Transporting easily broken or damage-prone merchandise presents challenges. Without proper protective packaging, fragile contents risk breaking, denting, shattering or otherwise arriving at destinations unusable. Yet many shippers remain unaware of packaging best practices for fragile transport. Both individuals and companies shipping delicate goods need education on cushioning methods, materials innovations and packaging procedures that prevent product damage.
Potential Transit Hazards
Packages endure surprising amounts of shock, vibration, compression and abrasion throughout delivery journeys by truck, rail, air or ship. Statistics show that over 75% of products get damaged by improper packaging versus problems with carriers. Transit mishaps that protective packaging guards against include:
- Drops – containers knocked off conveyors and sorting belts or dropped during loading/unloading.
- Impacts – collisions with other freight, forklifts or warehouse racking.
- Vibration – truck transport over bumpy roads or shipping container movement aboard vessels.
- Stacking – crushing weight from pallets and boxes above pressing down.
- Punctures – strapping, container edges or forklift impacts piercing box walls.
- Climate Exposure – moisture, humidity, freeze/thaw and temperature extremes if not weatherproof.
Inadequate cushioning in suboptimal packaging exposes fragile shipped contents to dangerous forces, resulting in potential damage during transit.
How Protective Packaging Works
Protective packaging serves two key functions: immobilizing the product from unintended movement while cushioning from mechanical shocks and blows. With the goal of completely preventing any product movement, packaging engineers carefully design the way containers are filled. Ideally, items remain centered in boxes with minimal empty unused space around the contents. Snug compartments fitted to the exact product dimensions prevent shifting during handling. Box sizes should closely match the item’s footprint without over-sizing and space for uncontrolled collisions inside.
Along with immobilization, engineered packaging materials then absorb energy from impacts. EPS manufacturers like Epsilyte mold expanded polystyrene foam padding, called EPS foam, into precision cushioning components like end caps, wraps and sheets. EPS makes an ideal shock absorber, molding into any desirable shape while comprising 98% air. This unusually high air content gives EPS exceptional cushioning properties in a lightweight, affordable material. Alternative protective packaging options such as inflated air cells, molded pulp, foam peanuts, bubble wrap and crumpled paper provide similar energy dissipation through various mechanisms.
State-of-the-art packaging protection is achieved through a combination of product immobilization and impact cushioning, which work together to safeguard the product during transit and handling.
Why Improper Packaging Fails
Those unfamiliar with proven packaging methods often make mistakes that jeopardize fragile shipments. Attempting shortcuts or lacking education on damage prevention leads to failed parcel delivery. Common packaging blunders include:
- Oversize outer boxes allowing inner contents to collide destructively during handling.
- Inadequate interior padding for cushioning blows and preventing shifting.
- Not center balancing products in boxes or ensuring secure immobilization.
- Failing to individually wrap easy scuffed or scratched surfaces.
- Assuming stretch wrapping provides meaningful impact protection.
- Entrapping humidity against climate sensitive products.
- Missing package warnings like fragile markings or this way up arrows.
Such misguided preparation frequently causes broken screens, scratched finishes or cracked fragile items by the time recipients open boxes.
Conclusion
Shippers of fragile goods need to understand which packaging reliably protects items and which packaging is prone to damage. Precision engineered systems using sturdy containers, form fitted cushioning and product immobilization contrast the haphazard amateur approaches that dominate damages. The technologies and materials for protective packaging improve continuously. Linking fragile item shippers to packaging engineers and quality materials like EPS foam brings assurance of safe passage. Understanding transit hazards and properties of motion-restricting cushioning means fragile content arrives without incident. By applying protective knowledge at the source of packaging, shippers enhance their reputations and improve the overall quality and sustainability of the supply chain.