Returnable Packaging: What is it & Who uses it?

Posted by Universal Package Team on Tue, May 23, 2023

What Universal Package Brings to the Table

Universal Package offers a comprehensive range of products and solutions to cater to your returnable packaging needs. With options including bulk containers, hand totes, pallets, metal rack systems and custom-designed returnable packaging & dunnage, you can find the perfect fit for your specific requirements.

Customizable and scalable options ensure that your returnable packaging solutions can grow and adapt to your business. As your operations expand, Universal Package can help you develop a packaging system that remains efficient and cost-effective.

What we specialize in at Universal Package is custom dunnage & engineered solutions for each of these types of containers & racks to fit each of our customer's specific needs.  Watch for more info on what dunnage is and how your business can utilize our services in an upcoming blog post.

Providing a cost-effective and sustainable way to transport goods, these products offer numerous benefits across various industries and applications.

 

Industries that Benefit from Returnable Packaging Solutions

Our expertise spans various industries, including food and beverage, automotive, pharmaceuticals, medical, agriculture, electronics, appliances and many more. This knowledge allows us to provide specialized solutions tailored to your industry's unique demands, ensuring the optimal protection and transport of your products. Just a few of the common industry uses are:

  • Automotive Industry, returnable packaging solutions are used to transport assembled parts and components from one production facility to another, as well as, Work in Progress - movement of parts within the facility.
  • Pharmaceuticals & Medical Device supply chain management is another sector that can benefit from returnable packaging solutions. They can be utilized to safely transport pharmaceuticals & medical devices to ensure the quality and integrity of the products.
  • Electronics & Appliance, returnable packaging solutions provide efficient and secure transportation of delicate items, such as computer hardware, appliance part and consumer electronics.
  • Agriculture is yet another sector that can benefit from returnable packaging solutions. Bulk Containers and pallets can be used to transport produce, seedlings, and other agricultural items safely and securely.

How can we help?

In addition to our wide range of products, Universal Package is dedicated to providing exceptional customer support and service. We strive to make the transition to returnable packaging as seamless as possible, helping your business achieve both its sustainability and cost-saving goals.

As we've explored throughout this post, returnable packaging containers offer numerous benefits, including environmental sustainability, cost savings, and enhanced product protection. Moreover, returnable packaging containers also prove valuable in trade shows and exhibitions by providing efficient transport and protection for materials. (More to come on this topic in a future blog.)

If you're ready to make the switch to returnable packaging solutions, look no further than Universal Package. With our extensive range of products and services, customizable and scalable options, industry expertise, and dedicated customer support, we have everything you need to successfully implement a returnable packaging system. Let us help you revolutionize the way you package, transport, and protect your products. Contact us today to discuss your returnable packaging needs and discover the perfect solution for your business.

Tags: bulk boxes, custom plastic containers, totes, agricultural, Dunnage, shipping containers, returnable containers, protective packaging, packaging systems, corrugated plastic boxes, industrial packaging, returnable packaging, Automotive

Engineered Solutions Eliminate WIP Costs

Posted by Universal Package Team on Wed, Jun 27, 2018

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Providing quality packaging solutions and plastic containers is our job, but our goal is to make sure our WIP (work in progress) clients are also operating as efficiently as possible. By supplying materials, other than containers, clients have seen great improvements in their processes, WIP hurdles, and manufacturing bottlenecks.

Heavy Equipment Remanufacturing Client

This client makes money processing and remanufacturing heavy truck equipment by tearing down air compressors, rebuilding them completely and then painting. Universal was originally asked to quote paper paint masking templates for use during the parts painting process. The client’s original process required die cut paper templates and wire attachment ties to cover machined areas so paint would not touch.

Process & Engineered Solution

After learning the client’s process and discussing with paint booth operators, we found the time to tie the masks in place was double that of the actual painting process. Further discussion revealed all parts being painted were made of steel. We suggested switching the paper mask templates to flexible, die cut magnetic sheets, the same material used for refrigerator doors magnets.

Client Efficiencies & Gains

The time to it took to place the magnetic masks on the steel parts versus wiring the paper masks in place was reduced dramatically. The client reported throughput of parts increased 10 times more than what they could originally process. An added benefit, the plastic magnets can also be reused a minimum of 8 times. This bonus, coupled with the increased output virtually eliminated the entire previous cost associated with this process, thus saving our customer both time and money.

Contact us to discuss streamlining your processes or for help designing your next custom solution. 

Tags: industrial packaging, custom solutions, work in process

Proof Plastic Industrial Containers Increase Efficiency and Business Growth

Posted by Universal Package Team on Wed, May 30, 2018

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Any industry or business can benefit from using fabricated plastic containers and packaging. The key is finding what problem the client is experiencing, listening to their ideas to solve those problems, and offering experience when giving them affordable, workable solutions.

Reusable hand totes and collapsible bulk containers are widely used for industrial purposes and are quite popular in the Automotive Industry. These containers have been developed specifically to reduce packaging costs, while also eliminating damage and contamination of parts during the assembly and transportation process.

