Packaging and Folding

Packaging & Folding

Criteria for packaging

Specifications & standards for packaging & folding.

Material & equipment used for packaging. (Folding Devices)

Considerations for packaging & Folding. (Packaging & folding systems)

Packaging has two major functions:-

Distribution:- Ship the product at the lowest cost and in the shortest time without diminishing quality of product.

Merchandising:- Presenting the apparel product in the manner to simulate consumer desire for the product.

The quality deterrents that have to be prevented in packing, practically all consumer items are:-

CREASING

CRUSHING and

DUST

Apparel designed for export or shipment to extreme climatic condition must be packaged to protect against hazards such as:-

WettingMildewFungusExcessive light, and Handling damage (tears, creases & stains)

TYPES OF PACKAGING

• MERCHANDISE PACKING:-The product is packaged in the container in which

the customer is expected to receive the product.

• SHIPPING PACKING:-The packaging in which the retailer receives the

product in bulk form.

TYPES OF PACKAGING MATERIALS

The basic material used for the apparel and allied

products are:-

Paper Plastic films Wood Nails Staples Cords (includes twine & rope) Gum tapes (cloth & paper) and Bands (metal).

Quality Specifications for packing materials

A. Properties

Clarity (transparent to opaque)

Thickness

Width & length

Basic weight

Yield, sq. in/lb.

B. CHARACTERSTICS

Tensile strength Elongation Bursting strength Tearing strength Flammability Porosity, air Moisture permeability Sunlight transference Dimensional stability to heat Dimensional stability to sunlight Resistance to odors

TYPES OF PACKAGE FORMS

Bags

Boxes

Cartons

Cases

Crates

Twines (or cords) &

Wrappers

Carton Requirements

Apparel corrugated cartons have two main goal :

Protect, contain, gather and transport items Supply crucial information like the delivery

address, the barcode…

Carton Requirements

✺ There are several carton sizes according to the articles theywill contain. They are definite by their internal dimensions :Length x width x height.

✺ The cartons used by Apparel are American Regular SlottedCases (RSC) with joining flaps.

✺ The information will be printed on the carton faces or on aseparate sticker.

✺ The Apparel cartons are submitted to several constraints(changeable temperatures, moisture…) during the storage inplants, in warehouses… and during the transportation,between factories and warehouses, between warehousesand customers…

Carton Material

✺ Harmless for the Environment☛ The carton must be recyclable, so it must contain the

minimum of toxic substances…☛ According to the Decree 98-638 of the 20th of July 1998

relative to the requirements about environment that must betaken into account in the conception and the manufacturingof packing, the amount of lead, cadmium, mercury andchromium quantities must not exceed 100 ppm in weight.

☛ The cartons have to be without unusual odors like ink residualsolvents in order not to transmit them to the items.

Carton Material

✺ Construction✺ Apparel Export allows the use of the two followingcorrugated cardboard :

☛ For the cartons made in the European countries :a double wall cardboard (medium + small flutes)

☛ The double wall cardboard is constituted by :linerboard – fluting medium – median paper – flutingmedium – linerboard.

Carton Material

☛ For the cartons made inthe Asian countries : a

double wall cardboard or atriple wall cardboard

☛ The triple wall cardboardis constituted by :

double wall cardboard +fluting medium –linerboard.

Carton Material

✺ Linerboards☛ The marking specifications are printed

directly on the linerboard or printed on a label stuck on it, according to the carton supplier.

☛ The linerboards will allow a good flaps gluing on the automatic devices using "Hot Melt" glues.

✺ Flutes gluing

☛ The linerboards have to be strongly glued :separating the linerboards from the flutes will tear

the fibers along the contact surfaces.

Dimensions☛ The carton size given for each style, for eachseason, is the maximum size (length + width + height)accepted. Apparel Buyers allows a tolerance of 1 cmless at the maximum. No carton can exceed theagreed size.

Carton Material

• ✺ Flutes

• ☛ Their direction isparallel to the heightof the carton inorder to give thevertical compressivestrength.

Carton Material

Technical features☛ Each measurable parameter will refer to a testreference method.

