3 Takeaways from IoPP's Packaging Machinery Course

By Sam Huppert, Packaging Consultant, CHAINalytics
Connect with Sam on LinkedIn

I recently completed the IOPP Packaging Machinery Basics course at Frain Industries in Chicago, a “survey course” that introduced attendees to a wide range of types of packaging machinery. The course is designed for engineers who work on the design side of packaging, as many packaging professionals have minimal experience working with packaging machinery. This is in large part due to machinery is marginally covered or not taught in many packaging engineer degree programs.

Three Course Highlights/Takeaways
Now that I’m a course graduate, I can see three course highlights/takeaways that will be valuable assets as I go about designing packaging solutions for Chainalytics’ clients:

1. Videos & Hands-On & On-Site Frain Experience Made for a “Learning Lab”
The course instructor (CEO at Changeover Wizard, John Henry) has vast experience with packaging machinery in many manufacturing plants across North America. His client engagements, has enabled him to collect videos of different packaging machinery and packaging lines. He has integrated many of these videos into his presentation, which helps support the educational content.An addition to the videos, the class was able to go out in the warehouse at Frain Industries (a used packaging machinery vendor), providing a chance to see the vast amount of inventory and packaging machinery running first hand at Frain Industries. John Henry was able to walk us through the warehouse and show examples of machinery covered in the lecture; we also viewed Frain Industries employees working on a variety of up-and-running packaging machinery for their customers. This approach enabled the class to almost immediately apply their in-class learning to live operating packaging machinery.


2. It's Important to Develop a Keen Understanding of How Packaging Design Changes Can Impact Line Production.
One of the biggest takeaways from the course was understanding how a seemingly simple or minor package design change can affect a manufacturing line. John Henry provided many examples of how poorly planned package design changes at several companies impacted manufacturing line

Wexxar Case Erector

productivity—like changeover downtime, damage issues, production speed, etc. which can all have a big impact on packaging and supply chain costs. We learned that it is essential for packaging engineers to meet with stakeholders on the manufacturing line to make sure the package design change can run efficiently on the line. Iterative changes and adjustments to any packaging change implementation at the beginning of a project can save a lot of money literally down the line and prevent major problems in the future. We also learned how important it is for designers and equipment operators to communicate at all stages of a project effectively.

3. The Importance of Determining Requirements When Designing a New Packaging Line
Just as communication between operations and package designers is crucial when implementing package design changes, communication when designing a new packaging line is as important.

The success of the new line depends on gathering as much detailed information across departments as possible before line design begins (for example, line capacity, production speed requirements, product info, the final package’s complete bill of materials (BOM) (get samples), etc. It is also vital to make this information gathering a continuous process, since more information will become available throughout the project.

Lastly, it is extremely important that there is at bare minimum a verbal agreement, or better a written and signed packaging success criteria document, that contains the information gathered to help ensure all stakeholders are on board. This formal step will prevent any potential disagreements, if something fails on the line, since all parties are accountable.

I recommend in completing IOPP’s Packaging Machinery Basics course if you want to learn more about packaging machinery at a high level. I definitely look at machinery differently now, and with more curiosity. The class is relatively small (15-20 people) and is taught twice a year. Please visit iopp.org for more information on this course and what it has to offer.

Sam Huppert is a packaging consultant at Chainalytics, where he supports senior engineers with value engineering and damage reduction projects from project launch through final implementation. 

How Will New Transportation Technology Impact Packaging Damage?

By: Eric Carlson, Sr. Packaging Consultant, Chainalytics

Connect with Eric on LinkedIn

I am often involved in the replication of packaging damage due to transportation hazards; frequently there is a new or surprising dynamic between the trailer, the route and the products inside the trailer.  It is important to know the dynamics of the distribution route, which, with today’s technology and instrumentation, is pretty routinely and easily accomplished.  Usually, we can utilize standard test methods for truck vibration, but sometimes there is something in the specific route that may lie outside the standard random vibration sequence.  Just recently, one of the commonly used testing standards ASTM D4169 went through a change in vibration profile based on data gathered over the last few years; the ASTM profile is now similar to the ISTA vibration profile. 

