Contract Packaging Types and Terms

  • Bench assembly is a hand-packaging technique in which items are on a bench and packaged accordingly.
  • Blister packaging consists of a hard thermoformed bubble to hold the product to a back card for presentation.
  • Cartoning is the insertion of the product into the designed box, holder or enclosure for display and shipping.
  • Clam shell assembly and packaging is the process of creating the plastic clam shells and inserting and sealing the items inside. Clam shell assembly is typically an automated process.
  • Custom packaging tailors packaging design to the needs of a specific product or company.
  • Die cutting (http://www.diecutting.net) is a packaging process that produces a label shape using the cutting edge of a die.
  • Fulfillment services deal with the organization of various production duties, such as material handling, inventory control, assembly and transportation.
  • Packaging design refers to the characteristics of a certain package.
  • Pharmaceutical packaging is the packaging of medical substances with regard to FDA regulations and requirements.
  • Polybagging is the placing of a product into a polybag and sealing it with heat.
  • RF (Radio Frequency) sealing is using radio frequency to permanently seal a clamshell package.
  • Shrink packaging is a common packaging method in which the product is wrapped in shrink film and then heated so that the film shrinks to the size and shape of the product. Shrink packaging provides a more secure and tamper resistant layer.
  • Skin packaging is pulling a film tightly over a product that is on a card. Heat is used to adhere the film to the card and to create a transparent covering.
  • Stretch packaging is a combination of blister, skin, clamshell and shrink wrapping, which is often seen with batteries and small toys.

Adhesive - A material capable of holding materials together by exterior attachment.

Back Card - A card, usually made of cardboard or paper, to which a product is mounted or secured for certain types of packaging, like blister or skin. Back cards can be custom printed and have special adhesives for product or other packaging elements.

Bale - A unit of compressed items or materials bound together with cord, strapping or metal ties. Bales may also be wrapped and bundled.

Boxboard - A term that refers to the differing grades of folding and scoring properties to create boxes. Boxboards are delivered to the contract packaging company in flat sheets.

Clam Shell - A plastic packaging device with two sides and a folding hinge, which encloses and seals an item inside like a clam.

Can - A small primary packaging item, usually made of metal.

Closure - The means by which a container is sealed and its contents retained.

Collating - The sorting and/or assembly of items.

Contract Assembly - Hirable services for the construction or gathering of a product.

Corrugated - A term that refers to paper-based board that has one or more sheets of fluted paper glued to one or more flat sheets of board.

Die (http://www.diecutting.net) - Any of a variety of tools or devices used for cutting material to a desired shape.

FDA (Food and Drug Administration) - An organization that sets standards and regulations for the packaging of food.

Gloss - A shiny finish on a smooth surface, such as vinyl or paint.

Hand Assembly - The putting together of products through manual labor or the combination of manual and automated labor.

Heat Sealing - A process in which heat is used to fasten together two substrates.

Jar - Small, hard packaging that has a wide mouth and is made typically of glass, ceramic or plastic.

Outsourcing - Sending a product to a contract supplier, packager or assembler for their services.

Pack Out - The last step for a product before it is shipped out.

Pick & Pack - A shipping term for taking a product from inventory and packing it and preparing it for shipping.

Relabeling - Putting a new label over an old label on a product or replacing the existing label with a new label.

Reverse Logistics - Processing returned goods and reworking or repackaging them to new standards.

Screen Printing - A process of printing in which the ink is forced through the image area of a properly stretched fabric by the use of a squeegee or, in some cases, air pressure directly onto the surface to be printed.

Secondary Operation - An action that must be performed following the line process, as it needs special attention.

Strapping - A flexible piece of strip material that is normally flat or circular in cross section, and is used as reinforcement in a larger bale or bundle or to secure items for packaging within a container.

Stretch Wrap - Material that expands when applied under pressure and recovers while conforming to the item packaged.