Date lllllmllill'lllllllllm lllllllllllllllllllllllllll “WW 3 1293 10569 7217 IBRARY Mirhigan State '-‘ w v ' . ‘ .‘_ I ’0' flu-f ’p I. ., “Lu? xiv-1st 2’! x. .1‘ ~.="°V ., . '7 .,, {gr \ This is to certify that the thesis entitled SECONDARY PACKAGING FOR 250cc BRIK PAK CONTAINERS presented by JAN E . GATES has been accepted towards fulfillment of the requirements for M . S . degree in PACKAGING /% \ VI/CLZ/ / /Jamesw. wGolégh. D. Major professor November 16, I98] 0-7639 MSU LIBRARIES RETURNING MATERIALS: Place in book drop to remove this checkout from your record. FINES will be charged if book is returned after the date stamped below. SECONDARY PACKAGING FOR 250cc BRIK PAK CONTAINERS BY Jan E. Gates A THESIS Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE School of Packaging 1981 ABSTRACT SECONDARY PACKAGING FOR ZSOCC BRIK PAK CONTAINERS BY Jan E. Gates The Brik Pak container is entering the United States food market from Europe. Brik Pak Incorporated offers a complete Brik Pak packaging, handling, and distribution system based on the European food market--one unit high loads. The United States food market generally handles and distributes packaged foods more than one unit high. One major United States food manufacturer has found the 250cc Brik Pak container attractive for use, except for the cost penalty associated with one unit high load warehousing. This research tested three case designs for possible two unit high warehousing. Compression tests were performed on individual cases. The compression test results were ' compared against each other to assure significant statis- tical differences existed between case types. One case type, the current case extended for two 275#, C~flute, dividers obtained the minimum compression strength required for two unit high load warehouse stacking. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The help and support of Dr. Jim Goff, Robert Gates, and Barbara Struve was greatly appreciated in completing this thesis. ii II. III. IV. VI. TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION THEORETICAL STACKING STRENGTH DESCRIPTIONS OF THE 250cc BRIK PAK SHIPPING CASE AND OPTIONS A. Current Shipping Case B. Option One C. Option Two D. Option Three TEST DESIGN A. Current Shipping Case B. Shipping Case Options RESULTS AND DISCUSSION A. Determining the Maximum Case Deflection 8. Current Shipping Case Compression Strength C. Case Option Compression Strengths RECOMMENDATIONS REFERENCES Page 11 11 ll 15 15 15 l6 19 24 LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page l—-2500c Brik Pak Unit Load 4 2——250cc Brik Pak Interlocking Case Pattern (layers l,3,5,7) 5 3--250cc Brik Pak Interlocking Case Pattern (layers 2,4,6,8) 4--Current 250cc Brik Pak Shipping Case 9 5——Option 1 Shipping Case with Dividers 9 6--Option 2 Shipping Case with Extended 10 End Panels 7--Option 3 Shipping Case, RSC Style 10 8—-Tested Option 1 Case 13 9—-Tested Option 2 Case 13 lO-—Tested Option 3 Case 14 iv LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix A 250cc (3x9xl) BRIK PAK SHIPPING CASE WEIGHT B CURRENT 250cc BRIK PAK SHIPPING CASE COMPRESSION STRENGTH C SAMPLE SIZE FOR CASE OPTION COMPRESSION TESTS D COMPRESSION DATA ON SHIPPING CASE OPTIONS Page 20 21 22 23 I. INTRODUCTION The Brik Pak container has been used in European countries for many years. Milk and fruit juices are the primary products packaged in the containers. Brik Pak containers are being promoted in the United States for shelf-stable (non-refrigerated) milk and can or glass bottle replacements for liquid food products. The container advantages, for many food companies include: . lower primary packaging costs compared to cans or glass bottles. . less empty primary packaging storage space required. . no heavy metal contamination. . consumer preference for non—breakable containers. . more efficient space utilization on pallets. The packaging sterilization method was a major hindrance for introducing the Brik Pak containers to the United States. The Food and Drug Administration accepted the packaging sterilization method2 in January of 1981. Food companies, such as General Foods3, Ocean Spray4, and Bordensg, are now test marketing the 250cc (8.45 £1.02.) containers in the United States. Tetra Pak, the Brik Pak container developer, came to the