Key element in Logistics 4.0

The international flow of goods follows precise rules to protect the products and the people involved in handling and transporting the goods. Today, industrial logistics is part of the value chain and includes both manual and automated handling.

The relocation of parts production from one location to another is an integral part of the various stages in the processing of a product and affects not only the transportation of products from the supplier to the customer, but also from the subcontractor to the supplier.

One example of the logistical complexity is the automotive industry, where each component for the car often undergoes different processes and transformations at very distant locations. Here, thermoforming products help to protect the parts and ensure the integrity of the products. They have a crucial function in manual and automated material handling and intervene in the three main areas of logistics, namely within the company (in-house), in external processes (outsource) and in the delivery of finished products (delivery). It stands for the optimization of cycle times and the rationalization of storage areas.

Although modern industry tries to standardize processes as much as possible, many different items and components often need to be handled. A large number of trays of different shapes and sizes, each intended for a single item, would represent an excessive burden.

Multifunctional traysfor various items

Ellepack, based in Calcinate, Italy, specializes in the development of multifunctional trays that can handle different items. The tray is equipped with individual shapes that adapt to more than one product, thus ensuring transport protection. There are many plastics available for thermoforming, which are treated differently. For this reason, the thermoformed product can be used in almost all production areas. It offers multifunctional and scalable solutions for different requirements in different production conditions. According to the manufacturer, the thermoforming product also guarantees an optimization of cycle times and a rationalization of storage areas.