More and more companies and businesses are taking advantage of 3D printing. This type of one-off manufacturing is growing by a landslide, offering some personalized trinkets and productions that are great for customers.
Some are printing very low volumes of items, whether it be figures, statues, even drawers and other useful items. They aren’t mass-produced, so it offers its own set of unique tidbits that will really shine.
With such steadfast growth, you may wonder how to ship all of this, which is where the packaging comes in. Here, we will go over how the right packaging for this type of product, especially with the rise of such customized items, will improve your overall production.
The Challenges of Shipping These Products
The biggest challenge is one word.
Shapes.
These shapes are typically oblong, as they might be figures and sculptures that normally don’t fit in a simple box. There are also very few standard inserts that come with this too.
The other thing is that these things are fragile. While most 3D printed stuff lasts, there is always that unpredictable fragility that comes with such items, and shipping these custom shapes can be a real challenge.
For instance, those 3D printed dragons are super popular, but they do have pliable bodies that move around, and requiring you to have packaging means that it’s easy to hold such items without much trouble. In such a case, it’s important as well to make sure that your custom forms are made to fit such custom items.
Packaging Supplies that Adapt to This
What you want are those packaging tools made for the unknown, the inconsistent, the packaging shapes that will truly make it a bit harder to deal with.
One example is moldable foam. This is foam that’s molded and adjusted for packaging needs, and it can be good to wrap around these items.
Another, is shape-sensing liners. Again, these are liners that can tell the shapes of such items, and will in turn, hold them together and make it easy to ship these items.
Finally, you’ve got grids that are modular, and will adjust based on the molding structure of these items.
To wrap it, you want to also make sure that it fits the item snugly, but won’t crush the item. Put this foam structure within, add the item inside, and then add it to a box. Your item will be shipped out, safe, and secure for all that are involved too.
Another Possibility: On-Demand Production of Inserts
Some people have taken making their own custom inserts to a different level, through the rise of custom inserts.
These inserts are made based on each order. Digital models are reproduced, and in turn, will be sprinted out, and from there, once it’s been made based on the software, the item sits inside.
This type of means is becoming popular, and is easy to do. That’s because many who do 3D printing are already all-too familiar with the type of modeling software, so they can build the perfect mold for their items inside.
With all of this packaging, it’s become a big part of the world, and has taught us all about the speed of packaging, putting it together, and shipping. This type of new product has changed the lives of many, hence why more are getting involved with it. Learning to 3D print is a fun skill, and being able to do it offers a new realm of fun things to do.
With this, you’ll be able to make the ideal prints, and package them for customers effectively.