United States and formed Brik Pak Incorporated in 19776. Brik Pak, Inc. offers a complete packaging, handling, and distribution system based on the European food market. The European distribution system usually uses racks and one—pallet high stacks for warehousing. The United States 2 distribution system generally does not use racks and stacks pallets three to four high. Rail car transportation is also used in the United States distribution system; two pallet high stacks are normally used to load freight rail cars for optimum shipping cost rates. One major United States food manufacturing company, to be called Company G, has tested the 250cc Brik Pak container with a high acid semi—viscous food product and found the shelf life acceptable. Other in—house studies have found the 250cc container attractive for use within the company's distribution system, except for the cost penalty associated with one unit load warehouse stacking. The cost penalty would be substantially decreased with two pallet high stacks. This research analyzes three shipping case options that will theoretically allow two high unit load stacking of the 250cc Brik Pak containers. Two tested options were adaptable for use with the current Brik Pak, Inc. shipping case equipment. The other tested option used a shipping case design for which equipment is readily available in the United States. All options were statistically analyzed for variance to assure compression test results are signifi- cantly different. II. THEORETICAL STACKING STRENGTH Brik Pak containers are made from a paper/poly/foil laminate. The containers are filled without headspace and formed into a "brick" shape. The shape and lack of headspace allows the containers' product to hold weight as well as the shipping cases for stacking strength. Since Brik Pak containers are flexible, the shipping cases must keep the containers from flexing to obtain the optimum stacking strengths. Therefore, calculating or testing empty Brik Pak shipping cases for compression strength is not practical. To obtain a theoretical stacking strength necessary for one shipping case, this information was used: . One full shipping case weighs 16.3 pounds (Appendix A). . The cases on the bottom of a unit load are placed there randomly and must be able to hold the weight of all cases above. . One unit load has 15 cases per layer, 8 layers high, and stacked in an interlocking unit load patternlz Figures 1,2, and 3. . Corrugated slip sheets are to be used instead of pallets for distribution. If the pallet pattern was column stacked, one bottom case would have 15 cases above in a two high unit load stack. Therefore, one case should have a minimum stacking strength of 244.5 pounds. (15 case ° 16.3 lbs.) = 244.5 lbs.* *Note: The weight of one slip sheet between the two unit loads is negligible compared to the case weights and, therefore, not added into the minimum stacking strength calculation. LAYER Nu-DUIU‘N SLIP SHEET Figure l—-250cc Brik Pak Unit Load Figure 2—-250cc Brik Pak Interlocking Case Pattern (layers l,3,5,7) Figure 3--250cc Brik Pak Interlocking Case Pattern (layers 2,4,6,8) 6 However, the cases will not be stacked in a column stacked pattern but in an interlocking unit load pattern. An interlocking unit load pattern, hand palletization, case printing, humidity and length of time in storage, slight case manufacturing or set-up imperfections, uneven top unit load placement, dynamic versus static compression test results, case or unit load handling, and distribution trans- portation require a higher than "minimum" case stacking strength. The various items described are compensated for by a "safety factor" by which the load bearing requirement for the bottom case is multiplied. Through experience with non-rigid primary packages, Company G uses a five safety factor. (5 safety factor) - (244.5 lbs.) = 1222.5 lbs. This means the 250cc Brik Pak shipping case will require 1222.5 pounds of compression for two pallet high stacks. III. DESCRIPTIONS OF THE 250cc BRIK PAK SHIPPING CASE AND OPTIONS A. Current Shipping Case The current shipping case consists of a 200# burst, C—flute, corrugated wrap—around shipping tray, Figure 4, with a 2.0 mil polyethylene shrink bundling film wrapl. Brik Pak containers are packed 3L x 9W x 1H in the cases. The case design and shrink film allow the Brik Pak con- tainers to be visible and be opened easily without cutting. Opening the case without cutting helps assure that Brik Pak containers will not be damaged. Cuts in other food product packages made with paperboard or laminates have caused major problems in the food industry. The other case options considered for testing must have some type of easy open case feature. Another consideration is the Brik Pak Inc. wrap-around shipping tray equipment which cannot use corru- gated board heavier than 200# burst.