pkg 101 introduction to packaging

7/23/2019 PKG 101 Introduction to Packaging

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Module 1, Introduction to Packaging

This module will lead you through the beginning steps in your initial studyof packaging. Like any other field of study, packaging has a specializedlanguage. Terms can mean something specific in packaging and something

entirely different in another context. It will be necessary for you to understandthe meanings of these terms and the times when they will be applied. You will beintroduced to some of the basic terminology of packaging in this module, alongwith other material.

Why use packages Nearly eerything that you purchase comes in a package. In fact, many ofthe products which you get without a package were packaged at an earlier stage.In other cases, portions of the product were packaged earlier. !or example,

• " new automobile is generally not packaged. #ut, hundreds of parts and

subassemblies were packaged for transport from the suppliers to theautomobile assembly plant.

• $any of the fresh food products that you purchase in the producedepartment of a grocery store are unpacked. %oweer, they werepackaged earlier for transport to the grocery store. !urther, they will bepackaged again, usually in plastic or paper bags so that you can transportthem through the checkout and to your residence.

• The preious comment is een true for most farmer markets. The endorsoften sell products that were not grown locally. !or example, endors atthe Lansing city $arket fre&uently offer bananas, oranges, grapefruit, andother citrus products for sale. These products are all grown in warmer

climates, hundreds or een thousands of miles away. They werepackaged for transport and sale to the market endor. !urther, after thecustomer selects and purchases some products, they are packaged in abag or box for transportation to the purchaser's residence.

(o why are things packaged) *hat is the function of a package)+ause here and think about things that you may hae recently purchased newclothes, fast food, books, a computer, cosmetics, soft drinks, beer, etc. %owwere the items packaged paper bag, plastic bag, paperboard box, metal can,plastic bottle, etc.) *hy do you think the items were packaged) *hy werethose specific packages used) -id you gain benefits from the packages) -id

you incur costs for the packages) -id the packages cause problems) -idanyone else benefit from the packages) %ow would you hae handled theseproducts without packages)

What is a package The following statement is a standard definition of a package. A packageis t he enclosure for products, items or other packages, such as a wrap,



pouch, bag, box, cup, tray, can, tube, bottle, or other container form, to perform one or more of the following four basic functions:

• Containment

• Protection

•

Communication• Utility

ach of the four basic functions of packages will be discussed in thefollowing section.

Containment $any products must be contained in a package of some type to behandled.

Liquids:

Li&uids are the best example. /onsider how you would go about getting agallon of milk or 0 liters of soft drink or a pint of water, from a grocery store toyour house if it was not packaged in a conentional can, 1ug, or plastic bottle. Youwould hae no choice but to put the li&uid product in a pail, plastic bag or someother container 2e.g. a package3. +ouring it in a pocket wouldn4t work. You cancarry some products around in your bare hands, but that won't work with li&uids.In general, li&uids must be contained to be handled.

This plastic bottle proides containment for the li&uidfertilizer. +ackages often proide more than simplecontainment. !or example, the barrier in this package

of household chemical preents contamination and alsopreents accidental contact with the contents. Inaddition, the spout on the bottle proides a conenientmechanism for dispensing the product.

ree!flowing solids: (ugar, salt, and other free flowing solids behae like li&uids in many ways.

+unch a hole in a paper bag of granulated sugar and the product will run outbecause it will no longer be contained. !ree flowing solids are a less extremecase than li&uids. In most cases, you could put a free flowing solid in yourpocket and take it home. You might not want to eat it afterwards though5 In apractical sense, free flowing solids must be contained to be handled.



!reeflowing solids, such as common tablesalt must be contained for conenienthandling. " salt shaker, built into the

package adds conenience 2utility3

Large, hea"y machines: " third case of containment is the handling of large, heay motors, pumps,

and similar e&uipment. (uch items, which are too heay and clumsy to bemoed by hand, are often contained by fastening them securely to a pallet thatcan be handled by fork lift or other e&uipment. In summary, containment is abasic function of packaging. $any products are contained in packages becauseit is impractical to handle them without haing them contained. %oweer, for

most products, the package also proides other functions.

Large, heay machines, such as thisblow molder, used to manufactureplastic bottles, are often attached toskids or pallets to facilitate handling.

/-'s are protected by a plastic boxwith a plastic film oerwrap and theindiidual packages are thencontained in a box for conenienthandling and marketing

Protection +roducts are exposed to many hazards during packaging, storage,

handling, and transportation. The specific hazard depends on the sensitiity ofthe product and the 6enironmental7 conditions. The following list highlightssome of the serious and common hazards where a package is expected toprotect a product.

