If you work in the automotive industry, then you’ll know just how important it is to the UK economy. It accounts for “more than £82 billion turnover with some 186,000 people employed directly in manufacturing” (1).
With turnover worth billions, it’s important to the economy that your high value automotive parts are protected! As your packaging plays an integral part in this, we recommend considering the following when packing automotive components…
1. The weight of your products
The weight of your products will have a substantial impact on the packaging you should choose. The heavier the items you’re manufacturing, the more durable the packaging you’re going to need. So, what do you need to think about when packing heavier products?
Box design & material grade
You’ll know that handling heavy goods can be challenging. Choosing a box design that’s practical and easy for your packers to use will increase your efficiency and maximise labour time. If your goods are particularly heavy, you should consider stronger board grades that can hold 10kg+ like double or tri-wall corrugated. Click here to see an example of how the right packaging design can benefit you.
Internal packaging
For heavy items, you may want to use internal packaging that blocks or braces your goods as this will absorb the impact of your product weight.
Sealing methods
The more your automotive components weigh, the more durable your box sealing methods will need to be. As regular tape might not make the cut, we recommend water activated tape, reinforced with a cross weave fibre, for maximum weight retention!
Palletisation
If you’re palletising your products it’s essential that you’re using the right kind of stretch film so your load retention is secure. This ensures that your goods get to where they need to be in one piece and can be unloaded safely, while you get the best yield out of your material.
The weight of your product will also affect your transport costs, CO2 emissions and maybe even your shipping choice. So, if you’re looking for ways to take the weight out of the manufacturing process, why not check out this great article from our customer, Protolabs (2)!
2. The type of protection you need
Depending on the automotive parts you’re manufacturing you’ll need to choose packaging that offers optimal protection. This is essential for protecting your investment, as well as reducing expensive reverse logistics.
If you’re shipping or storing metal parts long term, anti-corrosion packaging, like VCI papers and barrier films will shield your goods from potentially hazardous environments.
For scratch or mark prone surface finishes on glass components like windshields or plastic interiors, you may need to use foam or film coatings to defend against unwanted blemishes.
Where your products are incredibly fragile, or your customer has a zero-damage tolerance, you’ll require heavier duty protection. Airsac inflatable packaging is a fitting example of this and can be designed to fit your products too.
3. Security during transit
When you’re shipping high value goods, security during transit can be a concern. In fact, the packaging you use can enhance security during shipping.
Simple devices like security seals and tags can help and keeping any branding on the inside of your boxes will deter would be thieves. In addition, sealing your packages with tamper evident tape is another easy option that will help enhance your security.
Book some time with your local automotive packaging expert
For help designing the best packaging solution for the automotive products you’re manufacturing, simply call 01902 496 666, email us or complete our contact form to make an appointment today.
Sources
