Packaging for every product

There are plenty of options available for protecting products during transit.Tom Wetsch, global vice president of new product development at Pregis, outlines some of the solutions

Every manufacturer wants to ensure that its products arrive at their destination in the same condition as when they left.

The wide variety of protective packaging alternatives means that, for almost every product, there is a solution available.

Products that need to be wrapped may require bubble or air cushioning. These feature rows or cells of 'bubbles'with trapped air locked between layers of low-, linear-low density or co-extruded polyethylene film. These materials provide shock and vibration protection, interleaving and surface protection.

Resilient and flexible, the material can be tailored to the needs of a huge range of products, from delicate lightweight objects such as ceramics and housewares to bulkier and heavier glassware and electronic components, for which bubble packaging with anti-static properties is available.

Alternatively, the main requirement may be to provide void fill in order to create effective blocking and bracing, where inflatable bags and air pillows or crumpled paper are some of the options.

Inflatable bags and air pillows offer the lightest weight void-fill option and are usually created on demand at packaging stations and then inserted into a box. The deflated rolls of air-pillow film take up less than 1% of the inflated volume, which enables manufacturers to maximise truck and warehouse space. Air pillows will provide protection and keep in place a wide range of products. They come in a variety of widths and perforation dimensions.

Another flexible protective packaging solution is EPS (Expanded Polystyrene) which comes in the form of moulded end caps, blocks, sheets or loose-fill void-fill commonly referred to as 'peanuts'. Benefits include light weight, low cost and there is potential for re-use.

Padded mailers are also an important protective packaging option, shipping everything from books to parts. Plastic based alternatives, which are lightweight and waterproof, are normally made from polyethylene and can include a bubble inner layer. 'All paper' padded mailers create their additional protection with macerated paper between the inner and outer layers.

Custom fabricated foam, foam-in-place, honeycomb structures and moulded pulp are suitable protective formats for large, unusual or awkward shaped products and can be tailored to fit their precise dimensions.

Foam structures are made from polypropylene or polyethylene in a wide variety of densities and thicknesses. Clean and nonabrasive, sheet or plank form offers shock absorption, vibration dampening and cushioning to provide case inserts, end caps and bottom and top cushioning for anything from electronics to household accessories.

Foam-in-place polyurethane is moulded in real time by mixing two liquid chemicals contained in a thin, low-density polyethylene bag. The mixture expands rapidly around the product being protected, providing a solution tailored to its precise dimensions.

Hexagonal honeycomb structures are one of the most frequently used paper-based protective packaging forms.Made from 100% kraft paper (linerboard) and water-based adhesives, honeycomb structures are available in sheets, edge and corner protectors, runners, blocks and pallets, and offer excellent strength, cushioning and blocking/bracing functions.

Moulded pulp protection solutions are made from a combination of recycled newspapers and corrugated, and can be moulded into a variety of shapes to meet specific applications.

An area that has seen much recent activity has been the incorporation of environmental considerations into protective packaging solutions. Paper has always enjoyed a strong environmental profile and many paper-based options include a recycled content and are recyclable; equally some bubble products now incorporate industrial or postconsumer waste while air-pillow film can be made of bio-degradable materials. Other considerations, such as the overall weight or dimensions of the pack and how these impact on transport costs and overall carbon footprint, are equally important.

With so much choice available, talking to a protective packaging specialist is important.

By fully understanding the particular needs of each application, the supplier can suggest a format that delivers the correct amount of protection without using excessive material and is able to fully withstand the rigours of the product's distribution chain.

Such dialogue is also vital in the development and enhancement of products to meet changing market needs and to ensure that all protective packaging solutions continue to provide the maximum balance of protection and cost-effectiveness.