☛ The technical features described in thespecifications by group of the corrugated cartonsare valid for cartons in balance with the ambientconditions :50% moisture ± 2%23°C ± 1°C

Carton Material

• Vertical compressive strength or Box Compression Test (BCT)

• ☛ The vertical compressive strength ofcorrugated cartons represents thestrength to an important load must beequal to or greater than the strengthvalue indicated in the chart of thecartons tests methods.

• min. 1300 lb (590 kg)

Carton Material

Edge compressive strength(Edge Crush Test :

ECT)☛ The edge compressivestrength (on a test tube) of

the corrugated must be equal toor greater than the

strength value indicated in thechart of the cartons

tests methods. ☛ 48 - 52 lbf/in (8.4 - 9.1 kN/m) ☛ 29 pounds per square inch

(2.04 kg/cm²).

Carton Material

Bursting Strength☛ The corrugated carton bursting strength isdetermined by the "Mullen Test", which represents thesituation when a carton corner strikes a carton case.So the bursting strength must be strong enough toresist to such a situation. min. 145 psi

Folding Strength☛ After the corrugated carton assembling and itsmanual closing, the internal and external linerboardsand the flutes must not torn.

Carton Material

Flatness☛ The cartons have to be flat at the

delivery.☛ The flatness gaps, due to moisture,

temperatureor mechanical pressures variations,

must be lessthan the values indicated in the

individualspecifications.☛ For a cutting to shape of M length,

the maximaldeformation D is measured.☛ The value of D/M is 3% maximum

Carton Material

• Storage• ☛ Empty and unfolded cartons• The empty and unfolded cartons have to be• strapped according to the sketch below.• The strapping has to be placed on the flaps• instead of the carton ridges, in order not to• weaken these cartons.• The clamping force must not be too strong in• order not to damage the carton.

Carton Material

✺ The empty and unfolded cartons have to be stored

directly on the ground, on a clean surface (protected

against moisture : plastic tarpaulin for instance) if the

pallets dimensions are not adapted to the empty and

unfolded cartons dimensions.

Carton Material

• ✺ It is forbidden to stack 2 pallets of empty and

• unfolded cartons one onto the other in order to avoid to

• crush the flutes.

Carton Material

• Manufacturing control at the carton suppliers'

• ☛ It is the best place to operate the quality control.

• ☛ Each carton supplier has to control its production

• before delivery, in order to guarantee the adequate

• quality, according to the specifications.

Carton Material

Carton Handling

• ✺ Cartons should never be dropped or thrown.• Damage to corners, edges, or sides can compromise• the durability of a carton.• ✺ Stack cartons appropriately. Never stack cartons on• their sides or ends. Cartons are built to sustain• pressure in a particular direction. The direction of the• “fluting” is the indicator of a carton’s strength. When• stacked on the end or the side, the fluting is at an angle• to the pressure, compromising carton durability.

Carton Handling

Do not allow cartons to over-hang the edge of apallet. This will result in a “crease” in the carton,whichwill adversely affect durability.

Carton Handling

When stacking cartons, be careful to ensure edges are lined up.Also, do not stack cartons too high.

Pressure on the bottom carton increases with each layer.

The stack could become unstable and fall (bottom cartonsdamaged from excessive pressure, top cartons damaged from thefall).

Carton Handling

✺ Do not stand on cartons. In loading or palletizing cartons, it may be tempting to stand on a carton to help reach higher levels. This can damage cartons and reduce durability. ✺ Do not allow cartons to get wet. Water will reduce a carton’s strength. Cartons held outdoors should always be kept under cover. During transportation, cartons should be held in an enclosed compartment, protected from rain. Cartons being transported between a factory and logistics service provider (LSP) should covered and secure.

Carton Tape Specifications

✺ Apparel cartons must be sealed with high qualitypolypropylene tape using acrylic adhesive – staples andmetal or plastic banding of cartons are not acceptable.The following are the MINIMUM specifications for thistape:☛ Width – 72mm (2.89 inches)☛☛ Thickness – 2 mil (0.051 mm)☛ Tensile Strength:Machine direction – 25 lb/inch widthCross direction – 40 lb/inch width☛ Adhesion to Steel – 25 oz/inch width

Carton Weight

• ✺ 40 lb or 18.1 kg weight limit (packed carton weight) (N).

