Transportation packaging for 3D printers: Stable RhinoPlate® corrugated cardboard from Thimm as a sustainable wood alternative

The safe transportation of sensitive, technical devices requires precision-adapted transportation packaging which offers optimum protection and can withstand all transportation conditions. The developers at Thimm Packaging Systems have designed such packaging for Kumovis, a Munich-based start-up that manufactures 3D printers for the production of medical products. In this transportation packaging for a 3D printer weighing around 500 kg, the wooden outer packaging is replaced by RhinoPlate®, a sustainable solution made from stable, four-flute corrugated cardboard which is ideal for transporting heavy goods.

The space-saving transportation packaging is delivered flat-packed. The set consists of a special sized pallet, wooden fixing elements, a lid and two rings made of RhinoPlate® with a locking system. Setting up the packaging and placing the heavy printer is simplified by the clever design: The lid also functions as a ramp due to its stability which allows the sensitive device to be placed on the pallet without lifting it. The wooden elements are fitted with PE foam on the inside which provides protection from scratching and are attached to the pallet adjacent to the device and serve as protective fixing elements. The printer is then covered with the four-fluted corrugated cardboard over the pallet. This is fastened with the Thimm Connect® locking system which forms the outer packaging. Thimm Connect® consists of a screw and a locking nut that can be operated without tools. Michael Weber, Corporate Strategy + Marketing Manager Thimm Group explains: “The Thimm Connect®, simple plug-in system enables the transportation packaging to be easily opened upon delivery without damage and then disassembled into its individual parts so it can also be reused.” Finally, the ramp is placed on top. Once assembled the transportation packaging reaches a height of almost two metres.

RhinoPlate® corrugated cardboard can be 100 percent recycled. “A total of nine paper webs ensure a stable and sustainable material alternative to wood” continues Weber. The BFSV-certified corrugated cardboard is produced in CAAC quality at the Bavarian plant in Neuburg an der Donau. Weber concludes: “RhinoPlate® corrugated cardboard has a 60 percent lower load capacity than comparable wooden boxes along with a high load capacity. Due to the wet strength of the corrugated cardboard, it is ideally suited for Europe-wide transportation and overseas shipments as it has produced first-class test results in maritime climates and can also withstand extreme climate conditions. Another advantage is that heavy cargo packaging made from corrugated cardboard facilitates the familiar customs processes.”