#oisture le"el: $any products must be protected against undesirable gain or loss of

moisture. !or example, if bread loses moisture, it will dry out and get hard. It



often curls up. 8n the other hand, there are many products, such as potato chips,pretzels, and other crispy snack products that lose crispiness and flaor if theygain moisture.

(ome moisture sensitie products, such assalted crackers, of arious types, must beprotected against moisture gain. $oisturewould cause the crackers to lose crispness, aprimary desirable characteristic.

In either case, the package must be constructed of a material which has ahigh resistance 2called barrier3 to the passage of moisture. !or bread, thebarrier keeps moisture from leaking out of the package. !or potato chips and

similar products, the barrier keeps moisture from leaking into the package.These are both important packaging considerations, but the material barrier isnot ade&uate by itself. The package must also hae tight seals to preent thepassage of moisture, and an effectie reclosing system is also helpful.

There are many other effects of moisture on other products. !or example,steel corrodes in the presence of high moisture and certain pharmaceuticalproducts may lose efficacy 2effectieness3 if the moisture leel in the package istoo high.

$xygen le"el:

Like moisture, many products need the proper leel of oxygen. !or someproducts, a high leel of oxygen is a hazard. !or others, a low leel of oxygen isa hazard. Too much oxygen can lead to oxidation 2darkening3 of ariouspigments in some foods. The darkening does not always make the foodinedible, but consumers often consider the darkening to indicate food spoilage.9ancidity of fats and oils in food is another effect of excess oxygen. This type of oxidation produces peroxides, aldehydes, and other undesirable odors, tastes,and chemical effects.

!resh egetables and foods are sometimes gien extended shelf life bypacking them in packages which maintain a low oxygen condition. (ome

pharmaceuticals and itamins, such as betacarotene, are oxygen sensitie.!ine metal parts can sometimes be protected against corrosion by excludingoxygen.

9ed meat is an oxygen sensitie product. If the meat is packaged in anoxygen barrier package with a low oxygen atmosphere in the package, the meatwill turn blue or gray. It is still wholesome, but consumers may re1ect the productbecause of its appearance. *hen the package is opened, the meat &uickly



6blooms6 to a red color. The low oxygen packaging system has been widelyaccepted in the :nited ;ingdom and other parts of urope because of the longershelf life and the higher &uality of the product. In the :(, howeer, attempts tomarket meat in low oxygen packages has failed seeral times. :( consumerssimply do not accept the product, apparently because of the blue<gray color.

Loss of other gases: /arbonated beerages lose the 6fizz6 and bubbly character if the /arbon

-ioxide 2/823 leaks out of the package. !or this reason, carbonated beerages,such as soft drinks and beer, are packaged in materials which proide a barrier tothe passage of /82 through out the anticipated shelf life of the beerage.

"ny soft drink, beer, or othercarbonated beerage, such as +epsi,

can be packaged in containers made of plastic, glass or metal. The packagemust proide a barrier to the passageof carbon dioxide which proides the6fizz6 in the product

=lass and metal both proide ery high barriers to the passage ofmoisture and gasses. $ost plastics do not proide barriers that are as effectie.(o, when manufacturers switched from glass to plastic bottles for carbonated softdrinks, it was necessary to ad1ust distribution practices to ensure that the productwas sold and consumed before the carbonation could leak out.

%emperature: $any products must be held in a specific temperature range to preent

damage or spoilage. " classic example of a product that must be kept cold is icecream. If ice cream gets warm, it melts and is destroyed. $any other items,such as human organs, must also be kept cold. If a heart or kidney warms upduring transport to the location where it will be transplanted into a patient, it maylose its iability.

%oweer, the &uality of other items can be damaged by cold. !orexample, many paints, caulks, adhesies, and similar products can be seriouslydamaged if they are exposed to temperatures colder than a preset limit.

+ackaging itself can be damaged by excessie heat or cold. !or example,some materials get brittle when cold. (uch packages may crack as a result.

"lternatiely, >dualoenable7 packages, which are designed to be used in either



conentional or microwae oens can melt and ruin the product if the oentemperature is too high.

Light: $any products, including certain foods and pharmaceuticals or een fine

art, degrade, fade, or change in the presence of sunlight 2ultraiolet light3. Theseproducts must be offered for sale in packages which protect against exposure tothe harmful light. This is the predominant reason that beer is packaged in brownglass bottles. #eer in clear bottles must be kept out of direct sunlight duringstorage or the glass must hae addities to screen out the undesirablecomponents of light.

