Packaging plays an essential role in the protection and promotion of retail goods. Now, with the mass adoption of 3D printing processes, packaging can be custom-made quickly and sustainably in-house. In this article, we will explore the various applications and benefits of 3D printing in the packaging industry before outlining how to harness the power of 3D printing through strategic recruitment with Alexander Daniels Global
How is 3D Printing Used in the Packaging Industry?
Packaging typically has two primary functions. The first is to protect the product in transit by preventing wear and tear. The second is to make the product look desirable – attracting customers and creating memorable branding. But where does 3D printing come in?
Much like the aerospace and medical industries, 3D printing has revolutionized the packaging industry from the off-set. Over the last decade, the use of additive manufacturing in the packaging sector has accelerated significantly. Now, packaging isn’t limited to plastics and metals produced by external parties. Instead, it can be created from materials like wood, glass, food and carbon fiber in-house – though thermoplastics and industrial grade production plastics are still the most widely used materials in packaging.
The Process of 3D Printing Packaging Designs
In addition to diversifying production materials, additive manufacturing has also elevated the packaging production process. With the use of a 3D printer, production can be summarized in five simple steps:
- Design – CAD software is used to create bespoke designs for molds, packaging and/or replacement parts.
- Material selection – the appropriate target materials are selected to achieve the desired look and feel of the product.
- Filament selection – 3D printing filaments are then selected to match the target materials outlined in the previous step.
- Fabrication – the digital design is printed layer by layer, following the exact specifications outlined in the CAD design and material selection process.
- Evaluation – the final product is then tested and evaluated. If it’s a success, the product can used or scaled accordingly. If not, revisions are made to the original CAD design and the process begins again.
In turn, the production process has advanced beyond traditional manufacturing, enabling the following processes:
- The creation of machinery parts – 3D printers can produce machinery parts, such as robotic arms, that play a vital role in the packaging production process. Due to their innovative designs, these 3D printed parts are also lighter weight than traditional materials and more powerful when in use, resulting in a faster, more effective production process.
- Rapid prototyping – with the help of 3D printing, early-stage products can now be fast-tracked through development. Multiple mold designs and prototypes can be printed and evaluated at the same time, accelerating the development process and, ultimately, reducing time-to-market.
- Producing spare parts on demand – instead of relying on global suppliers, spare parts can now be made instantly with a 3D printer. In turn, manufacturers no longer have to pay an external company to supply replacement parts or wait for them to be delivered, saving them time and money whilst reducing the risk of downtime.
- Printing complex shapes – packaging, like the products they contain, comes in an infinite number of shapes, sizes and dimensions. However, with the adoption of 3D printers, manufacturers no longer have to pay extra for complex or unconventional shapes. Instead, businesses are able to develop unique designs without paying significantly more for their packaging.
- Enabling in-house fabrication – by printing their packaging in-house, corporations are able to manage the entire process internally, effectively reducing lead times and manufacturing costs whilst maintaining exclusive access to their designs.
Benefits of Using 3D Printing in the Packaging Industry
There are a number of printing technologies that can be used to fuel the packaging industry, such as stereolithography, fused deposition modelling and digital light processing. However, additive manufacturing provides additional benefits that traditional manufacturing now lacks:
- Reduced waste – plastic waste pollution creates multiple problems for the packaging industry. However, additive manufacturing helps to clean, dry, shred and extrude plastic into a printable filament, which can be easily recycled.
- Sustainability – There are a number of sustainable packaging materials that can be used when 3D printing, such as celluloid fibers and bio-thermoplastic elastomers, making the production process more sustainable and eco-friendly.
- Personalization – additive manufacturing also enables businesses to customize their packaging, allowing them to integrate their branding or customer messages into their designs on demand.
- Time and cost savings – with a reduction in production time, the cost of the packaging production process itself reduces, saving businesses both time and money in the long run.
Advancements in 3D Printing and the Packaging Industry
3D printing in the packaging industry continues to grow and evolve, with more and more enterprises adopting additive manufacturing techniques.
Famously, PepsiCo’s adoption of 3D printing for packaging circulated the news back in 2022 with the company’s Sr. Manager of Global Packaging R&D – Max Rodriguez – explaining in an article for TCT Magazine how the technology has helped them to stop outsourcing mold production for the bottles to external suppliers, bringing production in-house.
- 3D printing hits the spot: How PepsiCo is using AM to produce drink bottle tooling (source: TCT Magazine)
Since then, other famous corporations like Unilever have turned to resin 3D printing to produce their molds for plastic bottles. In the article by 3Dnatives, Flavio Migliarelli, R&D Design Manager at Serioplast Global Services, explains that 3D printed molds can save “up to 70% time and 90% cost” compared to standard molds – an invaluable advantage to market leaders.
But the advancements don’t stop there. In addition to global corporations adopting 3D printing processes, students around the globe are now trialing innovative ways to create sustainable 3D printing resins. An article from engineering.com details how a doctoral student from the University of Washington has been developing compostable packaging materials from coffee grounds and mushrooms. Whilst they’re still developing ways to make this process scalable, it highlights the ongoing growth and infinite potential of 3D printing in the packaging sector.
Hiring 3D Printing Professionals in the Packaging Industry
As an organization serving the packaging industry, you may be in the market to hire 3D printing specialists to expand your manufacturing solutions. Alternatively, you may be looking to expand your existing team to meet high demand from packaging customers. That’s where we can help.
At Alexander Daniels Global, we conduct direct sourcing through targeted headhunting to access inactive candidates alongside our database and extensive network of active candidates. To put it simply, we handle your 3D recruitment needs for you – putting the right candidates in front of you when you need them most.
Support for 3D Printing Professionals
If you are a packaging professional looking to make a move into additive manufacturing, get in touch or browse our career portal to apply for our varied open job vacancies.
For more information about how we can help, contact our team of expert recruiters today. We also have a wealth of HR resources to help you stay on top of hiring trends – download our Annual Additive Manufacturing Salary Survey based on data collected from AM professionals working in a range of industries.
