PACKAGING THAT IS BETTER FOR THE PLANET ...

If you ’ ve picked up a carton of eggs at the supermarket or plucked your new cell phone from its box , you ’ re familiar with molded fiber packaging . It ’ s an environmentally friendly alternative to plastic , made from renewable sources such as recycled paperboard , newsprint , bamboo , sugarcane , or other plant cellulose fibers . Also known as molded pulp , it ’ s 100 % recyclable and biodegradable , and while it might seem like a recent innovation , it has been around for more than a century . “ Molded fiber has historically been subordinated to plastic , and as a result , the industry hasn ’ t really developed much technologically ,” says Joseph Grygny , founder and executive director emeritus of the International Molded Fiber Association .

It ’ s used to provide protection when shipping household appliances , wine bottles , and consumer electronics such as computers and monitors . But all these items require a different shape to hold them , and molded fiber packaging is not traditionally quick to make . Until now .

MEETS TOOLING THAT IS ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY ...

The process required to make molded fiber packaging has changed little in 100 years . First , a metal tool mirroring the desired shape is manufactured and drilled with hundreds of holes . Then a metal screen is created around the mold and manually affixed to its surface . A vacuum draws the slurry onto the screen , which keeps the pulp fibers on the outside while allowing the water to flow through it and the rest of the tool .

Now HP is using its Molded Fiber Advanced Tooling Solution to create custom tools that shape the fiber pulp to the right specs for the product it ’ s meant to protect . Customers can create a customized mold and screen leveraging proprietary HP innovations in digital manufacturing software and data intelligence , including a new digital design platform , along with HP ’ s industryleading , industrial 3D printing technology .

“ Traditionally , making molded fiber — especially creating the metal mold — was very expensive and timeconsuming ,” explains Grygny , who has been consulting with HP on the project . “ With HP ’ s new tooling , there is no machining , no drilling , no manual labor .”

The powder used to make the parts is environmentally friendly because unlike many other plastics that are made from petroleum , HP ’ s polyamide 11 is made from 100 % renewable castor plants . The parts are also 10 to 20 times lighter than conventional tools . Replacing heavy metal parts with HP ’ s lightweight tools reduces energy consumption and improves overall maintenance . Additionally , using the advanced design , data , software , and production capabilities has led to developments in custom screens , enabling complex packaging geometries and improvements in the overall dewatering process .

HP maintains a digital library of customer files of the tool set so they can be changed quickly . “ Once the customer delivers the part file to HP , we can produce the tool in record time thanks to digital technology ,” explains Mar Lezcano , Strategic and Business Manager for HP ’ s Molded Fiber business . “ What used to take six to eight weeks can now be done in as little as two weeks .”

AND IS A FASTER , BETTER WAY TO MAKE THESE PRODUCTS

HP ’ s new solution eliminates the need for costly , laborintensive metal tools and can enable process efficiencies in making molded fiber products . “ With HP , we can respond much more quickly to change requests and get to market faster ,” says Jason Kinder , GM at Canada-based Pulp Moulded Products , which focuses on food and beverage molded fiber production and is currently working with HP on an FDA-compliant food tray . “ That ’ s a huge benefit to how we can serve our customers .”

HP ’ s Desktop Mini will be shipped in packaging produced by Fiber Innovation , a packaging supplier . Jason Wu , managing director , says , “ The HP Molded Fiber Advanced Tooling Solution parts are significantly lighter … putting a lot less stress on the machines , and that will have a tremendous benefit for our equipment maintenance costs .”

“ HP ’ s tooling solution represents a true breakthrough in the design and manufacturing of molded fiber products ,” says Grygny . “ We will see more packaging become environmentally friendly and sustainable using this tooling .” — jennifer ceaser

ILLUSTRATION BY AL BOARDMAN ; PHOTOGRAPH BY STOCKSY

HP / INNOVATION / FALL 2020 48