Technology firm 3M has launched what it claims is the world’s first one-piece packaging system that both provides impact absorption and eliminates the need for additional packaging materials.
Called Protective Packaging, it is designed for ‘fragility packaging’ applications, ranging from memory cards and hard disk drives to televisions and laptops. Impact absorption is provided by a system of interlocking bellows and buffers, and should the product be dropped, it is said Protective Packaging will absorb the impact and revert to its original shape.
Adrian Hyner, general sales and marketing manager for 3M’s Electro & Communications division, says: “This is an exciting addition to our existing range of packaging and component handling solutions for the electronics industry. It puts us at the forefront of innovative packaging solutions.”
3M claims the thermoformed packaging system also provides both economic and environmental benefits as it can reduce pack volume by up to 50 per cent, while cutting storage and transport costs too.
