Packaging is any material that encloses a product while it is stored, shipped or while it is awaiting purchase. Packaging can refer to packing paper, tape, Styrofoam, boxes, plastic containers and pallets as well as point of purchase and retail sale packaging like blister packages, clamshells and other packaging designs.
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Every industry makes use of packaging to some extent. Offices use cardboard boxes and plastic containers for storage of office supplies and, in some cases, for shipment of items on a small scale. Distribution companies make extensive use of cardboard boxes, pallets, packing tape, packing paper and Styrofoam to safely ship their products to customers. Manufacturing companies must also package their products in order to protect them during transit. Shipment packaging can be as simple as a box made of single-layered, corrugated cardboard, or it can feature sturdier materials that provide protection from vibration, compression and inhospitable temperatures. Packaging can be air-tight, as is often the case with medical packaging and pharmaceutical packaging. It can also be designed to be theft and tamper-resistant. Packaging is separated into three main categories. Primary packaging is the material that makes contact with the product itself. Secondary packaging is designed to group primary packages together. Tertiary packaging is used for bulk handling, warehouse storage and shipping. Pallets and large boxes are considered tertiary packaging.
Many fabrication methods are necessary to produce the many varieties of packaging materials used throughout industry and commerce. Most plastic bottles and jars are formed by either injection molding or blow molding; clamshells and blister packaging are both blow molded. Injection and blow molding are both plastic thermoforming processes, which are processes by which raw plastic materials are heated to a molten state and forced into a mold cavity. These processes are efficient, cost-effective and can produce packaging products in large volumes. For these reasons and because of the relative low price of raw plastic materials, plastic molding processes are very popular methods of plastic packaging fabrication. Also, because thermoforming processes are highly customizable and controllable, they simplify compliance with FDA, USDA and other regulatory authorities' standards for packaging for food, drugs and other products for human consumption. Cosmetic packaging, for example, must often be hypoallergenic and non-reactive to minimize risks to consumers. Other packaging materials include aluminum, glass and in some cases stronger metals like steel. |
