Packaging 101

Author: Brendan Ploen

Inkjet Printing 101

Posted on by Brendan Ploen

Who Uses Inkjet Printing?

Virtually every company that produces products also packages them for shipment and sale. Packaging includes the cans, bottles, jars, bags and/or shrink-wrap that contain the product itself, plus the boxes, crates, barrels, and pallets that bundle quantities of product for efficient shipment. Information printing on the packaging typically falls into two categories:

  • Static message – the same for every package in a group
  • Variable – all or part of the printed message changes for each package or production run.

What is Inkjet Printing?

Well, inkjet printing can be loosely defined as propelling droplets of ink onto a substrate (the product that is being printed on) in a specific pattern without touching the object’s surface. This technology allows for a wide variety of substrates to be printed on such as porous, non-porous, smooth, textured, curved, concave, and more. There are several advantages of inkjet printing over other technologies. Inkjet printing is non-contact, which means only the ink touches the products or packaging, and the product remains undamaged and stable. Both high speed and intermittent production can be used with inkjet printing making production lines efficient and accurate.

Types of Inkjet Printing

There are three main types of inkjet technologies: dot-matrix, hi-resolution (piezo), and continuous inkjet (CIJ). Continuous inkjet technology is when there is a continuous flow of ink from a pressurized reservoir. A deflection plate and an electrical field are used to control if and where the droplets of ink reach the substrate. Where the drop lands on the substrate and how far the droplet deflects is dependent on the strength of the charge on each droplet. The deflected drops create the image and the non-charged droplets are collected and recirculated. 

Dot Matrix Inkjet Printing
Hi-Resolution (Piezo)
Continuous Inkjet (CIJ)

Dot-Matrix

Dot-Matrix (Drop-on-demand) is the other type of technology and it is when a drop of ink is only generated when a drop is needed. These drops are formed by a pressure pulse within the printhead. These codes can be seen on a number of porous and non-porous surfaces like corrugated cases, metal, plastics, and more. 

Hi-Resolution (Piezo)

Hi-resolution or piezo printing is technology that generates extremely small ink droplets by variably expanding, or pulsing, a piezoelectric crystal within a jet. A piezoelectric crystal undergoes distortion when an electric field is applied and this distortion is used to create a pressure pulse in the ink chamber, which causes a drop to be ejected from the nozzle. A main advantage of piezo technology is its ability to run a wide variety of fluids, while ensuring good reliability and a long life for the printheads.

The Squid Ink CoPilot 500 printing system uses piezo printhead technology. The CoPilot 500 utilizes piezo technology by printing great looking barcodes and logos up to 2.8’’ in height per printhead with the ability to run up to two printheads. These logos and barcodes are printed on cases that run in a production line and can be seen in stores or when they are delivered straight to you. 

Continuous Inkjet (CIJ)

CIJ is the technology of choice for small character high speed printing. A reason that CIJ is a preferred method over others is its ability to use inks based on volatile solvents which allow for rapid drying. Many of these small characters codes are on items you would see every day. Date codes printed on the bottom of beer cans, expiration dates on a milk carton, and many other products used every day.

To learn more about the inkjet printing technologies that Pyramid Packaging offers, visit our product pages.

This blog post is originally from our supplier, Squid Ink.

Shipping Trends Favor Parcels, Not Pallets (And Here’s Why That Matters)

Posted on by Brendan Ploen

As e-commerce continues to grow, the fulfillment process gets more complex. 

Manufacturers that are comfortable with palletized shipping may struggle with efficiency when dealing with individual parcels. Parcel shipping may be the key to keeping online consumers happy, but individual product shipments create different kinds of damage risk and cost impact than traditional bulk shipments on pallets.  

It’s essential for manufacturers to have optimized, efficient fulfillment plans in place now — or risk being left further behind. Whether you need to ship automotive parts, faucets, or electronics direct to consumers, if you’re looking to stay competitive and ahead of these new, e-commerce-fueled consumer trends, you may need to rethink your fulfillment strategy. That means taking a closer look at every step of the process, from package design and material selection to efficient ways for handling increased parcel volume and last-mile delivery.  

Here are four signs it’s time your fulfillment operation should be optimized for efficient parcel shipping.