With the advent of lower cost sensors, increased computer power, Internet of Things (IoT), Physical Internet, ‘chronic’ driver shortages, increased regulation on drivers and equipment, higher efficiency transmissions, Google & Uber’s driver-less cars and the ever increasing pressure to reduce operating costs, it seems trucking is on the verge of going through some pretty radical transformations.  A few technologies currently in trial include platooning, driver assist and driver-less tractors. 

What is Platooning?

Platooning is when two or more trucks travel in close proximity to reduce drag and increase fuel efficiency for both trucks.  This is enabled by linking the driving and safety systems of the trucks together via wifi.  Some have likened platooning to be a highly advanced form of cruise control; the trucks maintain an optimum, but close distance.  The lead truck uses long distance sensors to look for ‘obstacles’ for collision avoidance.  Further, the braking systems are linked together for safety because the distance between the trucks is so small that the human response may be too slow.  The trailing vehicle gets the greater fuel efficiency benefit.    

Truck Platooning could create new dynamics for packaging and vibration frequencies

Platooning is envisioned to extend to having a single driver lead a series of autonomous vehicles; this would be most effective high volume and hub to hub routes.  This would be the incremental step toward completely driver-less trucks.  Many prognosticators suggest that driver-less trucks are still 10 years away, but platooning will be here as soon as next year.  Early adopters are favored to be the biggest winners. 

Additionally, auto makers are experimenting with platooning for passenger cars.  In my misspent youth, many of us believed that if you would ‘platoon’ behind a big rig and you were all speeding you would save gas and the police could not figure out a way to pull you over; I can say with some authority that this was a youthful misconception. 

What could this new technology mean to me as a packaging engineer sleuth?

Usually, a known lane or route from a manufacturing facility to a distribution warehouse will result in a fairly predictable rate of damage.  Typically little or no damage is observed on these routes, but depending on load configuration, mis-application blocking and bracing dunnage or other factors will produce occasional but usually a small amount of damage. 

I was recently involved in the evaluation of a very substantial amount of damage to one load. This one load had highly atypical damage to the packaging and the product; severity of the damage was excessive.  This single load was just one of many the company ships from its factory to one of many of their distribution centers.  As with any conscientious company, they launched an investigation into the cause(s) and this is when I was called in. 

When evaluating the output of a system it is important to know whether the cause is the fault of the design of the system.  The system in this case is the packaging design, handling, load configuration & use/mis-use dunnage and the external forces due to trailer/road interaction.  The protective packaging, if it performs as intended is designed to keep damages to a minimum.  The packaging is often tested to ascertain its performance and ability to protect in the supply chain.  If the variation of a system is out of the normal range, such as greatly increased damage, it is important to determine if the system variables have changed.  If the basic system inputs have not changed, the issue could be considered special cause – special cause being a non-repeatable random input that causes the variation in results or output.   

Fortunately, in this case, we already had some good transportation vibration data as well as some unique tests we developed to tease out some of the unique dynamics of their products.  In this case, we applied all the applicable tests without matching the damage observed.  We also applied additional tests  and test thresholds to replicate of the severity of the damage.  No matter how hard we tried to cause this damage level (and we tried pretty hard), we could not come close to replicating the damage observed by this one load. 

In this case, we determined this particular damage occurrence was ‘special cause’.  The leading hypothesis was the driver left his intended route onto some pretty hellacious dirt roads to visit his ailing grandmother; others suggested a less virtuous off-road destination. 

It will be some years before the self-driving technology, ubiquitous GPS and electronic logging is all in place, but each new technology will reduce the incidences of these ‘special cause’ events.  I know that by the time these technologies are available, I’ll likely be long retired and will gladly adopt driverless vehicles to keep one more old man out of the driver’s seat.  