This li&uor can be safely packaged

in clear glass because it is notharmed by light, but brown glass isused to screen out harmful lightwhich might damage beer.

/onsider another example. " small mid$ichigan company marketssandwiches in a line of conenience stores. The sandwiches are packaged inopa&ue triangular shaped plastic containers with a clear plastic film oer theopen side. The packages holding ham sandwiches must be placed upon theshelf 6upside down6 because the light in the refrigerated display case causes the

exposed edges of the ham to bleach out, turning a gray<green color, which is eryunappetizing.

Crushing: $any products are stacked during storage or transportation. The item or

the package for the item on the bottom layer must support the

The bottom item in a stack mustbear the weight of all itemsstacked aboe. If each loadedcontainer weighs 0? pounds, the

bottom container in a stack of @must be strong enough to supportA0? pounds. Loaded pallets areoften stacked, increasing thecrushing force on the boxes in thebottom layer.

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of all of the items aboe it in the stack. There are arious approaches that canbe used. The package can be made strong enough to support the stack or theproduct can be modified to proide the necessary strength. "lso, intermediatesupports can reduce the amount of weight carried by the bottom layer. Thefollowing three examples will illustrate some of the approaches that hae been

used to deal with the problem.

&ead lettuce: ach year, millions of boxes of head lettuce are shipped from production

areas in /alifornia, "rizona and other western states to the large populationcenters in the east. #efore the late AB@C's, lettuce was packaged in 6bulgepacks6. In a bulge pack, a corrugated box was closed tightly around the lettuceheads and stapled shut.

Head of lettuce

Corrugated box “bulge pack”

#ulge packed lettuce put heayforces on the product. In a stack,the product supported the weight,not the corrugated box.

ach loaded box held 0D heads of lettuce and a loaded box weighedabout E? pounds. The lettuce boxes were stacked A0 deep in railroad cars fortransport. The boxes rapidly lost strength because of absorbed water from theproduct. The result was that the bottom layers of lettuce supported the weight ofthe entire stack. "fter seeral days of transport, with the shocks and ibration thatare normal in rail transport, the bottom boxes of product were irtually totallydestroyed, a loss of millions of dollars worth of product.

The solution was to use a >flat pack7, a stronger box, impregnated withwax or another material to preent softening by moisture. The lettuce was notpacked as tightly in the >flat pack7 boxes because new regulations allowed onlyF7 of bulge on the long face of the box. The new boxes, which were strongenough to support the load of lettuce boxes stacked on top, nearly eliminated theproduct loss, saing millions of dollars per year and reducing the problem ofdisposal of millions of damaged lettuce heads.

Carbonated soft drinks: The standard aluminum can used for carbonated soft drinks is ery weak

until it is filled. You can experiment by crushing an empty can from top to bottom.#ut, a filled, pressurized can is ery strong. The carbonation pressurizes the



cans to a leel of D to @ atmospheres, around G? pounds per s&uare inch 2psi3.#y comparison, the tires on an ordinary automobile are pressurized to around ECpsi. The pressurized can acts like a balloon and is easily able to support theweight of the cans stacked on top without breaking. #illions of cans are handledthis way each year.

Appliances: " large manufacturer of washing machines, refrigerators and other home

appliances instituted a pro1ect to reduce the cost of packaging, mostly large,heay, expensie corrugated paperboard boxes. The boxes were large, to fit theappliances, and strong enough to support the weight of other appliances stackedon top. "s a result, the boxes were costly. They were also a disposal problem forthe homeowners who purchased the appliances. The solution was to redesignthe appliances, making them strong enough to support the weight of other unitsstacked on top. The packaging then was reduced to a corrugated 6cap6, somecorner guards, and plastic stretch wrap. The indiidual appliances were more

expensie after the redesign, but the packaging cost reduction was greater,proiding a saing on the combined cost product and package.

'reakage: "ny product is sub1ected to shocks and ibration at all stages of the

manufacturing warehousing distribution cycle. !or example, a product in atruck ibrates at a particular fre&uency as the truck traels down a normal road.In addition, there are shocks when the truck crosses railroad tracks, hitspotholes, or runs oer ob1ects in the road. :nrestrained boxes in a truck will falland tumble around as the truck traels normally. These shocks and ibrationscan damage or een destroy products. /ommon solutions inoleH A3 cushioning

to protect against shocks, 03 restraints to control the moement of the packagedproducts in the truck, E3 unitized loads to change the response to ibration, andD3 redesigning the product to be less sensitie. There will be more on this topicin a later module.

