20 most recent innovations in packaging

Egg Packaging Mimics Mattress Springs

Thu, 11 Feb 2016 00:00:00 Z

In recent years, cardboard has proven its worth as a versatile and inexpensive material thanks to the innovative minds that put it to use. From virtual reality headsets to lodges, bicycles, digital cameras, vacuum cleaners and even helmets, cardboard has shown that it can in fact be a sturdy enough resource to handle work beyond simple packaging. Designer Sichen Sun decided to prove this point once more in reimagining egg packaging that prevents shell-cracking bumps and shakes. The redesign is named EGG6, a 1:1 model has been made and tested viable.

Taking after the springs that provide cushioning in beds, the “mattress for eggs” is a playful experiment that rethinks classic egg containers.

“I experimented with how cuts in cardboard can affect its properties,” writes Sichen Sun. “And what would be a better evidence of softness than being able to hold six eggs?”

Produced by punching shapes into the cardboard material, Sun forms multiple spirals to entertain different purposes. She explains that loose spiral line cuts are tighter, stabler and harder, while thin cuts are lighter, softer and therefore more elastic. Combining both of these cuts, one on the top that forms a lid and one on the bottom that acts as a tray, the two work as buffers to alleviate bumps and shakes.

Smart Cap Detects Spoiled Milk

Thu, 23 Jul 2015 00:00:00 Z

Skip the sniff test with the smart cap, a new 3D-printed cap that can detect when milk has gone bad.

Created by a team at UC Berkeley, the smart cap was printed using a combination of wax and standard 3D printing polymers. Once the structure was complete, the wax was removed to create hollow tubes, in which silver was then injected and cured in order to create circuits. A capacitor and inductor were then added to the cap to create a circuit that was able to detect the electrical signals emitted by the increased levels of bacterial that accompany spoilage.

According to the developers, the cost of the 3D printing technology involved in making the circuits could eventually be low enough to allow spoilage sensors to be attached to an array of food products, offering an early warning system to consumers.

Snap-Apart Pencil Packaging

Tue, 07 Oct 2014 00:00:00 Z

Based out of Montreal, this university student created clever zero waste packaging for pencils as part of a school project. Graphic Designer Laurence Gregoire conceived of Hexamine in two styles: colored and plain. Not unlike disposable chopsticks that come with takeout, the pencils are attached to each other and need to be snapped apart. This replaces conventional cardboard boxes pencils and similar writing implements usually are sold in.

In addition to coming in zero waste packaging, the pencils also have each of their colors written on the end of them in French. The plain lead pencils are also individually labelled. The eco-friendly snapping element adds a playful and tactile aspect to the product as well, making art more fun than ever.

Packaging For Fragile, Odd-Shaped Objects

Wed, 25 Jun 2014 00:00:00 Z

'Fragile' is an aptly named flexible packaging system developed by Mireia Gordi i Vila, a graduate of the Royal College of Art. There are tons of packaging designs out there that are designed to be biodegradable, modular and reusable, but Fragile puts its focus on containing any kind of object, especially those that are oddly shaped and delicate.

Packaging for Fragile encases in a membrane-like cocoon, surrounded by a hard shell frame for support. Since the stretchy packaging conforms to fit whatever it contains, it is reusable for a number of objects. The second skin that Fragile provides could be used to ship valuables like art and other bespoke items that require a secure shipping option where an ordinary cardboard box just won't cut it.

Origami Toothpaste Tube That Squeezes Out Every Last Drop

Mon, 14 Apr 2014 00:00:00 Z

Before a 19th-century Connecticut inventor named Washington Wentworth Sheffield came up with the idea of using a collapsible lead tube for long-term toothpaste storage, people used to keep the stuff in jars. But it's kind of incredible that a toothpaste tube design from the 1890s has survived mostly unchanged to this day, despite its inefficient packaging. One Consumer Reports test on Crest and Colgate tubes found that up to 13% of the packaged toothpaste would be wasted, even when the user pushed, pulled, squeezed, and otherwise abused the tubes to get it all out.

