Transport packaging damage reduction with ESTL

Damaged goods? We’ll help you!

Some studies claim that up to 4% of all transported goods are damaged during transport. This high damage rate is translated into huge economic losses throughout the industry. Damaged goods generate waste and negative publicity.

The administrative cost for a damaged pallet is 250€. That is the cost to register the complaint, not to solve it nor to cover the product loss!

Mrs XBig chemical company – https://

Our customer is using transport damage as leverage to get an extra discount.

Mr Y‘Private label’ subcontractor

The cost per damage pallet is 250€ without the cost of the product. Annually we have a 1.5% damage ratio.

Mrs ZBig producer of FMCG

Reduce costs! Increase value!

Time and time again, damaged products are causing high economical losses. A well balanced packaging system will reduce costs and hence increase profitability. The main reasons of economical losses due to packaging:

‘Under packing’: The packaging is not ‘fit for purpose’ in this case the economical losses will be generated by the damages which will occur during transport. The total damage cost consists of: value of the product, cost for transport, re-work costs, ‘image damage’, extra stock,… .
‘Over packing’: The packaging is over engineered for what it is supposed to do. In this case there is an economical loss for every unit which is shipped out of the door.

ESTL’s scientific approach will determine the correct balance for your products.

Step 1: Situation assesment

Scientific methods – based on international norms – are used to determine the performance of the current packaging.

We check:

· Pallet stability

· Shrink bundle stiffness

· Applied forces of the stretch film

· Mechanical properties of stretch film

Step 2: Solutions and improvements

We use our knowhow, extensive database of test results and cross-industry view to generate solutions which respect the economic and practical reality of the production environment.

In many cases the stacking pattern is the result of an optimization exercise towards surface and volumetric efficiency. In many cases the stacking pattern has a high influence on the pallet stability. By changing the stacking pattern, the ‘load factors’ on the secondary packaging are changed. A well-balanced stacking pattern can overcome many problem.

Stacking pattern

Enhanced light weighting of the primary and secondary packaging has increased the roll of the tertiary packaging as a key success factor for ‘trouble free transport’.

Whether you are working with straps, shrink hoods, stretch hoods or stretch wrap, all parameters need to be optimized for your particular case. For stretch wrap, the position, pre-stretch and tension of the revolutions becomes more critical.

Tertiary packaging

Step 3: Validation

No empty promises with ESTL. We validate the suggested solutions and improvements in order to guarantee a performance level. For the validation we use the same methods as for the ‘situation assessment’. This allows you to track the progress.

Step 4: Implement in production

The corner stone of a successful project is the correct implementation of the solution in the production facility. ESTL has special tools and experienced engineers to guarantee a correct and trouble free implementation.

(Flexible) secondary packaging

Are you using shrink film as a secondary packaging? ESTL has developed a method to measure and compare the performance of different settings and materials. You want to down gauge without risks? Improve the performance of your packaging? Our ‘on site’ assessments will provide you the necessary answers. More information about our SPT-300 tool.

Tertiary or transport packaging

The tertiary packaging is one of the main influencing parameters on pallet stability. During a pallet stability optimization we will look for the perfect set of parameters for the tertiary packaging.

Our ‘on site’ measurements have as purpose to optimize the settings of your tertiary packaging. The targets can be based on lab tests or recommendations for a certain group of products.

Our lab is equipped with an FPT-750, allowing us to measure the mechanical properties of a stretch film. Bench marking and comparison of stretch films is one of the services that we are offering to the (packaging) industry.

Stacking pattern

During a pallet stability optimization in our lab, we will work on the best stacking pattern with the given secondary packaging. Columnar stacking patterns are best for the vertical strength of the pallet, however they are a nightmare during ‘horizontal influences’. We will determine the best combination for you.

Interlayers

Interlayers are often seen as a necessary evil. Sometimes they are an important cost factor for the full packaging system. Our optimization services will determine the right amount of interlayers and the ideal position.

Damaged goods? We’ll help you!

Reduce costs! Increase value!