Eric Carlson, CPP is a Senior Packaging Engineer for Chainalytics.  With a thorough understanding of the forces involved in distribution and ASTM / ISTA test methods, combined with extensive understanding of dynamic attenuation, Eric’s design and engineering work focuses on damage prevention and protective packaging.  Eric has been involved with a wide range of highly technical designs in applications such as; medical device packaging, military and space, electronics, test equipment, industrial equipment, recreational equipment & vehicles.

Image source: http://www.pcrevue.sk/files/photo/2016-04/13027/fc5e12/scania-trucks.jpg

Small Changes Can Bring Big Supply Chain Savings

by Rich Lindgren, CPP
Chainalytics


In the world of Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) there is an eternal struggle between the demands of marketing, operations and optimizing your packaging for the supply chain.  As an everyday consumer, you probably see packages all over the grocery store where you wonder why there is so much air around the product or food in the packages you purchase.  For the most part, air is waste and below you will read why!

There are a few reasons for this air.  The first is driven by operations and that is the functional air space so they can run their automated filling equipment at speeds which maximize efficiency and profitability.  For the most part this is a good thing, this ultimately contributes to you getting the products you want at your local stores at a fair price.  Secondly and usually the larger driver for the size of the packaging is due to marketing billboard space.  When you walk down the aisle at Target or Walmart, almost every package is a mini billboard of sorts trying to call your attention much like driving down the interstate in your car.

Aisle of "Packaging Billboards"

The bigger the packaging face the larger the product image or area that can be used by marketing and graphics teams to inform you and entice you to put it in your cart.  Packaging size also has an inherit suggestion to the amount of product inside said package.  Consciously or subconsciously if you see two pizza boxes next to each other for the same price, you may select the larger one without actually reading the ounces labeled in small print at the bottom of the carton, thinking you are getting a better value. Sadly, not very often is a larger package an indication of amount of product or food inside and even can be consider non-functional slack fill, which can lead to fines on companies.

Typically the process works as follows, a leading brand owner will launch a product into the market with a large billboard area so they can "be heard" on the shelf to tell you what is new and great about the new product.  If the product is successful, it is natural for competing brands to launch their "me too" versions into the market to grab a share of the new market.  When those "me too" products launch they often copy the size of the current market leader for that product category whether they need the space or not, so they can look the same size wise on the shelf.

As a packaging engineer the trick is to balance the concerns of marketing and operations while delivering an optimized packaging system that will serve the company's bottom line.  Below I will outline a case study for a project our team delivered for a past frozen foods customer.  This particular frozen pizza item was the follower or the "me too" in the market.  Even though the product was a different shape and size then competitor, they launched product in a paperboard carton the exact dimension of the competitor.

We proposed a sensitivity analysis showcasing the range in cost savings, while maintaining a similar size graphic facing. The key was finding the sweet spot for this packaging system while meeting the needs of the marketing team.  Even though there were other options with larger supply chain savings, marketing would not support the billboard reduction.  The selected option is what we labeled as "Visual Indifference".  Basically it was the smallest change I could find that would still make a big impact.  Such a small change, that it would be impossible to perceive it in a freezer case.

Small changes to the retail carton leading to big savings!

By reducing the length and width of the carton by just an 1/8" in each direction and reducing height or riser panel by a 1/16" we made a huge impact.  The 1/8" reduction allowed us to add a whole row of cases along a 53" Dry Van trailer as well as one additional row at the back of the trailers.  The 1/16" reduction allowed for pack out ratio change on the freezer shelf.  Getting more pizzas in a freezer leading to less out of stock.  This also helped propel a change going to 14 count shipping case from 12 count.  In the end, this also allowed one additional row of pizza cases along the top of the trailer as well, in the end the customer got an additional 6,848 pizzas on each truck shipped.

Click Images to Enlarge

In the end, with an annualized savings of $600K, the time to payback was only 7 days.  Adding on top of that, there was a great sustainable story to tell as well.  On top of the hard savings, the reduced out of stocks, reduced touches and many other soft benefits throughout the supply chain.

