SECTORS AND INDUSTRIES

At Westpack we have a long and established history of working with customers within the aerospace industry and supply chain. This knowledge and understanding of the sector enables us to design packaging solutions which meet the exacting standards that are required at all stages of the aerospace supply chain. Our tailor made packaging solutions have proven to ensure delicate parts, large components and costly critical items arrive in line with standards. We have also worked with our customers on their wider corporate goals including sustainability to ensure they are at the forefront of the aerospace industry.

Aerospace Excellence

Working with a key supplier within the aerospace industry we were able to provide an innovative solution designed around an aerospace component which was shipped globally.

The one-trip packaging setup comprised of a wooden pallet, corrugated outer sleeve and various polyurethane mould foam cushions. The product pack’s huge size was part of the problem, since it was large enough to accommodate two telephone booths. This meant that two people were required at either end of the journey for packing and unpacking the transported components. What’s more, with an average monthly usage of 40 packs, each weighing 30.27kg and discarded at the end of its journey, the current system was creating an unacceptable 1.2 tonnes of waste every month.

The solution drew on our history of innovation and expertise in bespoke aerospace packaging. We developed a reusable pack, with a redesigned more efficient outer sleeve that could be handled by just a single worker. The large polyurethane moulds were replaced with a set of machine cut fittings bonded to a corrugated base as well as a corrugated cross section. Crucially all these packaging components were able to collapse into the pack’s pallet base after use, with the lid then covering the collapsed components to make it easier to return to the supplier and therefore easier to use again.

The benefits to the customer were many and included a 50% reduction in labour at both ends of the product’s journey. The newly designed reusable pack was also capable of withstanding 20 journeys, helping to reduce packaging costs by almost 70% over the previous system. Finally, by minimising the production of waste materials, our customer was able to further reduce its impact on the environment.

As a manufacturer with over 140 years’ experience, we are uniquely placed to understand the challenges in industry and manufacturing. The Depth of our knowledge extends throughout the sectors we serve and work with. With increasing standards and certifications required to compete we help our customers maintain their competitive edge.

Moving Forward within Manufacturing

Working with an innovative company who builds the world's highest performance sustainable desktop computers and servers, our customer has a firm commitment to considering the environment in every aspect of its business. In light of this, the company wanted to use local expertise to help create a cost-effective yet ecofriendly packaging solution for its fragile, high value products.

The specific project we worked on involved creating a fully recyclable pack for transporting servers and accessory packs made at their factory. To achieve this, we created packaging using board made from at least 80% recycled papers and which remains fully recyclable after use. This was made possible by the fact that our superb working relationships with suppliers enables us to source a wide range of environmentally friendly materials something we do at every opportunity.

The finished packaging satisfied our customer's need perfectly, providing an affordable and recyclable printed box complemented by a void fill system which can protect the computers and equipment using recycled paper. The result is safely transported goods that have as little impact as possible on the environment.