Then, late last year, 22-year-old interior architecture design major received an assignment in one of her Arizona State University classes. She would have to redesign the classic Colgate tube, along with the company's logo. So, inspired by origami and a collapsible ketchup bottle, she came up with a tube that would do a less wasteful job of delivering paste onto the brush.

"I found this little tiny bottle--it looked like it was for a kids' toy--and it was a collapsible ketchup bottle. It just goes up and down, accordion style," Pannuzzo says. "From that I knew it could be done, somehow. So that's why I kept going with the origami thing. It was mostly just experimenting."

Pannuzzo's collapsible design certainly looks cool, but she admits she hasn't put it through any rigorous tests. Commenters on the Smithsonian blog, which originally discovered her invention, have also been quick to point out that the tube's many creases could also serve as traps for toothpaste.

Versa Flow

Tue, 08 Oct 2013 00:00:00 Z

VersaFlow™ is a glass jar with a lip on the rim to make pouring easier and reduce mess. The jar debuted at Walt Churchill's Market in northwest Ohio, launching a new custom made marinara sauce from the market’s chef.

For Consumers, VersaFlow delivers a more user-friendly brand and product experience while reducing food waste and creating an emotional connection around sustainability. It’s an ah-hah moment every time somebody uses it.

For glass manufacturer Owens-Illinois, VersaFlow represents a glass innovation aimed squarely at re-imagining, improving and enhancing the food category, while deepening brand owner, retailer and consumer engagement with glass.

Airopack

Tue, 08 Oct 2013 00:00:00 Z

The revolutionary Airopack technology offers a safe and clean alternative for traditional Aerosol dispensing systems. Airopack is an all-plastic pressurized dispenser that’s environmentally friendly. Airopack replaces the chemical propellant gas of a metal can with ordinary pressurised air. It does this at a constant pressure from start to finish. Airopack works identically to standard aerosols, yet uses 42% less energy and emits 74% less CO2

Have a glass of wine without popping the cork

Tue, 08 Oct 2013 00:00:00 Z

Wine is a complicated beverage that needs care and time to mature. Properly bottled and stored, it’s in a fairly happy environment. However, once the cork is pulled, oxygen floods in and that sets up a series of chemical reactions that can turn a perfect vintage into cooking wine overnight.

The Coravin 1000 gets around the whole oxidation problem by not popping the cork. This feat is accomplished with a needle, which is inserted through the foil capsule and the cork into the bottle. A flask in the Coravin 1000 then squirts a shot of argon gas into the bottle. Since argon is an inert gas, it doesn't affect the wine, but the pressure allows the wine to pour through the hollow needle without letting any air come back in. When the needle is removed, the cork expands to seal the hole and the wine can carry on maturing for years.

According to Coravin, the system doesn't just mean you can have a sip out of that bottle you bought in a fit of madness at an auction. It also means that guests can be served several different vintage wines in the one sitting, so those who don’t have a head for red wine don’t have to settle for the supermarket chardonnay.

Volume rocker with integrated sim card tray

Tue, 08 Oct 2013 00:00:00 Z

If you take good a look at the DROID ULTRA, you'll notice that there is no visible slot to insert the SIM cad. Instead, Motorola is using the Volume rocker as a removable button/SIM card tray. Not only does this unique feature saves space, it also helps to keep the exterior design clean.

To access your SIM, all you need to do is slide a fingernail under the bottom of the Volume rocker and simply pry the entire tray out. To put it back, make sure the “UP” side is up and press until it clicks. Clever thinking Motorola!

Expiring Medication Packaging

Tue, 08 Oct 2013 00:00:00 Z

When you're suffering through a cold or fever, you don't always have the presence of mind to check the expiration date of your meds as you rifle through the medicine cabinet. But finding and decoding when your meds have gone bad isn't always easy, especially when you're under the weather. So designers Kanupriya Goel and Gautam Goel have envisioned a new type of medication packaging that also expires, providing easy to interpret clues that the meds have gone bad.

