FAIR-CT98-9570 Environmentally sound shock-absorbing packaging materials, based on wood wool or paper

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Summary Information



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FAIR Area 1.2 - Green Chemicals and Polymers Chain : Packaging : Paper/Pulp : Wood (Lignocellulose)

	Contract No:	FAIR-CT98-9570
	Date Prepared:	March 2001
	Source:	Final Report Abstract

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Final Report Abstract

Objectives

The overall aim is to develop environmentally sound shock absorbing packaging. These is to be achieved through meeting the following objectives:

• to choose the most appropriate product concept
• to build a prototype production line
• to run full scale trial production tests on the prototype production line
• to develop the market by supplying samples to selected end-users
• to specify in detail a complete automatic production line

Activities

In order to choose the most appropriate product concept, comparative analysis concerning the market, technical and financial aspects have been conducted in respect of product concepts based on wood wool or paper. The chosen product concept has been delimited and described. Analysis of the product potential and the market has given an understanding of the possible packing tasks and the packaging requirements that could be fulfilled by this material. A prototype process has been designed for the paper product concept. Different methods which could be used to perform the various process steps have been examined. The chosen methods have been integrated to set up a continuous process.

For product development, different functionalities have been defined and standardised and the required equipment to meet the specifications have been integrated into the process. The various interacting parameters that have been involved in developing the prototype process have related to gluing, conditioning, cutting and work up machinery. The prototype process has been constructed and the conditions for operating it have been investigated. Items for development of packaging have been selected and outlines have been designed in co-operation with the manufacturer. Product functionalities incorporated in the design of the packaging have been standardised. Outlines that have been agreed upon have been further tested in the distribution process. This resulted in design changes.. Successfully tested in the distribution, the packaging has been produced by means of the prototype process as a test of the process. The packaging has afterwards been tested in the packing process by the user.

Data from the process optimisation and the test runs have been collected, as has data concerning life cycle analysis to document effects on the environment and technical data relating to the products.

Achievements

The overall result has been the development of a product concept. The product functionalities involved have been defined and standardised and the prototype process that produces those functionalities has been designed and constructed.

The prototype process that has been developed is a continued process except for some of the work up steps. The continuity has been reached by improving the glue composition and the conditioning methods. However, there is still a need to improve the conditioning stage, so that all steps work in a continuous process.

The development of the glue and the prototype process has improved the strength of the produced packaging. The possible designs which the material permits have been expanded and the quality of the work-up has been improved.

Attempts have been made to develop packaging for items such as probe ends, exhaustion hoods, a computer, a TV monitor, a microwave oven, a heat exchanger and car headlights. The work on heat exchanger packaging was stopped as it was too heavy for the packaging material. Two packages have been successfully developed through all the tests. The other packings are in between the preparation of an outline and the test in distribution and packing.

Conclusion

The development work has demonstrated that many needs for shock-absorbing packaging can be solved by functionally advanced packaging based on paper and that it is possible to industrially produce a wide range of designs for packaging which can be made of the paper material.

In a future industrially scaled process a more effective conditioning method is needed for the integration of all work up steps in a continuous production process. The speed of the line will also have to be increased which will require the process to be changed in the cutting step. An end-product handling step has to be added.

The development work has created a network between the partners and suppliers, technological partners and partners in the marketing and sale of the product are. This is of importance for the commercialisation of the product concept, which is regarded to be of great value. A technology implementation plan has been elaborated.