• ✺ Max acceptable gross carton weight is 21 Kg (R)

• ✺ Gross weight cannot exceed 50 pounds (22.68 kg) (G)

• Pre Printed Data• ✺ Cartons must be preprinted or labeled with the• following information while Exporting• ☛ Purchase Order #• ☛ Country of Origin• ☛ Supplier Vendor Code• ☛ Style #• ☛ Material (Complete with Color code)

• ☛ Size• ☛ Carton Qty• ☛ Carton #• ☛ Gross Weight• ☛ Net Weight• ☛ Carton Size• ☛ Delivery Address

• Garment Folding Standards

• • Flat Packed Standards

• • Hanging Standards

• flat packed in cartons and hanging in bags.

Garments must have no more that 6cm to 12cm excessat the bottom heat-sealed or taped closed.

POLYTHENE BAGS

• The raw material that we use to make Polythene Bags are as follows:-

• LD (Low Density).• LLDPE (Linear Low Density

Polyethylene).• HDPE (High Density

Polyethylene).

Wicketed Poly BagsWaterproof Poly BagsSeal Poly Bags

Garment Poly Bags Biodegradable Poly Bags Resalable Poly Bags

PROTECTIVE POLY BAG STANDARDS

– Polybags/carton liners must be free of Butylated Hydrozyl/toluene (BHT). This agent willcreate problems of yellowing product. The presence of only a few parts of BHT per million will create garment discolouration or can cause other adverse reactions with the garment contained therein.

– Clear bag 15 um – natural HDPE virgin material.– Poly bags that are being used to pack garments individually are

required to have 4 holes per side to expel excess air. We currently accept clean hole punched bags for ventilation.

– These holes should not be ripped into the bag.– Garments must have no more than 6cm to 12cm excess at the bottom

and should be heat- sealed or taped closed.– Poly bags must be wide enough and long enough to cover the garment

without wrinkling.

Polybag Specifications

✺ Polybags are intended to protect apparel from soiling, wrinkling, abrasion and moderate exposure to moisture.

✺ In order to provide sufficient bursting strength (especially for fleece items) all polybags must have a MINIMUM wall thickness of 1 mil. One mil equals 25.40 microns (.02540 millimeters) or .001 inches.

✺ This requirement will produce a rugged polybag that will not easily rupture even if a shipping carton partially collapses.

✺ Equally important, however, the one mil thickness of the plastic film will significantly reduce the danger of suffocation for young children.

Polybag Specifications

✺ All polybags must be manufactured from 100% virgin low density polyethylene plastic resin.

✺ Some Buyers will not accept the presence of any traces of the antioxidant BHT (butylated hydroxy toluene) in its Polybag

material.

✺ BHT is a widely recognized cause of yellowing in textiles - especially light colored fabrics.

✺ Do not exceed 100 parts per million of Heavy Metals namely Lead, Cadmium, Mercury and Hexavalent Chromium.

✺ Ink is Unleaded and child friendly

✺ Adhesive method used is chemical free.

Acceptable Polybag Closures

✺ Buyer will accept polybags that have been closed with the following methods:

☛ Heat sealed by machine

☛ Plastic tape on flap

☛ Flip-fold

Polybag Vent Hole Specifications

✺ There are basically 3 types of polybag vent holes.

☛ Butterfly vent

☛ Skip-vent

☛ X-vent

Manual Shirt Folding

Automatic Shirt Folding

SPECIFICATION & STANDARD FOR PACKAGING AND FOLDING

based on the specifications provided byGeneral Merchandise & Apparel Group, Target and Kmart (the Brands)

OBJECTIVE

BACKGROUND:- These Guidelines are the minimum requirements and standards

to be applied to all apparel deliveries into Coles Brands Distribution Centers and Stores.

