Contract Packaging

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Contract Packaging

Fulfillment services and contract packaging services are nearly synonymous; contract packaging services are provided by companies whose primary business is the provision of packaging services to another company. The scope of the operations of a fulfillment business is expanded to include packaging and shipment of products as well as returns and customer inquiries. Product packaging is one of the most important steps in manufacturing and distribution processes. All products are packaged in some way. Food packaging is necessary for transporting food and beverages so that they do not become damaged or exposed to contaminants during transit and while on display in grocery stores and other retail settings. Medical packaging and pharmaceutical packaging are required for the safe transportation and storage of medical devices and medicine. Cosmetic packaging protects products that come into close contact with humans from degrading or from becoming contaminated. Packaging design can be customized to meet the varied packaging needs of consumer, commercial and industrial products; special shapes like blister packages and clamshells can easily be formed around the contours of an object. The materials used to create packaging can be as thin as shrink wrap or as thick as steel.

Contract packaging companies design packaging products to accommodate the packaging needs of operations of all sizes. There are three main categories into which every packaging product fits: primary, secondary and tertiary packaging. Depending on the size of the operation, a company may need only primary packaging or a combination of primary and secondary. But contract packaging companies are also equipped to develop packaging for operations that require products from all three categories. Primary packaging is the material that makes contact with the product itself. If, for example, some olives are packaged in a glass jar, the glass jar is the primary packaging. Secondary packaging is used to group multiple primary packages together or to provide extra protection. If the jar of olives was packaged with several other jars of olives in a cardboard box, the box would be secondary packaging. Any padding like foam or paper would also be secondary packaging. Finally, tertiary packaging is used for bulk handling, warehouse storage and shipping. If several boxes of jars of olives were stored on a plastic or wooden pallet, the pallet would be tertiary packaging. If the boxes were shrink-wrapped together, the shrink wrap would also qualify as tertiary packaging.

Contract packaging services offer innovative product storage and shipping solutions. A company that harvests olives may be able to manage sealing the olives in jars on a large scale, but the actual storage of a product is only one component of packaging. In order to improve the olives' chances of being sold once they reach retail, the jar must be labeled. Some contract packaging services even offer graphic design consultation to make a product more appealing to consumers. Packaging is a major part of brand-identity, and contract packaging services can help products advertise themselves. Contract packaging services, particularly fulfillment services, also look for ways to improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the shipping process. Fulfillment services can store and manage inventory, freeing their clients' factory space for production. Also, because they can dedicate their energy to shipment and storage, they are in a better position to ship products quickly and to handle product returns than the products' manufacturers. A fulfillment service is one way a manufacturing operation can improve its standing with its customers; all customers appreciate promptness of shipping service, and fulfillment services can give customers the attention that a manufacturing operation many not be able to give.

Contract packaging services also help to ensure the compliance of packaging materials with the guidelines set by regulatory authorities like the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Agriculture. Medical packaging, food packaging and all other packaging that comes into contact with products meant for human consumption are strictly regulated in terms of their composition and design. Many containers intended for the distribution of medicine are required to feature child-proof caps. In some cases, drug manufacturers may not be capable of shipping their products in such specialized containers. Contract packaging and fulfillment services also offer a much wider range of packaging products than many manufacturers can produce for themselves. Custom blisters and clamshells have become standard packaging materials for small consumer electronics, toys and even some snack foods. Blister packages are blow molded or vacuum molded; their manufacturers require access to plastic molding equipment and a sufficient stock of appropriate raw plastic material. Contract packaging services make such products available to manufacturers, protecting their products during transit and improving their chances of sale once they reach retail platforms.

Contract Packaging Services Image Provided by Valk Industries, Inc.

Contract Packaging Services Image Provided by Assemblies Unlimited.

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Contract Packaging Types

• Bench assembly is a hand-packaging technique in which items are on a bench and packaged accordingly.
  
• Blister packaging consists of a hard thermoformed bubble to hold the product to a back card for presentation.
  
