How Its Made; Packaging

This series of videos is incredibly interesting and valuable for designers. It covers the industrial manufacturing of packaging from cardboard boxes, metal tubing, Tetrapak, aluminium cans, glass bottles and plastic bottles. Cardboard box manufacturing goes through a number of processes from the creation of the three layered system of two flat pieces of card and one corrugated piece to being cut, creased and inked/printed on. Cardboard is completely recyclable and all of the off cuts are used again in the same process up to 6 times over. The series also investigates the manufacture of flexible metal tubing that stores items such as toothpaste and paint. These are made from a coin size of aluminium which is stretched to create a cylinder mould. This cylinder is then filled with contents and folded over to seal. Aluminium tubes are also recyclable as aluminium does not deteriorate, all excess material is sent back to aluminium factory where it is melted down to be reused. Tetrapak is an innovative packaging system that is comprised of 3 layers of material to keep the contents fresh without the addition of preservatives or refrigeration. The first most outer layer is made of a plastic which prevents any leakage while the middle is paperboard and the inner most layer is aluminium. This complex packaging is also completely recyclable making an incredibly efficient form of packaging. Aluminium cans are created much the same as aluminium tubing. A sheet of aluminium has holes punched from it which are then stretched to create the body the can is then processed to create the top before being sent of to the company that will use it. As with the tubing all excess material is sent back to aluminium factory to be recycled and reused. Glass bottles are created from 3 main ingredients as well as a small amount of recycled glass. The glass is melted into goo which is then cast into miniature bottle called a parison. The parison is then blasted with air to expand the glass to the actual size of the bottle. The bottles are then treated to create a thread at the top of the bottle. Glass like the other materials shown in the video is also recyclable. Plastic bottles are made from PET which is melted and injection moulded into performs which will later be heated and stretched using compressed air much like glass bottles. These will then be printed then tested to be sent to the companies that will use them. Unlike other materials only the new plastic left over from the manufacturing process is recycled for hygienic reasons.