is an initiative of Valipac
Through the packaging diagnoses we provide to our clients, we have been able to meet many companies. Each company has its own specific characteristics, but from our visits we have been able to identify a number of common points that are applicable to many companies in terms of packaging optimisation.
Most of these can be implemented quickly in your company.
The prevention of commercial and industrial packaging is not as easy as it seems. Ask yourself what the function of the packaging is: is it essential or not?
Corner profiles are sometimes used to avoid boxes being damaged by the stretch film.
Solution: you can eliminate them by adjusting the pre-stretch on the wrapping machine so that the wrapping film exerts less pressure on the boxes and no longer damages them.
It is often unnecessary to fasten a wrapped pallet with strapping bands. Use either the strapping band or the stretch film, but not both.
A single layer of stretch film around a pallet is not sufficient to secure the load. So you might as well remove it.
The type of box depends on its use. If the box is too sturdy, you are probably paying too much for it. If it is not sturdy enough, you run the risk that the box will not survive the logistics chain with all the consequences entailed by that.
The walls of a cardboard box must be thick enough to withstand the pressure from top to bottom and not become deformed. Box Compression Tests (BCT) are used to determine this minimum thickness, but you can also quickly calculate how sturdy your box should be for yourself.
We always recommend letting your cardboard box supplier perform a more detailed calculation and/or simulation.
Resistance per box
STATIC RESISTANCE --
RESISTANCE IN MOTION --
The stability of a pallet load is very important. If the load is not stacked correctly on a pallet, the lower boxes can no longer bear the weight and the entire load may collapse.
Do you think a pallet load can only collapse during transport? On the contrary, this can occur even if the pallet is not moved.
The strength of a cardboard box is in the corners. By ensuring that the corners are stacked neatly on top of each other, you make use of the full strength of the box and can save material because you can use a lighter quality cardboard.
The major advantage of this kind of stacking is that it is much more stable, making it easier to transport the pallet, for example, to the wrapping machine. The major disadvantage is that you do not make use of the full strength of your cardboard and you may have to use stronger cardboard to make sure that the boxes do not collapse during the various manipulations.
The best of the two worlds. Continuing to stack the critical bottom layers using column stacking maintains their maximum strength. By interlocking the top layer, you immediately ensure that the entire pallet construction is more stable. Because the upper layers have a lower load, there is less chance that the box will be dented.
During transport, packaging has to contend with many factors which can damage the product. It is important that the load is properly secured so that the valuable contents reach their final destination undamaged. In addition, the legislation on safe transport places a great deal of responsibility on packers and transporters of goods. At European level, Directive 2014/47/EU, annex III, lays down the minimum standards a load must meet during transport.
This European standard describes a test in which the forces on the load during road transport are replicated in laboratory conditions. This means that realistic forces such as braking or cornering by a lorry are simulated.
In addition to the test itself, the standard also describes the information that must be affixed to each pallet load by the packer for the benefit of the driver and the inspector.
The packer is free to use straps, stretch covers, shrink sleeves, stretch film, etc.
Pallet wrapping is a technique in which thin plastic film (usually LLDPE) is wrapped around a pallet or product. This can be done manually or mechanically.
By means of wrapping, it is possible to bundle or secure products and/or to protect them from toppling over, being damaged or accumulating dirt during transport and storage. The ultimate goal is to pack products properly, without damage and to transport them from A to B at the lowest (overall) cost.
Proper wrapping means that the film surrounds the load as tightly as possible, without damaging the product. In addition, the stability is good, the load is, for example, well secured on a pallet, there are no loose film ends and the product looks representative. All this at the lowest cost possible per pallet / load.
You can achieve this result by answering the following questions:
Pre-stretch is a term often used in film wrapping. It means that the wrapping film is stretched: ‘more film is made’ from 1 metre of film. Pre-stretching aims to save wrapping film and increase the stability of the load. The amount of pre-stretch is indicated as a percentage varying from 0% to 300%.
Film memory is the main reason for pre-stretching of stretch film. Pre-stretching stretch film creates a memory in the film, which produces a continuous elastic effect when the film tries to return to its non-pre-stretched shape. This ensures that the load remains intact, even if it shifts or collapses during transport. It is this film memory which distinguishes pre-stretched film from non-pre-stretched film.
Pre-stretching takes place during the packaging process itself and is set on the packaging machine. Some producers offer pre-stretched films. This has the advantage that (especially in manual applications) less force has to be exerted on the film during application.
Film recovery describes the extent to which a material returns to its original shape and size after it has been deformed or subjected to stretching. This ensures that the film remains taut during transport. It is very important that the degree of film recovery is set correctly via the pre-stretch. If the pre-stretch of the film is set too low, there is a chance that the film will exert excessive tension on the load, possibly deforming and/or damaging the load.
The ideal force (of the film) on the load is determined by all the previous settings and is usually expressed in pounds or kilograms. Normally, this value is between 7 and 12 kg (15-26 lbs).
The wrapping pattern of the film around the load and the pallet also determines the load security.