Packaging With Efficiency in Mind

Shipping and Handling is a major part of the supply network operating around the globe today. From large department store chains to individual shops and distributors, the need for secured, timely delivery of items over distances is a major determinate in the success of a brand, company, or retailer. 

Businesses rarely put much thought into shipping other than that customer's items are secure and delivered on time. There can be hidden costs with that negligence as the box type can make for an easier or harder time in transport and ultimately arrive damaged to poor construction. To save hardship and money in the long run, it's wise for shippers to ask what their shipping their items in that will keep fragile products safe and manage long distances without disturbance. 

While the regular box is suitable for most regular shipping over short distances, the variety of fragile and sensitive items on the market today requires more durable means to ship safely over greater distances with the contents arriving undamaged. For this reason, the materials of the box itself have been redesigned with such parameters in mind, and are now made available in the new corrugated shipping box. 

Corrugated cardboard-made shipping boxes prove to hold up to heavier handling methods than ordinary postal package boxes. What makes corrugated so strong is its structural design with insulating fiberboard pressed between two sheets that give a significant boost to container durability. Rigid backed by itself, shipping companies can increase strength by installing more walls to build a solid container for precious cargo.

In ensuring shipping standards, corrugated boxes are stress-tested and rated on their resistance to crushing and how much weight they can handle. Referred to as Edge Crush Testing, this rating determines the amount of reinforcement for an item weighing one pound to over a hundred. Businesses can significantly cut their wasted spending by mitigating the amount of material they purchase for different-sized items. 

Tracking material use also saves useless expended paper material that would end up in a landfill. Reducing waste not only promotes better environmental standards but also makes a company more eco-efficient while saving money on the otherwise costly production of unused materials.

When ordering shipping boxes for their deliveries, a business can use these metrics;

Single Layer Corrugated

ECT# Weight able to be held in pounds (lbs)

32 30

40 40

44 50

55 65

Double Layered Corrugated

ECT# Weight able to be held in pounds (lbs)

48 60

51 80

61 100

71 120

82 140

By these standards, a business or distributer can accurately limit the amount of waste material they spend on and gain more from shipping to their customer base. There are also a variety of styles for corrugated material for different purposes. From Regular Slotted Containers for simple packaging to multifaceted Self Erecting containers, there are shipping materials for every need and suit any shape or sized item to transport. Contact with your budget and needs in mind to get the best shipping experience. 

Why use Industrial Shipping boxes

Sturdy shipping boxes are vital for applications in the industry. Because you have quality here, you want to make sure that this is used in order to keep everything nice and strong, while avoiding the complaints of the customer. A lot of makers tend to keep their plants and their processes in one line, but industrial shipping boxes are the best way to get the shipping boxes you need. 

Industrial boxes are good for a lot of decisions for packaging and shipment. Utilizing the  correct material for your packaging in a way that’s stable and protected will help you as a business, and it reduces a lot of damage, improving customer satisfaction. 

It Starts with the box 

When you’re putting together boxes like this, it’s vital that you make sure that you have product quality that’s continuously consistent, since this is part of a bigger product. The shipment of valuable construction or mechanical equipment and components is something that does require a packaging solution that’s heavy-duty in order to make sure everything arrives safely. 

Corrugated material is strong, to the point where it’s manipulated for a lot of uses, including being made for heavier and thicker parts. The industrial shipping is something that’s created in a way that’s particular, with more thought being put to where the transport and the related storage, conditions, and time that comes with this, along with specific shapes, fragility, and sizes of the item that you have. 

That’s why a lot of companies work with those who are experts at packaging in order to ensure that all products are kept safe, so that you’ll have different boxes and structures that help customers, especially those who want something that’s sensitive, a bit oddly shaped, r it is a very expensive product that must be shipped, which is why they’re ideal for a lot of customers. 

Consider inserts too 

While the box does a lot, the correct packaging inserts are something that are a big part of this. Custom boxes are better for boxes, and there is some space that’s left inside, which can be a threat if you have something that’s very fragile, since this can cause it to move around, which then creates damage. 

Foam packaging inserts that are custom do help to minimize damage, as they can help to match the item correctly, and is vital for products that can be damageable. 

