Design Basics 

There are many foam packaging concepts illustrated within this section.

To simplify these concepts we chose a rectagular product for easy illustration. However,

most rectangular product have flanges, brackets and buttons that slightly change the shape of the product. We simply cut additional grooves, notches and curves to compensate for those irregularities and that allows the product to fit properly.

Each of these concepts are designed to protect the same size rectagular product.

We wanted to illustrate how many different ways the same product can be packaged.

Each of these concepts can be manufactured from any foam material we stock.

Each design and each material offers a different level of protection and cost.

Remember, a good design is one that will suffiiently protect your product at the minumum price. Make sure you don't forget to add the cost for putting it all together. That can add up too! The hard part is determining what is sufficient protection. This is why any and all packages should always be tested to your satisfaction prior to you actually using it.

Take a look at some of our designs! 

Blocking and Bracing

End Caps

Corner Protectors 

Corner Caps 

Trays & Inserts

Getting Started! 

There are some basic questions that should be answered before any design begins.

We have listed three important questions to be considered. We have also given examples of how the answers to these guestions will help determine what material and which design will work best for the packaging scenerio.

How heavy is your product?

The weight of your product is a very important factor that  is used to determine what type of foam and which density would best protect your product. 

A heavy product requires more foam or a higher density to absorb the significant shock that is associated with heavy weight. On the other hand, a product that is light, requires less foam and/or a lower density to absorb the minimum impact that occurs when it is dropped.

How far could the package drop?

This is another important factor that determines what density and how much foam and space your product will need to prevent it from bottoming out and experiencing damage. If the product is stored on a shelf, how high is the highest shelf?

If you are going to load the product on to a truck by hand, how high is the bed of the truck? The more accurate you are in determining this distance, the better the package will perform when it is dropped.

How is it going to be shipped?

If the packaged product is going to ship overnight it will change hands on several occasions. Each hand off with be made with a sense of urgency. After all, it has to be there within 24 hours.

Each time it changes hands there will be a possibility that it could be dropped.

Also, each time it changes hands you should probably plan on it being tossed into a stack of mutiple packages that all have different sizes, shapes, and weights.

This senerio has become more predominate in recent years due to the successful sales from online companies. Even if your product is not expensive it can become expensive when considering the cost associated with the damaged product. Such as, the return of the damaged product, the disposal of the damaged product, and the consequences you will face when your customer has had a bad experience from receiveing a damaged product, let alone with the ordeal of returning it. 

Packaging your product right the first time is your best insurance.