Top Tips for Automotive Packaging

There is also a growing need for cost-effective automotive packaging solutions that will ensure that the parts arrive at their destination fully intact and undamaged. In this article, we will be exploring the top tips for automotive packaging to ensure that your highly valued car parts remain in top condition.

1. Consider if your automotive packaging should be expendable or returnable.

When choosing the right packaging for your automotive items, one of the first considerations to make is whether the packaging is meant to be expendable or returnable. So, what does that mean?

• Expendable Packaging: a single use design that is meant to be disposed of once it reaches the final destination. Materials used are usually paper and wood based such as corrugated or plywood. Expandable packaging tends to be more cost-effective for longer distribution routes and does not prevent you from ignoring the disposal part of the life cycle.
• Returnable packaging: is meant to be reused in the manufacturing and distribution cycle. There are many benefits to using returnable packaging and these include: reduced carbon footprint and packaging waste, packaging material tends to be more rigid and sealed leading to better protection of parts, as well as tighter inventory control as the packaging is tracked.

It’s important to remember that a small investment in the time and effort going into the automotive packaging can deliver big long-term returns for your business.

 2. Make sure to always consider the weight of your car parts

It goes without saying really that the weight of your products will have a substantial impact on the packaging you choose. This will especially be the case with the wide variety of different car parts as there will be different weights per item needing to be considered.

The heavier the items you intend to pack, the more durable packaging you will need to ensure that the automotive products stay well protected.

When packing the more heavier items, the aspects you will need to take into consideration are:

• The packaging design and material used: Packaging that is practical and easy for your packers will increase your efficiency and maximise labour time. If the products are especially heavy, consider stronger board such as double or tri-wall corrugated boxes that can hold heavier items.
• Use Internal Packaging: internal packaging will brace your goods and absorb the impact of your products weight, ensuring that they will remain better protected.
• The sealing method: the heavier the automotive parts, the more durable your box sealing methods will need to be. Therefore, you may need a stronger taping solution such as a reinforced tape. Contact us today and our packaging experts will help you find the right taping solution for your product.
• Choose the right stretch film: If you are using pallets, it is essential that you use the right stretch film to ensure your load is secure so that your goods can get to the final destination in one piece and be unloaded safely. See our most common pallet wrapping mistakes blog to find out more about the mistakes that are often made and how to avoid them.

3. Use protective packaging for automotive car parts

Automotive car parts are extremely valuable, come in various shapes and sizes, and can often be fragile. In order to make sure your automotive items are well protected; it is crucial to make sure the packaging you choose will provide optimal protection. For example, if you are shipping or storing metal parts, anti-corrosion packaging such as VCI papers and barrier films will shield your goods from potentially hazardous environments.

To achieve maximum protection here are some protective packaging examples we have at Swiftpak include:

• VCI Paper Rolls: A common problem for the automotive industry is corrosion of materials during transport. VCI Paper Rolls can be used to protect the surface of your valuable automotive parts against corrosion and oxidation as it emits molecules that settle on the metal surfaces, creating a thin, invisible layer for ultimate protection.
• Impact Labels: Perfect for damage protection, impact labels detect hits beyond a specified G-level, releasing a dye into the tube. This creates a permanent indication of rough handling, allowing you to identify the point in the delivery process where the package was mishandled.
• Bespoke Corrugated Cardboard: Whether you need to ship a car bonnet, vulnerable hard disk, or a highly sensitive sensor, bespoke packaging solutions are often the best way to go to ensure maximum protection needed. Contact our packaging experts today to discover the best bespoke packaging solution for your business.

4. Ensure the automotive packaging you use enhances security.

When shipping high value goods, theft can be a real concern, especially if you do not have the right packaging security in place.

By simply placing devices like security labels and tags and sealing your package with tamper-evident tape will really help to enhance your packaging security. Additionally, avoiding putting too much information and branding on the outer packaging will also help to deter thieves. Thieves are less likely to target a package when they don’t know what it contains!

Automotive packaging from Swiftpak

At Swiftpak, we recognise how important it is for your automotive products to arrive in perfect condition and require unique solutions to guarantee that they are properly looked after during transit.

If you would like to find out more about our automotive packaging solutions, please contact our packaging experts today and they will be happy to help!