Improving the tray footprint of retention and sustainable specific suspension (3S) packaging

One of the main issues with retention and suspension packaging is that objects tend to shift toward the sides inside the cardboard box due to impacts, reducing the available cushioning distance during subsequent impacts from the same direction. When a horizontal wrapper is employed to secure objects on a cardboard tray, various modifications are commonly made to address this issue in wrapped packaging. These modifications include adding friction foam underneath the object and altering the tray shape. A special case of wrapped packaging is 3S packaging, which stands for sustainable specific suspension packaging, which focuses on applying this stretch wrapping principle to e-commerce. Previous studies on 3S packaging have shown that a plain rectangular tray can only protect lightweight goods from multiple consecutive drops in the same direction, and increasing the wrapping density does not extend the applicable weight range. This study investigates alternatives for increasing wrapping density, demonstrating that adding friction to the tray is undesirable. Instead, a central narrowing proves to be the most promising option to ensure that the object remains protected from all sides during sequential impacts and expands the applicable range of the wrapped packaging methods. Additionally, incorporating steps into the transition of the central narrowing is beneficial for both the wrapping process and the shock absorption properties of these stretch-wrapped packaging methods. These findings allow for a reduction in material usage, better shock absorption, and faster packaging.