(irt and infestation: /onsumers want products to be free from dirt and eidence of infestation

at the time of purchase. 8ne form of protection is to simply keep the productclean. (o, furniture is often placed in large plastic bags for dust protection andfood packages are closed up in shipping containers or sealed in plastic to keepthem clean.

Infestation is contamination by bacteria and other microbes, insects,rodents, or other pests. +ackages must be tight and constructed of materialwhich will keep such pests from gaining access to the product.

%ampering: The final form of protection that will be mentioned in this section is

protection against unauthorized opening of packages to tamper with a product.



There are seeral tamper resistant approaches, such as shrink neck bands, inner seals, etc. that can be used to make tampering difficult or to proide eidencethat tampering has occurred.

The plastic wrap on this packageprotects /- cases from, theft and dirt

It can be seen that packages must protect products from many hazards. "ll of these topics will be discussed further in later modules.

Communication "ll packages coney information. " basic function of the information onthe labels of most retail packages is to motiate the consumer to purchase theproduct. The package is often called the 6silent salesman6. In most stores, theconsumer can make a choice among seeral options of a particular product type.!or example most stores carry E to @ brands of corn flakes, and often offer achoice of seeral package sizes of each. The customer often makes an initialselection based on information presented on the package. Later, the customer ismotiated to continue purchasing the same brand or acts on the informationproided in adertisements or on packages to select a different product.

To study package communication, simply isit any retail store and lookaround. There are seeral types of information on most packages. (ome of it,such as the weight or &uantity of product, nutritional characteristics, andingredients in a food product, is re&uired by law. 8ther information, such as abar code or preparation instructions, is added for the conenience of the user, theproducer, or the retailer

The decoration on a package includes printed text and illustrations. Thetext includes the company or product line logo. The logo is always

The printed instructions on this package of

spackling compound is a common methodof communicating information about theproduct

a critical piece of printing. /ompanies want the logo to be reproduced perfectlywith the right print styles, colors, line weights, etc. -ecoration may be drawingsor photographs. The package label must gie a clear picture of the contents.



!or example, the photo cannot show a picture of a cherry pie if the product ispasta sauce.

The package shape sometimes communicates information. There aremany packages that hae a distinct shape, such as certain brands of pancake

syrup. The shape is often the only information re&uired to identify the product.The package material also transmits information. !or example a transparentmaterial allows the product to be seen while an opa&ue material obscures theproduct. This is particularly important in some countries. In !rance, for example,bread is often not packaged in a wrapper of the type used in the :(. The !renchculture re&uires that a customer be able to inspect the entire loaf.

8ther information that is typically on the label includes the manufacturer'sname and information about the plant where the product was produced orpackaged, a toll free 2CC3 telephone number or a web address for additionalinformation or complaints.

Utility $any packages add alue to the product. They do this in arious ways.#asically, any package which makes a product easier to use, more conenient,

asy opening features on these packagesimproe their utility. The can on the left has a6+optop6 and the one on the right has an easypeel lid.

or safer has a higher utility. xamples are packages which are easy to open andreclose. There are two ma1or complaints about packages.

• It's too difficult to open• It's too difficult to reclose

"dding a dispensing means is a common method to improe the utility of apackage. That is why there are hundreds of spouts, shakers, ales, pumps, andother fitments added to packages.

$ultipacks improe utility by making a product easier to carry around anduse. The indiidual packs may be sized for a single sering or use. !or example,instead of purchasing a large container of twocycle oil that must be measuredout and poured into another container along with a &uantity of gasoline,manufacturers offer @packs of small premeasured containers of the oil. achone holds the proper amount of oil to be mixed with one gallon of gasoline. Theprocess of preparing twocycle engine fuel is &uicker, easier, and more accurateas a result.



Instructions for use are a popular method of improing utility of manyproducts 2(ee spackling compound aboe3. /onsider a microwaable pizza.The preparation instructions generally tell clearly how to prepare the product tomake a satisfying snack or meal. The conse&uences of failing to read and followthe instructions can includeH A3 an under done product, 03 an oer done 2burned3

product, or E3 a pizza with melted plastic wrap in the sauce.

(afety considerations can also improe the utility of a package. Theattention to safety can be as simple as a warning statement on a cup of a hotbeerage. It can also be more comprehensie, such as ensuring that bags of petfood or other heay products are made of paper that has a high enoughcoefficient of friction to preent the bag from slipping off the top of a pallet stackand possibly in1uring someone standing below.