The new packaging would use a multi-layered material featuring the standard label layer on top, and a sub-layer with the expiration warning message. In between these layers would be a diffusible material that lets the ink from the bottom layer seep through over time, eventually revealing when the meds were expired. The approach not only helps prevent consumers from taking expired medication, in theory it would also make it very difficult for shady retailers to sell medicine that's past its prime.

Mushrooms As Packing Material

Mon, 02 Sep 2013 00:00:00 Z

Fungus is, almost universally, not a good thing to have in your walls or personal belongings. And normally, selling certain strains could lead to federal charges. But a company called Ecovative is violating both of those rules, creating packaging and building materials from fungus—and they’re being lauded as visionaries for it.

Ecovative was founded by Eben Bayer and Gavin McIntyre, who started experimenting with fungus as part of a school project. Today, they employ 60 people and maintain a massive facility in upstate New York, where they farm mycelium, the root-like threads that form the basis for fungus. Mycelium is like a glue: it latches onto whatever it finds around it—usually, low-value organic matter like plant stalks or cotton hulls—to create a super-dense network of threads. Ecovative grows it in dark cartons for three to five days, after which they use extreme heat to stop it from blossoming spores.

Ecovative's process is transformative in two ways. First, there's the unique biological properties of Mycelium, which can grow miles of thread-like roots in days. It's an incredibly speedy organism, which makes it ideal for manufacturing. Then there's the fact that it grows to fit any mold, almost like a dense foam. Ecovative grows everything from finely detailed packaging for laptops, to wide panels of insulation for homes. They're also able to control the density of each product, simply by stopping the growth process sooner or later. Their latest experiment? Growing Mycelium architecture. This month, they unveiled what they call Mushroom Tiny House, a small gabled cabin whose interior walls are packed with Mycelium insulation. “We see a future where Mushroom Materials are found in the bumper of your car, the walls of your home, and inside your desk,” says Harrington.

'Twistable' Peanut Butter Jar Prevents Sticky Hands

Wed, 31 Jul 2013 00:00:00 Z

Who hasn’t gotten sticky peanut butter stuck to their fingers after scrapping the bottom of the jar for all the pea-nutty deliciousness hiding at the bottom. I know I sure have. After a while, it just becomes an annoyance and you just want to open a fresh jar. But it looks like Jar-with-a-Twist has found a way to revolutionize peanut butter sandwich making with their patented “twistable” peanut butter jar.

Jar-with-a-Twist will, not only allow easy access to “hard-to-reach” peanut butter, but also keep contents fresher by minimizing exposure to air. They even kept production costs of their twist jar as close as possible to that of regular peanut butter jars. If all works out, these guys will also be developing similar containers for “Jelly, Salsa and Mayonnaise.”

Smart Closure

Thu, 18 Jul 2013 00:00:00 Z

The Orbit™ Closure is a new generation of closure that can be opened by anyone.

Compatible with food products that typically use twist-off metal closures, the Orbit™ Closure features a central, floating panel that is vacuum sealed to the jar and an outer ring that acts as the opening and re-closing device. Consumers typically have to apply significant grip and torque to overcome the frictional resistance of a lid’s lining compound, but with the Orbit™ Closure, a simple twist loosens the ring and breaks the vacuum seal, cleanly and easily opening the package with minimal effort.

Expired biomimicry packaging

Mon, 24 Jun 2013 00:00:00 Z

According to some fathers, medication never goes bad. Ever. (And they would be wrong.) The truth is, knowing when medicine is, and respectively is not, safe to ingest is essential.

Current packaging provides more confusion than clues. Labels are congested, hard to read and interpret. Trying to find vital safety information is difficult. Why not turn to bananas for a few simple hints?

