What's an air pillow? An inflatable system will create air pillows used in the protecting of a product. Basically there's a roll of film mounted to the small piece of equipment that's then filled with air. The pillows or cushions are then wrapped around the product to protect against damage. See the picture below to get an idea of what we're talking about. They're like little pillows for your product to go to sleep on. So comfortable and form fitting, but these little cushions pack a big punch in the savings department. See: AirSpeed 5000

1.  Cost per package

Focus on the average cost per package, not just the cost of the material. Remember, a common mistake it to just focus on the cost of material. The cost of the protective packaging, and how it protects your product, is more crucial than just the single cost of materials. It can be cheaper to be using less of a more expensive air pillow than it is to use more of a less expensive material. Still following? Alright cool, because you're going to be using much less material with air pillows than you would with traditional bubble wrap.

2.  Warehouse space

How much space can you give up in your warehouse? We're guessing it's limited and every foot counts. The good thing about air pillow systems is that they're small. We're talking around 1 cubic foot of space for a jumbo roll of inflatable system film. Compare that to the upwards of 500 cubic feet of void fill it would take to match the same amount of protection. Those inflatables come flat and compact, not like those typical packing peanuts and kraft paper. The equipment will give you an on-demand cushioning system, eliminating the need for extra space and time consuming storage. You can get back to keep the real things in your warehouse that matter, like your products. It's important to keep this in mind when looking into inflatable systems. There's not just one factor to why air pillow systems will reduce packaging costs.

Air Move Air Pillow Packaging Looks pretty comfy right? Your packages will think so too.

3.  That 7 letter word   

F-R-E-I-G-H-T. No one likes to hear about it, and it can certainly change the cost of protective packaging. Size and weight of your packages will have the biggest impact on transportation costs. The more heavier material you use to protect your product, the more money you're going to pay in freight. There's a lot of factors that go into freight prices and having a material like an air pillow that's light and effective will keep your costs down.

AIr Pillow

Other things to consider with freight:

  • Size of package
  • Weight of package
  • Package shape
  • Package performance when hit with shock, compression and vibration
  • Full pallets or small parcel
  • Carbon footprint

4. Damage

1 in 10 boxes shipped are damaged. It may not seem like a lot, but then go ahead an ship 100,000 boxes. It adds up. Consistency is king here. With an inflatable system you'll be pumping out consistent protective packaging each time. No more leaving it up to the operator's discretion. You'll get the correct amount of fill each time your product is packaged. That helps lower costs by consistently protecting against damage and decreasing the percent of those damaged packages.

1 in 10 boxes shipped will be damaged

You won't be wasting material with using too much or too little, and you'll get the protection that's needed. Inflatable systems produce air pillows for a wide range of packaging applications including void-fill, cushioning, containment and wrapping. Products of all shapes and sizes receive optimal protection from shock, abrasion and vibration during transit.

5. Going green

It's 2018, and everyone is and should be concerned with the environment. What we do puts a strain on this planet with all the synthetic materials we use to protect goods. How is your packaging operation helping the planet? With sustainability in mind, you want to look at the materials you use on your products. Looking to go green? There's even biodegradable air pillow options out there now. There's less of an environmental impact now that inflatable systems are producing thinner films. The reduction in material is one of the key benefits to using these inflatable cushions.

Air Pillows

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