The role of a “packaging engineer” is specific to the items or industry in need of a packaging solution. 在制造业中, packaging engineers help companies design and develop new containers on a mass-production scale to offer their new product to the end user.
在专业制作, 包装运输业务, 包装工程师面临着不同的挑战. 在像crater这样的公司 & 云顶集团赌场, our engineers design custom containers/packaging sets to suit each individual item we package. 因为云顶集团赌场与所有行业合作, our engineers’ expertise is essential to the safe and secure shipping of items locally, 国内和国际.
Our packaging experts design, test and build a variety of crate styles, including Mil/ASTM spec. 确保最大程度的保护, 每个项目被评估为包装额外的支撑, 抱着, 缓冲, 螺栓, 阻塞, bracing and strapping to support and protect valuable assets during their journey.
This position was created shortly after the company first began its operations over 30 years ago. We recognized that a significant percentage of the items our clients need to ship could not be safely transported in standard shipping containers. Fast forward to today—our engineering department utilizes SolidWorks 3D modeling program to create, 在这些建筑建成之前就进行设计和测试.
例如，试着 想象一下这些物品 在一个典型的盒子里:
- 飞机的机身
- 各类大型电影道具
- 大型锅炉，筒仓，水壶和其他工业设备
- 大型/华丽的古董吊灯
- 计算机服务器机架
- 工业管道
- 比真人大的马雕像
- 飞机、直升机、船只、宇宙飞船和其他交通工具
- 一架金钢琴
- 冰箱和其他电器
- 彩色玻璃窗
- 风力发电机螺旋桨叶片
- 游乐园游乐设施
No amount of packing peanuts is going to hold these assets in place! 从它们的形状和重量到它们的脆弱性, 每个都有需要特别注意的特点. A packaging engineer studies those characteristics and develops a strategy for immobilizing and protecting the asset within a custom-built crate or other container.
Businesses that work with shipping companies that do not have this type of expertise are effectively rolling the dice and hoping that traditional packaging measures will protect their assets. 在某些情况下，他们很幸运. 而在其他许多国家，情况并非如此.
设计和建造各种各样的板条箱
The list of crate styles that a packaging engineer is called on to design and build is virtually endless. 一些比较常见的类型包括:
- 商业箱
- 工业箱
- 特定于产品的箱
- ISPM 15出口认证板条箱(见下文)
- 可重用的板条箱
- 可拆卸的板条箱
- IT设备箱
- 展会箱
- 展示箱
- 军事 crates (ASTM – D6251, D6256, D6880, D6039, D7478 and others)
- 电脑箱
- 艺术的板条箱
- 电器箱
- 移动的板条箱
- 家具箱
- 博物馆的板条箱
- 古董箱
In many instances, the packaging strategy also includes the use of custom wooden skids or pallets. 包装过程可以在环形山进行 & 云顶集团赌场 location or may require the entire build to occur onsite.
符合国际航运和ISPM 15的木箱
For international shipments, a packaging engineer must understand ISPM 15 requirements. 根据这些规定, all crates must be built from wood that is heat-treated (or treated in some other manner) and certified to be free of pests to prevent an infestation in the destination country. Crates that haven’t been certified can be held by customs officials in the destination country and may be fumigated or destroyed at their discretion.
Crates that have been inspected and approved get what is known as the “bug stamp” or ISPM 15 mark. 这有助于确保他们顺利通过海关. So, 除了学习如何充分保障货物运输, packaging engineers have to stay current on shipping requirements—both foreign and domestic—and work within them.
超越运输箱:资产包装的重要性
航运术语, “crating” and “packaging” are related but separate activities undertaken by packaging engineers and the shipping preparation teams they work with. 包装 refers to the materials used to enhance the protection of items within a crate or box, 或者在托盘上.
这可能包括:
- 防静电材料. 当电子产品被运输时, 特殊的包装, 缓冲 and barriers can be used to keep electrostatic discharge from damaging their components.
- 蒸汽屏障(VCI袋). Ocean transport of any item that can be damaged by moisture in the air—electronics, 特别要求使用特殊的防蒸汽包装. Other measures include putting activated desiccant inside the vapor barrier, then sealing the barrier seams and using a specialized vacuum system to remove existing air and moisture from inside the bag. We can also place humidity indicator cards inside the bag that can be read when the bag is ultimately opened or use humidity indicator plugs that project through the barrier and allow for monitoring during transport.
- 热收缩包装. We often use plastic wrap that shrinks when heated to cling tightly to items in order to immobilize and protect them. This can be helpful during shipping—like when an item is shrink wrapped to a pallet or other structure—and also for short-term and long-term storage of assets.
- 专门的缓冲. Different items require different 缓冲 methods based on their fragility rating, 制造它们的材料, 它们的形状和大小, 放置它们的容器的尺寸, 等. A packaging engineer determines what type and amount of 缓冲 is needed as part of the protection strategy they develop.
- 瓦楞纸板. 瓦楞纸板既坚固又轻便, 使其非常适合用于航运, 是否作为主容器, 或者在板条箱内进行分区, 等.
- 硬壳壳. 在运输过程中，可能会使用专门的箱子来保护物品, 单独或在板条箱或其他容器内. We can also produce fully custom-designed/cut layers of 缓冲 specifically for your item.
Ultimately, how an item is packaged is just as important as how it is crated.
包装工程师不断发展的角色
的材料, methods and technologies for protecting assets (and the people who handle them) during shipping are constantly evolving. Consequently, the role of the packaging engineer is continually changing, as well.
这就是为什么云顶集团赌场在陨石坑聘请包装专家 & 货运人员不断学习和扩展他们的技能. 他们从不满足于“足够好”的保护策略.”而不是, they continually challenge themselves to leverage new materials and technologies—or existing materials and technologies in new ways—to maximize the stability and security of every shipment we handle.