Bananas are the perfect source of design wisdom. Those elongated, delicious yellow semi-circles clearly betray signs of readiness for consumption (ripeness) or imminent decay. Why couldn’t over-the-counter and prescription drug packaging do the same? Consumers could vividly and intuitively detect when medicine is no longer safe to take. Save money. Save medicine. Just mind the spots.

Helix cork, the twist-off wine cork

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 00:00:00 Z

The Helix cork was created by a collaboration between cork manufacturer Amorim and bottle-making company O-I. The threaded, resealable design (and matching threaded bottle neck) is aimed at the "popular premium" wine market. While four years of research may seem a tad excessive, much of that time was spent waiting... and waiting... and waiting some more, allowing them to see whether or not the new cork had any effect on taste, aroma, or color.

This kind of testing was necessary because the agglomerated type of cork used in the Helix is atypical of wine manufacturing. Since cork is cellular in nature, the presence of open spaces in a common, straight cork stopper is ideal—it allows the wine to fill those spaces, expand the cork, and form a tight seal. However, agglomerated cork is more granular, meaning fewer open spaces and less room for expansion. This would be a problem with a normal stopper, but the threaded design of the Helix creates its own tight seal, meaning oxygen can't escape on the sides while the density of the stopper prevents oxygen from escaping through the cork itself.

Cork is still by far the preferred stopper. Our research has found that at least 80% of consumers prefer the cork and glass combination for their wine. It has the highest-quality image in the market and now we have made it easier to use. And it is still the most sustainable option.

The Helix cork is being unveiled at Vinexpo in Bordeaux today, although its creators say it may still be two years before we start seeing it on shelves. So if you must have your fancy corks, until the day comes that we can leave the cork screws behind and securely reseal wine with ease, it seems your best option is to just finish the bottle.

The can re-invented

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 00:00:00 Z

The 360 Lid is basically the pull-tab top of soup can fused onto a traditional beer canister. To open it, you pull the tab up (a startling hiss of carbonation erupts as you do this) and then peel the lid away from the can, exposing a 1.75-inch-wide opening. Viola – instant beer cup!

While the design solves a problem for beer drinkers, it also brings up concerns about safety, particularly about slicing open your lips or fingers. A spokesperson for Crown Beverage Packaging North America, the company that designed the 360 Lid, says there’s nothing to worry about.

“Once the lid is removed, consumers do not come into contact with any rough edges as they drink from the can,” Brian Thiel, a regional sales manager for Crown told TODAY.com.

Despite these assurances, I was a little tense for the first few sips, as I feared my upper lip would snag the inner edge where the lid was torn away from the can. This didn’t happen, and I soon settled in with the vessel, happily enjoying the full aroma and flavor of the beer inside.

I also attempted to slice my fingers open on the edge of the removable lid with (thankfully) no success. It’s blunted enough to keep your soft parts safe, even when you apply a good deal of force. It’s hard to see the lid posing any kind of threat, even when left behind by litterbugs.

After trying out the can – which helped bring out aroma and flavor nuances in the brew – one wonders why this hasn’t happened sooner.

And, as it turns out, it’s idea that’s been around for a few years. The can was originally developed by Crown Beverage Packaging in partnership with beer giant SABMiller, and was first introduced in 2010 at the FIFA World Cup tournament in South Africa. Since then, the innovative lid has been deployed in Latin America and Asia. Sly Fox’s rollout of the design in marks its North American debut.

Sly Fox is offering just one 360 Lid-topped beer across their Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey distribution area: their Helles Golden Lager, a 4.9 percent ABV German-style beer that has a mild peppery hop profile and a gentle malty finish. It’s the kind of beer that can be enjoyed by beer geeks and Bud-lovers alike, and its selection shows that Sly Fox is aiming squarely at the center of the consumer target with this novel new vessel.

But there are hurdles. Samuel Adams also considered an open-topped design when researching the shape of their new can, but abandoned it because, as brewery founder Jim Koch told the Boston Globe, they discovered that the tear-off top violates litter laws in some states, and that the large opening made some consumers nervous that bugs and other debris would get into their beer.