1. Your Damage Rates Have Increased

Parcels can’t be treated like pallets. When manufacturers don’t evaluate their packaging processes for parcel shipments, product integrity can suffer and damage rates can skyrocket. Ultimately, no matter what you ship, there are many factors that contribute to high damage rates, including too little (or too much!) packaging material, incorrect packaging material, and inexperienced or rushed packers. 

The good news is that many of these factors are within your control. Sealed Air’s packaging engineers can test, design, and certify your packaging to meet ISTA and Amazon frustration-free packaging standards — while minimizing or even eliminating damage. 

2. Your Freight Costs are Rising

Changes in the way carriers determine freight costs (based on dimensional weight and not actual weight) mean that in order to minimize freight costs, your packaging processes and sometimes also materials need to change. 

Don’t assume the packaging solutions that work for palletized shipments or previous freight cost calculations will continue to work when your fulfillment center needs to add the ability to package individual parcels. Packaging experts can help make sure you’re using the right packaging solution — which isn’t always a box — and even test it to certify its performance.

3. Customer Feedback Is Flat — or Complaints Are Coming More Frequently

For today’s consumer, the bare minimum is an expectation that an order will arrive on time and in perfect condition. But consumer expectations are steadily growing. To remain competitive, table stakes are things like order trackability, quick delivery, a look and amount of packaging that delights the consumer, sustainable packaging materials, and easy returns. 

If your fulfillment practices and packaging materials aren’t meeting these criteria, you’re already behind. Fulfillment experts can help you speed up throughput and even custom printpackaging to deliver an experience that thrills your customers.

4. Your Fulfillment Center Struggles to Keep Pace With Demand

Adding or updating your processes and equipment can be a big undertaking, but it’s likely that your operation can be optimized for parcel shipments with minimal downtime. Packaging experts can help add parcel packaging to your existing fulfillment operation with solutions that can easily integrate with your existing lines for minimal disruption — no matter your setup. Your operation may just need adjustments or reconfigurations to maximize efficiency. 

Inkjet Printers vs Preprinted Labels

Posted on by Brendan Ploen

This blog post is originally from one of our suppliers, Squid Ink.

When a label is printed or placed onto a product, it must stay on for the manufacturer and customer to see. Without a legible bar code, serial number, logo, or identification number, the product could be lost or be placed where it shouldn’t be, and traceability could be a concern. In this blog, we will talk about printing directly onto the product versus using a preprinted label, as well as the advantages of direct printing.

Direct package printing: what is inkjet printing?

Inkjet printing can be loosely defined as propelling droplets of ink onto a substrate (the product printed on) in a specific pattern without touching the object’s surface. This technology allows for a wide variety of substrates to be printed on – porous, non-porous, smooth, textured, curved, concave, and more.

There are several advantages of inkjet printing over other technologies. Inkjet printing is non-contact, which means only the ink touches the products or packaging, and the product remains undamaged and stable. High speed and intermittent production can be used with inkjet printing making production lines efficient and accurate.

Non-direct packaging printing: what is a preprinted label?

A preprinted label is a lot like a sticker that is applied to the product or case. First, the information and graphics are printed onto the label, and then the label is applied to the product. These labels are often hand applied, or if there is larger production demand, label applicators can be purchased to apply the labels automatically.

Inkjet printers vs. preprinted labels

One of the big takeaways when comparing inkjet printers to preprinted or thermal transfer labels is the cost. Factoring in the cost of the label and thermal transfer ribbons, inkjet printing is typically a tenth of the cost of a label. The cost of manual labor is also a factor to consider when deciding between labeling or inkjet printing. If you don’t have automatic labelers, then extra time and money will have to be used to apply the labels manually.

Print direct to product
Preprinted adhesive labels

Additionally, label machines typically experience more downtime than inkjet printers. When the labeler runs out of labels or ribbons, the production line must stop for a refill. If a large quantity of product needs to go out, this may require multiple stops throughout the day.

Inkjet printers utilize ink cartridges. When an ink cartridge is depleted, the cartridge can be changed on the fly with no downtime. Squid Ink’s CoPilot Max 512i Turbo features a large 500ml snap-in cartridge, allowing users to swap ink cartridges in a matter of seconds. The generous ink volume, quick-change ink cartridge, and user-friendly touchscreen design allow users to keep their line running, reducing downtime and maximizing ROI.

