Carton sealing & erecting
Carton sealing machine, carton erector and tape machine range, Whittaker Packaging Solutions
A carton sealing machine closes the top (and usually the bottom) of a filled carton with plastic or water-activated paper tape. A carton erector takes a flat-pack blank and folds, squares and tape-seals the bottom so the box is ready to fill. Whittaker Packaging Solutions supplies both, plus standalone water-activated tape machines for hand-pack stations in e-commerce and 3PL operations.
Get in touch
Book a free on-site validation visit
Carton lines are usually too complex to spec by phone. Book a free on-site validation visit and we'll measure access, check power and air, review your case profile, and quote a unit that suits the line, not a generic recommendation.
Send us your details
Tell us about your application and we'll come back to you with a useful steer.
The range
Carton machines we supply
Powdercoated semi-automatic carton sealers and a fully automatic carton erector, built to last on Australian floors. Tell us your carton sizes and throughput and we'll match the right unit.
For the right operation, carton sealing and erecting is the quickest-payback place to automate. A carton erector replaces an operator doing nothing but folding boxes. An automatic sealer replaces another running tape down a seam.
We specify carton equipment for case dimension range and throughput. Random-case-size machines exist, but they cost real money.
If 80 percent of your cases sit inside one dimension band, you don't need a random-case machine, and we'll tell you.
Why WPS
Why buy carton sealing equipment from Whittaker Packaging Solutions
Most carton sealer enquiries get over-spec'd at the quote stage: a random-case-size auto-adjust sealer when the operation runs three SKUs in three case sizes and a uniform-case-size unit costing far less would have done the job for ten years.
We'll ask what case sizes you actually run and how often they change, then quote the unit that fits, not the one that maxes out the budget.
Water-activated tape is different. WAT beats plastic tape on outer-carton presentation, tamper evidence and recyclability, and the machines that dispense it well are worth the upgrade for any e-commerce or DTC operation where the carton is part of the brand experience.
The range
The carton + tape range
Specifications
Carton equipment specifications, plain English first
Four things drive the decision: throughput (hand-sealing tops out at 4-6 cartons/min sustained, semi-auto runs 15-20, automatic in-line handles 25-plus), case size range (uniform-case-size machines are simpler and cheaper when 80 percent of cases sit in one band; random-case-size machines self-adjust for 3PL and mixed-SKU lines), tape type (BOPP plastic for general work, water-activated paper tape for premium presentation and tamper evidence), and erect vs seal vs both.
| Operation profile | Typical recommendation |
|---|---|
| Hand-pack, under 4 cartons/min, mixed sizes | Water-activated tape dispenser at the pack station |
| 4-15 cartons/min, uniform size | Semi-automatic top-and-bottom sealer |
| 15-plus cartons/min, uniform size | Fully automatic in-line sealer |
| 15-plus cartons/min, frequent size changes | Random-case-size automatic sealer |
| Above 100 cartons/hour erected | Carton erector at line start |
Choosing the right carton sealer or erector
Before we quote we'll ask cartons per minute and per shift, case dimension range, number of SKUs and how often case size changes, tape type and presentation requirement, whether the carton needs erecting or sealing or both, floor space and line layout, and power and air availability (most automatics need compressed air).
If it's tight on any of those, we'll book a free on-site validation visit first. Wrong-spec carton equipment is painful to live with: it sits in the middle of a line and slows everything around it.
Service and support, where it counts
We provide full service, preventative maintenance and breakdown support for carton sealers, erectors and tape machines across South East Queensland, Toowoomba and Melbourne / VIC. Typical breakdown response is 24-48 hours during business hours, especially in our key service hubs. We service most quality competitor carton machines, so if you've inherited a sealer or erector from a previous fit-out, send us the make and model.
Preventative maintenance matters a lot for carton equipment. Belts, drive chains, tape head tension, photo-eyes and squaring arms all drift over time. A six-monthly PM visit usually keeps a carton sealer running well for a decade.
FAQs
Common questions
A carton sealing machine closes the top and bottom of a filled carton with tape, removing the manual tape-gun step. Semi-automatic units sit on the floor and the operator pushes the carton through. Automatic units are integrated into a conveyor and seal cartons as they pass.
Keep reading