Founded in England nearly 20 years ago and with a U.S. presence in Virginia Beach, VA, Framing Success has mastered the art of framing diplomas for the collegiate market. As a producer of frames made specifically to hold important documents such as diplomas and certificates, the company needs packaging that can provide protection and prevent damage to both the frames and the glass.
"We ship more than 150,000 frames a year and our business is steadily growing. When the company began, we offered 15 custom-sized frames and we now offer 40 custom-sized frames," said Peter Molin, the company's plant manager. "So we were delighted to discover a packaging solution that increased packaging speed and production while virtually eliminating our damage rate."
Framing Success discovered this picture-perfect packaging solution with the help of Sealed Air Corp sales representative Michael Green. After evaluating and testing packaging options in one of Sealed Air's packaging design labs, Green recommended Instapak® 40W foam packaging -- a resilient, highly efficient and versatile formulation of Instapak® foam -- to protect the frames. The solution also incorporated use of Sealed Air's SpeedyPacker® III foam-in-bag packaging systems.
Picture-Perfect Packaging
In September 2002, Framing Success installed the SpeedyPacker® III foam-in-bag system to help with its increased packaging needs. The system dispenses a controlled amount of Instapak® foam into a sealed film bag. The bag containing the expanding Instapak® 40W foam is placed into a custom-designed molding enclosure where it expands to form the shape of the image inside. The custom-made wooden molds produce cushions of an exact shape and size, offering precise, engineered protection. In less than 35 seconds, the foam completes expansion within the mold enclosure, and the operator removes the finished cushion and stores it for future use.
Offering the best lead times in the business, Framing Success has steadily increased its standards and offerings to benefit its customers and remain a leading manufacturer of custom, handmade frames.
"Seventy-five percent of our business is selling frames to wholesale outlets, mostly college bookstores," Molin stated. "This is a very competitive industry with a lot of time restraints, so we cannot afford any downtime."
Orders received through the customer service department are entered into the computer operating system. Scheduling manager Ken Margetak then selects the orders to be processed through a specialized computer program that identifies specific shipping dates for all entered orders. The program groups orders according to parameters set by the company, such as molding style, frame design, and frame size, which can be as small as 9 x 10 in. and as large as 28 x 24 in.
Five departments receive a production list two days prior to frame assembly. Each department arranges the frame components into a sequential order to match the other departments. Every day, the final assembly department takes the staged components off five different stacks to assemble the final product.
More Frames in Less Time
The packaging area assembly line consists of five people. The wholesale frames are first shrink-wrapped using Cryovac® D-966 shrink film, and put inside a red fliptop container with Framing Success's logo on it. An employee then puts a pre-made custom foam cushion on the bottom of the carton and places multiple boxed frames on the cushion. A second pre-made custom foam cushion is then placed on top of the frames, and the carton lid is put in place. Then the package is sent to a staging area for shipping.
"The employees love the SpeedyPacker® III system," Molin stated. "They can package more frames in less time, and the system is easy to use. In fact, new employees can learn the basics of the system in less than 30 minutes and all of the system's components in just one day."
With the SpeedyPacker® III system, Framing Success can package 54% more frames per hour -- 110 frames, compared to 60 frames prior to system installation. Even with increased business of 30%, the company only needs one employee to pre-make foam cushions for six hours a day, leaving time for that employee to work in other areas. The company has saved roughly $35,000 a year in labor alone since it instituted this new packaging method.
In the past, Framing Success used five sizes of large shipping cartons with convoluted foam glued inside the carton to package its 15 frame sizes. The frames were placed in a plastic bag and inserted directly inside the box on top of the convoluted foam. Then the carton was stapled closed.
"The convoluted foam and staple packaging method was difficult for customers to open, and the staples often scratched the person opening the carton or scratched the frame or glass," said Molin. "So, even if the frame survived shipping, when it was opened by the customer, the frame often was damaged by the staples."
Instapak® foam packaging has helped Framing Success decrease its frame damage rates from 10% to nearly zero. This has saved the company 50% in reshipping costs, including manufacturing new frames, plus a customer service representative's labor processing the reorders. Framing Success also consolidated its carton sizes from five to one, allowing for a more streamlined packaging operation.
"Sealed Air did a great job helping us solve our packaging problems. Needless to say we are pleased with the results," Molin said. "We are in the process of building a 40,000 sq ft building, 30% larger than our current facility, and we plan to add more Sealed Air packaging systems to our new packaging area."
