A multinational energy beverage company specializing in energy beverages and soft drinks with more than 30 different products targeting young adults with an active lifestyle, achieved its growth through effective promotion, sponsorships of sporting events, and strong branding.
Challenges with damaged branding during transit and lost product due to load shifting and collapsing brought this otherwise successful customer to APPLIED Adhesives.
Our client faced a seemingly insurmountable challenge when they introduced a 15-count variety pack, which was encased in beautifully-printed paperboard cartons.
The smoothness of the paperboard, coupled with the addition of print and coating, caused the case packs to become damaged when stacked on pallets for shipping to stores and warehouses.
Shifting during transportation within the co-packer's facility and enroute to destinations resulted in crushed cases, breached cans, and rerouted loads. The customer tried various methods, such as increasing plastic wrap and adding more airbags, but none of these solutions effectively prevented the damage and associated costs.
As a full-service adhesive solutions company with lab testing capabilities, APPLIED Adhesives welcomed the challenge. Through a strategic collaboration with the customer and its co-packer, we addressed the pallet stabilization challenge by recommending our proprietary BREAKAWAY palletizing adhesive. This eco-friendly and low-maintenance adhesive is designed to reduce plastic waste, stabilize products during shipping, and improve overall safety.
APPLIED Adhesives manufactured the unique formula for BREAKAWAY, a water-based product formulated specifically for palletizing applications. By applying BREAKAWAY in a fine and minute amount to the cased products, this adhesive prevents the stacked, wrapped cases from shifting and falling during transit.
APPLIED Adhesives partnered with the client and its co-packers to test the feasibility of using BREAKAWAY adhesive in the lab prior to applying it on the line.
One of the primary concerns was whether the adhesive would cause graphical distortion on the cartons. By integrating weight with ink and water-based adhesive, APPLIED Adhesives successfully developed a formula that avoided any graphical distortion issues.
We also implemented a program logic controller (PLC) to stack the boxes in an interlocking pattern, similar to bricks, ensuring stability during palletization.
The introduction of BREAKAWAY adhesive allowed the energy beverage company to reduce damage to their products during shipping and logistics. It also eliminated the need for excessive plastic wrap and airbags, significantly reducing plastic waste.
Additionally, the BREAKAWAY technology enabled the client to decrease downtime caused by crushed cases and rerouted loads.
A key advantage of BREAKAWAY is that it does not damage the paperboard or the print when the cases are removed, ensuring the cartons remain intact. This was particularly crucial for our client because it allowed the consumers to see the company’s brand as intended, thereby restoring its beautiful branding image
Our client’s reduction in damaged products and rerouted loads resulted in significant cost savings. On top of that, the elimination of 14 airbags per truckload at $17 per airbag resulted in a cost savings of $238 per truckload!
As a result of this successful partnership, the energy beverage manufacturer plans to expand the implementation of BREAKAWAY technology to other product categories.
