The Importance of the Correct Packaging for Your Products

Packaging has come a long way since parcels wrapped in simple brown paper were the norm. The packaging or customized boxes used by your company is critical for various reasons, not only to serve as protection but also as a key touch point with your customers.

So, it’s vital to take into account the requirements of your product as well as the derivatives of its distribution cycle. You should also focus on the continual improvement and optimisation of containers and packaging, as well as its management and adaptation to the requirements of your products and their distribution environment.

Experts in packaging such as www.cannonpacking.co.uk recommend considering the following aspects and variables when trying to create the perfect packaging for your products:

Product

· Physical characteristics. The nature of the product to be packed and how it is presented

· State of the product (liquid-solid-gas) and nature

· Weight / volume (light, heavy, very bulky, etc.)

· Form (regular or non-regular)

· Dimensions (provided)

· Fragility or conservation

· Verticality

· Product useful life

· Danger

· Support capacity: bearing, semi-bearing or non-bearing

· Placement of the product in the container and / or packaging by separators

· Value of the product

Packaging line

· Characteristics of the packaging process

· Manual, semi-automatic or fully automated packaging system

Environment

· Use of packaging materials and / or packaging with possibilities for recycling or recovery

· Use packaging and / or packaging consisting of one or two easily recyclable materials

· Reduce the amount of packaging material and / or packaging per product

Legislation and regulations

· Labour risks legislation

· Dangerous goods

· Suitability for contact with food

· Environmental legislation

· Legislation for international transport

· Technical standards

Logistics and transportation

· Type of manipulation

· Type of storage

· Storage time

· Mode of transport: vibrations can occur that fatigue certain elements critically, etc.

· Stacking height

· Palletization type

· Cargo in containers

· Ambient temperature / humidity

Storage

· Storage duration

· Storage conditions

· Use of shelves

· Stacking height

Point of sale

Depending on the characteristics of the point of sale (large area, industrial, etc.), there will be a series of requirements that the packaging and packaging system must meet.

Environmental conditions and conditioning

· Changes in humidity (e.g. cardboard absorbs moisture and loses rigidity)

· Temperature changes

· Direct exposure to sunlight

· Wind, dust, etc.

· Salty fog (in the case of maritime transport)

Handling

· Manual manipulation: risk of falls from low height

· Automatic handling: trolleys, conveyor belts, drilling risks, impact and tilt, risk of falling from higher heights

Designing the perfect packaging for your products requires a great deal of consideration, experimentation, and investment in terms of time and capital. In order to avoid costly mistakes, it is sometimes better to enlist the help of experts in the packaging field who handle a wide variety of different packaging requirements and can advise you regarding the best, and most cost-effective solution for your product packaging needs.