide where board is kept before it goes from the warehouse to the line, how many days it may be kept there, and how first-in, first-out will be maintained. Keeping several days’ worth of board stacked beside the line extends the time it has to absorb moisture.

2. Multiple board suppliers

In factories that buy board from several manufacturers, the scoring and the tendency to warp can differ from one manufacturer to another. Differences that do not matter with manual work will stop a case erector. Write strength values with test standards and dimensional tolerances into the purchasing specification and check them in receiving inspection, and include board from every supplier in the case erector acceptance tests. Combine these two measures.

3. The ministerial regulation on machinery safety (B.E. 2564)

In Thailand, the “Ministerial Regulation Prescribing Standards for the Administration and Management of Occupational Safety, Health and Environment in Relation to Machinery, Cranes and Boilers B.E. 2564 (2021),” issued under the Occupational Safety, Health and Environment Act, was published in the Royal Gazette on August 6, 2021 and took effect 90 days after publication. Points that may be relevant to introducing case erectors and case sealers include the following.

• Assembly, installation, testing, use, repair, maintenance and inspection of machinery must follow the manufacturer’s specifications and operating manual. The specifications and operating manual must be in Thai or in a language that workers can learn and act on
• During installation, repair and inspection, signs must be posted, a mechanism must be in place to keep the machine from operating, and “do not switch on” tags or signs must be hung on the switches
• Automatic machines require on and off color markings in line with international standards, and protection that prevents foreign objects from striking the switch and starting the machine
• Power transmission parts such as shafts, belts and pulleys require covers or grilles that fully enclose the rotating parts
• Walkways to machine work areas must be at least 80 cm wide
• Fences, enclosures or marked lines must be provided around danger zones
• Conveyor systems are listed among the items subject to annual inspection

For imported machines, this gives grounds for including delivery of a Thai-language operating manual in the RFP. Check walkway width using a layout that includes the case erector, the magazine refilling route, and the board storage area. However, which provisions apply to your machines and how they are currently applied in practice should be confirmed individually with the competent authorities or experts.

4. Minimum wage and labor

Under the regional categories of Notification No. 14, the daily minimum wage ranges from 400 baht down to 337 baht. Even within the same company, a factory in Chonburi and a factory in Ayutthaya have different minimum wages (400 baht and 357 baht). For the labor cost used in payback calculations, use that factory’s actual annual labor cost instead of the minimum wage. Whether there will be a revision in 2026 could not be confirmed at the time of writing, so check the latest notification at the time of planning.

5. BOI measures for improving production efficiency

The Thailand Board of Investment (BOI) has “measures for improving production efficiency” that cover machinery upgrades and automation in existing businesses. According to BOI materials, existing businesses are eligible whether or not they already hold BOI promotion, provided the improvement investment exceeds 1 million baht (more than 500,000 baht for SMEs, excluding land and working capital). The incentives are exemption from import duty on machinery and a 3-year corporate income tax exemption on revenue from the existing business (capped at 50% of the improvement investment, or 100% if domestically made automation machinery accounts for more than 30%). For SMEs, the corporate income tax exemption is 5 years and capped at 100%, with registration with the Office of Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion (OSMEP) as a prerequisite. The project must be completed within 3 years and must achieve indicators such as a reduction in direct cost per unit or an improvement in yield, and any existing corporate income tax exemption must have ended (or never have been granted). The measures have been in effect since January 3, 2023.

Approach F for model factory P (THB 4,800,000) exceeds the investment threshold on paper, but whether it would be eligible also depends on the other conditions. Please confirm the latest conditions and whether you can apply with the BOI.

6. Rolling out to sites in Vietnam

If you roll out the same approach to a site in Vietnam, the labor cost assumptions change. According to news reports and law firm commentary, Vietnam’s regional minimum wages under Decree 293/2025/ND-CP, from January 1, 2026, are VND 5,310,000 per month in Region I, VND 4,730,000 in Region II, VND 4,140,000 in Region III and VND 3,700,000 in Region IV (an average increase of 7.2%). Even with the same machines in the same numbers as in Thailand, a different labor cost means a different payback period. Board suppliers and storage environments also differ from site to site, so carry out acceptance tests at each site with that site’s own board.

90-day plan: where to start

What matters in the first 30 days is measuring the current numbers: how many people spend how many hours on erecting and sealing, how many times the line stopped because boxes were not ready in time, and how many boxes had to be reworked because of sealing defects. Without these, both the payback calculation and the capacity figures in the RFP remain placeholders. If you are reviewing end-of-line processes including print and label quality, see also our barcode verifier article.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Which should we automate first, the case erector or the case sealer?

It depends on the factory, but in this article’s model calculation, a phased implementation that installs the case sealer first tended to come out as the rational choice. This is because the calculation set the initial cost of the case sealer relatively low, so it paid back quickly. A case erector pays back faster when there are few box types, the board quality is stable, and the people freed up can be moved to other processes. The calculation figures are placeholders, so please redo the calculation with your own labor costs and quotations.

