Circular reusable transport solution with integrated air padding

Packaging materials are becoming increasingly scarce and are often not environmentally friendly. Conventional transportation packaging is designed to be disposed after a single use, and is often made from corrugated card-board. At Fraunhofer LBF, researchers have collaborated with Berges GbR to develop an alternative solution to single-use pack-aging and submitted a patent application. This fully recyclable, reusable transporta-tion solution for fragile goods protects the environment and enables companies to improve their carbon footprint.

Nowadays, cushioning and filling material is used for transport protection, consisting of plastic flakes and films, air cushions, corrugated board or wood wool. Recycling the fillers is currently not very worthwhile from a purely economic point of view, as a result of which modern logistics fails to exploit a considerable sustainability potential. The same also applies to outer packaging, since cardboard packaging, for example, is generally used only once. In the case of material recycling, not only the considerable energy requirement but also the transport routes for disposal and reprocessing must be taken into account. In addition, there is a shortage of raw materials, which is currently affecting the transport industry in particular.

A contribution to greater sustainability that goes beyond a mere reusable concept

Here, a novel, fully materially recyclable reusable transport box, developed by Berges together with the Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF, offers an alternative solution to single-use packaging and the ongoing consumption of resources (registered utility model DE202017106455, a parallel patent application has been filed. In the course of the project, the LBF was able to contribute its many years of experience in the development of additive systems, particularly for plastic recyclates. In the sense of circular value creation, the transport box and the integrated, inflatable functional cushion are made of the same class of plastic. In addition to the improved carbon footprint per transport kilometer that results from a reusable solution, the overall system is thus made of a mono-material that is ideal for mechanical recycling.

Functional transport safety device, flexibly equipable and individually adapted for the user

The box contains a reversibly inflatable air cushion that wraps around the packaged goods when inflated, thus ensuring a high level of transport protection. In order to greatly reduce transport and storage volume in the unfilled state, the transport system can be folded after the air has been released from the cushion. The load carrier and the internal air cushion can either be permanently connected or designed to be interchangeable. 

 In terms of design, dimensions and functionality, there are no limits to the overall system's ability to accommodate user requirements. What's more, the components of the transport box can be equipped for e.g. barrier properties, special mechanical load capacity, refrigerated transport or ESD for electronics, and regulatory requirements (DIN / EU standards) can also be taken into account. Sensors for tracking and condition monitoring are also conceivable, as is the installation of a secure locking system. The overall system can also be stackable in a familiar way. Since the necessary individual components are commercially available or can be individually developed on the basis of products available on the market together with the respective manufacturers, the overall system can be quickly adapted to the needs of the respective end user.

Defining a product design & use case open for further users

A possible application can be business-to-business as well as business-to-consumer transports. For the joint further development of the transport box in the direction of a use case or for the proof of the benefit for a concrete application scenario, the Fraunhofer LBF is open for discussions with further partners at any time.