Total Supply Chain Impacts

Does it make you wonder what products in your company's portfolio could have a similar opportunity for greater efficiency and supply chain savings?

The packaging team at Chainalytics focuses on packaging cost reduction efforts that lead to a chain reaction of savings across the entire supply chain for their customers.

The Most Valuable Ziplock Bag of Air Ever?

This packaging case study involves a lot of hoopla and several diverse inputs: Kobe’s last game, an air-filled ziplock bag and oxygen transmission rates.

There had been much hoopla over the course of NBA great Kobe Bryant’s final year with the Los Angeles Lakers, which only grew exponentially for his last game at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on April 13. The game itself had a storybook ending, with Kobe totaling 60 points.

Given the hype around the event, one could argue that this was a peak moment to cash in on selling Kobe gear and memorabilia.  One of the items found listed for sale on eBay included a “bag of air from Kobe’s final game.” The bids shot up to a high of $17,500 before it and a number of such bags that had turned up were removed by Ebay. Meantime, dozens of media outlets reported on the frenzy, including The Huffington Post.

A ziplock bag of air from Kobe Bryant's last game
showed up on Ebay with bids reaching as high as $17,500

But what about the permeability?

A colleague and I were enjoying a water cooler discussion on the game and this highly valuable bag, when our packaging engineer light bulb flipped on and we thought aloud: “But what about the bag permeability?” “How well could this inexpensive packaging vessel contain this precious investment?”

Read on here at Packaging Digest to see what we found when we put on our packaging engineer hats and delved deeper into this topic.

By: Rob Kaszubowski, Packaging Engineering Manager, Chainalytics

Edge Crush Test vs. Box Compression Test

Edge Crush Test vs. Box Compression Test (aka ECT vs. BCT): New Performance Metrics for Corrugated Square Off

by Rob Kaszubowski, CPP

Chainalytics

As packaging consultants we are constantly faced with the challenge of learning a client’s vernacular and acronyms – as well as common acronyms within the packaging industry. For years the standard for corrugated packaging has been the ECT or Edge Crush Test. Edge crush slowly surpassed Mullen burst as the standard metric for corrugated strength. (Read more about ECT vs. Mullen Burst Here).  The ECT value is then utilized to help calculate the “theoretical box compression strength” which is derived from the McKee formula which dates back to the 1960s.

Lately, the more common term around the industry is now the BCT value or Box Compression Test. This value is often tied to a company’s packaging specification as part of their performance spec requirements.  That means that depending on a number of factors (the weight of the box contents, stacking pattern, safety factor, length of storage, storage conditions, etc.) a company may call out a target compression value that their secondary packaging must meet as a minimum threshold for performance.

So for example, a very simple requirement in the past may have been:

§  Box style = RSC

§  Size = 15 x 12 x 10

§  Material = 44# C ECT Kraft

Now that same company may specify the BCT (Box Compression Test) value:

§  Box style = RSC

§  Size = 15 x 12 x 10

§  BCT = 940 lbs

At the end of the day the customer doesn’t care what makes up this box, or what the paper combinations are. They just want to be sure that it can hold 940 pounds and make it through their supply chain with their products unscathed.

To perform the ECT test, a 2” x 2” swatch of corrugated is cut from a sample sheet stock. It is placed in an edge crush tester machine and thus the ECT value is obtained.  

Common ECT target values include:

§  26 (B or C flute)

§  32 (B or C flute)

§  44 (B or C flute)

§  55 C flute

§  42 BC flute

§  48 BC flute

§  51 BC flute

§  61 BC flute

§  71 BC flute

Corrugated board consists of three combined layers of paper: a single face liner, medium, and double face liner. Just as there are multiple ways to slice up a pizza, there are also multiple combinations of paper that can equal a certain ECT value. The weight of the paper liners used typically depends on what paper weights the supplying paper mills typically carry and source to the corrugators.  The amount of recycled content or virgin fiber can also be a factor in the final ECT value.