This package of candy, demonstrates the four basicpackaging functions. /andy is contained in and

protected by the the rigid in1ection molded plastic boxand the foil wrap. The plastic box allows the productto be seen and recognized as candy. "dditionalinformation, on the front and back labels, identifiesthe product as 6chocolate coered cherries withpeanut pieces.6 The cells in the tray separate thecandy pieces, making it easy to select a single pieceand to determine how many pieces remain, thusimproing the utility.

Thought questions (optional

• -oes gasoline usually hae to be contained) It comes from the oil wellinto a pipeline, to a tanker ship, to a refinery, to a pipeline, to a terminal, toa tanker truck, to an underground storage tank at a serice station, to apump and to your automobile.

• -oes steel shot hae to be contained) " company in (outhern $ichiganmakes steel shot 2tiny spheres3 in a range of sizes ranging from C.? to Emm. /urrently, the company packages DC pounds of this material, sortedinto arious size ranges, in heay paper bags. The bags are sealed andloaded into corrugated paperboard boxes and loaded onto pallets fordistribution to many parts of the world. The bags hae a high rate of failure

and it is common for a large percentage of the steel balls to escape fromthe bags during transport.

• *ould a handle improe the utility of a watermelon) There is anengineering professor at Louisiana (tate :niersity who has worked foryears to deelop a simple, economical handle that can be attached to amelon.



• %ow many of the products that you purchased the last time you isited agrocery store were widely adertised) *hat information did you use tomake your selection) *here did you get that information)

• Think about the last time you opened the box holding a new computer,microwae oen, teleision, /- player or similar deice. *hat type of

cushioning was used) *as the product damaged or was it ready to usewhen it came out of the box)• Think of ten products or product lines that you could identify simply by

seeing the logo without any further information.

What is a package! This &uestion was asked in a preious page and a definition of a packagewas presented. That definition ended with the listing of the four basic functions of a package. This time, a package is defined as followsH

"ny de#ice that per$orms one or more o$ the $our %asic $unctions o$ a

package is considered to %e a package&

What is packaging! There are four primary components of work that are considered to bepackaging. They are listed below, along with some explanations.

• 'e#elopment o$ packages and packaging

o +ackage deelopment inoles the inention of new package formsand new materials and processes. " deelopment pro1ect may belarge and open ended, such as the deelopment of a glass coatingfor a plastic film or small and specific, such as the application of a

thermochromic ink label to indicate when a microwaable producthas been heated to the proper temperature. " deelopmentpro1ect is usually a team effort, often inoling personnel fromseeral diisions of a company along representaties of suppliers,proposed customers, lawyers, and others.

• Production (manu$acture o$ packages and package components o +roduction of packages and package components is mostly carried

out by conerting companies. "s will be seen in $odules E G,many companies purchase materials and make packages whichare subse&uently purchased and used by other companies. Thereare many examples. (ome companies purchase rolls of

paperboard and manufacture corrugated board. They may alsomanufacture corrugated boxes and trays. There are othercompanies that purchase corrugated board and also manufactureboxes, trays, etc. 8ther companies purchase plastic resin in theform of small pellets and manufacture packaging films, bottles,cans, cups, lids, closures and other components. In the metalindustry, some companies purchase rolls of aluminum or steel andmanufacture cans or can ends. In the glass industry, companies



purchase sand, soda and other materials and, in a combinedprocess, make raw glass and form it into glass containers.

o In some cases, the conerting 2package manufacturing3 actiity isdone by the same company that does the filling, closing and otherpackaging line actiities. !or example, a milk processing company

may operate e&uipment to manufacture plastic 1ugs which will befilled with milk products.• illing and closing packages

o !illing and closing packages is integral to the manufacture of manyproducts. !or example, pet food is produced in a cooking operationwhich feeds the product directly to a packaging line that places itinto bags, cartons, cans or pouches which are closed, sealed,

labeled 2if necessary3, packed intoshipping containers and palletizedfor shipment.

o

Nearly all food, pharmaceutical,and cosmetic products areproduced and packaged in a similar fashion. (ometimes, a product ismanufactured at one location andthen transported to another locationfor packaging. !or example, onemanufacturer loads water into

tanker trucks at a spring in N.Jirginia and transports it to (t.Louis where the water is bottled and palletized by a contractpackager. The loaded pallets are transported back to N. Jirginia for local sale. "nother company purchases small hardware items2nails, bolts, washers, picture hangers, (hooks, etc.3 frommanufacturers in "sia and packages the items in small plasticboxes or bags of arious sizes, suitable for hanging on pegs in ahardware or department store. The packaged products are sold byarious large retail chains under the name of the company thatdoes the packaging.

