The Big Three: Mechanical, Electronics & Optics

     In professional basketball there is an adage that two great players are good but a “big three” is needed to win championships. To apply this analogy to manufacturing, the “Big Three” can be deemed as mechanical, electronics, and optics, all functioning efficiently together for the final product to work as designed like a championship basketball team. Point of purchase equipment, bank machines, scanning equipment, inspection equipment, and robotics are all tools and equipment containing the “Big Three”.

     Each of the “Big Three” must function properly but, coming from a packaging point of view, they are different in their protection needs. Many distinct materials make up each of the “Big Three” and if a company wishes to transport and/or store this type of equipment to other climates around the planet, great care must be taken when choosing packaging materials.

     For instance, packaging that contains volatiles either for corrosion protection or electrostatic discharge protection, should not be used with optics, as stated in a Bell Labs Technical Journal article on the subject. Past problems has shown electronics and some metals should cause concerns with reacting to certain packaging volatiles. Additionally, have packaging folks truly considered all the potential problems, such as the changing the coefficient of friction on your electronics and mechanical parts which render them to be more apt to collect dust? The Military document DLAM4145.2 cautions for the use of volatile packaging with optics, some metals, plastics, painted parts, rubber (gaskets), mechanical items, assemblies, and sub-assemblies. Contact us for this document.

     A common misuse of packing materials in an export program is the “throw more at it" process; more desiccants, more volatiles, more layers of packaging films, and/or placing contrary types of packaging into the mix, such as an absorbent with a volatile. With overloading, desiccants do not distinguish between moisture vapor inside and unintentional drying out of a mechanical lubricant for instance.

   Also, with the “throw more at it” plan, desiccant overuse may pull outside air through the inevitable cracks, pinholes, even folds of a flexible foil vacuumed type packaging and that air may be filled with gases, dirt, and grime which may contaminate your equipment. Additionally, more consideration must be to using recyclable packing materials by regulation and for companies being a responsible global citizen. Mono-layered structures can be recycled.

     Using recyclable, mono-layered Intercept bags, shrouds, films will properly protect your “Big Three” so you're able to ship and/or store anywhere. An Intercept package creates a controlled micro-environment around your equipment:  balanced humidity, corrosion-free, ESD protection, mold and mildew protection, even a barrier to insects. Easy to install, inexpensive to use, complete protection free of problems.

Intercept is:  Optimal, Versatile, and Safe.

Find out more about Corrosion Intercept here.  And Static Intercept here.

Intercept Technology Packaging products fit within a sustainability strategy because they are reusable, recyclable, do not contain or use volatile components (No VOCs, Not a VCI) and leave a smaller carbon footprint than most traditional protective packaging products.