Despite these challenges, Brian Thiel from Crown Beverage Packaging says the 360 Lid generated a lot of interest at last week’s Craft Brewers Conference in Washington, D.C.

“Brewers are recognizing the unique value that this innovation has to offer – both to enhance their beers and build stronger brands – and we can’t wait to start seeing it in stores on our other craft beer partner’s cans,” he said

DropTag

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 00:00:00 Z

Keeping track of dropped and damaged parcels has just got easier – with a new sensor system and app developed by innovative product development firm Cambridge Consultants. Called DropTag, the concept shows at a glance what’s happened to a package in transit. And it could end the gamble of signing for a delivery without unpacking and checking the goods first – as well as giving delivery companies and manufacturers reliable real-time information about the status of packages being transported.

The idea behind the Bluetooth-transmitting DropTag is that it will be applied to parcels before they leave their source, and then checked by receiving parties – using a custom app on their phone – before they agree to sign for the delivery. If the parcel was dropped somewhere in its travels, the DropTag’s accelerometer will record the incident, and notify the receiver that it happened. Depending on the item, the recipient might still agree to take it, but at least they’ll know to check its condition first.

Of course, the parcel could have been dropped before it even left the sender. That’s why the developers are also working on a logging function, which will allow the DropTag to report when the incident took place. They’re also investigating adding additional sensors, that might for instance indicate if items that need to be kept cool were allowed to get too warm.

Because the DropTag could be “read” by anyone with a mobile device running the app, up to a maximum indoor range of about 50 meters (164 feet), it could also be checked at any point in its journey. This means that personnel in warehouses, post offices or courier depots could confirm that packages were still in good shape, before sending them along to their next stop.

If things go according to plan, the device should only cost about US$2, and might be reusable. It’s powered by a single coin-cell battery, that should allow for “many weeks” of continuous use.

Cambridge Consultants Founded in 1960 by three Cambridge graduates, the company has grown into a leading technology business, renowned worldwide for its ability to solve technical problems and provide innovative, practical solutions to commercial issues. In 2009, the company was awarded the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade, and in 2011 was awarded a second Queen’s Award, this time for Innovation. For more information visit: www.CambridgeConsultants.com

Source: Cambridge Consultants Via: Gizmag

Tags: Accelerometers, Cambridge Consultants, Damaged Parcels, DropTag, Gadget, Parcel, Parcels, Shipping, Travel

Written by admin This article is written by Vivid Time Staff member. Follow us on Twitter | Faceook | Google+

Dissolvable Product Packages

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 00:00:00 Z

These days, any designer worth his or her salt is grappling with ideas of waste and sustainability, trying to come up with ways to do more with less. This is especially pressing in the realm of product packaging: According to the EPA, Americans alone throw away some 70 million tons of boxes, bags, containers, and inserts each year. It’s a staggering statistic, and any place where we can cut back will help stem the tide. But Aaron Mickelson has a more radical idea. Why not get rid of packaging completely?

That lofty ambition served as the basis for Mickelson’s thesis project at Pratt Institute last semester, where the designer earned his masters in package design. The project, which Mickelson dubs "The Disappearing Package," shows zero-waste solutions for five different products, from trash bags to shower soap. And the craziest part of it all is that the designs really aren’t that crazy.

Most of the solutions stem from streamlining the packages of products that are, in some way, packages themselves--or are products that already include many individually packaged parts. Tide Pods, for example, are single-use detergent pouches typically sold in a plastic jug or stand-up bag. Mickelson’s proposal is a simple one: Arrange the pods in a single, perforated sheet; print on them directly with soap-soluble ink; and roll them up into a tight cylinder for grocery store shelves. At home, customers would simply tear off one pod at a time, as needed, until the last one was used, taking the last traces of the product to the washing machine along with it. Mickelson’s idea for tea bags is similarly elegant--instead of putting all the individual, wax-sealed packets in a tin or cardboard box, simply attach them together accordion-style and let the customer tear off one at a time.