One of the best items to include is polyurethane foam, since this is lightweight, best for small, light and fragile parts. If you want to use it for heavier types of items, try polyethylene form, since this is great for that, and also works to dampen the damage between the charges. 

If you’re going to have anything that’s electronic, try to make sure that you get them foam that’s anti-static, since this is something that helps with ensuring that you get the right foam products that are needed, and it also keeps those small components, and those delicate parts, from getting messed up in the packaging process. 

Finally, you want to make sure that you also have other additives too. Labels that tell the person handling it that the item is fragile, and it’s necessary to be gentle is important, as this can be used to ensure that you have everything handled correctly. 

If you do want to keep everything covered, consider pallet covers, strapping, or stretch film in order to keep everything together, and it will help to keep everything in environments that are proper, so you’ll be able to move everything from point A to point B. 

Using Packages wisely while at home.

This year has not been easy for my family.  In fact, staying at home has caused us much hardship and we have seen the country start to collapse.  This year I found myself at home for the last 4 months.  We all thought working from home was a fun idea till it is forced upon you.  It was not by choice and as a matter of fact, it was not for any personal health reasons. And no I was not fired either.  The reason I am at home is because of recent happenings that has spread across the world.  The truth is that it is not even the pandemic that made this but men.  The state I live in created unconstitutional laws that forced me to not go to work.  My job was labeled not vital enough to go to work for.  So I have been at home and it has actually been rough. But we are not simply going to sit down and die, I decided to be wise with my time and to utilize the things that are around me to at least better the value of my home. Physically my body was really struggling due to not having my work gear at home.  So I have had to improvise to create a work environment that is capable of going to each day. 

There are a few things to change up at home, I do not have my own desk.  I started out working from my couch and with a laptop computer.  Bad idea in the long run.  This was workable for several days until my back began to hurt.  It started at a slow pain that was manageable and I started working out more thinking I just needed to keep moving.  Instead, it began to get worse and my back pain turned into my sciatica nerve shooting pain all over my body.  It turns out this was due to the couch not providing enough support.  So I spent a week on medication to lessen the swelling around my nerves.  Now I know to never have bad posture for any period of time.

So I had to make some changes and from there I went on a journey to find a better way to work.  I brought in kitchen chairs into my living room and created a makeshift desk and sitting chair.  I found that my wrists started to hurt after days of typing because the keyboard was not at the proper height.  I then decided to grab some games which are made from cardboard boxes to prop up my laptop and mouse.  This eliminated my wrist issues and my back slowly started to become more comfortable as well. From there I actually used side tables to put my cardboard boxes and computer on.  This allowed me to pull my chair up under it and make it a very small and mobile desk. 

It is amazing what small things can do.  The mobility allowed me to then put it all back after work was done.  This gave me the psychological break I needed between work and home that I was also struggling with. Work cannot go on all the time and need not be thought about at all times of the day especially from home.  So be adaptive and safe as you are trapped at home too. 

Be Like a Billion Dollar Shipper

Life is changing and that is due to the economic impacts of covid 19.  We all now know that eCommerce is the answer to stay-at-home economies.  It has surged massively. That is just fine because people can learn super fast but if you have to help and tips along the way you won't have to fail over and over again or lose a lot of money when someone else has already done that and can help you out of it.  That is simply how the world gets better and smarter and it is by sharing knowledge of good and bad.  If your warehouse is on point then you can be working at a huge advantage versus your competition. 

Now my first job was at an army surplus company.  It was an old company that still ran their warehouse-like it was world war two when they started.  It was honestly a huge work hazard and should never have been allowed to be seen by any person or employee.  But since this company wanted to get itself into this century and with all the new eCommerce ways I took it on and decided to rock this task.

Shipping was the answer that was needed and I had a huge task to make this dump a useful place.  This place was about twice the size of the regular store and filled from floor to a 20-foot ceiling with old military gear, gadgets, and pants.  It was honestly impressive to see mountains of a stack of gear going to the ceiling with a single half a foot path moving through the whole warehouse to attempt to find things.  Under these massive piles were cardboard boxes that were 5 foot by 5 foot filled up to the brim and acting as a base for these mountains of junk.  With so little room to even work the only way to actually create space to work was to trash the unsellable items.  Many of the old-timers were completely against this and thought the warehouse had millions of dollars of worth.  This may have been worth something back in the day but not anymore. And only to a small few people.

