Designing a Package that Works
2 Student teams act as engineers and brainstorm, design, build and test their ideas for packaging to protect a raw egg shipped in a 9 x 12-in envelope. They follow the steps of the engineering design process and aim for a successful solution with no breakage, low weight and recyled/reuse materials. Students come to understand the basics of engineering associated with the packaging of items to preserve, market and safely transport goods. Good packaging, in terms of minimal damage to the shipped item, is often wasteful and uses excess materials. These materials are also often bulky and can be difficult to recycle. Packaging designers are continually testing and implementing new ideas in order to overcome high cost and recycling issues. Engineers who work in this field include materials engineers, environmental engineers and chemical engineers. environment packaging shipping Make decisions related to advantages and disadvantages of products and processes. Use resources (people, references, Internet) to gain knowledge. Consider environmental impact on design. examples of packaged goods, for discussion 1 sheet of paper, on which to draw their packages 1 plain white 9 x 12-in envelope 1 plastic sandwich bag 1 raw egg assorted materials such as: cardboard, scrap paper, newspaper, cotton balls, scissors, masking tape, aluminum foil, Styrofoam peanuts, and bubble wrap When an item is shipped from one location to another, either from a manufacturer to you as a consumer, or something from you to a friend or relative, it is important that the item not be damaged in transit. The ShipItQuick Company is looking to hire a new packaging engineer. As part of the application process they are evaluating actual package designs, based on using a 9 x 12-in envelope, from each applicant. So, today, you will design and build a package for safely shipping a raw egg in a 9 x 12-in envelope. You will use design criteria that engineers use, including transit with no breakage, low weight, and a recycle/re-use component. And, you will follow the steps of the traditional engineering design process, which helps us pose key questions to approach the problem as engineers would, in order to find good solutions. A series of steps that engineering teams use to guide them as they solve problems. Steps include: understand the need, brainstorm different designs, select a design, plan how it will work, create and test prototypes, continue improving the design until it is acceptable. To use something over again. Background While many items that are shipped are not fragile, such as paper documents, effective packaging in terms of minimizing waste is still an important criterion. Safe shipping of fragile items is critical to businesses and consumers. The design of effective packages includes structural support and cushioning. Cost-effective packages use a single type of cushioning that is light and easy to manufacture or obtain. Some examples include foam peanuts, small, linked airbags, blowing a foam that hardens in the container around the item (which is wrapped in plastic to protect it), and pre-formed Styrofoam molds to hold the item (most often found for packaging of electronics such as TVs, radios, stereos, etc.). Packaging ideas that are good for recycling include shredded newspaper, popcorn, and packing peanuts from biodegradeable potato starch. Students are asked to create a new idea, or use one they think will be best, for packaging a raw egg in a 9 x 12-in envelope. Their challenge is to ship a fragile item and make sure it arrives safely. Along with the safe arrival of the item, they are tasked with creating and efficient, Earth-friendly solution that minimizes materials. Before the Activity Gather materials and make copies of the worksheet. Put each raw egg into a sandwich bag and loosely tape it closed. This is to help prevent major messes! With Students Part 1: Package Design and Construction Discuss the types of packaging available. Give each team a set of packaging supplies, a piece of paper, and Worksheet A: Packaging Evaluation Sheet. How would engineers approach this challenge? Review the steps of the engineering design process to get ideas for how to proceed. Have teams brainstorm and draw pictures of how they plan to package the egg. After drawing the design, give students an egg in a plastic bag, and a 9 x 12-in envelope. Have students construct their packages with eggs inside based on their drawings. Have students begin to fill in the information on Worksheet A. Have students weigh and measure the packing materials. Discuss what types of tests might be used to determine if a package is effective. What would a "successful" packaging look like? Part 2: Packaging Testing Have students, with the assistance of adult helpers, begin testing their packages according to Worksheet A instructions, and fill in their results. Have each team put its package into a 9 x 12-in envelope after weighing and measuring it. Create a table on the board so teams can record their results. Make the following column titles: Team Name, Total Weight of Package, Total Measurements, Number of "Yes" Answers. Have the teacher or leader identify the best package by looking for the lightest weight, the smallest linear measurements and most number of "yes" answers. Mention that cost is another factor that engineers consider in developing a good package even though it was not discussed in this project. After this testing is complete, compare the packaging designs that were effective. Discuss the similarities and differences. Why is it difficult to create completely Earth-friendly packaging? What would students change if they were to redesign their packages? Conclude with a discussion about how students approached the problem like engineers. Worksheet A: Packaging Evaluation Sheet (doc) Worksheet A: Packaging Evaluation Sheet (pdf) What are the advantages of lighter packages? (They weigh less and so cost less to ship. They typically contain less material that needs to be recycled. For large items, not as much gas is required for transporting them. For small items, less postage is required.) What are the disadvantages of lighter packages? (There is less mass to absorb sudden shocks to the package during shipping [such as being dropped].) What advantage does a pre-formed internal item holder provide? (It holds the item in securely place so that it is equally protected on all sides.) Pre-Activity Assessment Observe student participation in the discussion on types of packaging available. Activity Embedded Assessment Observe student participation within groups. Make sure all groups have completed their drawings before constructing their packages. Post-Activity Assessment Have students critique their own designs. Have them write paragraphs about what worked well and what they would change or improve. Make a poster of all the types of packaging you find in your home. This can include packaging for shipping, marketing, and product life. Students can share information about the type of packaging they believe to be effective. Research shipping companies such as Mailboxes Etc., FedEx, USPS and UPS. What ideas are they implementing to ship products safely with minimal waste and cost? For upper level students, have them factor cost into their designs. The lower the cost, the better. Digital Music: Coming to a Landfill Near You http://environment.about.com/od/earthtalkcolumns/a/digitalmusic.htm CalRecycle shipping and packaging articles that include general packaging reduction techniques http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/ReduceWaste/Coordinator/Articles/ShipPack.htm#02c