Anatomy of Corrugated Board

So as companies look to standardize their packaging and consolidate sourcing they are looking towards a much more simplified corrugated box specification: one that no longer calls out the ECT value, but rather the BCT value. Packaging engineers and procurement teams are stating: I don’t care what you make the box out of, as long it meets my minimum strength thresholds. This shift in the market should ultimately make it easier for suppliers to focus on running paper combinations that they run well and run fast and deliver an optimized product.

If you have questions about what your minimum BCT values or stacking safety factors should be for your secondary or tertiary packaging, contact the packaging engineering team at Chainalytics.

Product Packaging Strategies to Maximize Profitability

by Kyle Ous
@PKGPlaymaker
Chainalytics

When it comes to designing products for the marketplace, it seems there are countless tasks to complete before products are introduced and available on the retail shelves. While speed to market is important, packaging design is a critical component to the overall profitability of the product and is important to evaluate before entering the marketplace. Does this mean companies need to follow a rigorous packaging engineering design process and justify each added cost?

Companies that are best in class are doing iterative package design analysis and testing before phasing in new packaging. Although this is an involved process, this task prepares the packaged product for distribution year-over-year and enables companies for future growth within their categories.

Profit margin is a key metric for success. As it relates to packaging, there are a handful of ways to maximize this metric. It is important to understand the supply chain channels that your customers are using to buy their new products. Online retail sales are a growing channel and seem to be a popular buying experience across many demographics.

Keurig 2.0 On Shelf Retail Package for Consumers

Keurig 2.0 coffee maker systems are using customized packaging strategies for different supply chain channels through to the customer. Out of the box, Keurig utilizes high-end lithographic labels with an integrated carrying handle for sales at the retail shelf. Although the packaging is more expensive, it tends to differentiate from other products on shelf and offers enhanced customer experience in the final mile. Contrary to popular belief, the same packaging does not need to be used for online sales or replacement parts that are sent directly to the consumer. Kraft corrugated with direct print on the outside of the shipper box is a cost effective alternative to retail packaging. Typically a 15-30% cost-take-out can be achieved in this simple, yet operationally challenging opportunity.

Online direct to customer packaging of similar product

Companies that utilize best-in-class packaging strategies are continuously analyzing different ways to maximize profit margin. One simple truth behind packaging is the most successful design concepts plan for transportation efficiency and minimize the amount of packaging related damage through package testing. Inside the box, Keurig uses an engineered cushioning design made out of molded pulp for the Keurig 2.0 system. In this example, retail sales and online sales use the same style and type of cushioning to protect the product. While the supply chains are different, the performance of the cushion was likely tested for both shipping environments. 

If you are looking to become ‘best-in-class’ in your category, packaging strategy and alternatives are a ‘must-have’ on your packaging design check sheet. Feel free to reach out to kyle.ous@chainalytics.com if you’d like to sound out alternatives and logical steps in your design process with our Packaging Consulting Services at Chainalytics.

Blog: A Look back at 2014 Packaging Predictions

By: Rob Kaszubowski

The turn of the New Year means a few things: goals, resolutions and planning for the year ahead; and reflections and evaluation on the year that was. Early in 2014 I made a few predictions on packaging trendsfor the year.  Let’s take a look at how those predictions shook out over the course of the year:

1)      Cartonization: While I can’t say the term “cartonization” specifically took off last year, the general theme sure did. We had defined cartonization as the process or tool used to select the best shipper case to transport products. The general idea behind the concept is to have an optimized selection of shipping cases to transport a wide variety or mix of products. FedEx and UPS definitely had the same concept in mind as they looked to optimize the cube utilization within their trailers and delivery trucks when they changed their pricing structure from straight weight to dimensional weight starting January 1, 2015. 

