An Extensive Consumer Durables Packaging Guide
Consumer durables are the household appliances and automobiles having a longer useful life after purchase. Given their utility and life-span, even minor dents in appliances are not acceptable to the consumers. Therefore, consumer durables packaging is also crucial for manufacturers. Here we enlist the types of consumer durables packaging materials.
Cartons and Boxes
Cartons and boxes make both primary and secondary packaging in the consumer durables industry. These are generally cardboard and paperboard containers useful for making outer packaging. Following are the commonly used packaging boxes.
Window Patch
Window patch cartons have an opening or window to display the product inside. The window is covered with a transparent film to protect the product from dust, moisture, etc. The boxes have custom window size depending on the product's’ aesthetics.
Applications
Small to medium sized electronics, gadgets, etc.
Self-locking
Self-locking cartons are sturdy boxes with an elongated flap to fold and lock. They provide excellent closure without needing adhesive tapes.
Applications
Mobile phones packaging commonly use self-locking cartons. These are also suitable as a secondary shipping box for small to medium sized consumer durables.
Straight-tuck end
These are the boxes with flaps on top and bottom. These boxes are presentable and can have custom window patch.
Applications
A wide variety of consumer durables packaging uses this type of carton.
Lined Carton
Lined cartons have an inner lining of polyethylene or aluminum for additional protection against moisture.
Applications
Electronics, gadgets, and premium packaging.
Regular Slotted Cartons
The regular slotted containers are cardboard shipping cartons with four flaps. These flaps are half the width of the container. They can have a different types of flutes depending on the product packaging requirement.
Applications
These are suitable for packing and shipping medium to large sized containers. These are also good to aggregate smaller packaging into a bigger box for shipping.
Wraps
Wraps are the elastic plastic film for covering the product and packaging during shipping.
Shrink Wraps
Shrink wrap is a transparent polyethylene film to cover a product or shipping container. It is applied loosely around the item and shrinks to fit by applying heat.
Applications
These are useful for extending packaging protection against dust, moisture, or sun. It also protects the package from pilferage.
Stretch Wraps
Stretch wraps are highly elastic and easily stick to the surface by the elastic rebound. LDPE (Low-density polypropylene) makes good stretch wrap. These are able to properly cover uneven surfaces. One can use stretch wraps manually or with machine aid.
Applications
The stretch wrap applications in the consumer durables packaging industry include unitizing shipping cartons for palletizing, bundling, and wrapping individual items for extended protection.
Straps and Ties
Straps are used with skids and pallets for unitizing loads. Whereas, ties are useful for fastening smaller packages. Straps also include clips to hold the strapping.
Metal Straps
These are made of tin, aluminum, or other lightweight metals. These are more expensive than PET straps.
Applications
These are useful for handling heavyweight automobiles, appliances via forklift.
PET Straps
These include straps and rolls made from polyester, PET (polyethylene), PP (polypropylene), nylon, and rayon. PET straps are available in different standard colors. These are useful for color-coding the loads for easy identification in warehouses.
Applications
These are useful for unitizing loads, material handling, and for securing the package against accidental loss or theft.
Cable Ties
Cable ties act as a fastener for rolling and holding together cables, wires, etc. Because of plastic, they are free from corrosion and are a bad conductor of electricity, hence safe to use for appliances packaging.
Applications
These are generally used as internal packaging material for organizing wires and individual appliances parts.
Adhesives and Tapes
Adhesives and tapes are gluing materials. The adhesive is available in paste form whereas, the tape is a combination of glue and a backing material.
BOPP Tapes
BOPP (Biaxially oriented polypropylene) tapes exhibit excellent mechanical properties and adhesion at room temperature.
Applications
These are useful for sealing, bundling, and wrapping the outer packaging or cartons.
Two-sided Tapes
Two-sided tapes have glue on either side. These are useful for faster and easier packaging. However, two-sided tapes are costlier and have lesser strength.
Applications
These are suitable for lightweight applications like attaching documents to the packaging box, decorative labels, etc.
Silicon Tapes
Silicon tapes are made of polymers of carbon. These are costliest of all adhesive tapes but provide extremely strong adhesion.
Applications
These are useful for intricate packaging, electronics, and for insulation purpose.
Cushions
Consumer durables packaging sector largely uses fillers and cushions to safely transfer appliances from the manufacturing location to the end user. These are necessary for absorbing shock and vibration during transit.
Foam
PP (Polypropylene) or PU (Polyurethane) are commonly used as foams. It is available as rolls and sheets, which can be cut to fit the product.
Applications
Foam is useful for wrapping the products to protect them while shipping.
Bubble Wraps
Bubble wrap is a common cushion available in sheets and rolls. These are generally made of LDPE.
Applications
It is useful for wrapping individual item before packing them in the primary box or shipping carton.
Printing Methods and Inks
Manufacturers use different printing techniques to make their packaging appealing to consumers. Flexography, rotogravure, and screen printing processes popular in the packaging industry. Following are the types of inks.
Solvent-based Ink
It is inexpensive and useful for producing more accurate printing. It uses carbon and other polymers as a solvent. Solvent-based inks exhibit more resistance to chemicals and mechanical stress. However, these are not environment-friendly.
Applications
Outer packaging generally uses solvent-based inks because these are more resistant to fading and scratch.
Water-based Ink
Water-based inks are an environment-friendly alternative to solvent-based inks. It uses water as a solvent. It is aesthetically good, but offer the least resistance to external damages.
Applications
Sophisticated packaging like mobile phones, premium products, etc. uses water-based inks for printing.
Accessories
Apart from the shipping containers, fillers, wraps, and straps, you’ll find a variety of additional packaging materials for consumer durables. Some of them are as follows.
Cores
Cores are cylindrical paper tubes. They help in easy winding and unwinding lengthy items.
Applications
These are useful for winding appliances’ wires and secure within the packaging. The secondary use of chores in consumer durables industry is for winding tapes, straps, etc.
Hologram
It is a security label, specially printed to authenticate the product against duplicity and forgery.
Applications
Premium products’ packaging use hologram as a symbol of authentication.
Envelopes
There are different types of envelopes available like paper, kraft paper, and mesh-lined.
Applications
Envelopes are useful for holding small components of appliances like the spare screw, nuts, etc.
Copier Paper
It is a multipurpose paper serving multiple purposes.
Applications
Copier papers are useful for printing, labeling, and making printed envelopes.
Mailer Bags
Poly Mailers or simply mailer bags are polyethylene envelopes with a peel-off glue. They secure the components of consumer appliances. Custom mailer bags also come with bubble wrap inner lining for additional protection.
Applications
For packing small appliances’ parts just like envelopes.
Make your mailer bags more interesting with these custom printing techniques.
Cotton Bags
Cotton bags with a drawstring, though not very common but in use in consumer durables packaging.
Applications
These are reusable and generally culinary appliances make use of cotton bags.
Labels
Labels are must for any packaging. There can be a product label as well as a shipping label. Labels include all the mandatory manufacturing and shipping information.
Applications
Labels identify the product from the outer packaging. Shipping labels reveal sender’s and receiver’s information.
Through this compilation, we tried to cover both primary and secondary consumer durables packaging materials. For queries and support, you can reach us at customerresponse@bizongo.com or view our product catalogue.