Another great feature that inkjet printers have is their versatility. When utilizing the system’s touchscreen controller and industrial tablet, the user can customize the message that they want to be printed. If part of the message needs to be changed, edits can occur on the production floor, cutting downtime and allowing more greater flexibility, something not available with pre-printed labels.

Overall, inkjet printers will give you a quality mark for a fraction of the price. In addition, you will have peace of mind knowing that the mark has been made directly on the product. An inkjet printer also provides a cost-effective solution for making your mark on various products and substrates.

To learn more about the inkjet printing technologies that Squid Ink offers, visit our product pages and view our full selection of equipment to help you print your products

Paper Remains Top Pick for Recyclable Packaging

Posted on by Brendan Ploen

Rising consumer demands call for fast, easy, reliable — and recyclable — packaging. As more consumers seek ways to become environmentally responsible, paper is a good choice for companies that ship goods to boost sustainability practices. 

Our paper solutions help reduce environmental impacts before and after they’ve reached the consumer. Sealed Air brand paper packaging is made from 100% recycled content, manufactured in our paper mills that are certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, and is easy for consumers to recycle. 

Implementing Responsible Practices With Paper

According to the University of Minnesota, the U.S. benchmark for water use within pulp and paper mills is approximately 17,000 gallons/ton of paper. That equates to 213 average-size bathtubs. Sealed Air has more responsible practices and operates two state-of-the-art paper facilities in Pennsylvania. Both plants are rich in paper-making history and tradition yet outfitted with the latest technological advancements. These plants produce less than 1% waste material, and our Modena facility operates one of the few completely closed-loop water systems in the country. This means all the water used to manufacture the paper is re-circulated through the mill and not discharged to a municipal wastewater treatment center. 

Paper With a Purpose

Paper is a sturdy, ecological packaging material. When used as void fill, paper is a recyclable replacement for foam packing peanuts. When used as a cushioning agent, paper can provide blocking and bracing protection similar to expanded polystyrene foam, which is not recyclable.  

Paper is stronger than you might think. Employing the engineering of Sealed Air’s systems, which crimp and create multi-ply solutions, paper has the power to protect heavy-duty products such as mechanical parts during transit. Our new, comprehensive range of paper packaging systems help you integrate sustainable solutions into your operation during critical times without incurring higher shipping costs or damage.

Pyramid Packaging offers an array of sustainable packaging solutions — but paper remains the top pick for recyclable packaging. If you’re looking to add paper to your operation, pick the most environmentally responsible packaging partner who can help you do it right and who will be there as your business grows.

Tackle Dimensional Weight by Rethinking the Box

Posted on by Brendan Ploen

While we haven’t moved into the futuristic territory of The Jetsons, major retailers like Walmart are starting to roll out drone deliveries across several U.S. states. Just because companies are being granted patents for drones and airborne fulfillment centers doesn’t necessarily mean the use of these delivery technologies is readily available. Today, tomorrow, and for quite a while, trucks will be used to transport e-commerce packages to consumers’ homes.

Courtesy: Sealed Air. Truck on the road with load of boxes. 3D Rendering

The trouble with trucks, and a big reason why drones are under consideration, is there’s not enough space inside of trailers to keep up with the increased demand of e-commerce shipments. The trucks, however, are not going to get any bigger because larger trucks require more gas, face more regulations, and need more drivers.

This challenge has forced carriers to fit more on each truck or increase the delivery fee for each shipment. Most carriers, like FedEx, have opted for the latter and now charge for space rather than weight. Dimensional weight is a pricing technique assigned to a shipment based on volume versus the actual weight of the package.

To combat these increases in shipping fees, brands must reconsider packaging materials and delivery methods to make changes that will result in smarter, smaller parcels. Thinking about three specific variables is a good place to start.

1. Be clear about damage goals. Understand what solutions offer the best protection for your needs then decide the appropriate amount of packaging material that will meet those needs while minimizing the total size of the parcel.

2. Understand throughput requirements. How many SKUs do you want to manage? You will spend more money running a slower operation than you will recover from freight savings. Be thoughtful about the packaging requirements of each SKU and how that will affect your operation.

