Packaging changes-their impact
By David Luton -- Modern Materials Handling, 5/1/1998
When we talk of packaging changes, it's important to consider the material handling environment where the packages are expected to function.Product packaging is an area most warehousing people ignore unless there's an ongoing problem. Currently, however, we're in the midst of several major packaging changes, particularly in the consumer goods industry, that will have major warehousing implications. With a large storage volume per SKU, consumer products lend themselves to traditional block stacking.
Bulkpile or block stacking-where the product or unit loads are stacked on top of each other without pallet racking support-is the oldest form of storage. Like many traditional forms of warehousing, it was designed for an earlier era of lower ceiling heights. Because of the lack of external support for the load, the changes in packaging design influence this type of warehousing more than they do for other storage means.
The major packaging changes are: (1) Less packaging. (2) Use of more recycled material. (3) Less interior strength to the package.
In a block storage warehouse storing corrugated containers, these changes translate to lower stacking height, particularly in the summer months for those parts of the country with high humidity. The potential for product damage in regular warehouse operations also increases.
Offsetting these drawbacks is the implementation of a new standards system; it will make traditional corrugated exterior packaging more warehouse friendly. Inner packaging changes, while significant (see sidebar) pale beside the revolution in exterior packaging, particularly corrugated containers.
The principal changes to exterior corrugated packaging include: (1) Major revisions of technical standards. (2) Increasing use of recycled materials. (3) Moves to display packaging designs.
The standards changes are so extensive, I will devote an entire future column to them.
Use of recycled material is increasing in both linerboard and the inner corrugated medium used to make the corrugated containers. I am in favor of recycling; but in a warehouse it is important that recycled materials meet operating performance needs for personnel safety and damage prevention means.
Corrugated display packaging generally substitutes plastic film for all or part of the corrugated box. The problem here, however, is that the film substitute reduces the amount of cushioning and impact resistance provided by a corrugated container.
Warehouses need consistency above all else in their packaging materials. If a small percentage of packaging is of poor quality, Murphy's law ensures that the weakest packages will be on the bottom row of a bulk piled stack.
More flexible inner packaging-some concerns
Inner product packaging has not been traditionally an area of warehouse concern. But environmental pressures to reduce packaging waste by making do with less packaging in turn forces companies to convert their inner packaging from rigid to flexible packages.
Rigid inner packaging such as glass, plastic bottles, or metal cans provide an important component of product stacking heights in bulkpile warehouses. These are being replaced by flexible pouch packaging.
Lack of inner reinforcement, however, presents special problems for a carton clamp handling operation that needs side-to-side compression strength in addition to top-to-bottom compression strength. Here, packaging changes may force a conversion to a palletized operation; but such a move also will require good quality pallets.
I emphasize good quality pallets because the new inner pouch packaging is prone to puncture from minor pallet defects such as exposed nails.
David Luton is a member of the Association of Professional Materials Handling Consultants (APMHC) and can be reached at 416-225-4703.
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