2)      Slack Fill Packaging: As most consumers are painfully aware, slack fill is evident in many of the food and consumer goods products we purchase. However, it’s the non-functional slack fill that will get you in trouble with the attorney general – specifically the empty space in a package that is filled to substantially less than its capacity.  Slack fill started to make more of a splash late in the year when multi-national consumer goods companies Unilever and P&G  and pharmacy chain CVS  were all hit with hefty fines for using oversized packaging that deceived consumers to think they were getting more product than was actually inside the package they purchased.

Big package for small product? This illustration shows the fill line for a popular CVS drug store product.

Courtesy ConsumerWorld.org

3)      Harmonization: Once again, this appears to be a practice that hasn’t quite taken off – at least publically. The theme around harmonization revolves around standardizing and consolidating packaging – where applicable – to increase volumes and leverage buying power. There is often a fine line between standardizing and customizing, as each comes with its own pros and cons. While harmonization wasn’t a headlining theme, it is still a good analysis to perform as companies turn over all the stones searching for packaging cost savings opportunities.

4)      Shelf Space Optimization: This is also a term as consumers you may not hear broadcast from the mountaintops – and that’s just the point! CPG’s are constantly looking for ways to make changes that are visually indifferent to the naked eye, yet allow them to fit one extra box of crackers on the shelf – and also improve their transportation cube efficiencies. Take a look at a few of the changes in packaging sizes that weren’t able to slip past consumers’ attention: http://consumerist.com/tag/grocery-shrink-ray-2

a.       Also a good link: http://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/food-dining/2014/02/11/the-incredible-shrinking-package/Ti6VwQCCcg0whLdr8bHnyJ/story.html

Many packages are shrinking on shelf, is it just the package or sometimes the product too...

5)      Plant-Based Packaging: Last year we lauded companies like Dell and Coca-Cola for leading the charge on sustainable, plant-based packaging. As with any new material or technology there can often be a reluctance for larger companies to take the plunge and put forth the resources required to execute a potentially risky endeavor. However, late in 2014, TetraPak announced the launch of its first package madefrom plant based materials. As the technology behind the materials and manufacturing becomes more sophisticated and increased volumes drive down the price I’m sure we’ll here more stories of other CPG’s launching new plant-based packaging.

So I didn't exactly knock it out of the park in 2014, but then again that’s why they call them predictions. Besides, if I was awesome at predictions I would have made some great stock picks, cashed out and would be sitting on a beach in Cancun! 

Reader Mailbag: ECT vs Burst, where is the data?

Reader Mailbag: Chainalytics Packaging Engineers Answer Your Questions!

Dan writes:

We came across your previous blog article and hoped that you might be able to help us out with a data question. Our product is shipped in a double-wall, corrugated box for the secondary protective packaging. We’ve seen a hundred versions of the following table comparing the bursting test and edge crush test standards:

We’re familiar with the two types of testing, and we’re sure that the table is accurate. What we can’t seem to find is the data behind the table, or even a national regulation or standard that supports it. Can you help explain?

Dan, great question!  We established some basics on this a few years ago when we explained the difference between Mullen grade (burst) and ECT board in this blog entry. We did some additional digging in attempt to tackle Dan’s question head on, and find that data source he was searching for. However, all references we identified only had the comparative table noted as an approximation.

The paper combinations for both board types are driven by the paper weights available from the corrugator’s own mills or through purchasing from a third party. Most corrugators utilize their own special blend of paper combinations to meet ECT requirements, and can vary by region or even by plant. This allows the corrugators flexibility to use a wide variety of paper combinations to achieve the minimum ECT requirements, while minimizing costs.

Mullen grade board however requires a more exact combination of papers with one or two heavier weight liners to meet the burst strength requirements. 

In general, ECT and Burst are not an apples to apples to comparison, and are not intended to be. Both utilize different grades of paper and different combinations for their own unique purposes.   There is a reason ECT boards are less expensive, because there is less paper there.  So in a true static compression test, this table reflects their approximated equivalents based on compression, but that may not reflect your package’s performance in your supply chain.

The one steadfast answer to get to the bottom of it all is to test your boxes and determine their burst and ECT characteristics as well as simulated lab distribution testing.   Mullen board can often have similar or better performance that it’s comparative ECT counterpart, but the only way to truly know is to test it!

