A major door manufacturer—was receiving complaints from the end customer about abrasion damage on its higher-end wood and metal doors. The contract packager was packing the doors in large, corrugated cases without any additional protection. (The company had already tried a coated corrugated alternative which still didn’t have the desired performance characteristics.) Having secured an important contract with a major retailer, the end customer was interested in eliminating the problem as quickly as possible.
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Customer complaints
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Product damage
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Eliminated the abrasion/product damage issues
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Restored goodwill with customers
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Achieved performance with as little cost as little material/cost possible
An IPS Packaging specialist worked closely with the door manufacturer to find a solution. The answer was gluing a sheet of Pregis Microfoam® to the sides of the corrugated that come in contact with the door surface. Microfoam’s high coefficient of friction enables it to cling to the item it is protecting, minimizing the chance of abrasion.
A trial and error process followed to determine what Microfoam® specifications would work the best for the customer coupled with what dimensions IPS could manufacture. Also, the customer was interested in achieving performance with as little material/cost possible.
The solution was a perforated 450 foot roll with the following sheet dimensions: 1/8- x 37 x 85-inches. (These are originally 74-inch wide rolls that are slit in half.) The decision was also supported with testing. It showed that the addition of Microfoam to the corrugated would eliminate the abrasion problems.
The door manufacturer is extremely pleased with the results. Additionally, IPS’ ability to help the fabricator secure new business helped to further solidify the business relationship.
