Vacuum Packing

Vacuum packing goods into Barrier Foil, heat sealed bags is one of our most frequently requested services. Barrier Foil is manufactured from 3 ply of materials - polyester, an aluminium foil and polythene, the latter of which enables the material to be heat-sealed. Since the foil has a water vapour transmission rate that is 20 - 80 times lower than commercially available polythene, a proportionally smaller amount of Desiccant is required to be placed inside a bag prior to sealing and this saves on costs. Being light weight, Barrier Foil can also save on freight costs.

Case Study: Semi-Conductor Packing

We were recently required to project manage the packing of an entire semi-conductor plant within just one month. It contained in excess of 500 shock and vibration sensitive pieces of equipment. The parts were extremely valuable and some were worth in excess of £1million. We assessed the logistics of how to de-commission the goods, pack them appropriately and move them to the point of dispatch for urgent shipment to Japan.

• Stage 1 - Each piece of equipment was wrapped in two layers of anti-static bubble film that were separated by polythene film. This initial process was conducted at the plant and in clean room conditions whereby the packing team accessed the packing area through air showers, wore clean room clothing and observed clean room practices.
• Stage 2 - The equipment was then moved to the main packing area where it was loaded onto a Barrier Foil base sheet that was positioned on the case floor. The goods were bolted down, through the foil, to the case floor using rubber mounts and shock absorbing fitments. A butyl adhesive was applied around the points of penetration in the foil, to ensure that the bolts did not compromise the seal.
• Stage 3 - A third layer of anti-static bubble film was wrapped around the equipment and a humidity indicator was attached to the inside of a Barrier Foil bag that was placed over the top. The bag was then heat-sealed to the base sheet. Before the final seal was made, the excess air inside the bag was extracted and a predetermined quantity of Desiccant was added in accordance with BS1133 Section19.
• Stage 4 - The case was assembled around the product and steel tensional strapping applied for additional strength and security.  Tip “n” Tell and Shockwatch indicators were attached to the case to detect rough handling or potential damage that could occur during loading and transit, as well as for insurance purposes.
• Stage 5 - Each case was individually marked and a detailed packing list was generated and supplied to our customer to enable the goods to be easily identified at their point of destination.