While the automotive industry is by far the major user of these products, other industries can benefit too. Aerospace, Pharmaceutical, Medical Equipment, Agriculture, Food, Beverage, Appliance, Construction Heavy Equipment, and Distribution companies are just a few of the industries that face the same packaging difficulties as the auto industry.

The main benefit to using industrial containers and interior packaging is the standardization in the parts supply chain. When we partner with clients to create a packaging system, the benefits are derived from maximizing their packaging dollars by investing in returnable containers. This results in better protection, ease of handling, and reduction of storage space to start. 

How Universal Can Help

Our industrial stackable and collapsible containers not only reduce packaging costs through reuse, but also eliminate costly warehouse rack systems.

Client Problem:

A large manufacturer of high tech oil drilling equipment needed more space to handle their subassemblies, outside purchased components and in-house fabricated parts to support a 20% increase in their business.

They had traditionally used racks to store parts in corrugated boxes or wood crates. The boxes and crates were of various sizes for different parts, as well as various box sizes for similar components.

Universal Packaging Solution:

We systemized and standardized reusable collapsible containers to hold these parts. Bar Code identification labels were placed in cardholders attached to the container, identifying each part inside the containers.

The containers now stack up to 6 high using existing floor space. They actually reduced the amount of space required for storage even while increasing their production by 20%. They have eliminated a large amount of the rack system and are reporting faster “order picking” of line required components.

By offering our unique capabilities and excellent client service, we are confident we can greatly improve efficiencies within your company. Universal Package has invested heavily in specialty equipment and training to become a leader in industrial container fabrication and modification.

Contact us today and tell us more about your business, or give us a call at (866) 875-9918 to further discuss your packaging efficiency needs.

Tags: reusable containers, packaging systems, industrial packaging

Plastic Industrial Packaging Used For Work In Process Solutions

Posted by Universal Package Team on Tue, Apr 17, 2018

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Plastic returnable containers were originally developed for the automotive industry in the U.S. The industry recognized the cost savings when shipping parts from vendors to their assembly plants in plastic returnable packaging.

Today, since the majority of incoming shipments come from the same locations and require multiple shipments a day for process, the cost reductions can be seen immediately.

Industries such as pharmaceuticals and companies producing medical devices and products are transitioning rapidly to plastic corrugated shipping and WIP containers. The need to eliminate contaminants and gain the cost savings associated with returnable packaging is driving the transition.

Agriculture, Aerospace and Distribution Fulfillment centers are few other industries in which solid growth and demand for plastic corrugated containers can be seen.

Food, fish, poultry, and fresh vegetables, which require cold environments, are where more and more plastic corrugated containers are being used to store, ship and display products. Plastic corrugated heat sealed containers are proving to be a successful solution for keeping these products fresh and safe for buyer consumption.

Plastic Corrugated Boxes for Work In Process Applications

Plastic corrugated boxes and packaging are filling the some needs paper boxes can’t.

A large majority of manufacturing and distribution companies are replacing their paper containers with plastic corrugated containers. The longevity and elimination of contaminants (associated with paper containers) are major factors in why many manufacturers are making the switch to plastic.

Another benefit to plastic corrugated containers is they can be made to for easy visual recognition. Specific colors can be chosen for plastic corrugated containers to reduce mistakes and enhance production within any workflow or industrial process.

Plastic packaging is ideal for many of our industrial manufacturing clients, it lasts for years and when it is worn beyond repair it can be recycled. Give us a call (812) 937-3605, or contact us to discuss your industrial packaging needs.

Tags: reusable containers, packaging systems, engineered packaging, industrial packaging

Industrial Packaging Solutions Showcase

Posted by Universal Package Team on Thu, Dec 28, 2017

 

Universal strives to create an experience that streamlines the time you need to spend on packaging by offering products and services all in one place, that other companies will not or cannot provide.

Universal Package is a one-stop shop for reusable packaging.

We are a full manufacturing facility as well as a distributor of standard containers and totes. When you work with us you are not working with a middle-man. We pride ourselves in providing excellent customer service and working with our customers to provide a complete packaging solution.

We are constantly growing and improving our equipment and processes to allow for more packaging options and efficient production time. Through all of our growth we still maintain a “job shop” mentality which allows us to react quickly to our customer’s needs and allow for a greater flexibility with our scheduling to take care of our customers.

Package Engineering and Production

Our designers are able to take a customer’s existing CAD part file and integrate it into our software to create a truly custom engineered packaging solution. We are able to illustrate part fit and get a better “nest” of parts to maximize part density and therefore reduce cost for our customers.

This also allows us to visualize potential problems without having to create multiple samples, which cuts cost and time for our customers.

Our goal is the right fit the first time and our design department and sales staff work closely to make sure the packaging we engineer meet or exceed the customer’s expectations. Even if that means using multiple materials and trying various design combinations to create the perfect packaging system.

Universal Package is about creating a complete packaging solution, not just a box.

Contact us to discuss your packaging needs or design your next custom packaging solution. 

Tags: returnable containers, reusable containers, packaging systems, engineered packaging, industrial packaging