Packaging Challenges and Solutions for Fragile or High-Value Products
In this age, we are quite accustomed to the fact that we can get all the things that we buy from the website at the comfort of our home. This is only because of the efforts and improvements in the packaging industry. We get all kinds of products delivered to the comfort of our home. The variety of things that can be delivered to us is huge. It can go from a single bottle of dish soap to a high end technology.
Packaging industries have made our life easier without a doubt but that does not come without risk for them. They always feel the pressure to deliver the products without any damage. But this goes to a whole different level when we talk about fragile and high value products. The delivery company may take more money to deliver such items but the risk is high as well.
They must protect the products from all kinds of things that may damage the products due to which the company will bear loss as well as the wrath of an angry customer. In this article, we will talk about the packaging challenges and solutions for fragile or high value products.
What are the challenges faced by the companies for shipping fragile or high-value products?
A company’s biggest worry is to make sure that the product that they are sending to the customer reaches them safely. But when it comes to the fragile or high end products, the risk increases. If the customer got his or her delivery in damaged condition, not only the company would have to bear loss along with that the customer will be angry and will have a negative impression of the company. So what are the challenges that are faced by the companies? We have listed some of them in this section to understand the problem better.
- Theft - When the companies deliver any high end or fragile items. It usually comprises electronics, artefacts, computer parts, jewellery, and many more things that are vulnerable to theft and will provide a good price when sold in the market. For this reason the packaging should be done in accordance with this.
- Damage - When we send our boxes for delivery they are prone to get damaged due to rough handling of the boxes. Especially the corners which are more prone to damage than any other part of the box. The product inside the boxes can get broken or get damaged.
- Lost - This is something that is seen and heard a lot by the people and that is the courier being lost. If we look at the numbers, then at least 1.7 million packages are lost every day.
In this situation everyone is at a loss. The company lost its product as well as they have to bear the cost of the courier item, if the person has paid the cost of the product then they would have to either refund it or send the customer another package and the fact that the customer will be angry is going to be another reason to show how bad it is to lose a package. - Moisture - When we think about the factors that stand a chance to destroy or damage the package especially the fragile or high end one. Moisture and humidity is the first natural factor that must be considered by packaging companies.
- Tampering - This is something that most of the high end brands are familiar with. The act of tempering means that the products have been altered, changed or damaged. If tempering is not spotted by the customer then the customer will get a negative impression about the brand image that you have worked so hard to create.
- Long distance - The packages that we have to send to the customer have to travel long distances. When we ship the fragile and high-end to a longer distance, then the risk of the product to be damaged is increased. Plus if the package got damaged in the starting or in the middle of transit we won’t know about it.
How to tackle the challenges for shipping fragile or high value products?
In the above section, we discussed a few challenges that are faced by the packaging or shipping companies. Now in this section we will talk about the solutions and ways through which we can tackle the challenges that are faced by the companies. Here, we have given a few ways that can be used to tackle the challenges :
- Choosing a proper box - When we talk about the packaging of fragile and high end products. The first step would be to choose a right corrugated box with the right size and right thickness. When we look for a box, it should be slightly bigger than the product so that we can use some kind of cushioning and padding. This is the reason to not to choose the box which would be of the same size.
- Use proper cushioning - This is the most important task to do when we pack a fragile or high end product. It is necessary to wrap the products with bubble pouches and/or with bubble wrap rolls.
When we pack the products with bubble wraps its bubbles create the cushioning effect that will save the product from the harsh movements and rough treatment. Many companies use corrugated trays or corrugated bins so that the walls of the box get thicker and absorb as much force as possible. - Individual packaging - When it comes to packaging small articles, it is suggested to pack them individually in corrugated boxes. Or you are able to find the boxes for your articles you can consider making custom corrugated boxes. The right box made with the right material will be the best option for the high end products as well.
- Add Labelling instructions - After packing the products carefully it is important to mention things about it that the box contains fragile items. Otherwise how will the person identify that this box should be treated with care.
This can be done by using a Fragile tape while sealing the packages. Or you can use a customised printed tape with logo and message for the package on how to handle the package with the products. - Wrap carefully - This is something important that we should keep in mind while wrapping the products with a bubble wrap should not be wrapped too tight or the pressure from the wrapping itself might break the items. The binding should not be too loose that it becomes useless and doesn't serve the purpose.
- Secure packaging - After doing all of that we must make sure that the corrugated box is sealed with high quality tapes like BOPP brown tape or BOPP colour tape. When we are packing the boxes we can use the H method of sealing the tape. So that no moisture enters the box that can potentially hamper the packages. Along with that you can use a tamper proof courier bag to ensure that the product is not tampered with.
To be concise
In this article, we have talked about the packaging challenges and solutions for fragile or high value products. Here, we have talked about the number of challenges that are faced by the brands and the companies that deliver high end or fragile products. We have suggested a few things that can be done to tackle those challenges.
We hope that you got the information that you were looking for the fragile packaging.
Suman Mandal has been in the packaging industry for a long time. She is passionate about the innovative ways this industry comes up with. Currently, she is writing for To The Packaging about various packaging solutions.