Hypertherm, Inc., a designer and manufacturer of advanced cutting equipment and consumer products, approached Placon Corporation with a request to redesign the current clamshell packaging of more than 220 of its consumer products. Packaging goals include improving appearance on retail shelves, reducing overall package size, and adding unique anti-unpacking features.

   Design requirement
  In addition to the goal of using recycled materials to consolidate the amount of packaging used to hold its consumer products, Hypertherm wants packaging to be stackable to protect clamshells and blister cards from counterfeiting.

    solution
   The previous package consisted of six SKUs (stock units), each with a different overall footprint, so SKUs were not easily stacked. Now with just four stackable designs, each package has the same total footprint, just the number of cavities and total depth within the package.
    In order to create a consistent, simple sales appearance, each packaging chamber is designed to display the product in a special way. By changing the curvature of each packaging cavity, retailers can determine the orientation of the product, resulting in a continuous appearance.
    By repositioning the hanging holes and reducing the flange size, the packaging was reduced by 20%. With Placon's own EcoStar PC50 material, it is easy to convert PVC to post-use recycling and 100% recycled PET, extrusioned from at least 50% to up to 85% recycled bottles and preforms.

    In addition, Placon locks are placed on the inside cover of the transparent reclaim flap to secure the graphics card, creating a firm 360° seal. After loading the product, the package is closed together on both sides of the hanging holes by ultrasonic welding method, and the cover is attached to the opening area of the thermoforming bottom plate. Once the package is opened, the opening area is disconnected from the base plate and attached to the inside of the cover to "enclose" the graphics card. Using this design allows consumers to see the disconnected hanging hole area and make them realize that the package has been opened.    This feature also makes it difficult for counterfeiters not only to repackage the clamshell, but also to reuse the graphics card.
   Anti-counterfeiting, anti-unpacking
   Hypertherm's request was to redesign the current clamshell packaging of its 220+ consumer products. Packaging goals include improving appearance on retail shelves, reducing overall package size, and adding unique anti-unpacking features.
    "Placon's innovative approach and the multiple goals it has managed to achieve prompted us to partner with them as our new supplier of clamshell packaging," said Brenda Mahoney, Marketing Specialist for Hypertherm Manual's T&C division.