3. Optimize the packaging operation. Retailers often overthink the process for creating shipment-ready parcels when a single packaging material can accomplish multiple jobs. The combination of resource management and operational throughput requires a delicate balance, so a little homework will go a long way to increase profits.

These variables differ across each industry or sometimes just day to day. By asking the right questions, retailers can reach an optimal balance of a fully optimized package with a lower operational burden. Reliable and cost-effective protection can be accomplished with some of our most popular packaging solutions.

Shipping mailers: These oldies but goodies are quick, affordable, and easy to use. Historically, only smaller, lighter items could be placed inside a mailer but with years of innovation and improvements, mailers can now withstand the rigors of delivery as well as traditional corrugate. They are also available in two material formats to suit your needs — paper and poly.

Durable carton wrap: This opaque film eliminates the need for a secondary corrugated box by wrapping the primary packaging to make it strong enough for solo delivery. It offers the convenience of easy-open tabs to enhance the consumer experience, while providing tear-resistant strength to maintain parcel integrity. Plus, it’s store drop-off recyclable at thousands of locations across the U.S.

Fulfillment automation: Oversized boxes are one of the leading culprits of dimensional weight charges. Our automated cartoning systems can produce corrugate packages to fit the specific size of each shipment, and our automated mailer systems use flexible film to encase products in a ready-to-ship protective parcel.

Don’t be the next company that crumbles underneath freight costs. To avoid being surprised by your next freight bill, conduct frequent operational audits to identify opportunities to reduce costs and increase efficiency. By harnessing the power of packaging and technology, you can use smaller parcels to provide superior protection all while maintaining a consistent experience.

AUTOBAG 850S Mail Order Fulfillment Case Study

Posted on by Brendan Ploen

This customer case study example comes from one of our suppliers, Sealed Air.

Improving Operational Efficiency for Online Retailer, Fanatics

The Challenge:

Delivering to over 180 countries, Fanatics is a global supplier of sports fan merchandise including football shirts, shorts, socks, baseball caps, mugs, and other souvenirs. The online retail giant supplies consumers worldwide with official merchandise from some of sports’ biggest names, including Manchester United, Dallas Cowboys, and England Rugby. 

From its warehouse in North Manchester, an average of 7,500 packs are shipped every day to meet demand from its hugely popular website. During the holiday peak season, order volumes increase to four times the average amount. The majority of Fanatics packaging operation was handled manually, putting a strain on labor resources and slowing down order fulfillment. Packers worked at eight pack stations manually filling and sealing bags by hand and printing labels and invoices on two printers.  

Fanatics needed a bagging and printing packaging system that would optimize existing resources, like labor and warehouse space, and streamline its complex, high-volume e-commerce order fulfillment processes.

The Solution:

The AUTOBAG® brand 850S is a high-speed bagging and printing system uniquely designed to provide enhanced packaging productivity for mail order fulfillment and e-commerce applications. “The main reason for installing the machines was to save space while allowing us to meet some fairly ambitious growth targets,” said Andrew Crozier, Fanatics Operations Manager. 

With the help of four AUTOBAG brand high-speed bagging and printing systems, Fanatics has increased its capacity to keep pace with fulfillment demands. The company was able to eliminate most of its manual pack stations and can now process five times the number of orders per hour with the same amount of resources. In addition to optimizing labor and warehouse space, the AUTOBAG brand 850S improves the packing process with its built-in printer that allows the label to be printed directly on the bag for better labeling of soft goods or oddly shaped items.

Results:

  • Increased efficiency and throughput velocity by 5X
  • Reduced the number of manual pack stations
  • Optimized existing labor and warehouse space
  • Ability to scale fulfillment operations to accommodate peak season and changes in demand

Evolving Automation For E-Commerce Fulfillment

To continue advancing automation for e-commerce, Sealed Air launched the AUTOBAG brand 850S paper high-speed bagging and printing system. This sustainable solution runs all-paper bags that are curbside recyclable while continuing to deliver efficiency and throughput for fulfillment operations.

To learn more about the AUTOBAG 850S Bagging System, click here.

Need assistance with your request for quote?

Click here to contact our sales team today!