•

'istri%ution and handling o$ packaged productso +ackaging is one step in the process of moing finished products

out to the market. +ackaging in shipping containers, cushioning,distribution testing, palletizing, transportation and warehousing aresome of the actiities. " ma1or goal of this part of the industry is toensure that products arrie at the right place, at the right time, ingood condition, and at the lowest possible cost.



It can be seen that the packaging industry inoles many differentactiities in arious types of companies and by people with a widediersity of educational and experiential backgrounds.

Who does packaging There are many highly trained and educated professionals working in the

field of packaging. $ost of them are N8T packaging graduates. !or example,polymer scientists, chemists and chemical engineers may work in plasticsmanufacturing companies. $echanical and electrical engineers may work forpackaging machinery manufacturing companies. Lawyers work with companiesof all types to assure adherence to regulations, to deelop and enforce contractsand to defend or prosecute lawsuits. =raphic artists deelop labels and packagedecoration. $any other examples could be &uoted. *hile they work onpackaging pro1ects, they may also be working on nonpackaging actiities.

+ackaging graduates are also highly trained and educated professionals.+ackaging graduates work throughout the industry, both in companies whichmanufacture and package products and in the companies that conert materialsinto packages. The focus of their work tends to be more specifically orientedtoward packaging applications than is the case for the other professionalsdiscussed aboe. +ackaging graduates often sere a coordinating function,directing packaging pro1ects which also inole others in a teamwork actiity.

In addition, there are many 6nonprofessional6 packaging workers. Theseare the people who operate packaging machines, install and maintain e&uipment,

collect &uality assurance and &uality control data, drie lift trucks and oer theroad trucks, and perform the many other technical actiities re&uired to keep apackaging system operating smoothly.

Types o$ packages The systems and people described in the preceding sections produce anduse packages of three main typesH 9etail<customer packages, Industrialpackages, and $ilitary packages. ach is described briefly below.

)etail packages: 9etail packages are the packages that sit on the sheles in grocery stores,

hardware stores, and other retail establishments. 8ther retail packages are usedfor catalog sales, ecommerce sales, and similar functions. 9etail packages arecharacterized by elaborate decoration. 9etail packages are usually relatielysmall and are manufactured in large numbers. 9etail packages are often used inpoint of purchase marketing programs, the special displays in stores that areused to introduce new products or encourage sales in con1unction with holidays,the superbowl, or other eents. There are many issues connected with retail



packaging, such as targeted marketing programs, concerns about theenironment, competition, etc.

*ndustrial packages: Industrial packages are used to transport products from one company to

another. !or example, industrial packages are used to transport componentsfrom suppliers to automotie assembly plants. Industrial packages tend to beplain, with little or no decoration. Industrial packages made of corrugated boardare often characterized as 6brown boxes6. "ctually many industrial packages aremade of other materials, such as wood, plastic and metal. Industrial packageshae only limited communication capabilities, such as notations about thecontents, handling instructions, the source, and the destination.

:sually there also are bar codes which are used for remote identification of thecontents, tracking through the inentory system, and preenting loss or theft.



+rotection is a primary function. Industrial packages tend to be larger than retailpackages. In some industries, the packages are often returnable and reusable.

#ilitary packages: $ilitary packages are used to transport military products and supplies from

the supplier company to a specific military baseor depot. $ilitary packages are often made toery careful specifications to ensure that themilitary product will be protected while it isbeing stored or transported to the place whereit will be used. (ome types of military hardwareare ery expensie. $any pieces of militaryhardware are 6mission critical6 they must workas expected. That means that the missile,instrument, engine part, or other deice mustbe protected from shocks, ibration, corrosion,

dirt or any other hazard that could damage theitem.

$ilitary products are often manufacturedand placed into storage for later use. "t the

time of purchase, noone knows whether it will be used in a 1ungle, desert, or inthe arctic. The packaging must protect the product against any of theseconditions.

Like the nonmilitary component of the economy, the military has concernsand regulations about the enironment protection. In fact there are seeral :(

laws and regulations aimed specifically at the effect of military actiities on theenironment. !or example, shell casings must be collected and taken away fromthe battlefield. "lso, the nay cannot throw garbage oerboard. This is to preentpolluting or littering the ocean with used packaging and other materials,particularly plastic. ach ship must store trash until it can be brought to a depotship or to port. It can be a serious problem on a submarine5

$ilitary packaging inoles more than weapons. There are also foodpackages, pharmaceutical items and mundane supplies, such as paint, furniturecushions, and clothing. %oweer, all military packaging is characterized by beinghigh &uality, carefully selected for top performance at containment, protection,communication and utility. "s a result, military packaging is fre&uently &uiteexpensie, when compared to e&uialent ciilian products.

