In a context where service integration predominates, both packaging and packing are fundamental. Having the most advanced production and storage equipment on the market is of little use without the best load units: pallets, containers, or the increasingly common "pools" that combine different options. These are key to the packaging process, the origin of the logistics chain.
At first glance, the packaging of goods may seem insignificant. However, they are a key element of international trade. Both must fulfill a series of objectives: protecting the merchandise, preventing theft, and presenting the product attractively, among others. Furthermore, they must be cost-effective, striking a balance between their performance and their price.
Increasingly, customers are looking for a single, comprehensive service. This necessitates integrating all the agents, procedures, and elements that make up the supply chain: suppliers, distributors, and logistics operators. They all seek to optimize the process through automation systems, which streamline the transport of goods and, most importantly, reduce costs.
Given this scenario, a company cannot afford to neglect the packaging area. We must not forget that the unit load is the resource in the supply chain that spends the most time with the product. In international trade, this time is multiplied.
Thus, we find ourselves with a very flexible and varied offer of pallets and containers, which must comply with international regulations, but thanks to accelerated technological innovation, is able to respond to the new requirements and demands of the market.
In an initial analysis of the sector, it is essential to consider the strict environmental regulations, which have intensified competition among the various segments that supply equipment: plastic, metal, cardboard, and wood. Consequently, these regulations have driven innovation in packaging, with a clear predominance of returnable and reusable systems.
The pallet, omnipresent
The pallet is present throughout the supply process to fulfill its function: facilitating handling and unloading operations, while ensuring the protection and stability of the goods.
Defined as a storage, handling and transport platform, it consists of two floors joined by beams, which can be handled by forklifts or pallet trucks.
As for their types, there are multiple options, depending on the material used (wood, metal, aluminum,…) or the shape (two or four entry pallets, standard, with cleats, etc.).
However, in terms of their dimensions, the most commonly used standardized types are the following: universal, measuring 1.200 by 1.000 millimeters; europallet, measuring 1.200 by 800 millimeters; and the one measuring 1.000 by 800 millimeters.
A container for every need
In addition to pallets, many industrial sectors use containers as a unit load. This auxiliary transport and handling element is available in different types, adapting to the needs of each user.
However, there are international standards, the UDL (Unit Load Device), which set the different dimensions of containers, based on the type of transport (land, sea and air) and the goods.
One of Europe's leading container specialists is Containex, a company within the LKW Walter Group, which operates over 50 depots across the continent. This company distributes office, equipment, sanitary, storage, and shipping containers to customers throughout Europe. To this end, it has a modern container terminal in Vienna, which includes a depot and a repair workshop.
Another option: pools
Pooling is an English word that, in business terms, expresses the combination of elements and/or resources with the aim of achieving synergies and economies of scale that lead to process improvements and cost savings. In its simplest form, pallet and container pooling consists of the shared use of both types of cargo by multiple clients or users.
This system is a strategic business solution for companies that decide to reduce their investment in packaging systems and want to focus on their core business.
Currently, a large number of companies offer these types of services. One of them is Chep, a leading company in pallet, container, and pool management. It offers a unique combination of efficient, customer-focused solutions, high-quality equipment, sophisticated control systems, and a perfectly managed global service center infrastructure. Chep currently manages 255 million reusable pallets and containers and provides equipment pooling solutions to more than 100.000 customers in 42 countries worldwide.
Europac, leader in corrugated cardboard
The manufacture of corrugated cardboard is one of the first steps involved in the packaging chain.
In this sector, the Europac Group is the leader in the Iberian Peninsula, manufacturing all types of products related to corrugated cardboard packaging. They first use paper to produce cardboard sheets from recycled raw materials, and then, with the resulting cardboard, they construct the necessary packaging to protect and present their clients' products.
The company was formed in December 1995 following the merger of Papelera de Castilla and Papeles y Cartones de Cataluña. It is currently the parent company of a group of subsidiaries with operations in various areas of the corrugated cardboard packaging sector. Furthermore, it is one of the most profitable Spanish companies on the stock exchange. Never before has a company been so sought after. As many as 18 savings banks are represented in its current shareholding structure.
Nefab, from manufacturer to consultant
The Swedish company Nefab, adhering to its philosophy of providing tailored solutions to meet the specific needs of each company, has taken a significant step forward in its more than half a century of experience in the packaging sector. It has evolved from a company specializing in packaging manufacturing to a consultancy that, once it understands a company's needs, advises on the best solution for transporting and protecting its products. In this sense, Nefab has committed to becoming a provider of complete packaging solutions throughout the entire logistics chain.
In addition to the plant located in the Madrid town of Getafe, the Nefab Group currently has production centers in seven other countries (Canada, France, Germany, Sweden, China, Estonia and Brazil), along with sales and distribution organizations in seventeen of the most industrialized countries in the world, as well as maintaining cooperation agreements with companies in Switzerland, Japan, Australia or South Korea.
In recent years, the company has focused on increasing its activities in Eastern Europe and Asia, where it has established sales offices in countries such as Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Singapore, as well as new manufacturing centers in China—where it has several plants—and in Estonia, from where the company's products are marketed throughout the Baltic region, as well as to other countries such as Russia, Finland, and Belarus.
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