The items that need to be sealed and shipped vary across industries and even within sectors. Electronics companies are always looking to find advantages over one another through unique designs and different materials, making the packaging specifications unique to every product. Even within companies, these methods can differ throughout the month. It seems as if the iPhone changes shape and style with the seasons, meaning that Apple needs to develop a new method of packaging the mobile device for each model.
However in industries where products are not necessarily stacked on shelves, these unique solutions are still necessary, but they need not take on the form of a new container each time. When it comes to machine parts for example, while a model may change, the box that it travels in can remain relatively the same. The key is being able to find a strategy that can be applied to a variety of different shapes based on the product.
Flexible packaging provides versatility
Versatility is one of the major advantages of the flexible packaging market. There are a number of products out there that can vary from item to item. Be it the food market in which cuts of meat can be different shapes and weights or a manufacturing operation where orders can vary in size, the ways in which these solutions can accommodate new sectors is seemingly endless.
This is why the industry for these kinds of containing methods is expected to see major growth in the coming months according to the Flexible Packaging Association. A report from the industry organization indicates that the market for flexible packaging is currently worth $26.7 billion. Over the ten years that lasted between 2002 and 2012, this segment of the industry grew at a compound annual growth rate of about 3 percent, with pouches and flow wraps among the products experiencing the highest increases in use. In the U.S., bags made up over a quarter of the market.
Providing innovative solutions
One of the major reasons of this expansion could be that it offers companies a variety of ways in which to package their products. Packaging World examines the various ways in which industrial operations can bundle their pallets. While traditional stretch wrap methods are often used, there are a number of other ways in which this task can be completed that would save time and money.
The news source explains that developments in adhesive spray have been able to make big steps forward in improving shear strength while at the same time being able to be easily taken apart when pulled straight up. Though not necessarily a flexible packaging method directly, it can be applied in the same way and offers the same versatility. Also, it can reduce materials costs as it would take the place of wrapping film.
However, there are other strategies that have been able to improve on traditional methods of wrapping as well. For example, stretch hooding extends plastic material over the pallet rather than wrapping around it, and in doing so, makes a strong case when compared to spiral wrapping. The material used in this is strategy is recyclable and can reduce operation speeds as well.
Shrink hooding is a sort of hybrid method between shrink wrapping and the aforementioned technique. This strategy can combine these operations and in doing so package up to 100 pallets per hour, according to the news source.
As these innovations work their way into business operations throughout the country, companies could expect to more efficiently produce and ship their products.
