What kinds of manufacturing lines do you work on?

Any of them. We work with manufacturers of any size and any industry — food, consumer products, industrial, you name it. If you've got a line, we can look at it.

Do you only do new automation, or do you support existing equipment?

Both. A lot of our work is fixing, maintaining, and getting more out of equipment that's already on your floor — not just selling you something new. If your current setup can be improved without a full overhaul, that's usually where we start.

What is your service area?

Northern Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Southern Maine.

How fast can you get to us in an emergency?

We handle emergency troubleshooting and repair — mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, and hydraulic — and we respond fast when a line is down. Reach out and we'll get you a real timeframe based on where you're located and what's going on.

How does pricing work — project-based, hourly, retainer?

Initial consults and sales calls are free. Engineering and design work is billed at $175/hr, troubleshooting and repair at $150/hr, and travel at $125/hr. Equipment, materials, and consumables are quoted separately based on the job.

Do you offer preventive maintenance programs?

We can, but it's not the core of what we do — we're primarily an on-call resource for when your in-house team is stuck or stretched thin. Scheduled maintenance is available in special cases if that's a better fit for your operation.

What consumables do you supply, and can you match what we currently use?

Labels, tapes, and shrink films, primarily through Decker Tape Products. That covers everything from basic box-sealing tape to hazard labels, pallet protection, and specialty security tape. We can match your current specs or help you source the right product for a new application. Reordering works either on-call or on a subscription schedule.

Can you work around our production schedule so we don't lose runtime?

Yes — that's part of what we plan for during the design phase. We work with you to figure out timing, floor space, and personnel needs before anything gets installed, and phase in bigger changes so you're not stuck shutting the whole line down at once.

What does a typical project look like from first call to running line?

It starts with a site visit — we walk the floor, look at your current process, production speeds, and where you're headed. From there we usually flag quick wins before getting into bigger design work. Once we agree on goals, we move into sourcing equipment, coordinating with vendors, and building anything custom that's needed. Then it's delivery, installation, commissioning, and training your team on the new setup.

Do you build custom machines, or only install off-the-shelf equipment?

Both. We'll always look for the simplest off-the-shelf solution first. But when nothing off-the-shelf solves the problem, we design and build custom equipment to fit.

How long does a custom build take?

It depends. Off-the-shelf integrations tend to move fast. Custom builds involve some R&D, and that part is genuinely variable — some go smoothly, others take a few iterations to get the process right. We'll be upfront with you about where a project stands and won't promise a fixed timeline we can't back up.

What if our product needs to stay "handmade" or keep a certain identity?

We build that into the design requirements from the start. If part of what makes your product special has to stay done by hand, we figure out exactly what that means — what has to stay manual and what can be automated — before we design anything.

Do you help with factory layout, not just individual machines?

Yes — we design the flow of product through your facility, from raw goods coming in to finished product ready to ship. That includes organizing maintenance tool rooms and repair part storage, not just the production line itself.

We're short-staffed and can't find enough help — can automation actually solve that?

Often, yes. A lot of our projects start exactly there — a client can't find enough people to run a manual process, and automating it frees up the staff they do have for higher-value work.

What if we just want to get more out of the equipment we already have?

That's a common starting point. Sometimes it's a simple flow fix — for example, moving product straight from where it's made into packaging instead of dropping it into a bin that then has to be re-sorted. Small changes like that can meaningfully increase throughput without buying new equipment.

Do you require a deposit or commitment before starting design work?

Yes — once we've done the initial site visit and identified quick wins and design goals, we need a financial commitment to move into detailed design, sourcing, and custom build work.

What size manufacturer do you typically work with?

Our sweet spot is 10 to 250 line employees, but we work with smaller shops that are growth-minded and larger operations too — even if they've got some in-house capability already.

Who typically reaches out to you — do we need to already know exactly what we need?

Not at all. We hear from CEOs, plant managers, operations managers, maintenance managers, and sometimes safety or HR staff dealing with an ergonomic or hazard issue. You don't need a fully scoped project — a lot of engagements start with 'something's not working right' or 'we think there's a better way to do this.'

Will bringing in automation mean cutting jobs?

Not necessarily — a lot of our projects are about freeing up staff for higher-value work, not replacing them, especially for manufacturers who are already struggling to find enough labor. Worth talking through your specific situation so we can be straight with you about what a project would actually mean for your team.

