Choosing the right transport packaging involves more than just protection. Product characteristics, regulations, logistics routes and total costs all determine which solution is truly suitable. A well-considered approach prevents damage, saves costs and reduces your ecological footprint.
Summary of this article
Choosing the right transport packaging for your product is still quite difficult. These four questions will make the search for the best packaging a lot easier. In the video below, our account manager Robert Verboven gives you a sneak preview. Read more in this blog.
Why is that search for appropriate packaging so difficult, anyway? Every product is unique, as is the route the product takes to reach its final destination. At Faes we therefore consider it very important to look not only at the product and its characteristics, but also at the logistical route. What does a package encounter along the way? This is the only way to find the packaging that best suits your application and the product. You are also assured that it complies with all applicable laws, regulations and logistical standards.
These questions will help you find the best transport packaging:
Let’s explore those questions a little further.
Your product is naturally the starting point. Important considerations include:
List all relevant product characteristics. This will help determine exactly how the transport packaging should protect the product. The product’s weight and dimensions define the initial requirements that the packaging must meet.
For fragile products, proper cushioning and shock absorption during transport are essential. Many different solutions are available, ranging from filling materials, pick-and-pluck foam and compartment dividers to fully customised interiors.
Custom-made interiors are generally preferred because they are the most durable and provide optimal protection for the product. They are available in a variety of materials.
Sometimes, a product may not appear particularly fragile. Consider a metal product such as a gear. You might assume that it is virtually impossible to damage during transport. However, exposure to moisture can cause corrosion. Environmental conditions are therefore also an important factor when selecting the right packaging.
The requirements help define the direction of the project and clarify your priorities. Some requirements are determined by legislation, while others depend on individual preferences.
Do you want to prevent transport damage at all costs? Or are you a buyer working with a strict, limited budget? These are two different priorities that will lead to different packaging solutions.
The following factors should be considered:
Strict regulations apply to the packaging of hazardous materials. Are you packaging only a power drill, or is the battery included as well? This makes a significant difference when selecting the packaging.
For example, UN-approved packaging is required for the transport of lithium-ion batteries. The same applies to hazardous liquids, which must also be transported in UN-approved packaging.
Occupational health and safety legislation is another criterion that may influence the packaging choice. To help prevent physical strain or injuries among employees during handling and transport, the specification may require the packaging to comply with applicable occupational health and safety regulations.
Different industries also have their own requirements, such as military specifications. As specialists, we are familiar with the relevant standards and regulations and ensure that our packaging fully complies with them.
Cleanroom requirements should not be overlooked either. Do you supply products to a company that carries out assembly work in a cleanroom? In that case, determine whether the product packaging will also enter the cleanroom. If it does, the packaging must comply with the customer’s cleanroom classification and requirements.
Are you looking for packaging that delivers your product to its destination without damage? Do you need a presentation case? Would you like packaging that fulfils both functions? Or are you looking for a low-cost solution and willing to accept a greater risk of damage?
In other words, what should the packaging add to your product?
The appearance of the packaging may also be important. Does it matter if the packaging becomes dented or scratched during transport? Or would this also damage the image of the product and your company?
Does the transport packaging have an aesthetic purpose or serve as a marketing and branding tool? You may, for example, want to have your logo engraved into the packaging panels or print the packaging with a logo or text.
The choice of material also affects the overall appearance. When transporting an expensive machine worth several hundred thousand euros, a flight case or aluminium profile case creates a more professional impression for the recipient than a wooden crate.
What role does environmental impact play in your decision-making process? Are you looking for packaging with the lowest possible environmental impact? In that case, choose reusable packaging.
Cases and crates are significantly more sustainable than single-use packaging.
Do you want to set a maximum combined weight for the product and its packaging? Are there restrictions on the dimensions of the packaging, for example to reduce transport costs?
All these criteria help determine the most suitable packaging solution.
What does a package encounter en route to its destination? This plays an important role in choosing the right transport packaging. Another blog I wrote on this topic is “Why transportation is an important aspect of your product and packaging development.
By land, sea or air, each type of transportation has an impact on what is the best choice for packaging. Each type of transportation, for example, has its own logistics standard to consider. When you map out the complete route your product takes in the transport packaging, you know what you need to protect your product from. And what requirements your packaging must meet.
Do you want to transport packaging that is dust- and waterproof by air? If so, such packaging needs an air valve to prevent inflation or vacuum pulling. Container transport by sea exposes the product and packaging to enormous G-forces and salty air. We know exactly which packaging your product needs for proper protection en route.
