CASE STUDY: MACFARLANE

Packaging and distribution specialist Macfarlane is well versed in shipping a wide variety of goods and has developed bespoke packs for products ranging from ejector seats for a Eurofighter jet to fine art.

 

One particular project was for the landing gear assembly for the Airbus A380 plane. Transported by both air and sea, previously a close-boarded timber case with internal timber supports and foam cushioning with a total weight of 24kg was used. Macfarlane was tasked with designing a pack that better protected the product, reduced transportation costs and was easier to handle.

 

The result is a heavy-duty corrugated container that uses closed-cell polyethylene foam fittings. As well as being half the weight, the new pack also doubles the number of units in a single shipment, which brings down the transportation costs. "By coming up with something that uses a different type of foam, we can get more on to a pallet," says Macfarlane sales director Owen Sylvester. It is easier to handle because of the reduced size and the unit cost is also cheaper than the previous design.

 

Also, the pack can be put into standard recycling waste collections to help reduce the customer's carbon footprint. "Because the products were going a long way, it wasn't suitable to have reusable packs. If it must be disposed of, we needed to make sure it is recyclable,"says Sylvester.