A refurbisher of consumer electronics (monitors, laptops, desktops, etc.) had been using a system to produce bubble-on-demand. Additionally, a sheeter had been installed to improve packaging speed. However, instead of separating the roll at the perforation, it would cut through a row of inflated bubble causing that portion of the leading and trailing edges to deflate and lose its cushioning abilities, leading to material waste.
The hybrid cushioning was demonstrated to the customer in partnership to the distributer, who was not selling anything to this account) using a 12-inch pad width with a large cell height to significantly improve product yield.
A pack out was done to compare performance attributes between the two systems. The results indicated that the end user could reduce the material usage by 30% because the taller cell height meant that less material was needed to achieve its wrapping and void fill objectives.
The company tested this new system for several months, even asking their major customers to validate their performance. Having been pleased with the results, the company installed four of the new systems. The end result was improved protection for the refurbished components and a significant reduction of their film expenditures.
Further, the packers like the “easy to work with” set up, including the touch screen, faster output, improved pack protection and pad delivery.