* B. Option One This option adds two 275# burst, C-flute, corrugated dividers to the current case design, Figure 5. The dividers' flutes are vertical in the case for optimum compression values. The dividers are placed to give three three-by-three Brik Pak container cells in the shipping case. A shrink bundling film wrap is also used with the option. Brik Pak Inc. wrap-around shipping tray equipment can be modified to include the dividers.* *Discussions with Leif G. Haag, Technical Manager, Brik Pak Inc. C. Option Two An increase in the end panel length is used for this option, Figure 6. The case material remains a 200#, C-flute, board. Option 2 uses the general knowledge that most of a case's compression strength is in the corners. The increase in the end panel widths may improve the compression strength enough for two high unit load stacking. This is the preferred option because it requires the least modifications with the Brik Pak Inc. wrap—around shipping tray equipment. D. Option Three A Regular Slotted Container (RSC) is option 3, Figure 7. The case would be wrapped around the 250cc Brik Pak containers in the 3x9x1 pack and made from a 275# burst, C-flute, corrugated board with an outside glued manufacturer joint. This option would necessitate buying casing equipment from a company other than Brik Pak Inc. Figure 4-—Current 250cc Brik Pak Shipping Case DIVIDER HElGHT I = 43/»5' // 75/8,,» -D' ld—ll/4” II I <—-7% —«> "/4 Figure 5--Option 1 Shipping Case with Dividers :2 "/2 Figure 6--Option 2 Shipping Case with Extended End Panels TEAR TAPE / ¢ 9/ ? r=.-=_.—._-_=-_:-_-: ’a’II” u 4"/le //v1 ll 47 3/6 \5 \ |<>— 7 %’/—l>4/ Figure 7—-Option 3 Shipping Case, RSC Style 10 IV. TEST DESIGN A. Current Shipping Case Five 250cc Brik Pak packed shipping cases will be compressed, individually, on a Tinius-Olsen compression table, Electomatic 10K Model, at 0.10 inches per minute. The cases and Brik Paks will be observed for damage. Damage is defined as case or Brik Pak bulging, creasing, leakage, and/or flap opening. The compression peak load will be considered the load at 1/8 inch of deflection. A deflection greater than 1/8 inch will be considered damaging to the Brik Pak laminate structure, due to creasing. A twenty pound load will be applied to each case before starting deflection measurements. The test data will be analyzed for the average compres- sion and standard deviation. The required compression minus the average compression, smallest difference to detect, will be used to determine the sample test size necessary for the other case options with an analysis of variance. A 95% confidence level with a Type I error, a.: 0.05, and the Type II error,B= 0.20, will be used for the sample size determination. The test data will be used in the analysis of variance to determine a significant difference between the tested case options at a 95% confidence level. B. Shipping Case Options The other case options will be compressed on the same Tinius-Olsen compression table and observed for damage. A 5/32 inch deflection will be considered the compression peak 11 12 load on the shipping case options. Obtaining test wrap-around shipping trays or cases was not possible due to the limited availability of 250cc Brik Pak test packing equipment in the United States. The extra 1/32 inch deflection allows the filled Brik Pak containers to compress into the extra space required for hand packing cases before the product compression forces start. The case options tested were handmade, on a corrugated sample table, from corrugated sheets stocked by Company G. Sheets are tested on arrival for Mullen burst values and basis weights, in accordance to ASTM Methods20r21. The case options were sized to allow hand packing the 