We got rid of all the junk.  This took tons of dumper loads filled with old crap.  Old, but not valuable anymore. Yes, many items were beyond safety hazards. But slowly we worked enough room to build an aisle of shelves.  Then we kept organizing and used cardboard boxes to store organized piles on the new shelves.  We continued this process until the entire warehouse was neat and tidy and left 1/4 of it for packing and shipping.   This was what was needed and it took 6 months to completely finish the process. The new system we put in place was worth it and a simple person could use it which was key.

Our online store was organized now and we were able to do this because of all of our work in the warehouse.  This was an amazing way to find new profitable means of selling items.  With the extra space created we were able to have a place to find, pack, and ship worthwhile products that were lost or buried by old crap.  We are now in a new place and rocking it. 

Cardboard Boxes 4

Do you remember the days when people used to make fun of preppers? I do. Because I was made fun of, a lot. By friends, family, the weird neighbor who never would tie their robe when getting their mail. But after the events of 2020 the laughter just seemed to…well... go the way of bacon at a paleo buffet. It just stopped. In fact, it not only stopped, but I had those same friends and family (thankfully not the weird neighbor) coming to ask me for help. (Which, I gladly gave and without any I told you so I might add.) Not only did my own circle come around to the idea, but it seems the US has as a whole. That is why, today, I am going to share with you a few tips on how to get started becoming a prepper yourself. 

 

Tip number one. Learn to embrace the weird. Prepping is a strange world with a lot of strange characters. It’s just part of the deal, so the sooner you get used to it, the easier and less weird it becomes. (Ironic I know.)

 

Tip number two. Shop the sales. There’s nothing a prepper hates more than spending a ton of money on the basics. It’s one thing to go all out on a bunker in the foothills of Colorado. It’s another to pay full price for batteries and toilet paper. (And we all know how much people love their toilet paper.) So, be on the lookout for when your local stores are having sales on all the necessities, and don’t be afraid to clip coupons. Those babies can save you bundles. Just don’t go crazy. 

 

Tip number three. Have a good place for storage. It’s one thing to be prepared and have all the necessities to survive an apocalypse. It’s another to have all those things and be tripping over them all over your house. Whether it’s a closet, basement, shed, etc. Have a place dedicated to storing all of your survival items. And keep it organized. Being disorganized in an emergency is how you get people killed, mainly yourself. Bonus tip, keep all the little things in labeled cardboard boxes. It’ll keep it out of the way, but easy to access and it won’t get lost. 

 

Tip number four. Be aware of your inventory. This part is crucial. Make sure you’re keeping track of what you’re buying and how much of it. This will be vital if an emergency does happen because then you’ll know how to ration and how many you can ration for. Whether it be food, supplies, or other equipment. 

 

Tip number five. Watch out for expiration dates. Nothing is worse than buying cardboard boxes or huge cans full of food, only to have it go bad before you can use them. When you’re buying food to have in an emergency, go with either freeze dried (which can last up to 25 years) or, look at the expiration dates on the packaging and make a note on your inventory list when they need to be used and replaced. If you know you aren't going to use them before they go bad, donate them to a local food bank. It’s win-win. Also, side note, have a variety of different foods on hand. Store things that can be eaten with and without a power source. As one may not always be available. 

 

I could go on, but I’m going to leave you with this. Start simple. There’s no need to go crazy at the beginning. There will be plenty of time for that later when the zombie apocalypse is upon us. Happy prepping! 

Testing Steel With Cardboard

I love the outdoors.  This also has led me down some crazy paths and hobbies.  But it has also taught me a lot about different aspects of life.  Due to the recent happenings, I have found myself watching more and more Youtube videos than I ever have before.  This has led me down many strange paths of information which some have been useful and some have not. We all have a right to waste time, don't we!   I do enjoy fixing my home and paying less to do it with the help of youtube tutorials. Although I have been most interested personally with the idea of edge retention on knives and the many different ways that have been used to test it.  The fact that it can be quantified at home and have some useful benefits come from it is a lovely thing.  So I will go over how cardboard boxes are involved in some youtube channel steel degradation tests. These are more useful now than ever before with the influx of boxes we keep getting at our homes.  

