Sealed Air Sheds Light On Davis Neon's Packaging - Protective ...

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Sealed Air Sheds Light On Davis Neon’s Packaging
Davis Neon Experienced 62 Percent Savings in Material Costs
By Using Sealed Air’s Continuous Foam Tubes
DANBURY, Conn. (June 26, 2007) – At a 155,000 square-foot facility in Heath
Springs, S.C., Davis Neon Inc. – a leading wholesale neon-sign manufacturer – creates
custom-made neon signs from raw materials for shipments worldwide. For Dave Lytle, shipping
manager of Davis Neon, protecting the signs during shipment and saving on packaging-material
costs are of the utmost importance.
“We were using preformed polyethylene foam sheets which required a lot of storage
space and time to unload from the trucks,” stated Lytle. “We were keeping our eyes open for an
alternative packaging method which would provide comparable protection, yet reduce costs and
increase productivity.”
Due to his knowledge of the success Sealed Air has had using Instapak ® foam packaging
with neon signs, Ray Hill, sales representative of PakSouth, contacted Davis Neon to inquire
about its packaging methods. Hill met with Lytle to examine the company’s current packaging
process and address Lytle’s concerns about packaging and shipment costs. After discussing
possible solutions, Lytle agreed to use Instapak ® Continuous Foam Tubes made by the
SpeedyPacker Insight ® system to package the neon signs.
To produce continuous foam tubes (CFTs), the SpeedyPacker Insight ® system dispenses
a mixture of “A” component and “B” component into a SpeedyPacker ® film bag. When mixed,
the “A” and “B” components react with each other to create high-quality polyurethane packaging
foam on demand. The CFT feature allows the SpeedyPacker Insight ® system to seal the bag in
such a way that it produces small, tube-like shapes that can be placed where product protection is
needed. The tubes can be contiguous or produced in series, with or without film spacing between
them. The result is a “one-step” engineered package, made by the touch of a button. For even
greater efficiency on the packaging line, packagers can make the continuous foam tubes in
advance and store them for future use.
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Sealed Air/Davis Neon case study – page 2
“We take great pride in packaging our signs so they arrive at their destinations in the
same condition as they left the building,” stated Lytle. “The SpeedyPacker Insight ® system with
Instapak ® CFTs seemed like it might provide the protection and cost savings we were seeking.”
Emerging from the Dark
Before the SpeedyPacker Insight ® system was installed at Davis Neon, Sealed Air’s local
package design and development center provided pre-made Instapak ® CFT samples to determine
if the packaging method would be the right choice for the neon signs. After packaging with the
Instapak ® CFT samples and evaluating the results, Lytle decided to install a system for further
testing. The system was installed in September 2006 and, for the next three months, Davis Neon
conducted material-handling and cost-analysis testing.
“We not only discovered the Instapak ® CFT solution provided more than enough
protection to the signs during shipping, but we estimated the materials savings would be quite
significant,” stated Lytle. “As a result, we decided to switch to the SpeedyPacker Insight ® system
with Instapak ® CFT capability.”
Turning on the Light
Davis Neon employees create custom-made wood crates for each neon sign with
dimensions just large enough to house the sign, allowing for minimal movement. Out of
110 employees, 11 operate the shipping department and are responsible for making the wood
crates, packaging the signs and scheduling the shipments.
“The SpeedyPacker Insight ® system with CFT capability can create numerous variations
of foam bags and tubes, but we most often use 16-inch-wide tubes,” stated Lytle. “Since the
Instapak ® CFTs can be made and saved for later use, we fill a large, rolling container with
Instapak ® CFTs and transport them wherever they are needed to pack signs.”
Once the packaging department receives the neon sign components and creates the wood
crate, the packager puts a layer of Instapak ® CFTs on the bottom of the crate to form a bottom
pad. The first row-of-letters is placed “face down” onto the foam tubes and Bubble Wrap ®
cushioning is placed on the backs, in between and around the sides of the letters to provide
surface protection and prevent abrasion of the letters against the crate. Then the second row-ofletters
is placed on top of the Bubble Wrap ® cushioning “face up,” so the letters are back-toback.
The packager puts Instapak ® CFTs on top of the letters, and ties down boards over the
Instapak ® CFTs to keep the letters from moving during shipping. Lastly, the packager attaches
the lid to the crate, and the crate is shipped to the customer on dedicated trucks.
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Sealed Air/Davis Neon case study – page 3
Illuminating Results
Before implementing the SpeedyPacker Insight ® system with Instapak ® CFTs, the
packagers used preformed polyethylene foam sheets. Each sheet of polyethylene foam had to be
cut by hand to fit the crate for the bottom pad and top layer, as well as to fit in between and
around the letters.
“The preformed polyethylene foam sheets took a long time to cut, were expensive and
produced significant material waste,” stated Lytle. “During the testing phase of the new
packaging system, we estimated that materials costs would be reduced by one-third. After
working with the SpeedyPacker Insight ® system with Instapak ® CFTs for a few months, the
actual savings are 62 percent in material costs. We also have seen productivity increase by 20
percent.”
Now packagers are able to pack more crates in less time because they no longer spend
time cutting polyethylene foam to fit the package or cleaning tiny scraps of foam from the
packaging area at the end of the day. The packagers no longer spend several hours per week
unloading foam from trucks, resulting in a significant reduction in labor.
“We used to receive one to three truck-loads of preformed polyethylene foam sheets per
week, and it would take an operator two hours to unload the foam from the truck – which
included transporting it 80 feet for storage,” stated Lytle. “Now it only takes 5 minutes to change
the containers of Instapak ® foam and, because we don’t have to store truckloads of foam, there is
200 square feet of available space.”
About Davis Neon
Davis Neon Inc was founded in 1972 by Jim Davis with a primary focus of providing wholesale
neon to the sign industry. Within several years the product lines expanded to include complete
illuminated channel letters and sign cabinets. After Jim Davis’ retirement in 1992, Jamie and
Scott Davis assumed control of operations. Currently, Davis Neon employs 110 people in a
155,000 square feet facility located in Heath Springs, S.C. One of the nation’s premiere contract
manufacturers serving the sign industry, Davis Neon ships product nationwide and to a limited
number of offshore countries.
About Sealed Air
Sealed Air is a leading global manufacturer of a wide range of food and protective packaging
materials and systems. Sealed Air’s widely recognized and respected brands include Bubble
Wrap ® cushioning, Cryovac ® food packaging products, Jiffy ® protective mailers and Instapak ®
foam-in-place packaging. The Company’s products protect and preserve its customers’ products
from the plant or warehouse through the rigors of the distribution chain. Sealed Air’s industryleading
investment in research and development enables the Company to deliver innovative
packaging solutions that add measurable value to its customers’ businesses around the world. For
more information about Sealed Air, please visit the Company’s web site at www.sealedair.com.
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