Primex Design & Fabrication Automates Sleeve Production

May 19, 2017

Richmond, Indiana – Primex Design & Fabrication (formerly Woodruff Corporation), the leading manufacturer of reusable, returnable and fully recyclable plastic totes, shipping containers, point of purchase displays and retail packaging, has automated its production process for the manufacture of its Bubble-X™ Sleeve Pak durable sleeves for shipping.

According to Doug Borgsdorf, unit director for Primex Design & Fabrication and Primex Color, Compounding & Additives (Jasper, Tenn.), “our new process allows us to cut production time of our Sleeve Paks by 50 percent, providing vastly improved delivery times to our customers while increasing consistency and overall quality.”.

Combined with a matching pallet and cover, Sleeve Pak is the perfect lightweight, returnable, reusable and recyclable solution. Primex’s multi-layer bubble board delivers protective rigidity along with moisture and chemical resistance. All surfaces of the Bubble-X Sleeve Pak are smooth and can be printed to ensure brand integrity.

Primex Sleeve Paks can be used up to 10 times before recycling versus the one-time use of corrugated paper containers, Additionally, the extremely durable nature of the unique plastic bubble board prevents damage in shipping, providing a much better appearance to end-users. Since Primex Sleeve Paks can be folded flat, they require minimal space for storage and return shipment. Bubble-X Sleeve Pak is made from recyclable polypropylene and comes in a variety of standard sizes and custom colors.

Bubble-X’s unique co-extrusion structure creates a double-walled, three-dimensional board that is stronger and more durable than corrugated paperboard construction, resulting in exceptional strength to weight ratio. “The multi-layer sheet extrusion process allows us to tailor the sheet properties based on the end user’s needs,” said Dan Purpura, process development engineering manager for Primex Plastics.

Bubble-X is the only product of its type manufactured in North America, thus allowing Primex to produce custom sizes, features, wall thicknesses and other properties for their customers and provide rapid delivery for very specific applications from its five North American distribution centers.

Since its introduction last year, Sleeve Pak has become one of Primex Design & Fabrication’s leading products. “The investment in improved speed and quality is already paying off as we promote Sleeve Pak through a variety of channels including our team of 25 sales people throughout the U.S. and Canada, said Borgsdorf.

The Bubble-X Sleeve Pak is part of an entire shipping solution which includes pallets, covers and customized internal components such as foam inserts and dividers. Primex Design & Fabrication custom-formulates the Bubble-X board to include customer-specific characteristics such as UV protection, anti-stat and vapor inhibitors. All edges, locking holes, and doors of the sleeve can be sealed. There are two standard door sizes available.