Thought questions

• *hy is a pallet considered to be a package)• Is a plastic pallet a package) *hy or why not)



• *hy would a purchasing agent be included as a member of a packagedeelopment team)

• *ould a company that stamps aluminum can ends out of aluminum sheetbe considered to be a conerter) *hy)

• *hat is the difference between a tray and a box)•

Is a company that manufactures plastic pouches which are immediatelyfilled with brown sugar a conerter) *hy)• -escribe the process of getting a can of soft drink from the filling line to

the consumer)• *hy are there more nonpackaging professionals working in the field of

packaging than packaging graduates)• -escribe three retail packages for soft drinks, dry breakfast cereal, and ice

cream.• %ow would you package an air launched missile which has a alue of

about K? million, is about AC inches in diameter and is about feet long)• *hat would be the adantages and disadantages of packaging A,CCC

steering wheels in separate boxes, or packing them in ? boxes that eachheld 0CC wheels) *hich method would you pick if your customer is anassembly plant) *hich would you pick if your customer is a replacementparts retail store)

• %ow would you go about dealing with the collection of used artillery shellsafter a battle)

• *hat is thermochromic ink)

" $e) %rie$ comments a%out the history o$ packaging $an has had the same packaging needs since the beginning of human

actiity on earth. "ncient nomadic people often carried items with them as theytraeled from place to place. $ost of the necessities of life were collected alongthe way, but they would be carried to a camp site or to a stopping place for ameal or snack. /arrying these material re&uired packages of some sort.

Later, cae and tent dwellers lied in a single location for longer periods of time. To obtain food and the other necessities of life, the people ranged out fromhome base to hunt, fish, and gather grains and other materials for food,medicines, and other re&uirements. These materials had to be stored untilneeded during the winter or other times of need until new supplies could belocated or until new 6crops6 of wild plants could grow to maturity.

These ancient peoples followed similar procedures to do their packaging.They worked with the aailable materials, using the aailable technology. Theyworked with naturally occurring materials, such as large leaes, wood, bamboosegments, and animal skins, horns, bladders, intestines, and bones. They alsoused grass to make baskets, some with lids.



Later, new materials and technology were deeloped. +ottery wasdeeloped around @,CCC #/. +ottery was used to manufacture 1ars, amphorae,cups, dishes, and other containers. =lass containers were made as early asE,CCC #/ in gypt. Later, paper was inented in /hina.

$ore materials and technology were discoered or inented and applied inthe ABth century as the pace of deelopment accelerated. $etal cans,collapsible tubes, packaging machines, corrugated paperboard boxes, and crownclosures were all used for the first time in the ABth century.

-eelopments came een faster in the 0Cth century. $ost of the machinesused for packaging were deeloped in the last ACC years. "utomation, such as+L/'s and computer controls were deeloped and applied in the last EC years.There hae been many package deelopments in the same time frame. The firstpackage considered to be a modern retail pack was produced for :needabiscuits. This package signaled the beginning of the end of the cracker barrel

era in food stores. =raphic arts came into common use and retail packages inselfserice retail stores replaced many of the sales functions that formerlyinoled clerks. New materials were deeloped. The best example is plastics.The adantages of plastics will be discussed later, but plastic has been able todisplace metal, paper and glass for many products. !inally, there has been rapidgrowth of flexible package forms, replacing rigid packages for many products.

Types o$ packages arlier, packages were classified into E groups according to the type ofproduct that is contained in the packageH 9etail, Industrial, and $ilitary. In this

section, we'll discuss another three groups of packages, classified according tofunction. The three groups areH +rimary, (econdary, and Tertiary. ach isdescribed and discussed in the following section.

Primary packages: +rimary packages are in contact with the product. The primary package is

the first layer of protection and containment. The primary package may also playimportant roles in the communications and utility functions. xamples of primarypackages includeH plastic tubes of hand lotion, potato chip bags, metal soupcans, enelopes for mail, bread wrappers, blister packs for pills, tablets and other pharmaceutical products, paint cans, and boxes for software.

