Clear Plastic Tray Protects Products

Thermoformed Tray Stacks Up to Alleviate Packaging Concerns

A leading solenoid valve manufacturer came to VisiPak with a material handling concern for a solenoid valve that consisted of critical electrical components. Ultimately, the valves needed to be securely packed minimizing any movement, and most importantly, shipping and storage required the minimizing or elimination of static properties. VisiPak design engineers delivered a two-way solution. A new clear plastic tray would nest neatly for storage when empty, requiring less storage space. However, when holding and stacking the products, this clever plastic shipping tray was designed to keep the weight of the tray above from contacting the components below.

First, material used to produce these clear plastic trays was pre-treated to reduce static properties. Next, VisiPak engineers designed a thermoformed tray capable of holding several solenoid valves. The tray provided sections that matched the dimensions of the solenoid valve to yield the required contoured fit, minimizing moment of the units. The design engineers added a twist to this design, or in this case, a turn. By turning or alternating the ends of the trays, the plastic shipping trays stack without touching the units below.

Arrows and the company logo are embedded in the clear plastic tray to assist with packaging. As the trays are filled and packed for shipment the packaging personnel simply rotates each layer of trays as they are stacked, guided by the company logo and arrows. Packed correctly, the logo will be on opposing ends of each layer of trays.

VisiPak design engineers worked to meet the needs of the industrial manufacturer exceeding expectations by solving the problems and condensing storage space requirements.