How should we choose between random and uniform case sealers?

If one line runs boxes of the same size for long periods, a uniform sealer is a candidate; if boxes of different dimensions are mixed within a single production run, a random sealer is a candidate. Use your box inventory to confirm whether boxes really are mixed before deciding.

Is tape or hot melt better for case sealing?

There is no single answer. Vendors on each side claim that hot melt offers lower material cost and fewer stops, while tape involves less safety and training effort and suits high-mix, low-volume production more easily. Work backward from the sealing requirements of customers and logistics partners, the number of box sizes, and your safety and training setup.

How should we estimate case erector speed (cases per minute)?

Catalog speeds are manufacturer-stated maximums and change with box dimensions and board condition. Set the required capacity from the maximum downstream capacity, and confirm in acceptance testing the number of stops per 1,000 boxes with your own board. The number of stops affects actual output more than differences in rated speed.

Will a case erector stop if corrugated board softens in Thailand’s high humidity?

It can be a cause of stops. A case erector manufacturer itself states that changes in temperature and humidity and variation in blanks cause boxes that are not square and cause jams. However, how often it stops varies with the board and storage conditions, so run acceptance tests with your own board stored during the high-humidity period, and put a rainy-season recheck into the contract.

What should we check in a case erector and case sealer RFP and acceptance tests (FAT/SAT)?

The RFP should cover 12 items: the box list and FEFCO codes, capacity and downstream capacity, sealing method, board specification, changeover time, magazine, signals, safety, Thai-language manuals, consumable parts, FAT/SAT criteria, and warranty. In acceptance testing, run all sizes continuously with your own board and confirm the number of stops, squareness, sealing quality, changeover time, behavior under abnormal conditions, and safety. For points related to Thai ministerial regulations, please confirm individually with the competent authorities or experts.

Summary

• The success of a case erector and case sealer is decided not by rated speed but by whether it can keep making square boxes without stopping when running your own board, and by the handoff to downstream processes
• Make selection decisions in this order: box inventory, sealing method, board quality and storage, connection to upstream and downstream processes, and safety and maintenance
• Always read speeds as manufacturer-stated figures, and set the required capacity from downstream
• Both sides of the tape vs hot melt comparison are vendor claims. Work backward from customer and logistics requirements and your own setup
• In humid Thailand, set board storage rules first, use multiple lots of your own board in acceptance tests, and put a rainy-season recheck into the contract
• In the model calculation (placeholder values), case sealer only pays back in about 1.8 years, expanding to case erectors gives about 3.9 years, and if only half as many people are actually reduced, about 9.2 years. Phased implementation tends to be the rational choice, but redo the calculation with your own numbers

You are welcome to contact us even at an early stage, such as taking a box inventory, measuring current labor hours and stops, or drafting an RFP and acceptance criteria. If you are considering automating box erecting and sealing at the end of the line in a factory in Thailand, we can work with you starting from sorting out where to begin, so please feel free to reach out through our contact page.

References

• Fibre Box Association, Box Styles Basics (hosted by IoPP): https://www.iopp.org/files/Fibrebox_Association_Box-Styles_Basics.pdf
• FEFCO / ESBO, International Fibreboard Case Code (11th Edition): https://www.fefco.org/sites/default/files/documents/FEFCO_Codes_of_Designs.pdf
• Combi Packaging Systems, 2-EZ brochure (2005): https://cdn.sigmaequipment.com/files/attachment/Combi_2-EZ_HS__2-EZ_SB_Brochure.pdf
• Lantech, Case Erector C-Standard Leaflet (Rev. 2016): https://www.lantech.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Lantech-Case-Erector-C-Standard-Leaflet-English-0423.pdf
• Lantech, C-1000: https://www.lantech.com/product/c1000/
• Lantech, C-300: https://www.lantech.com/product/c300/
• Lantech, Hot melt vs tape calculator: https://www.lantech.com/hotmelt-vs-tape-calculator-1
• Wexxar, WF20: https://www.wexxar.com/products/fully-automatic-case-former-case-erector-wf20/
• Wexxar, WF30: https://www.wexxar.com/products/fully-automatic-case-former-case-erector-wf30/
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• Shirai, IL-703 automatic case sealer: https://pr.mono.ipros.com/shirai/product/detail/2001557833/
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• IEC Webstore, IEC 60204-1:2016+AMD1:2021 CSV: https://webstore.iec.ch/en/publication/71256
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• Thai Ministry of Labour, Ministerial Regulation on Machinery, Cranes and Boilers Safety B.E. 2564 (copy of the Royal Gazette, hosted by Chulalongkorn University SHECU): https://www.shecu.chula.ac.th/data/boards/728/กฎกระทรวง%20มาตรฐานบริหารจัดการ%20เครื่องจักร%20ปั้นจั่น%202564.PDF
• Enviliance, English summary of the same regulation: https://enviliance.com/regions/southeast-asia/th/report_4310
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