How do we know this will actually pay off?

Fair question, and not one we'll dodge. We can walk through the numbers with you — current costs, expected efficiency gains, and a realistic timeline — before you commit to anything. The initial consult is free specifically so you can get real answers before spending anything.

How to Choose Packaging Consumables That Won't Jam Your Line

Name: AutoIC LLC
Telephone: 603-748-6216
Price range: $$

Ken deAlmeida

7/14/20263 min read

a man riding a skateboard down the side of a ramp

It's an easy category to overlook. Labels, tape, and film feel like commodity items — cheap, interchangeable, not worth much thought. Then a case sealer jams for the third time in a shift, or a label starts peeling off in transit, and suddenly the "boring" consumables decision is costing you real production time and real money. The right consumables are genuinely part of your line's reliability, not just an afterthought after the equipment is chosen.

Here's what actually matters when you're selecting them.

Match the consumable to your equipment, not just your product

The most common mistake is choosing tape, labels, or film based only on what looks right for the product, without checking whether it actually runs cleanly through your specific equipment. A label that works fine applied by hand might jam constantly in an automatic labeler if the adhesive, backing, or dimensions aren't matched to that machine's tolerances. Before switching or selecting a consumable, it's worth confirming compatibility with the actual equipment it'll run through — not just assuming "tape is tape."

Consider your environment, not just your product

Temperature, humidity, and handling conditions all affect how a consumable performs. A standard label might work fine in a climate-controlled facility but fail in a refrigerated or high-humidity environment. Products that ship internationally, get refrigerated, or go through rough handling all have different real requirements than what sits on a shelf in a mild environment. It's worth being specific about your actual conditions — refrigerated, frozen, high-humidity, outdoor exposure — rather than assuming a general-purpose product will hold up.

Don't underestimate adhesion requirements

Adhesive strength isn't one-size-fits-all. A permanent, high-tack adhesive makes sense for a shipping label that needs to survive transit. A removable or repositionable adhesive is the right call somewhere else — for example, temporary handling instructions or labels that need clean removal without damaging packaging underneath. Using the wrong adhesive type in either direction causes real problems: labels that won't stay on, or labels that are impossible to remove cleanly when they need to come off.

Think about what the label or tape actually needs to communicate — and to whom

Fragile, hazard, temperature-sensitive, and handling instruction labels all serve a specific communication purpose, often for someone outside your own facility (a carrier, a customer, a regulator). Getting these right isn't just about looking professional — mislabeled hazardous materials, missing handling instructions, or unclear fragile markings can create real liability and compliance issues, not just packaging problems. If your products have any regulatory requirements (DOT, hazard communication, etc.), that should drive the label selection, not just general appearance.

Test before you commit to volume

It's tempting to order a large volume of a new consumable to get better pricing, especially on tape and labels where the cost per unit drops significantly at scale. Resist that until you've actually run it through your equipment at production speed. A consumable that looks right and even seems to apply fine at low speed can behave completely differently once your line is running at full pace. A small test run costs little compared to the cost of a large order that jams your equipment or fails in the field.

Have a plan for reordering before you run out

Running out of a critical consumable mid-shift is its own kind of unplanned downtime — the line can't ship product without a label or a sealed case, even if every machine is running perfectly. Whether you prefer reordering as-needed or on a set schedule, having a clear system (rather than "someone will notice when we're low") avoids a completely avoidable stoppage.

Work with a supplier who can actually match specs, not just sell a catalog

Not every consumables supplier can tell you whether a specific label or tape will run cleanly through your specific equipment, or advise on adhesive type, temperature range, and material for your actual application. A supplier who can match products to your real specs — not just take an order off a catalog page — saves you the trial-and-error of finding out the hard way what does or doesn't work on your line.

The bottom line

Packaging consumables are a small line item on a budget and a surprisingly large factor in day-to-day line reliability. A little attention here — matching the product to your equipment, your environment, and your actual requirements — prevents a category of small, annoying downtime that's completely avoidable.

Not sure if your current consumables are the right fit for your equipment? Check out our FAQ page or get in touch — we can help match labels, tape, and film to your specific line.

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ken@autoicllc.com

603-748-6216