The designer’s proposal for Glad trash bags seems even more feasible--and perhaps even a bit more clever. The idea is to roll up the bags into a self-contained tube, with the product information printed directly on the outside bag. But the best part is that customers draw bags not from the outside of the roll but from the inside, Kleenex-style, which dispenses one bag at a time while keeping the rest in one tidy unit. Not only does the design eliminate the need for the superfluous cardboard box but it also adds a bit of quick-grab usability as well. Reducing waste is worthwhile enough; the added utility is just a victory lap.

The recent graduate’s idea for plastic OXO Pop containers is even more straightforward: Do away with the paper insert by printing brand and product information directly on the plastic itself in dissolving, soap-soluble ink.

The last design of the bunch, for Nivea bar soap, isn’t quite as compelling--it calls for a box made out of septic-tank-friendly, water-soluble paper that dissolves in the shower before first use. "Some of these solutions are pretty crazy," Mickelson admits, "and certainly some would be more difficult to produce than others." Who knows if Tide Pods, without some sort of protective packaging, would end up routinely getting punctured and making big blue messes of stock rooms and supermarket shelves. And who would really be surprised if bathers balked at the idea of taking their new, fully packaged soap into the shower with them.

But at their best, Mickelson’s redesigns are most noteworthy for being so un-noteworthy. Companies want to reduce waste, sure, but they don’t want to do it at the expense of supermarket visibility. Mickelson’s designs show how you can have the former while maintaining the latter.

"Right from the start," he explains, "I knew I wanted to show that a disappeared package didn’t need to mean a completely new paradigm for the consumer or a great sacrifice for the brand. Disappeared packages retain all identity and marketing opportunities of traditional packaging solutions. I think consumers want to be green, but they’re not ready to make profound changes to their normal routines to do it."

The whole process involved plenty of "long walks through store aisles," Mickelson says, and each individual redesign began with an "audit" of the existing packaging, in which the designer tried to pinpoint both the needs of the brand and the expectations of the customer. Which draws our attention to one thing shared by all the solutions--each is unique to the product it involves, the result of someone tackling each successive item like a totally new problem in its own right. There’s no crazy new technology involved in Mickelson’s designs; no cutting-edge manufacturing process.

But what the solutions do show is that with a flexible approach, and a willingness to push back a bit against convention, there are some realistic ways to start putting a dent in that 70-million-ton figure. "Not every package can be disappeared," Mickelson says--food stuffs are one category he could never quite figure out satisfactorily--"but there are countless products on shelves today that would benefit from this process … I wanted to show enough options to keep this from looking like a one-hit wonder."

SymTyre machine makes old tires flat-packable

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 00:00:00 Z

Tires are one of those things that our society goes through a lot of, yet their disposal can be problematic. Being round and containing a large air cavity, they’re not exactly the most efficient things to store or transport. Those that don’t get recycled can end up collecting water and acting as breeding grounds for mosquitoes, or becoming part of giant “tire mountains.” A new device, however, is designed to cut them apart so they can be flat-packed – thus reducing the space they take up, and maximizing the amount that can be transported at once.

Made by UK-based Symphony Recycling Technologies, the SymTyre-S300 semi-automatic tire cutter can reportedly disassemble a standard automotive tire in approximately one minute. According to the company, tires that are cut apart occupy up to 70 percent less space than whole tires.

Personalised Christmas wrapping paper

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 00:00:00 Z

Put a personal touch on your presents, and make sure they’re wonderfully well-wrapped at the same time, with this

Personalized Christmas Wrapping Paper

. The design features a very festive (and very appropriate) Merry Christmas phrase in multiple fonts and colours.

Then you can add up to 30 characters of your own. Names, hilarious jokes or just a sweet and tender message of Christmas goodwill; it’s your call.