Structural design
Constructions developed around the product, the packing process and the pallet, not adapted from the nearest stock size.
Bespoke developmentCapability
Design, sampling and testing.
Structural design in CAD, physical samples and line trials before anything goes into production. The stage that decides whether packaging performs, and the one most often skipped.
What it includes
What this covers.
Each part solves a different problem. Most programmes use several of them together.
Dielines & tooling
Cutting dies specified and stored against each size, checked against the print method and board before artwork is committed.
PrintingCAD drawings
3D models and technical drawings, so everyone is approving the same thing before tooling is cut.
Request a designPhysical samples
Samples produced for fit, strength and handling, and for sign-off by the people who will actually pack the product.
Box FinderLine trials
Packaging run on your line before it goes live, because a pack that erects slowly costs more than the board it saves.
Food & drinkPerformance testing
Compression, drop and transit testing where the journey or the product value justifies the evidence.
Board gradesDetail
Where packaging goes wrong.
Inherited specifications
Most ranges contain sizes nobody has questioned for years, carried forward because they were always bought.
Over-specification
Board grades drift upwards after a damage incident and rarely come back down, which quietly adds cost to every box.
Void space
A box that does not fit the product pays for air in freight and in void fill, on every single shipment.
Line performance
Packaging approved on a desk sometimes fails on a line running at speed, where seconds per pack decide labour cost.
Untested changes
A change made to save money on board often costs more in damage than it saved, unless it is trialled first.
No record
When specifications live in people's heads and old emails, the same box ends up different at every site.
How it works
How a specification is developed.
- Product, packing process and distribution route reviewed before any design work
- Constructions modelled in CAD and drawn up as dielines
- Samples produced and assessed for fit, strength and handling
- Line trials run before a specification is approved for production
- Board grades confirmed against ECT and BCT performance where stacking demands it
- Approved specifications stored, so every site and every reorder matches
Questions
Common questions.
Do you charge for design and samples?
It depends on the scope. For a programme of work it is normally part of the engagement. One-off bespoke projects are quoted up front so there are no surprises.
How long does sampling take?
It varies with the construction and whether tooling is needed. We give you a timeline once we know what is being made, rather than quoting a number that might not hold.
Can you test packaging before we commit?
Yes. Compression, drop and transit testing can be arranged where the journey or product value justifies it, and line trials are strongly advised before any change goes live.
What do you need from us to start?
The product, how it is packed, how it is distributed and what is going wrong today. Current specifications and a sample of the existing pack help, but we can work from what you have.
Who owns the tooling?
That is agreed at the start, and it is worth settling before any die is cut rather than after.
Next step
Start with the box that gives you trouble.
Send us the product and the pack you use today. We will design, sample and trial an alternative before anything changes on your line.