+econdary packages: (econdary packages are packages that hold other packages. In some

cases, a secondary package performs the communications function and mayinfluence the utility of the product<package combination. xamples of secondarypackages includeH paperboard cartons for tubes or bottles of makeup,paperboard sleees around plastic packages of meat, paperboard wrappers tohold @ or more cans or bottles of beerages and other products, plastic rings to



hold @ or bottles of beerages, plastic or metal crates which hold D gallon 1ugsof milk, six packs of aseptic fruit 1uice drink boxes, and ariety packs of cereal.

%ertiary packaging: Tertiary packaging is any layer of packaging that is outside of the

secondary pack. xamples are +allets,plastic stretch wrap, corrugated boardshipping containers, and metal or plasticbanding.

+ackaging may simultaneouslysatisfy two or een all three of thesefunctions. !or example, a teleision setis packaged in a corrugated box whichseres as the primary package and alsois the shipping container, a tertiary

package. It should also be noted that thedefinitions are not always clear inapplication, but it is beneficial torecognize that different types ofpackages sere different functions.

Thought questions

• Is a box for a computer a primary, secondary or tertiary package)•

*ould the deelopment of pottery 1ars hae tended to encourage nomadicbehaior or a lifestyle linked to a primary location)

• If you set out to hike the "ppalachian trail from $aine to North /arolina,and planned to carry camping gear and enough water and food to sustainyou for ? days at a time, *hat would be important packagingcharacteristics for your food)

• *hat is the modern e&uialent of the :needa #iscuit)• List E ? important characteristics of a primary package for milk, ketchup,

ice cream, hand lotion, and an acetominophin headache tablet.• *hat is stretch wrap)• *hat is shrink wrap)

Modern packaging materials Today, irtually all commercial packages are made of one of the followingfie materialsH glass, metal, paper, plastic and wood, or a combination of two ormore materials. /ombinations are ery common. !or example, a glass bottlemay hae a metal or plastic closure and a paper or paper<plastic lamination label.



*ithin each of these general types of materials, there can be seeral 2eenmany3 ariations. " metal can, for example, may be made of steel or aluminum.

Packaging industry sectors "s discussed briefly in a preious section, there are two ma1or sectors of the

packaging industryH A3 /onerting and 03 !illing and closing. (ome examples ofeach are listed below.

• /onerting sector o #ag makingo /an manufacturingo #ottle manufacturingo +allet manufacturingo /orrugated board manufacturingo /orrugated box manufacturingo Label printingo =lue manufacturingo tc.

• !illing, closing sector o #eer plantso !ood plantso /osmetic plantso +et !ood plantso !urniture plantso "mmunition plantso "utomobile parts plantso +rinters 2books and magazines3o lectronic commerce and mail order companieso Etc.

Packaging use in the U*" The pattern of use or consumption of packaging depends on many factors,including economic status, location, lifestyle, age, and marital status. In the :(,each person, on the aerage, consumes about ?CC pounds of packaging peryear. This is e&uialent to about A.? pounds per person day. "fter being used,this material is either recycled, disposed on in a land fill, incinerated, reused, or itdegrades into other, more basic, materials. "s you will see in a later module,packaging creates a significant amount of waste, but other waste streams aremuch larger.

Packaging industry today Today, the packaging industry is made up of all or part of some 0CC otherindustry groups. There are about ECC,CCC companies inoled in the packagingindustry, either as suppliers, users, or waste managers. The industry has an



economic alue of KBC to KADC billion per year in the :( and about KD?C billionworldwide. There are more than A,CCC,CCC people employed in packaging in the:(, making packaging the largest employer industry.

+ackaging uses about D? percent of all glass manufactured in the :(,

about ?C of all the paper and paperboard, and about EC percent of all plastic.+ackaging is generally considered to be the third largest industry in the :(.

Thought questions

• List three companies that manufacture cosmetics, soft drinks, li&uor, paint,camera, teleisions, and automobile parts.

• List three companies that manufacture corrugated board, corrugatedboxes, plastic bottles, packaging tape, pallets, and steel cans foraerosols)

• /onsidering your answers to the first two &uestions, which segment of thepackaging industry is less well known) *hy)

• -o you participate in recycling programs) *hat do you recycle)• In your room or apartment, pick up fie products and see what materials

are used for the primary packages.• *hat are the two largest industries in the :()• /onsider the following productsH a fresh beef steak, a bottle of ginger ale,

a tube of toothpaste, a can of aerosol spray paint, a golf ball. If you werethe manufacturer, how would you package these items if the current formof packaging was suddenly banned)

pkg 101 introduction to packaging

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