New Gateway computer secure with EPP transport package design
Contents
EPP package designs
Engineering challenges
No time to lose
Testing expedites process
Gateway Inc., which began in 1985 as a two-person company in an Iowa farmhouse, has evolved into an $8.6 billion, Fortune 250 company that employs 20,000 people worldwide. Since its founding, Gateway has been an innovator in the PC industry, starting with a business sales model that provides maximum value for its clients. The company has grown by building relationships with clients and plans to keep developing concepts and programs that its clients want and need.
A vital aspect of building customer relationships is Gateway's packaging. Just as the distinctive black-and-white exterior "cow spot" box plays a significant role in building public awareness of the company's identity, in a similar manner, the design and performance of the interior packaging is crucial to creating the right first impression on Gateway's customers.
EPP package designs
For more than seven years, Tuscarora (New Brighton, PA) has provided Gateway with the complex protective packaging it needs for its wide range of computers. A key element of this partnership is Tuscarora's ability to effectively design and manufacture molded expanded polypropylene foam (EPP). EPP is Gateway's choice of interior packaging material due to its balance of performance properties, which combines lightweight durability and critical shock absorption to provide superior product protection.
The EPP package designs have proven to be successful for Gateway, as the majority of its products are built-to-order and shipped directly to customers via a delivery service. A single unit may travel through three or four shipping hubs, and each loading and unloading increases the risk that the unit will be improperly handled. Moreover, because of shipping costs, it is important that the weight of the package is minimal.
The Profile 3 computer is a state-of-the-art, sleek, all-in-one desktop model equipped with a 15.1-in. liquid crystal display (LCD), which tilts for convenience, DVD-ROM or CD-ROM drive and four USB ports for optional printers, scanners or any other USB PC accessory. By building everything into the LCD base, Gateway was able to eliminate the need for a traditional desktop or tower case.
Engineering challenges
Dave Porter, manager at the Tuscarora Midwest Technical Center in Grand Blanc, MI, and his team, utilized Pro/ENGINEEER software to create a three-dimensional package design for the Profile 3. From these specifications, Tuscarora created a prototype design of the EPP foam cushion.
The unique design of the Profile 3 presented several challenges to the Tuscarora engineering team. The LCD screen needed special protection from damage or puncture. Also, the Profile 3 is the first Profile model to feature a separate "L-shaped" stand. The interior packaging had to be configured to accommodate the stand as well as the computer, the keyboard and the accessories box.
In addition, the package design had to convey Gateway's commitment to its customers' ease of use. "We want our customers to be able to intuitively disassemble the packaging and put their computer to use immediately," said David Drees, Gateway global packaging engineer.
No time to lose
"Two years ago, we would have had four months to develop the packaging, from the time we got the case drawings to the final development of the package," Drees said. "Now we have two months. Tuscarora has done a great job of meeting these requirements."
Although the original EPP cushion design was created as a top and bottom universal end cap, Gateway decided that the design needed to contour more to the product to create a tighter fit. Tuscarora's engineering team redesigned the packaging as left and right end caps to ensure that the product was properly encased within its protective packaging. This design also had features that located and protected the Profile 3 stand, reducing the need for additional packaging parts.
The revised design permitted the accessory box to nest in a ridge in the top ribs of the cushioning and created a space at the side of the carton for the pre-packaged keyboard to fit. This new design, featuring two distinct caps, would also help facilitate the proper packing of the Profile 3 by Gateway's assembly line workers.
Testing expedites process
Gateway also benefits from Tuscarora's network of more than 36 manufacturing facilities in North America and Europe. This close proximity to customers enables just-in-time deliveries and responsive service. "Tuscarora has a real good feel for what we do," Drees said.
Tuscarora Inc. custom-designs and manufactures protective packaging, material handling solutions and specialty components utilizing a variety of materials to meet each customer's specific end-use requirements. Material options, used singularly or in combination, include molded and die-cut foam plastics, corrugated paperboard, wood, and thermoformed plastics.
For more information: Tuscarora Incorporated, Tel: 724-843-8200 (ext. 268), Fax: 724-843-4402
Edited by Bill Noone
Spurred by their successful ongoing relationship, Gateway called on Tuscarora to design the packaging for this new, innovative computer. To expedite the process, Gateway first provided Tuscarora with two-dimensional CAD drawings before a model of the Profile 3 was available.
The timetable for the Profile 3 also posed a challenge. The rapidly changing computer industry, which thrives on constant innovation, requires swift responses, and the amount of time available for package design has actually been cut in half.
Grand Blanc's on-site testing lab helped Gateway expedite the process. The engineering team conducted instrumented drop tests to gauge the package's ability to protect the unit to Gateway's specification. The testing confirmed the strength and resilience of the package design.
Managing Editor, PackagingNetwork.com