250cc Brik Pak containers without damage. Outer case dimensions are given in Figures 7,8, and 9, for each case option. All the Brik Pak containers used in packing the case options were inspected for creases and/or indentations before testing; no creased or indented Brik Paks were used in the tested case options. The Brik Paks used had been packed approximately three months before testing. The Brik Pak pallet had been stored at TAPPI conditions22 since arrival at Company G. The Brik Pak shipping cases were stored six layers high with 15 cases per layer in an interlocking pallet pattern. DIVIDER HEIGHT = 45/!6” 2 R 72—2/ Figure 8——Tested Option 1 Case <— 7'/2”—I>'L‘>l Iii—1'4” /14 /7l I I \SVA 4A léé: ? ‘E— 7 7/8” A/ Figure 9—-Tested Option 2 Case 13 ll /v| II \szAfi <2— 8” —>‘/ Figure lO--Tested Option 3 Case 14 V. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION A. Determining Maximum Case Deflection Cases from each case type were compressed without recording the loads. The first cases were compressed up to 1/2" deflection for establishing a compression profile. The other cases were compressed to deflections in 1/32" increments before, during, and after compression profile changes. Cases and Brik Paks were inspected at each tested deflection point for damage. The maximum case load was chosen at a deflection as close as possible to l/32" before the failure deflection. Failure deflections could be detected by compression profile changes, hesitations in load. The Brik Paks exhibited damage with permanent bulging and creases at the failure loads. Brik Pak damage was not visible at the maximum case load deflections. The current shipping case maximum load was determined at l/8" of deflection; the failure load was between 5/32" to 3/16". The other case options exhibited Brik Pak damage at a 3/16" deflection. A 5/32" deflection was established as the maximum compression load for the case options. B. Current Shipping Case Compression Strength Five filled 250cc Brik Pak shipping cases with shrink overwrapping were compression tested, individually, on the Tinius-Olsen compression table described on page 11. Deflection was measured as the compression platens moved with a metal ruler, l/l6 inch divisions. The cases and Brik Paks were observed during and visually inspected after 15 l6 compression. Compression was continued past the maximum 1/8 inch deflection load to find the case and Brik Pak failure point in terms of deflection and strength. The 1/8 inch deflection load averaged 880.4 pounds with a standard deviation,¢r , at 73.1. The failure load averaged 1052.8 pounds with a 0' = 24.1 at approximately 5/32 inch; the Brik Pak exhibited damage in the top edge areas. Appendix 8 contains the compression data obtained in testing. Based on the 1/8 inch deflection load, the current shipping case averages 342.1 pounds below the necessary compression strength, 1222.5 lbs., determined on page 4. A new Brik Pak option will need to average approximately 350 pounds more compression strength than the current case to be acceptable for two high unit load stacking. The other case options will need five samples each compressed, see Appendix C, for an analysis of variance. C. Case Option Compression Strength The shipping case options were tested in the same method as the current 250cc shipping cases. The case op- tions 1 and 2 samples were made to a 4—1/4" outer height to match the current shipping case height. The 4-1/4" outer case heights caused the Brik Pak containers to be between 1/32" to l/l6" above the case option edges, the Brik Pak heights above the case edges were visually the same as the current shipping case. The compression average on Option 2 nearly equalled the current case. Option 1 results averaged approximately 200 pounds more than the current case. These 17 results were not close to the 350 pounds additional strength needed for two high unit load stacks. The outer case heights were raised 1/8", on all options, to assure the Brik Paks were below the case edges. Figures 7,8, and 9 show the added 1/8" case height used for compression testing. Compression results for the case options were: Maximum Load Failure Load Option at 5/32", lbs. at 3/16", lbs. 1 i = 1271.6;or= 94.4 2 = 1542.2;o'= 90.3 2 R = 1132.4;€= 130.2 )2 = 1186.8;O’= 96.0 3 i = 360.4;