DS Smith, an International Paper company, and leading provider of fibre-based corrugated packaging solutions, announces its collaboration with TPV Automotive, a global supplier of manufactured components to the automotive industry, with a focus on enhancing the dynamics, safety, ecology, and driving comfort of vehicle ergonomics during manufacture.
The design and implementation teams at DS Smith set out to innovate a plastic-free and sustainable packaging solution for BMW (Bayerische Motoren Werke AG) using fibre-based corrugated cardboard to fit around the complex 3D geometry of their car wheel carriers, the part of automobile wheel suspension technology that supports the wheel bearings.
The car wheel carriers developed and manufactured by TPV Automotive required a packaging solution to enable the manufacturer to pack them independently apart without the risk of damage from movement within their casements during transit. The new packaging solution is therefore designed with a capacity to hold significant weight. Each auto part weighs almost eight kilograms, and twenty individual components are allocated to a single pallet box with potential to equate to up to 160 kilograms. The packaging solution is also intended to be compact and designed for the auto-parts to be stacked in cargo containers for transportation to the BMW assembly facility in Asia by ship.
3D Cut Outs for space optimisation.
The optimum use of space during the transportation by cargo is a key factor for TPV Automotive alongside ensuring optimum product protection. The DS Smith Protection for Car Wheel Carriers solution is dependent on corrugated cardboard 3D inserts that are precisely cut to fit securely into the bottom of the packaging. These enable the automotive car wheel carriers to lock securely into place within compact compartments and without any potential for or risk of later movement.
The 3D inserts are easy to assemble and delivered to TPV Automotive as flat cardboard sheets that are ready to be folded using an accordion-style technique. These form the precise 3D shape for the auto-part to be inserted into, and the overall packaging solution consists of a cardboard pallet box, inserts for the bottom of the packs, and a flat cardboard panel. The panel is intended to provide support for the top of the packaging once the components are fully assembled, and the corrugated cardboard packaging can be locked into place with a small amount of pressure.
Non-returnable packaging
DS Smith Protection for Car Wheel Carriers is non-returnable, made from recyclable materials, designed for one way transportation, and intended for recycling within the existing cardboard and paper collection schemes of TPV customers. It therefore successfully eliminates the use of additional materials such as Styrofoam, polystyrene, or wood. Thus, simplifying the logistics and supply chain approach, and reducing unnecessary carbon footprint.
The DS Smith Protection for Car Wheels Carriers packaging solution was allocated the Slovenian Packaging Oscar in 2024 for the Best in Packaging solution. The Oscar is nominated bi-annually as an accolade for outstanding design innovation and DS Smith Protection for Car Wheel Carriers stood out for its optimal space utilisation, and easy assembly, with the possibility of reuse and recycling after use.