What’s New in Packaging Solutions
With Americans spending as much as $26 billion on holiday gifts online in the past two months, an increase of 18 percent from 2004, according to Jupiter Research, chances are good you’ve just shipped a record number of packages.
As you begin to assess how well you weathered the holiday rush, consider how your customers received your products. Did all your packages arrive in one piece? How many returns were due to damaged merchandise?
Following are new products and services that can help keep your packages safe and your fulfillment center in top form.
Foam Packaging Delivered at Room Temperature
Instapak Quick® RT, the newest addition to Sealed Air’s foam packaging line, provides users with a custom-fit packaging material that doesn’t require a warmer as traditional Instapak Quick® packaging does.
Instapak Quick® RT bags can be used at room temperature without additional equipment, because the foam packaging is activated by breaking a seal within each bag that separates two liquid components. Before the foam resulting from the mixing of the two liquids begins to expand, the bag is placed into the shipping container, where it forms a custom-fit, protective cushion around the product to be shipped. For more, visit www.sealedair.com.
Overhead Cushion Delivery
Sealed Air Corp.’s Mechanical Overhead Delivery System (MODUS™) delivers inflatable cushions from Sealed Air’s Fill-Air® inflatable packaging system into overhead bins. One of these packaging material delivery systems can support multiple packaging stations.
Ergonomically designed to promote operator convenience and comfort, the overhead bins are placed directly over the packager, reducing excess stretching, twisting or turning. Each bin is equipped with an auto-replenishment sensor that helps maintain the pre-determined amount of cushions for each workstation. For more, visit www.sealedair.com.
Cushion Delivery Without the Storage Problems
PILLOW PAK’R, the new air cushion delivery system from FP International, eliminates the need to store and transport bubble material in your warehouse. With the ability to create 24-inch-wide bubble material on demand, the PILLOW PAK’R machine delivers up to 72 linear feet of material per minute.
Each roll of PILLOW PAK film makes two, 1,000-square-foot bundles of inflated cushioning material and is perforated at 6-inch intervals. An optional foot pedal or film sensor can be used to create more material as packers use the wrap. Should you need to make packing material in advance, an optional bubble winder is available. For more, visit www.fpintl.com.
Paper Fill Delivered Quickly
Also from FP International, the FASTTrack PAPER PAK’R machine produces paper void fill at speeds up to 5-feet-6-inches per second. With a touch-screen keypad that allows an operator to pre-set the length of paper needed, the system also includes a new indexing mode that automatically replenishes the paper fill as the operator uses it.
The FASTTrack PAPER PAK’R can be mounted on a modular, height-adjustable stand with locking casters and be positioned over any conveyor or pack table. The machine can use basis weights of 30 and 40 pounds, and an optional Dual Paper Roll Kit can be added to produce two-ply paper. For more, visit www.fpintl.com.
Packaging Tape and Tear Strip Combined
Better Packages’ E-Z Pull Tab System is a new add-on for case sealers that eliminates the need for box cutters to open cartons. The system incorporates a tear strip directly onto the packaging tape as it’s dispensed. The packages then can be opened by pulling the tear strip, reducing the need for sharp implements to cut the tape, possibly causing product damage, or injuring the person opening the package.
Case sealers equipped with the BP E-Z Pull Tab System can operate with or without it, giving operators two case sealing options. Customized preprinted text can be added directly to the tear strip. The system currently is available for use with Better Packages’ uniform water-activated case sealers. For more, visit www.betterpackages.com.
Stainless Steel Dispenser for Water-activated Tape
Developed primarily for use in food processing environments where machinery frequently must be washed to maintain sanitary conditions, Better Packages’ 333 S is the stainless steel version of the company’s manual dispenser for water-activated tape. The unit’s stainless steel construction resists corrosion, allowing it to be cleaned on a regular basis, thereby preventing the buildup of bacteria.
Featuring guillotine sheer blades for clean cutting and two water brushes for uniform tape wetting, a Better Pack 333 S can dispense up to 30 inches of water-activated tape in one stroke. For more, visit www.betterpackages.com.
Recyclable and Biodegradable Packing Material
Geämi’s core product is a paper roll specially prepared with tiny cuts, then expanded and layered with a lightweight tissue by a tabletop machine for use as a packaging material. Because Geämi rolls are made of paper, not plastic or polystyrene, the packaging is recyclable and biodegradable. Historically, merchants with smaller outbound shipping volumes were unable to buy Geämi’s tabletop system. To make this Earth friendly product widely available, Geämi has partnered with U.S.-based distributors to offer pre-expanded paper rolls to smaller volume shippers. For more, visit www.geami.com.