PURPOSE:- These Guidelines and standards have been compiled for

information and use by Suppliers, Quality Assurance, Buying Office and Third party Service Providers and have been developed to maintain consistency and assist Suppliers in the rationalization of standards and business requirements.

APPAREL PACKAGINGREQUIREMENTS

When packaging merchandise in cartons, follow the guidelines below:-

– Ensure the carton is strong and secure enough to protect the contents in the normal.

– Transport and distribution processes according to the standards.

– Do not use brown paper wrapping.– DO NOT use any form of strapping.– DO NOT use carton stapling.

It is important to:

Use the correct size carton for the goods you need to pack to minimize free space in carton.

Ensure that packages form a stable unit load.

Ensure that cartons are adequately sealed to support the content.

Ensure the contents of the carton are packed as per instructions.

Ensure the labeling/marking are as per requirements.

Eliminate the outer shipper carton where inners are the distribution unit.

Ensure the carton does not display any misleading information or unrelated printed matter.

for example, brands or product names unrelated to the cartons content.

MAXIMUM WEIGHT

The maximum weight of cartons must not exceed 20 kilograms, except where a single product item is contained in the carton unless the appropriate lifting signage is on the cartons.

Use the following table as a guide when packaging merchandise in cartons.

PACKING INSTRUCTIONS

Standard Packs or Pre Pack Deliveries

This instruction describes how garments must be packed for delivery into Distribution Center's or Stores.

All garments to be folded as per garment folding methods described in attached standards with no extra folds required.

Garments to be placed into cartons by top tailing garments in lots of 5 or 6 depending on the ratio quantity.

If required hangers are to be secured at the end of the carton to minimize garment movement within the box during transit.

All garments to be placed in one large polybag unless otherwise instructed.

All garments with placement print must have the barcode swing ticket placed inside of the garment to ensure that tickets do not stick to the print.

If the placement print garment also has a rubber badge, ensure the garment is folded in such a way that the badge does not come in contact with the print.

This may mean you may need to pack each garment into a separate polybag.

Carton must be correct height/width/depth to fit ratio pack without placing stress on the garments when packing and sealing the carton.

Garment ‘floor ready’ presentation must be preserved at all times.

Correct ratio and quantity only to be packed per carton, no multiple packs to be put into cartons unless specified by Buying Quality Assurance or Shipping.

PACKING INSTRUCTIONS

To ensure garments are clean and dry before packing and must be folded.

To ensure that staff handling the garments have clean hands and that the general environment is clean and dust free.

To ensure garments are firmly packed into cartons as some settling will occur during transit.

To ensure Overseas only must be pre-packed into a clear plastic protective poly bag as required/requested (individually or grouped) prior to packing and sealing in carton.

To ensure, if packed in groups - garments must be pre-hung and the garment hangers grouped and secured together (eg with an elastic band or bar lock), inside each bag as specified.

To ensure– overseas only by exception - if packed individually - garments are to be flat packed inside each protective bag and each bag laid flat inside the transit carton

To ensure that protective bags are sealed.

LABELLING /MARKING Cartons or garment bags are to be externally clearly

marked with: Brand Name (i.e. MGB, Target, Kmart, etc) Name of Country specific (i.e. Australia or New

Zealand) Port of Discharge (i.e. Melbourne) Order Number Key code Number Quantity per issue pack Quantity per outer pack Made in (Country of Origin) Carton number (i.e. …….of…) Gross carton weight. Cubic Meters.

WEIGHT MARKING

GARMENT BAGS

The base material and pigment used in the production of the bag film must not impart odour, stain or cause any other adverse reaction with the garment contained there in.

Bags must be equipped with 6 star vents or 4 holes per side to expel excess air. We currently accept clean hole punched bags for ventilation. These holes should not be ripped into the bag.

Bags must be securely sealed at one end only so that the bag may be sealed at the other end with cable tie.

Suppliers must ensure that an appropriate bag size is chosen to fit the needs of the specified garment and pack size required.

Garments must hang freely inside the bag with the bottom edge of the garment remaining above, (not touching), the bottom of the bag. A minimum clearance of 6cm to 12cm is required.