Some risks are:
Every means of transportation has its own logistics standards. So you have to take that into account when choosing your transport packaging. If the packaging extends beyond the pallet, you pay unnecessarily high transport costs and you run an extra risk of damage. Or your product may not fit through the door or in the elevator. Not so convenient.
In any case, keep in mind:
How often do you ship the product in the package? A “one way” package for a one-time shipment does not have to meet as stringent requirements as a package that is shipped back and forth on a regular basis. For example, because your customer is using the packaging for a return shipment.
Do you regularly ship products to the same destination? Perhaps you could consider reusable packaging, which you’ll have retrieved for the next shipment. And does your (consumer) product go from destination to destination? Then the obvious choice would be reusable and more sustainable packaging.
Each transport has its own handling requirements:
What is the destination of your product?
In the final choice of packaging, cost price also plays a role, of course. Practice teaches us that some buyers mainly look at the short term; the cost price of the packaging. Our tip is always: look at the total costs of your transport packaging in the chain. That way you avoid incurring additional costs further down the chain and end up being more expensive.
These additional costs are often related to:
What does it cost you if the wrong packaging causes your product to arrive at its destination damaged or unusable? Think of return costs, product replacement, downtime (failure of machines or systems) at the customer and even image damage for your company. Defects-on-arrival (DOA) is customer annoyance number one!
With well-thought-out transport packaging, you’ll make the effective packing and unpacking time a lot shorter. Do you opt for customized packaging with inlays for the various items? Then you can see at a glance whether the packaging is completely filled. So you save time and money immediately. Completely in line with the 5S principle.
‘One way’ packaging is often cheaper than reusable packaging, but is that true in the long run? In my experience, the investment in sustainable packaging quickly pays off. Especially if you often ship products to the same destinations and also have products coming back to you from the destination.
It’s best to ship a calibrated tool in a wooden crate if you want to save costs. But it does not provide optimal protection. If the calibrated tool receives an external impact during transport (by bumping or dropping), it can render the tool unusable immediately. Then you have to take the tool back, recalibrate it and send it to the customer again, which costs an enormous amount of time and money. But trust can also take a big hit. After all, what does the customer really think about you deciding to send a calibrated tool in such a simple package?
At Faes, the answers to these four questions are not the end result, but the starting point for packaging development. Our packaging specialists and engineers translate the characteristics of your product, the logistics route, environmental risks and available budget into a clear set of requirements. This allows us to determine whether standard packaging is sufficient or whether a custom solution is needed.
We then support the entire process, from concept development and technical design to prototyping, production and assembly. This may include developing custom interiors, integrating components, and specifying or testing the packaging for factors such as shock, vibration, moisture, dust and climatic conditions. We can also provide support with applicable standards and certification requirements.
For robust or mission-critical applications, such as those in the defence sector, it is essential that all requirements are demonstrably addressed throughout the process. By combining engineering, packaging development, production and service in a single approach, Faes delivers more than just packaging. We provide a solution tailored to both the product and the conditions in which it will be used.
Good packaging does not happen by chance. Using a proven approach, our specialists guide you step by step, from the initial idea to a fully developed and manufactured packaging solution.
1. Intake
During the intake, our packaging specialists identify your product, application and specific requirements. The four key questions in this article provide a useful starting point. Together, we discuss factors such as product vulnerability, logistics conditions, relevant standards and the required service life.
2. Concept
Based on the information gathered, our advisers and engineers determine the most suitable solution. We assess whether standard packaging will meet your needs or whether a custom-designed solution is required.
3. Design
Our engineers develop the selected concept into a technical design. You receive a tailored proposal, and our short lines of communication make it easy to provide feedback or request adjustments.
4. Prototype
Where necessary, we produce a prototype and present digital concepts or 2D drawings. You and your project team can review these materials, ensuring that technical decisions and requirements are clearly documented before production begins.
5. Production and assembly
Once the design has been approved, our skilled specialists manufacture and assemble the packaging. From closures and custom interiors to the integration of components or systems, every element is carefully incorporated into the final solution.
6. Service
Our involvement does not end after delivery. Whether you need maintenance, repairs, modifications or support for new applications, you can continue to rely on Faes’ expertise and assistance.
Consider the cost of the packaging itself and the cost of the packaging choice across the chain as a whole. Only when you do that will it be possible to determine the right packaging for your product.
Also looking for the right transport packaging? Download the checklist using the button below.
Robert Verboven is Sales Manager at Faes and advises customers on smart packaging solutions within the industry. He translates complex packaging needs into practical solutions that contribute to a more efficient supply chain.
More articles by Robert VerbovenGood packaging doesn’t just happen by chance. Using a tried-and-tested approach, our specialists guide you step by step from the initial idea to the finished product.
