PKSC 4200: Packaging Design and Development
PKSC 4200: Packaging Design and Development
Executive Summary
The objective was to design and develop a scalable eCommerce packaging system for the approximately fifty-five pound 15-piece Calphalon Premier Space Saving Nonstick Pots and Pans. So, our team created a novel package solution factoring in manufacturing restraints and incorporating sustainable materials while ensuring end user expectations will be met with the product arriving intact with no damage. The new system meets Amazon’s SIOC design requirements and successfully passed ISTA 6A SIOC Type B testing at the Clemson Transport Package Testing Laboratory in November. The original packaging system price was $17.00 per packout, but with the new future state package system is estimated to be $10.80 per packout with estimated cost savings calculated to be $42,000.00. Furthermore, during the final round of ISTA 6A SIOC Type B testing the future state package system passed without any issues or problems.
eCommerce is exploding with growth, so redesigning a package system that was originally retail-focused for the eCommerce distribution environment was opportune for Calphalon since Amazon is their top customer with 6,800 units being sold annually. Currently, the package design does not fully pass the ISTA 1A standard, leading to failures including out of-roundness, etching on rims, denting, and box crushing and box splitting. Since Newell’s Calphalon brand is known for quality, durable and innovative products for the home and professional chef, these failures are unacceptable and needed to be resolved for this premium $650.00 cookware set. Through an iterative process our team developed the new future state package system upgrading the flute size to BC for better durability, incorporating lock tabs within new accordion style inserts for enhanced vertical support, utilizing “fold-up” panels to mitigate compression damage, and leveraging corner supports and divider inserts to prevent product damage.
The 15-piece cookware set is a hefty product and the ISTA 6A SIOC Type B test is a rigorous testing sequence, so all these new design elements contributed to a successful, passing result. The new package design met the objectives, too. The target packaging packout price is affordable, the system ensures no product damage, and it involves sustainable
In PKSC 4200, also known as Packaging Design and Development, in this course students learn about the full process that goes into package design and development. At the beginning of this course, students are placed into groups and then will be presented with a list of senior design projects and together the group will select which one they wish to pursue and complete over the duration of the semester. For my senior design project, my group was lucky enough to work with Newell Brands, specifically Calphalon, on helping redesign the packaging for their high end 15-piece pots and pans set. With the current design, they were unable to pass the required ISTA 6A testing, so it become our goal to redesign the packaging so that it could survive the ISTA 6A testing and also prevent any product damage from happening during transit.
It was also in this class where I learned the important of teamwork and communication. This course taught me the important of always properly communicating with your team to establish that everyone within the team knows what is going on and what things need to be done in the upcoming days, weeks, months, etc. With this project, my team had some difficulties with communications at times, but in the end we all improved and came out with a successful project and experience overall.