It may be hard to imagine any car part as being delicate – but car parts suppliers know that they exist. Imagine the stylish dashboards, with large touchscreens and various advanced features. Headlights are also sensitive to breaking caused by various mechanical shocks. And let us not forget about hood ornaments – the pride and joy of car aficionados. All these require special custom foam applications for safe packaging.
The Client’s Packaging Challenge
In this case study, one of our clients contacted us to find a solution for packing hood ornaments. They produce these ornaments for various car brands, including premium models. Some ornaments are simple and easy to pack. Others are three dimensional and finely crafted.
Not surprisingly, the most complex and expensive hood ornaments had the highest percentage of damage in transit. The client had tried various protective packaging materials, but they were very bulky resulting in a drastically reduced quantity of products per shipment.
The Logistic Packaging Experts Weigh In
We had the chance to examine first hand the client’s products. They were made of metal, but had lots of three dimensional details which could be easily damaged. When it comes to premium hood ornaments, the slightest damage results in the product being rejected.
We also looked at the various protective packaging the client used, including bubble wrap, air cushions and loose fill. They would take up sufficient space to reduce the product density per container to up to 50%.
However, without these protective packages, the damage rate per shipment was as high as 20%. It looked like lose-lose situation, whatever the client chose to do in terms of packing their products.
Our Specialists Realized that the Client Needed a Fully Customized Approach
After considering various options, our packaging specialists understood that this type of extremely delicate products needed special protective packaging. We explained our findings to the client and told them our solution: customized foam applications for each type of hood ornaments.
The process for creating and using these customized packaging solutions is quite straightforward:
- The client gives us the product design as a 3D computer file
- We send the client various foam samples to choose from
- Once the client found the perfect foam application, we create cut-out shapes in large foam sheets
- Each product fits snugly inside the cut-out
- The foam sheets with embedded products can be placed inside returnable plastic containers, ready for shipping.
Why Foam Applications for Packing Hood Ornaments?
Foam applications solve both our client’s problems:
- They offer exceptional protection in transit to even the most delicate items
- They help maximize the density of products per container.
Also, once we have the blueprint for all hood ornaments, we can continue producing customized foam applications in any size and quantity. Thus, we turned the client’s lose-lose situation into a win-win solution.
The Client’s Feedback
Our client accepted the idea and soon sent the first shipment of hood ornaments packed in foam applications. The entire batch of products arrived in perfect condition, and their clients were extremely happy with the new packaging solution.
They could remove the ornaments, place the foam applications back inside the containers and send them back to the supplier, instead of having to deal with eliminating packaging waste.
The hood ornament producer thus managed to get more orders and enjoys a closer business relationship with their clients. They also decided to continue working with us as their preferred packaging provider and consult with us on future projects.
Overall, choosing foam applications helped our client:
- Reduce shipping costs
- Reduce loss
- Improve their brand image.
Logistic Packaging offers complete packaging solutions and smart ideas to help your company optimize operational costs. We offer both standard and customized returnable packaging solutions for all industries and all challenges. Send us an email to start discussing your packaging project with us!