Liberty Intercept Blog

There's much experimentation going on in the packaging world. Focus on the environment and sustainability requires reworks, better materials, and enhanced features in retail and industrial packaging to ensure the highest freshness and viability of products during shipping, storage, and in use.

We spent three days on the trade show floor at EASTEC 2011 last week and had a blast. EASTEC is hosted by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, and is the largest manufacturing trade show on the East Coast. It was the most fun I've ever had at an event like this. Our philosophy on trade shows is that attendees are there to learn about new products, machinery, techniques, and procedures. We, as an exhibitor, are there to ask questions of those who may have challenges with corrosion or ESD and want a new oil-free and environmentally safe solution with packaging.

The US Military has packaging specifications to which companies packing products for military use, if so designated in their contract, should adhere.  The central document is the MIL-STD-20731E Standard Practice for Military Packaging.  This 183 page document has a great deal of information for contractors to follow, including definitions such as what is reusable, what is consumable, how to prepare the product for packaging, marking, etc.  The 2073 document also includes the methods on how to package.  For instance, Method 41 – “Watervaporproof bag, heat sealed. The item, preserved, wrapped, and cushioned as required in 5.2.3.6, shall be enclosed in a close fitting heat sealed bag conforming to MIL-DTL-117, Type I, Class E, Style 1, 2 or 3; or Type I, Class F, Style 1; or Type II, Class E, Style 1. (Note: For electrostatic protection refer to 5.2.4.1.)”. 

Choosing good packaging can save manufacturers of equipment, metals, machinery, electronics, parts, optics, and other items time, space, labor expense, reworks, waste, and money. And it can increase quality and reliability. Good packaging can be the difference between disposing of your entire product before the end of its expected life, or installing a few well protected replacement parts and enjoying the use of your product for its full life. Properly packaged small parts or large machinery can sit on shelf or even in outdoor storage for months or years until needed. If I'm being honest (to quote Simon Cowell) isn't it really all about money?

We're enthusiastic about our upcoming appearance as an exhibitor at EASTEC 2011 at the Eastern States Expo facility (home of The Big E) in Springfield, MA next week. Sponsored by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, EASTEC 2011 – the East Coast's largest annual manufacturing event – is centered on five exhibit categories: Design, Engineering, and Rapid Technologies; Tooling, Workholding and Machining Accessories; Automation, Quality and Process Improvement; Plant, Energy, and Environmental Efficiency; and Precision Manufacturing Equipment and Systems.

Where the icky brown rusty corrosion is easy to see on ferrous metals (steels; iron based), corrosion on non-ferrous metals is less visually intrusive, but may be more debilitating.  The electronics industry uses both ferrous and non-ferrous metals in their manufacturing.  Many of the chassis and support structures may be made of steel, but the conductive non-ferrous metals used for electron pathways are typically copper, silver, aluminum, and/or their alloys.

Here are four problems that can occur from corrosive reactions to the non-ferrous metals in electronics and their assemblies:

According to Merriam-Webster's online dictionary, schadenfreude is "enjoyment obtained from the troubles of others"; a certain sense of superiority to those whom one deems less fortunate. It's rife in the world of eco, reduce, reuse, recycle, earth-friendly sustainability. If you don't follow the prescription (and there are many from which to choose), you must hate the earth. The purported ignorance or carelessness of those who don't reduce, reuse, recycle exactly the way we do causes us to feel the schadenfreude.

When choosing packaging materials to wrap industrial items, a manufacturer must decide what the chosen packaging material does for them. Treat this packing materials choice like any other purchase for the business or home - what benefits will you receive from the product and will it provide the value you anticipate.

According to a recent L.A. Times article, Wasteful Packaging: Do consumers care?, fewer American consumers now believe they should be responsible for recycling packaging materials than they did in 2009. This seems counter-intuitive to me considering all the public discourse about packaging waste available on a daily basis. On Twitter and StumbleUpon, in blog posts and news articles, there is much ado about packaging and packaging waste. Driving through my neighborhood on trash pickup day I see evidence that, at least locally, people are recycling more and throwing away less.

For well over a year, my brother-in-law Spencer has immersed himself in the artistic glass industry.  Spencer works, plays, talks, studies, teaches, and I’m sure dreams glass.  He has gone to glass work camps and seminars, where he has met and worked with some of Americas most renowned glass artists.  Though in the field for a relatively short time, intellectually curious Spencer is one who will learn as much as can absorbed about a particular topic.  He recently made the comment that American glass makers are some of the best in the world.  European glass artists may have the name and reputation, but the American artists are making very creative pieces as well.  Spencer is from Britain and in the 10 years I’ve known him, has shown a healthy pride for the European side.  It was kind of him to share his new found deep respect for this particular American craft.