This cube looks pretty cool and I love the fact that the engineering team considered the design from cradle to grave and factored in all aspects of how it would be used during its lifecycle. Very creative engineering.
Stretch wrapping provides a level of tamper-proofing that this doesn't seem to offer. The image included with the article shows what look like two sides of the cube that are essentially open; one could remove a smaller interior carton quite easily through these openings with out needing a single tool.
Granted, some operation with a knife is only a little more effort, but it does require more effort.
TJ, this photo is supplied to show the structure, and it definitely does not show shrinkwrap, although that can be applied. The point is that this reduces the need for it. This comes in somewhat different versions, depending on application, which you can see on the website.
What a great idea. Seems this team thought things through in a number of directions, including the move to retail display. I'd like to see this packaging gain traction.
I agree, Beth - very cool. And the reduction in material cost and waste reduction are awesome benefits. I also think it is more aesthetically pleasing than the old wooden pallets - making their delivery straight to the retail floor more palatable in some venues.
This a great waste reduction. At a previous employer, we used similar home built contraptions to hold components on pallets. The main reason was for cost savings. A pre-made and well engineered solution like this would have definitely helped with some damaged goods.
I'm not really sure that they are aiming for it to be tamperproof, per se. It sounds more like something that would contain the tamperproof items for individual sale and this would be unfolded to create the display.
This is a very clever idea. Anything that can reduce the waste stream is a plus. Now if we just get consumers to quit spending money on cheap, disposable products!
Tim, thanks for that input. Interesting to know that others have aimed at something similar in a homebrew version. Clearly, this has been a problem that needed solving for some time.
For 3D printing to make the jump from rapid prototyping to manufacturing, engineers will need to find easier ways to move products from their CAD screens to their printers.
Gigabit and PoE are two networking technologies moving ahead in tandem as industrial users power remote Ethernet devices such as IP security cameras at 1,000 Mbps over existing CAT5 cable.
New versions of BASF's Ecovio line are both compostable and designed for either injection molding or thermoforming. These combinations are becoming more common for the single-use bioplastics used in food service and food packaging applications, but are still not widely available.
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