Packaging

There are four primary types of Packaging. These include:

• Containers are receptacles that hold, protect and organize products and materials during storage and transport. They come in a variety of forms, including bags, barrels, drums, cartons, cases.
  
  Common materials include corrugated cardboard, welded wire mesh, metal (including steel and aluminum), corrugated plastic and high density polyethylene (HDPE) which is the material most frequently used in the construction of reusable and returnable containers. The three most common forms of reusable containers are:
  
  
  • Bin – A box used for storage and organization of small parts prior to use in manufacturing and assembly, frequently with a hopper (or open) front. Bins are generally stackable, and may feature an integrated tab in the back that permits them to be hung from a louvered storage unit. They may be constructed of solid or corrugated plastic. Often found in work cells, bins rarely leave one area. Lids are incorporated in clean environments. Dimensions range from 3 x 3 inches to 24 x12 inches.
  • Tote (also called a crate, hand held, hand held container, reusable security container or work-in-process tote) – A box transported by hand, often with molded-in handles. Totes are offered in three styles: nestable, stackable and stack and nest. Nestable totes feature sloped sidewalls created from a base footprint smaller than the top opening. This permits the units to be nested inside each other when empty. Stackable totes have an identical footprint top and bottom, and feature an integrated lip that prevents shifting when stacked. Stack and nest totes can be stacked and nested in 90- and 180-degree combinations.
    
    Lids may be attached to the top of the tote, hinged on either long side and meeting in the middle when closed (commonly found on nestable totes), or they may be separate from the totes. Dimensions vary widely based on both industry and application. Typical maximum capacities range from 40 pounds for totes handled by humans to 80 pounds for totes handled by automated storage systems (also called trays or pans).
  • Bulk container (also called a bulk box, bulk bin, shipping container, or Gaylord or by any one of a number of brand names) – The largest of the reusable boxes, containers include four straight walls built on pallet-sized footprints with fork openings on two or four sides. Generally used for discrete component parts delivered to assembly lines, these heavy-duty units can only be moved by pallet jack or fork truck.
    
    Sidewalls can collapse down into the container when empty, or they may not, depending on the design. The walls may be designed with openings or drop doors to permit easier access to contents, and unattached lids or covers are sometimes used. Containers stack when full or empty, with capacities varying depending on the materials used in their construction. Less common are nestable bulk containers (typically used for bulk ingredients), and bulk packs (a collapsible corrugated plastic sidewall unit sandwiched between a pallet base and top cap).
• Pallets: Generally constructed of wood, plastic or metal (steel or aluminum), pallets provide a portable, horizontal, rigid platform that serves as a base for unit loads. Typically designed with fork entry, an opening between the top and bottom decks, pallets can be handled by fork lift trucks. Pallets are used as a returnable, reusable surface for assembling, storing, stacking, handling and transporting of goods as a unit load. Slave pallets are used in an automated storage system.
  
  Pallets come in a variety of sizes—both standard and custom—with certain industries standardizing their operations around a specific dimension, such as the Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) and the Grocery Manufacturers of America (GMA). When empty, pallets can be nested or stacked.
• Dunnage is the materials or devices used in the securing and/or bracing of products during shipments. These can include reusable, pre-formed foam inserts with custom sizes and shapes cut or punched out to hold components prior to their installation on the assembly line. Since it’s impractical for most facilities to stock multiple container sizes to accommodate shipping different product weights and sizes, most items get shipped in boxes that are too big. Void fill—crumpled paper, flowable peanuts (polystyrene or biodegradable materials) or inflatable air pillows—fills the open spaces and protects the contents from damage during shipping. Still other, larger-scale dunnage can be used to prevent shifting and contact between unit loads in a trailer, shipping container or railcar.
• Unitizers: Materials that hold several items together to form a complete load. They can be applied as a tie down, or means to secure a load to a pallet, These include:
  
  
  • Stretch film is a roll-based, plastic film. Tensioned and stretched manually or mechanically as it is wrapped around a unit load, the film holds and secures the load to the pallet.
  • Shrink wrap is a plastic film that shrinks tightly over the item or load it is carrying when heat is applied to it.
  • Strapping made from low and medium carbon steel, hot roller high tension steel, polyester, nylon and polypropylene.

Packaging is used in a variety of areas to move materials throughout a facility:

• Assembly: Protect and hold components delivered line-side to a production processes
• Automation: Automated systems require standard-sized totes, trays or pans to function
• Transportation: Aggregating and protecting loads as they move through the supply chain
• Warehousing: Protecting products during storage
• Order picking: Holding stored products prior to their delivery to picking areas, and acting as receptacles for picked orders

Packaging provides a variety of benefits:

• Barrier protection – Packaging provides a barrier to dust, water, humidity and other contaminants that could potentially harm the contents and decrease their shelf life
• Containment – Grouping multiple cases, small objects or bulk materials together aids in both manual and automated handling
• Convenience – Packages can have features that add convenience in distribution, handling, stacking, display, opening, reclosing, use, dispensing, reuse, recycling, and ease of disposal
• Physical protection – Packaged products are protected from damage caused by dropping, shock, vibration, electrostatic discharge, extreme temperature shifts and impacts
• Security – Tamper resistant and tamper evident packaging can reduce the risk of theft, or indicate that damage has occurred during handling
• Sustainability – Returnable and reusable packaging can be used repeatedly before it is recycled; some materials are engineered to biodegrade

Packaging protects products and components during shipping and storage. It is used by nearly every industry, including:

• Aerospace
• Appliance
• Automotive
• Beverage
• Chemicals
• Construction
• Consumer goods
• E-Commerce
• Food
• Hardware
• Hospital
• Manufacturing
• Materials processing
• Paper
• Pharmaceutical
• Plastics
• Retail
• Warehousing and distribution

• Packaging Standards

• National Wooden Pallet and Container Association (NWPCA)
• National Wooden Pallet and Container Association (NWPCA) News