More than a brown box

17 August 2005



It may have been around for decades but corrugated continues to innovate, writes Pauline Covell


For over a century corrugated board has been a faithful packaging servant. The humble brown box both protects and attracts despite competition from returnable plastics containers, stretch wrapped pallets and intermediate bulk solutions. According to the Confederation of Paper Industries, the average UK weekly production in 2004 was 83,283,000m, or 43,601t, but to survive in a competitive world it is service and innovation that will count in the future.

That innovation has taken shape through print, fitment design, flute development and clever constructions, but arguably there have been few moves away from the straight lines and corners of the traditional case. Until recently that is. A curvaceous design based on a construction first widely recognised by the Romans as the ultimate in architectural strength – the arch – is the basis of FrogPack, brain child of Stanelco company Aquasol. To be strictly correct FrogPack makes use of shock absorbing arcuate panel technology (SAAP) for its added strength and protective qualities. It is already being used for lighting supplies, hard drive electronic components, smart sunglasses and mobile phones. And according to project development director David Edwards packs containing champagne have been hurled out of a helicopter from 200 feet without any damage.

It was based on a pack developed by Edwards and Technical Director Bill MacCarthy from a sleeve concept with concave sides originally invented before Aquasol was spun off from Rhone Poulenc. "It has been gathering dust for years," said Edwards, with MacCarthy adding that: "The big development was the closing of the ends with a positive closure last April. "The strength is provided by the multiple arches – concave on the sides and convex on top and bottom. The product sits in the middle of the pack and whatever motion it is subjected to will always come up against an inclined plane. The ends are energy absorbing with the addition of a sacrificial crumple zone." Although there are no straight sides the pack is fully stackable. "It is also a very pretty pack," he added.

The patented FrogPack is initially distributed in the UK under licence from Aquasol by Network Packaging and converted by Mondi from B flute, although the design can also be produced in plastics Correx. "Where ever we go people are interested, impressed and can see the positive aspects of the pack," said Network director Gary Lewis. "We have taken on dedicated staff to handle it."

According to Edwards, "The high-impact design means that the packaging requires less material and less energy for the same protection. One company has said that one truck could carry an amount of products that would previously have needed five." The design has also leapt across the Atlantic and is being marketed from Stanelco's office in Orlando.

Next off the drawing board is FlowerFrog, a modification to allow flowers to be successfully mailed direct from field to retailer or florist to recipient. And hot off the press is QuadFrog launched at the end of June, which by using four arcuate panels produces the ultimate in architectural strength – the dome. Achieved by a cleverly designed blank, one layer is twisted and folded in to produce a double layer with the flutes at right angles to each other in the dome. "It means the pack can be made much larger without internal support and we are not wasting quite so much volume, although the crumple zones are still there," explained Bill MacCarthy. If fittings are needed they can be added integrally into the flaps or smaller FrogPacks may contain items within the pack.

On-the-move food market growing

The food on the move market is growing and, with the average lunch break now lasting half an hour, it is vital that manufacturers offer convenient, quality products that meet consumers' needs says UK niche corrugated packaging manufacturer BCP Fluted Packaging. Used by McDonalds, FooGo (WH Smith & Superdrug) and Primal Soup (National Railways) is its innovative Heat 'n' Hold, a new fluted food sleeve that is claimed to offer excellent insulation making it comfortable to hold the pack containing heated food. Material profile depends on customer requirements, but is nearly always E flute.

The patent pending concept avoids the common problems that can occur when heating products in their packaging as containers can melt or soften and increase the risk of scalding. It can be litho printed in up to six colours plus varnish offering excellent label quality and branding, says the company.

Heat 'n' Hold is also claimed to keep hot food hotter for longer and allow contents to be consumed straight from the container. High quality sandwich and snack manufacturer FooGo has added a range of soups to its offering, packaged in the sleeve. Marketing director Simon Stenning said: "We didn't expect soup to do very well when we introduced it to the range in the spring as soup is much more popular in the winter months. But we have been pleasantly surprised by the rate of sales." He added: "Heat 'n' Hold is a fantastic concept - there is no hassle, it is easy to use with clear instructions and most of all it is safe providing an enhanced consumer experience." FooGo chose the packaging as it provides the consumer with a safe and comfortable way to microwave and then consume the soup.

