DS Smith has announced a new collaboration with TPV Automotive, a supplier of manufactured components to the automotive industry.
The design and implementation teams at DS Smith set out to innovate a ‘plastic-free and sustainable’ packaging solution for BMW using fibre-based corrugated cardboard to fit around the complex 3D geometry of their car wheel carriers, the part of automobile wheel suspension technology that supports the wheel bearings.
The carriers developed by TPV Automotive required a packaging solution to enable the manufacturer to pack them independently apart without the risk of damage from movement within their casements during transit.
DS Smith explained the new solution is designed with a capacity to hold significant weight. Each auto part weighs almost 8kg, and 20 individual components are allocated to a single pallet box with potential to equate to up to 160kg. The solution is also intended to be compact and designed for the auto-parts to be stacked in cargo containers for transportation to the BMW assembly facility in Asia by ship.
Corrugated cardboard 3D inserts are cut to fit securely into the bottom of the packaging. These enable the car wheel carriers to lock into place within compact compartments.
The inserts are delivered to TPV Automotive as flat cardboard sheets, ready to be folded using an accordion-style technique. These form the precise 3D shape for the auto-part to be inserted into, and the overall packaging solution consists of a cardboard pallet box, inserts for the bottom of the packs, and a flat cardboard panel. The panel is intended to provide support for the top of the packaging once the components are fully assembled, and the corrugated cardboard packaging can be locked into place with a small amount of pressure.
Jožica Hojnik, subregional SMI director, DS Smith, said, “Our designers had to think outside of the box quite literally to develop an entirely new and unique packaging solution for TPV Automotive. Our new packaging solution is designed to provide maximum protection for heavy automotive components during cargo while using sustainable and durable materials.
“This is a particularly unique innovation due to the accordion style folding system of the 3D inserts and dimensional flexibility. These provide a protective and stabilising solution and once again demonstrate how corrugated cardboard is a fantastic recycled and recyclable alternative to plastic and polystyrene.”
