In the last few decades, the packaging industry has made a lot of strides in terms of technological interventions and aesthetics. Amidst all this, its core standards have remained the same. The packaging of products can be classified into two categories — primary and secondary.
It is worth noting that there is another less-used type called tertiary packaging. This type of packaging is used for shrinking the material, grouping large quantities of the product together, or for unique marketing.
In this article, we’ll delve into the important factors for deciding your primary and secondary packaging automation solution. Before that, let’s understand what is primary and secondary packaging in the first place.
Primary packaging is the final layer that separates the user from the product. Traditionally, they’re easy to open for users but are sturdy enough to prevent the product from getting exposed.
Let’s take the example of a typical juice box. It is usually made up of multiple layers of polyethylene, virgin paper fibers, and aluminum to maintain the product’s integrity. Despite having such strong packing material, any pre-teen or older consumer can pick up a juice box and start drinking from it easily.
Any issue in the packaging will result in the end up as a bad experience for manufacturers and consumers. When it comes to edibles, improper primary packaging always leads to the product being discarded.
Even in the case of non-edible retail ready packaging, a defect will result in the product losing its value or becoming unusable. Hence, high-quality primary packaging is of the utmost importance to preserve the product’s value.
In order to get your product in this primary package, there are machine manufacturers that specialize in loading your naked (raw) product into various cartons, trays and cases and horizontal form fill and seal (hffs) machines; including continuously moving flow wrapper chain in-feds or indexing thermoform machines.
When there is an extra layer that separates the user from the primary packaging material, it is called secondary packaging. It’s mainly used for two reasons — attracting consumer attention or ease of transportation.
When it’s used for marketing purposes, they have eye-catching features to make them more appealing. The Kinder Surprise Egg is the best example of secondary packaging — the outer eggshell is specifically meant for visual aesthetics to attract kids. If it were not for the outer packaging for the toy and chocolate, the sales figures would definitely see a dip.
In all other cases, it’s less likely that the consumer will see the secondary packaging of your product. The most common examples are cardboard cartons, film bundles, trays, and multipack bags. The end goal is to make handling and shipping an easier affair. Hence, they tend to be less aesthetic and more utilitarian.
While it seems like such packaging is only for visual appeal or convenience, in some industries, secondary packaging is as important as the primary one. Deodorants, alcohol, medicinal sprays, batteries, and other flammables — there could be fatal consequences when proper secondary packaging isn’t used for such products.
This is a question that you must attempt to answer very early on. Choosing a packaging solution depends on various factors — nature of the product, branding needs, budget, sustainability, and the likes. For instance, a tray of bagels can be packed using a stretch pallet wrap without requiring any secondary packaging. The same cannot be used for pastries or cupcakes, where preserving the product’s shape is important.
Here are some pointers to help you choose the right packaging solution(s).
Your product needs to be protected from getting exposed to the outside environment. More importantly, the quality and usability of the product should remain intact. After all, there is no point in using a sophisticated tray packaging machine if the cookies stored in the trays start breaking in transit.
Keep your objectives in mind. As your business grows, you’ll have to scale the product line using packaging automation. At the same time, it needs to be budget-friendly. You might end up in a disadvantageous market position if your packaging costs eat into your profit margins.
Apart from being economically viable, you should be able to convey your brand’s ethos through the packaging material. Even if you are using naked product packaging, your messaging should be loud and clear for the consumers. Create customer profiles, identify your target consumers’ age group and design packaging that might appeal to them.
The primary or secondary packaging of your choice should be transportable and compact. By ensuring a high product-to-packaging ratio, you can ship the products faster and save logistics costs. Let’s say your fancy tray packaging can hold only one doughnut. In this case, your container trucks might have to make those extra trips to ensure the doughnuts reach the stores.
Even if sustainable packaging isn’t on your priority list right now, you should consider solutions that are recyclable or biodegradable. Besides sparing the environment from hazardous waste, it could help you build a better brand image. More importantly, it’ll save you from regulatory requirements that may arise in the future.
Primary and secondary packaging is an integral part of the product and its supply chain. It’s important to make a thorough assessment of your product and evaluate all packaging options before zeroing in on a solution.
Looking to automate your packaging requirements? Let BluePrint Automation take this off your plate, literally. Our state-of-art solutions can optimize your processes down to the tee while ensuring that training, maintenance, and repairs are taken care of.
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