PC Hardware Company Reduces Protective Wrapping Material by 61% with SoftLayer

PC Hardware Company Reduces Protective Wrapping Material by 61% with SoftLayer

A UK PC hardware company reviewed its traditional bubble-wrap process with Severn Packaging to find a more space-efficient way to protect computer equipment and components during distribution. A like-for-like packing trial compared standard bubble wrap with SoftLayer inflatable wrapping and recorded a 61% reduction in material length for the tested application.

The Customer

The customer supplies PC hardware and related equipment to business and technology users across the UK. Its warehouse team packs products of different sizes and values, making reliable surface protection, straightforward handling and efficient use of packing space important to the operation.

The company has not been named in this case study at its request.

The Challenge

Traditional bubble wrap provided the required cushioning, but the pre-inflated rolls occupied considerable warehouse and packing-area space. The customer wanted to assess whether an on-demand inflatable wrapping material could maintain suitable protection while using less material and reducing storage requirements.

The trial focused on four practical objectives:

• Protecting the same representative PC hardware product.
• Comparing the material length required by each wrapping method.
• Reducing the storage space occupied by bulky pre-inflated rolls.
• Maintaining a simple wrapping process for warehouse operators.

The Severn Packaging Solution

Severn Packaging arranged a like-for-like wrapping assessment using the customer’s normal bubble wrap and SoftLayer inflatable wrapping. SoftLayer is supplied flat on a compact roll and inflated only when required, producing a flexible connected-cell material that can be folded, layered and wrapped around products.

The comparison used the same product and assessed the amount of material needed to create a suitable finished pack. The warehouse team could also compare the compact uninflated SoftLayer roll with the volume occupied by conventional bubble-wrap rolls.

The Results

61% Less Material Length in the Trial

The original pack used 3.4 metres of standard bubble wrap. The SoftLayer alternative used 1.3 metres, reducing the material length by 2.1 metres—or approximately 61%—for the tested application.

This result relates to the specific product, protection requirement and wrapping method used during the trial. Results will vary between applications, which is why Severn Packaging recommends representative packing tests before changing materials.

Substantially Lower Storage Requirement

Unlike traditional bubble wrap, SoftLayer remains flat until it reaches the inflation system. Compact rolls therefore replace large volumes of material that would otherwise be stored already inflated, releasing useful warehouse and pack-bench space.

Flexible Product Wrapping

The connected air-cell structure flexed around the product and provided coverage across surfaces, edges and corners. Operators could separate the required length and adapt the wrap to the individual item rather than working with a fixed protective format.

On-Demand Material at the Packing Point

Inflating material when it is needed helped create a cleaner, more controlled packing process. SoftLayer can be generated at an individual bench or supplied through a delivery system serving several packing positions.

Key Project Benefits

• 1.3 metres of SoftLayer used instead of 3.4 metres of standard bubble wrap in the trial.
• 61% less material length for the tested PC hardware application.
• Compact flat rolls reduce warehouse and pack-bench storage requirements.
• Material is inflated only when required.
• Flexible connected cells wrap around surfaces, edges and corners.
• Perforated sections support controlled material use.
• 400mm and 800mm formats available for different product sizes.
• Recycled-content film options available for suitable applications.
• Application testing helps confirm protection and material usage before implementation.

Warehouse Manager Comment

“The comparison made the difference very clear. We used considerably less length of SoftLayer on the test pack, but the biggest operational benefit was seeing how one compact roll compared with the volume of bubble wrap we normally have to store. It gives us a practical way to protect the hardware while keeping the packing area easier to manage.”

Warehouse Manager
UK PC Hardware Company

Severn Packaging Comment

“This trial demonstrates why protective packaging should be assessed as a complete process rather than by comparing the rolls in isolation. For this particular PC hardware pack, SoftLayer reduced the material length from 3.4 metres to 1.3 metres while also addressing the customer’s storage challenge. Every product and distribution route is different, so we use representative trials to establish the right film format, inflation level and wrapping method before recommending a change.”

Lee Williams
Sales Director, Severn Packaging

Assessing an Alternative to Traditional Bubble Wrap

SoftLayer is designed for businesses that need flexible surface protection without storing large quantities of pre-inflated bubble wrap. Severn Packaging can test representative products, compare current and proposed material usage and recommend the most appropriate film width, inflation system and delivery arrangement.

The aim is not simply to replace one material with another, but to create a protective packaging process that works efficiently at the packing bench and throughout storage, handling and distribution.