Thanks for your question!

by Rob Kaszubowski, CPP

Chainalytics

Chromatografting: A New Water Repelling Technology for Corrugated?

By Eric Carlson, CPP 
Chainalytics 

The best and worst feature of paper is its ability to absorb and retain water.  The paper making process is a water-intensive operation that allows us to make paper efficiently and also allows us to recycle paper and corrugated materials.  There are many products we count on every day for their water absorbing properties; in particular for personal hygiene.  However, for those of us involved in the packaging and the supply chain, water and water vapor causes trouble by weakening corrugated and other paper products. 

Corrugated is the most common material used for making shipping boxes and transport packaging and moisture can weaken the strength of the box very quickly and dramatically.  Cranking up the relative humidity to 80% reduces stacking strength by one-third.  If the corrugated gets wet, stacking strength is virtually ZERO.  Liquid water can also cause sufficient cosmetic damage to cause the box to be unsaleable whether the product inside damaged or not.  This is why it is so important to keep your corrugated boxes dry in your supply chain. 

There are coatings for corrugated materials, some better than others.  I have had countless cups of coffee in paper cups, but the reason the cup holds together is because the inside, and sometimes the outside is lined with polyethylene.  The polyethylene coating keeps my coffee cup from becoming a soggy mess in my hand, but makes the cup very UN-friendly to the paper recycling process. 

There have been many efforts in the past to come up with a new way to make the paper water resistant and still work in the repulping operations that converts post-consumer fiber material back into paper.  The most common coatings used today use water-based chemistry to coat an entire side (flood coat) of material (paper or corrugated) using a wet roller and controlling application thickness very closely to assure the product dries fully in the converting process. 

Last year a new kid on the block began touting a new process and some new chemistry to bring water resistance to the paper and corrugated industries.  PackagingDigest indicates that BT3 Technologies are wet coating the web, then controlling the vapor pressure of the fatty acids onto the paper substrate with heat to drive off the excess.  The fatty acids are reportedly from plant based chemistry. Traditional vapor deposition works by laying down molecular layer(s) onto an entire surface.  Similarly, BT3 is coating the entire surface; however, the target of the coating is the hydroxyl group on the paper to which their fatty acid can bond.  They refer to this combination of wetting, heating and chemical bonding as ‘chromatografting’.  This year, Packaging Digest reports that BASF signed an agreement with BT3. 

The below video shows the potential on a paper towel

There has been a lot of buzz in the media lately about coatings that are super water repellent (my new Samsung phone is claiming to be water resistant, but I’m not going to be the one to test it on purpose).  Most of these new water repelling coatings are also based on some type of very thin layer (typically a single molecule thick) of super-hydrophobic material. 

BT3 Technologies will need to scale up their process window (currently at a web of 9.5”), however, their process speed is well within corrugated process windows at ~1300 ft/min.   Additionally, BT3 is creating additional grease and gas barriers by combining their chromatografting with previously treated paper with polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH).  With the addition of BASF chemical engineering muscle, it’s possible this may become a viable and valuable new coating.

Leave a comment where yous see the greatest potential for this technology in Packaging!

Chainalytics Selected for 2014 Supply & Demand Chain Executive Top 100

Supply Chain Improvements with Avaya Yields Savings, Sustainability Worthy of “100 Great Supply Chain Projects”

Atlanta, GA – May 28, 2014 - Chainalytics, a global leader in supply chain consulting, packaging consulting, analytics, and market intelligence, has been selected by Supply & Demand Chain Executive magazine for inclusion into the “100 Great Supply Chain Projects” for 2014.

Chainalytics is recognized in this year's “100 Great Supply Chain Projects” for its supply chain planning and packaging optimization leadership from an engagement with Avaya, a multinational billion-dollar leading global provider of next-generation business collaboration and communications solutions.  