How did I get onto this topic?  Well, that was because I enjoy using knives and watching youtube. The first channel I found was called Cedric and Ada.  This channel was based upon the idea that a single individual could take a household item and use it as a baseline to measure how much certain steel could cut.  In this instance, the host would take twisted Cecile rope and test a different knife with different steel and cut until it was dull.  The individuals would take the knife and attempt to create the same type of edge on the blade.  This meant he would hand sharpen it with the same angle to the exact same specifications as much as he could.  Then he would tape off a section of the blade so as to only use the same part over and over.  He would then test the sharpness on a piece of paper and then begin cutting the rope.  He would cut the rope over and over in little pieces until the knife was no longer able to cut paper.  This number would then be stored for each type of steel he was able to acquire.  

I am always a fan of repeatable tests that others can benefit from.  By creating a repeatable system he would then be able to tell the actual edge retention of different types of steels.  This was a fascinating way to see what one was actually paying for and if there are differences in the cost of different steels.  Truly there are. I have learned so much and been able to save myself money by not wasting in on bad products. 

There are also ways to do this.  Another channel used a very similar style of the test, but used the excess amount of cardboard boxes to test the edge retention.  The host would sharpen each knife to the same specifications and instead of taping off a section, he would then just use the whole edge to cut through the same length of cardboard.  Thus at the end being able to quantify different kinds of steel.  I found it a wonderful way to know what type of knives and steels are best for certain applications.  It is fun to learn new things and to find them useful.  

How do you Childproof Pharmaceutical Packaging

 A lot of times you don’t even think about this, but it can actually be a major problem. Some children can mistake the medicine that adults take for candy. 

This is important to be mindful of, and while you can remind parents to keep the medication out of the sight and reach of a child, many pharmaceutical companies are creating packaging that is childproof. This is something that’s innovated recently, and it comes with new solutions to childproof everything.

The major challenge that comes with this though, is the design process, as this is important since you don’t want packaging that’s easy for children to open, but you also want to make it easy for patients that are older.

Here are the best ways to prevent kids from opening these with child proof packaging.

A Screw Cap and Closure Tape 

This is another type of means to create a proper seal for kids. Screw caps are basically a cap that you have to screw on and push to open a certain way.  Many children can’t open these, so it’s easier.

These are used for e-cigarette boxes.  There are also sealing straps too, which you can use to seal the item and prevent tampering.  This is easy enough for an adult to remove, but also not something that kids can get too.

Paper Packaging that’s Tear resistant 

You also want to make sure that it’s easy to open up, but children can’t tear it.

Nowadays, there is now tear-resistant cellulose packaging that’s coated with a PET. 

The cool thing about this, is that it’s totally recyclable, and also is very sturdy in terms of packaging. It’s actually on the same level as plastic in terms of sturdiness, so it’s one that definitely can be good for this.

Activated pharmaceutical Packaging 

Finally, one that’s become super popular, is pharmaceutical packaging that’s activated.

Even when tablets get opened up, there is now a new way for you to prevent kids from taking the tablets out. 

There is now a mechanism that’s put on these boxes so that the tables can be pressed one each time.  The person needs to activate this system with both their hands in order to get the medicine out. One of the hands is used to slide the button that’s there over to the side. They also need to hold this in place. Your other hand needs to grab the tablet. Once you’re done, you let go of this, and the slide goes back to the position it was in initially.

This is a good one because most children don’t have the dexterity in order to make it simple for them to open up the packaging. They struggle, and this of course, can be a problem for them.  A parent will be able to see this and stop the kid before figuring it out.

Many companies have started to utilize these types of packaging because let’s face it, kids get interested, but they need to not get into medications, especially those that are unsafe for kids. 

If you’re someone who is going to be selling pharmaceuticals or anything that isn’t for kids, you need to make sure that the packaging is totally childproof to save their lives, and so that they can’t get into things that they don’t need to be getting in.

If your packaging is not, then take into account all of these different ways, and make sure that you get with a designer that’ll help you get the best childproof packaging possible, that you can use to prevent kids from getting into these things too.