At the other end of the scale at interpack Mondi announced a new collapsible one way transit container with integral pallet entirely constructed from corrugated material. Heavy Load Packaging (HLP) is claimed to be a cost-efficient, environmentally friendly and lightweight packaging solution, which is strong in performance even for overseas transportation. A weight of up to 200kg can be carried boasts the company.

While other existing solutions combine up to five different materials to be able to carry the same load and to support a stack of up to three other boxes, the HLP box provides the same performance with less material says Mondi.

A strong corrugated internal frame supports the pallet box and the whole unit is assembled "easily without tools or glue". It can be delivered with an internal stringer matrix to support special parts like engines or gearboxes and, depending on customer demands, options such as integrated anti-corrosive coating or inflatable inlays to provide additional protection can be supplied. Its modular structure allows HLP to be made in a wide variety of sizes and structures.

SCA's Ben Blydenstein told Packaging Today: "Our industry will only be able to survive if it becomes more flexible. A big trend for us is to take the complexity out of the supply chain for our customers. For example, in Oxford we have a new contract packaging service." And earlier this year the company set up its own point of sale consulting department, SCA Packaging Creative Consulting, based in Fulda, Germany, in the same location as the company's Middle Europe Product Development department and the "Ideas Factory".

Martin Greb, who leads the unit says: "A PoS campaign without a display is like advertising without selling." Tailor-made PoS displays are experiencing a boom and, due to their ability to present the brand message in an eye-catching way and prompt buying decisions, have overtaken other advertising media such as billboards, brochures and print", he adds.

The display specialists can develop ideas and themes for PoS campaigns, offering a complete range of services. This includes development of key visuals, constructive samples and graphic layouts, digital mock-ups and reproduction, as well as the production overview and the assembling and dismantling of the display at the retail point. Displays can even include light, movement, fragrance, voices and music.

The department works closely with SCA's development centres across Europe to ensure displays will be resistant, easy to assemble, and will have an overall satisfactory performance at the retail point. SCA Packaging recently won a coveted gold star in this year's Starpack Awards presented on 30 June for a point of sale display and collation, free standing off-shelf display unit for Nestlé UK's KitKat promotion for Woolworths. "Ease of assembly and fitness for purpose structural design were key to maximum in-store compliance," said the judges. Produced from a combination of NE flute corrugated and clear PP components, it is designed to merchandise loose tumble fill products and flat stacked multipacks.

"Stretch N Grab" postal solution

Market innovation is demonstrated by a product produced by Launceston based DS Smith Speciality Packaging to help take the costs out of the leisure book market. The time to pick and pack, and the quantities and storage of size specific postal packs has been a significant element of these costs.

The patented "Stretch N Grab" comprises stretch film which is glued to the sides of a baseboard and used to secure product aided by a speciality non-slip coating applied to the upper surface of the board. Then, by folding the side flaps back on themselves, the film is stretched sufficiently to prevent all product movement. The baseboard end flaps are folded through 90 degrees and the product is locked in suspension.

With the considerable stacking strength contribution from the fitting, a 'B' flute corrugated has been used for the outer. The container has further been designed with a crash-lock base for ease of make-up and has additional lateral scoring to give four variable heights. Each of the upper flaps has double sided tape applied along its full length to ensure a very secure closure.

Since the introduction of the new packaging system the packing efficiency is said to have improved considerably. It has been estimated that close to a 40% reduction in packaging items used has been achieved.


FooGo has added a range of soups to its offering, ... FooGo has added a range of soups to its offering, ...
DS Smith Speciality Packaging has helped take the costs out ... DS Smith Speciality Packaging has helped take the costs out ...
The Quad Frog - which mimics the ultimate in architectural ... The Quad Frog - which mimics the ultimate in architectural ...
SCA Packaging recently won a coveted Gold Star in this ... SCA Packaging recently won a coveted Gold Star in this ...


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