The winning supply chain initiative originated with an initial goal to identify strategies and options for reducing dimensional weight penalties for signal parcel customer shipments. What began as a simple cost reduction project to reduce dimensional weight penalties, quickly evolved into a holistic packaging optimization project focused on sustainability and systemic cost reductions.

“Chainalyitcs’ tools were used to clarify the business case and illustrate - for example - moving from 80 to 150 units per pallet; seeing that causes light bulbs to go on. People get it. The team created enterprise leadership buy-in, momentum, and rapid advancement of the project,” said Lance Casler, senior manager of global transportation with Avaya.

"The Chainalytics team, lead by Eric Carlson and Rich Lindgren, was able to bring strategic leadership to help transform packaging vision at Avaya and gain key stakeholder buy in at multiple levels in the packaging design and distribution & transport packaging testing stages. "

Indicative of the capabilities of the supply chain and packaging experts at Chainalytics, this winning project involved packaging redesign, cube utilization, customized cost modeling, product portfolio subdivision, optimization for transoceanic freight lanes with an emphasis placed on packaging sustainability and quantifiable metrics.

“Avaya required expert resources for packaging engineering, system-wide process improvements and significant reductions in packaging materials and shipping costs. Chainalytics made the most of available resources providing expertise where needed, leveraging Avaya data, quickly identify packaging optimization opportunities and executing action steps,” continued Casler.

The Chainalytics team helped ensure that the total system had a strong fit to meet the needs of the business, working closely with the Avaya team, to design and build a custom savings and justifications “calculator”, integrating freight rates & new container loading densities with considerations to new packaging designs.

Tom Blanck, Practice Leader for the Packaging Optimization team noted: "We had a huge challenge ahead of us, but were able to make a major impact, thanks in part to the collaborative effort of the Avaya's core stakeholder team and their internal packaging resources."

Avaya’s team was then able to take these process improvements and continue to realize tangible savings on their own. Chainalytics’ recommendations and processes remain in place generating lasting project and enterprise value year after year. 

“Avaya’s partnership with Chainalytics created processes improvements with lasting, quantifiable, high-value effects for the enterprise,” stated Casler.

"Initial results achieved through the custom packaging optimization techniques developed by Chainalytics directly resulted in annual savings of 320 tons of corrugated, 16.5 tons of packaging foam, 4000 pallets, 19% fewer ocean containers shipped, and 200 tons of CO2 emissions eliminated."

“Avaya now owns sustainable processes and quality packaging specification development tools for our products. Ocean freight mix has since increased from 20 percent to 80 percent allowing us to realize far greater savings than when project was completed,” concluded Casler.

"Our goal with this year's '100' is to put the spotlight on successful and innovative transformation projects that are delivering bottom-line value to small, medium and large enterprises across the different functions that comprise the supply chain," said Barry Hochfelder, Supply & Demand Chain editor. "The projects featured in the '100' article can serve as a roadmap for supply chain executives looking for new opportunities to drive improvement in their own operations."

The magazine received hundreds of applications and chose the top 100 based on the scope of the project, creative application of technologies and services and the business results achieved.

All 100 winning supply chain projects will be featured in the cover story of the June 2014 issue of Supply & Demand Chain Executive to be released in June, as well as online at www.SDCExec.com.

About Chainalytics

Chainalytics is a recognized global leader in supply chain consulting, analytics, and market intelligence. Through a unique combination of best practice knowledge, exclusive benchmarking research, and advanced decision sciences tools and techniques, Chainalytics empowers fact-based decision making in the areas of Supply Chain Design, S&OP (Sales & Operations Planning), Logistics Operations, Transportation, Service Supply Chain, and Packaging Optimization. Chainalytics targets enterprises with a high degree of complexity created by their unique combination of scale, variability, and geography. With locations in North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia, Chainalytics serves companies globally in a borderless fashion. To learn more, visit www.chainalytics.com

About Avaya

Avaya is a global provider of business collaboration and communications solutions, providing unified communications, contact centers, networking and related services to companies of all sizes around the world. www.avaya.com