ORBIS® Corporation, an international leader in reusable packaging, will highlight reusable packaging solutions for the electric vehicle and battery supply chain by showcasing their durability, sustainability and automation benefits at this year’s North American Battery Show. ORBIS offers a variety of packaging products — including protective dunnage, bulk containers, hand-held containers and metal racks — and services that help automotive supply chains find efficiencies, improve the flow of product, increase sustainability and reduce costs. ORBIS, Booth 427, is an exhibitor at this year’s show held in-person at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, Michigan, Sept. 13-15.
The mass adoption of electric vehicles has brought on new challenges for OEM’s and their respective supply chains. Lithium-ion batteries have found themselves at the forefront of these challenges due to their high value, complex regulations, and severe risk they pose during a thermal runaway event. Battery manufacturers and shippers are under more enforcement scrutiny than ever before, making it imperative to utilize packaging and transport methods that are not only compliant with regulations, but will also ensure the battery and its surrounding environment is well protected during transport. Navigating these regulations can be a painstaking process, which is why it’s critical to work with a packaging partner that is certified and has extensive knowledge of dangerous goods packaging protocols. Through its presence at The Battery Show, ORBIS will highlight how reusable packaging can help OEMs do just that while also achieving sustainability and increasing efficiency throughout the EV supply chain.
“Packaging and transporting lithium-ion batteries is just one of the hurdles we will face with the proliferation of EVs,” said Shane Felix, EV packaging specialist at ORBIS Corporation. “The entire life cycle will be scrutinized, not only by OEMs, but also by savvy eco-friendly consumers. With EVs being a greener alternative to the traditional gas-powered car, the supply chain and packaging used within it should also be more sustainable. Utilizing reusable packaging is a great way to meet the stringent dangerous goods regulations, while also reducing waste and driving sustainability.”
With sustainability and automation top of mind for today’s supply chain managers, ORBIS continues to showcase a variety of sustainable packaging solutions and programs for the industrial supply chain, including:
ORBIShield® dunnage
ORBIShield is a line of custom dunnage from ORBIS that protects parts during transit, assembly and storage. Using a variety of foam, rigid and fabric materials, ORBIShield dunnage is custom-designed to protect unique vehicle parts. Examples include divider sets, hanging bags, foam packs and inserts that can be installed into standard totes, bins and racks. Beyond protecting products at every stage of the supply chain, dunnage also helps to improve pack density. The long-term implementation of ORBIShield dunnage will improve inventory control by maintaining consistent quantities in each container and optimize line-side efficiency by facilitating removal of handling parts.
BulkPak® containers
The BulkPak® 65-by-48 collapsible container is ideal for the storage and transport of long, heavy parts. These extended length bulk bins were specifically designed for the lengthy, hard-to-fit parts commonly found in the automotive industry. With weight capacities up to 2,000 pounds, these reusable plastic bulk containers are equipped to meet the needs of automotive and industrial part transport. Collapsible BulkPak containers, available in a variety of footprints from 32-by-30-inch to 78-by-48-inch, provide reduced return transportation costs and efficiencies.
StakPak® hand-held containers
StakPak hand-held containers have helped OEMs and tier suppliers reduce costs, drive sustainability and optimize the automotive supply chain for three decades. Compatible with a wide variety of pallets and top caps, these containers are designed for just-in-time applications where the same containers are used for shipping, storage and work-in-process. Smooth, straight interior walls offer maximum cube utilization and easily interface with custom protective dunnage to reduce part damage. The StakPak Plus™ tote adds various collar sizes to increase a container’s height to accommodate unique-shaped parts commonly found in the industrial and automotive supply chains. These containers take all the best attributes of the traditional StakPak container, including reusability and cost savings, and combine them with customized heights to increase container capacity.
Custom metal racks
ORBIS metal solutions are designed to be extremely durable, while also protecting high-cost sensitive parts throughout the automotive supply chain. They can be configured to any required size, shape, capacity or style to accommodate the unique needs of different OEMs. Integrating metal racks and protective dunnage offers higher efficiency and helps workers optimize what they bring to the line. Combine metal racks with thermoformed packaging for a complete solution. ORBIS has the capabilities to custom design and fabricate a wide range of reusable thermoformed packaging, including molded dunnage, ESD trays, divider sets and more. Custom thermoformed packaging is ideal for automotive parts, including the lighting and interior trim parts of EVs.
