REPAQ

Logistics optimization I

04.07.2019
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An outstanding issue for the consumer goods industries is the packaging optimization, including its palletization and posterior logistic planification. It is essential to know the logistic saving, during its storage and distribution, which is given when analyzing the packaging, its formats, the palletization and its distribution. The following factors may be possible causes for a wrong space management:

  • lack of knowledge of the saving potential that has a logistic and distribution optimization
  • tolerance to change
  • low resources dedication for design the palletization mosaics and the optimal packaging assemblies
  • direct acceptation of the packaging offered by the supplier without proposing him changes or improvements
  • inter-department possible conflicts generated by a format modification

Down below we are introducing a program to which we have access and with it you can obtain an exhaustive analysis of the logistic saving given by a better space management. Do you dare to be tested? Let’s start!

CAPE PACK

We introduce Cape Pack, a software with optimizes the packaging measures, the product with its primary packaging orientation inside the boxes, the product number per box, the palet mosaic, including mixed distributions, in layers or columns, and the truck or big containers loading with mixed products, controlling the occupied volume of the product and offering solutions minimizing the box number per load increasing the logistic efficiency. Besides, Cape calculates the box compression strength, analyzes costs and allows the connection with bots to build the designed mosaics. Finally, Cape standardizes the box formats and sends a report about palletizing solutions with eficence ratios for decide quickly correct solutions.

To demonstrate the Cape capacity to analyze logistic savings, let’s see a case study, which has as scope to send the maximum number of units per pallet modifying the units per box.

Case study

1.Define the primary packaging dimensions. In this case, it is a rectangular case as shown below:

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2.Indicate how it is currently packed the product in its secondary packaging. In this case, the secondary packaging is a box with its measure set to the primary packaging, located vertically following the 4x11x1 diagram (4 cases on the wide side, 11 as depth and 1 case as height), as follows:

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3.Once introduced the mentioned data, the next step is selecting the desired pallet. We will work with europallet (dimensions 1200x800 mm). The software uses all this data to calculate the palletization sheet. Once calculated, it provides this solution:

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Where these elements are shown:

  • Superior image: 3D diagram of the boxes on the pallet.
  • Text: dimensions of the load per pallet, obtained efficiency, layer number, boxes per load and cases per load.
  • Left inferior image: top view of the mosaic created by the boxes per layer. There are two variables shown because of an alternated layers structure.
  • Middle inferior image: the 44 product cases placed inside the secondary packaging.
  • Imagen inferior derecha: envase primario.
  • Right inferior image: primary packaging, the case.

4.With this solution results a delivery of 10,296 cases per pallet, being 95.5% the used area and 89,5% the consumed volume. At first sight, seems a good result, but Cape shows more other options changing the cases disposition inside different formats of boxes, fitting 44, 60, 70, 48, 64, 46, etc. cases per box. This is how Cape shows the different options:

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5.Choosing option 2, continuing with 44 cases/box with a 2x11x2 diagram, a higher efficiency is given because, looking at the following image, 11,088 cases per pallet are loaded (792 more cases than in the first option), occupying a 97.2% area and a 93.9% volume:

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6.Besides, when the industry wants to go beyond, Cape can optimize the case measures and simulate palletizations with a much higher efficiency. As an example, when one side of the case is reduced 10 mm and other side is increased 10 mm (to keep the same volume), a result of 11,440 cases/load is obtained, having a used area of 99,2% and a volume of 98,0%.

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7.Furthermore, when the costs of the pallet, the case, the box, the pallet storage per month, the pallet transport, the truck delivery, the selling of one million boxes per year and the storage of the stock per month, these savings are given:

  • Handling savings: 18.318 €
  • Storage savings: 1.872 €
  • Transport savings: 55.800 €
  • Material savings: 24.424 €
  • Total savings: 100.414 €

In summary, modifying the case measures without changing the packed volume and optimizing the box dimensions loading the same units per box, a better space management is given on the pallet obtaining an obvious saving. Besides, the benefits are not only economical, but also environmental. The lower cost of carton reducing the boxes size is one of these benefits, but the most important is the one related to transport: the truck loading, being more efficient, decreases the carbon footprint.

RepaQ offers you the packaging optimization service, which soon will be available on our website. If you are curious about the savings that would suppose the modification of your product formats or you simply need any palletization sheet, do not doubt to contact us: we adapt to your needs.

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