• Cartoning is the insertion of the product into the designed box, holder or enclosure for display and shipping.
  
• Clam shell assembly and packaging is the process of creating the plastic clam shells and inserting and sealing the items inside. Clam shell assembly is typically an automated process.
• Cosmetic packaging is packaging used to store and ship skin care, beauty products and other cosmetic products.
• Custom packaging tailors packaging design to the needs of a specific product or company.
  
• Die cutting is a packaging process that produces a label shape using the cutting edge of a die.
• Food packaging is any packaging material used for the shipment, storage or display of food products.
• Fulfillment services deal with the organization of various production duties, such as material handling, inventory control, assembly and transportation.
• Medical packaging is any packaging used to store or transport medical devices or medication.
• Packaging design refers to the characteristics of a certain package.
• Packaging is any material used to enclose an item in order to protect it during shipment and while on display.
• Pharmaceutical packaging is the packaging of medical substances with regard to FDA regulations and requirements.
  
• Polybagging is the placing of a product into a polybag and sealing it with heat.
• Product packaging is material used to enclose a product in order to protect it during shipment and while on display.
• RF (Radio Frequency) sealing is using radio frequency to permanently seal a clamshell package.
  
• Shrink wrapping is a common packaging method in which a product is wrapped in shrink film and then heated so that the film shrinks to the size and shape of the product. Shrink packaging provides a secure and tamper resistant layer.
  
• Skin packaging is pulling a film tightly over a product that is on a card. Heat is used to adhere the film to the card and to create a transparent covering.
  
• Stretch packaging is a combination of blister, skin, clamshell and shrink wrapping, which is often seen with batteries and small toys.
  

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Contract Packaging Terms Adhesive - A material capable of holding materials together by exterior attachment. Back Card - A card, usually made of cardboard or paper, to which a product is mounted or secured for certain types of packaging, like blister or skin. Back cards can be custom printed and have special adhesives for product or other packaging elements. Bale - A unit of compressed items or materials bound together with cord, strapping or metal ties. Bales may also be wrapped and bundled. Boxboard - A term that refers to the differing grades of folding and scoring properties to create boxes. Boxboards are delivered to the contract packaging company in flat sheets. Clam Shell - A plastic packaging device with two sides and a folding hinge, which encloses and seals an item inside like a clam. Can - A small primary packaging item, usually made of metal. Closure - The means by which a container is sealed and its contents retained. Collating - The sorting and/or assembly of items. Contract Assembly - Hirable services for the construction or gathering of a product. Corrugated - A term that refers to paper-based board that has one or more sheets of fluted paper glued to one or more flat sheets of board. Die - Any of a variety of tools or devices used for cutting material to a desired shape. FDA (Food and Drug Administration) - An organization that sets standards and regulations for the packaging of food. Gloss - A shiny finish on a smooth surface, such as vinyl or paint. Hand Assembly - The putting together of products through manual labor or the combination of manual and automated labor. Heat Sealing - A process in which heat is used to fasten together two substrates. Jar - Small, hard packaging that has a wide mouth and is made typically of glass, ceramic or plastic. Outsourcing - Sending a product to a contract supplier, packager or assembler for their services. Pack Out - The last step for a product before it is shipped out. Pick & Pack - A shipping term for taking a product from inventory and packing it and preparing it for shipping. Relabeling - Putting a new label over an old label on a product or replacing the existing label with a new label. Reverse Logistics - Processing returned goods and reworking or repackaging them to new standards. Screen Printing - A process of printing in which the ink is forced through the image area of a properly stretched fabric by the use of a squeegee or, in some cases, air pressure directly onto the surface to be printed. Secondary Operation - An action that must be performed following the line process, as it needs special attention. Strapping - A flexible piece of strip material that is normally flat or circular in cross section, and is used as reinforcement in a larger bale or bundle or to secure items for packaging within a container. Stretch Wrap - Material that expands when applied under pressure and recovers while conforming to the item packaged.

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