Ranpak has consolidated itself as one of the world’s leading sustainable packaging companies.  Its wide range of 100% recyclable packaging materials and automated packaging solutions has earned them considerable success globally.

Now, the company is taking one step further,  announcing the global launch of the Cut’it!™ EVO, an in-line packaging machine that promises to transform end-of-line packaging, offering at least a 25% reduction in outgoing box dimensions. Thus, saving storage and shipping costs for companies all over the world and, at the same time, turning packaging into a more sustainable industry.

That’s why we decided to talk to Paul Spronken, Product Manager of Automation at Ranpak, to explain what the Cut’it!  EVO exactly is. 

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What is the Cut’it! EVO?

“The Cut’it! EVO is part of the end-of-line packaging solution that Ranpak offers. It is an automated and sustainable packaging solution that is also easy to use and implement. First, you can automatically erect a box with a box-erecting machine, our Form’it!  machine, for example. Then the box will be sent to a picking area where the goods (and, if needed, cushioning material)  are added to the box. Hereafter, the box with the goods arrives at our height reduction and box-closing machine, the  Cut’it! EVO, which automatically reduces box heights by scanning the highest point of filling, cutting the corners of the box, folding the created flaps, and glueing a lid on the box,” says Paul. 

“The Cut’it! EVO optimises the size of the box to match the size of the products inside. On average, the Cut’it!  EVO provides at least a 25% volumetric efficiency in each  packaging.” 

What’s Cut’it! EVO’s main competitive advantage?

 “The main competitive advantage is the fact that we offer an automated box-closing solution with integrated height  

reduction to perfectly fit the product. By combining automation with height reduction, we increase productivity while reducing the need for labour. At the same time, we  reduce shipping volume and improve sustainability for the  environment.” 

But the machine also offers a lot of other things that are not normally present in an end-of-line packaging solution, right?

“Yes. The Cut’it! EVO machine provides KPI data reporting, remote assistance, (online) support, and a video camera system, among other perks. This information is incredibly valuable at the end of the line of any packaging operation because the end of the packaging process is vital: a bottleneck there can quickly escalate and seriously harm the ability to deliver on-time. It is more than just a  packaging machine; it is a system that provides you with  information about your packaging logistics and is aimed at  providing efficiency.”

How much is this efficiency we talk about?

“The Cut’it! EVO offers a solution that can substitute up to  10+ human packers per line. This means that, during peak periods, companies can count on Cut’it! EVO’s efficiency and don’t need to hire a lot of additional warehouse staff,  which precisely because of the peak periods is scarce and expensive. Therefore, having a Cut’it! EVO in your end of-line has a guarantee of possessing a flexible capability in case of peak seasons.  

Additionally, switching from crash-lock boxes to regular boxes can save about 25% on corrugated costs. Our integrated height reduction saves 25% of the truck space required, significantly reducing delivery costs due to the volumetric reduction in height. Which, in turn, results in less CO2 emissions. Also, keep in mind that this height reduction is an estimated percentage that indeed increases as the box gets bigger. This means that companies that, for example, work with furniture, will benefit even more from this. Another unique part of the Cut’it! EVO is that within a day, we can change the footprint at the request of the customer. So it is pretty future-proof,” Paul continues. 

A solution design to fit each market needs

Launching the Cut’it! EVO has been a complex yet enlightening labour for Ranpak. Not only is the technology a state-of-the-art solution, but it also offers a level of efficiency never before seen in the packaging industry. So with a product this good, is it only normal to wonder, has it been easy to launch it globally? 

Paul shares with us the key lessons learned by Ranpak during this international launch and offers us a deep insight into the ever-changing universe of e-commerce.

In light of the global launch of Cut’it! EVO, have you found that all markets are similar or not?

“All markets are different and, furthermore, have different levels of maturity. The need for automation with height reduction, for example, is different. Sustainability has been a  very important topic in Europe, at least for the last ten years,  while it is not necessarily the same situation in other regions. 

In North America, for example, sustainability as a really important topic is quite new in that market. So we need to talk at a different level with them. All in all, we can say that packaging automation is a pretty relevant issue all over the world, but then the specifics of it are different in each region,  and we need to adapt the product to the particular interest of each market,” Paul concludes.

We could then say that packing automation is the one thing that all markets have in common?

“Yes, and for many of our customers, packaging automation was a new thing. Due to the nature of modern e-commerce and its rapid growth, they were kind of forced into automation. Therefore, with the Cut’it! EVO launch,  we learned that it is not just a matter of selling them an automated solution, a machine, but also helping them and enabling these customers to get the most out of Ranpak solutions. We need to empower them.” 

How is this empowerment done? 

“If you launch a product and you are truly committed to  providing a solution to your customers, you need to offer  training, guidelines, go-live support, and online resources for  your customer to understand the maintenance aspects of the  machine that you are selling them, and help them extract  the maximum productivity of the solution.”

Now that you mention it, is the maintenance of the  Cut’it! EVO too complex?

“Not at all. But that’s another learning we had. We have noticed that many times, the customers are not fully aware of the maintenance required for automation equipment in general. So alongside the launch, and as part of our empowerment program, we have added tools to help them learn when, how, and furthermore, why they should do the things they need to do in order to maintain peak performance and make the most out of their Cut’it! EVO.” 

Have you noticed any trends that might prove interesting for the future of packing?

“For example, a trend we noticed recently is that customers invest more and more effort in the design of the box and corresponding lid. So our customers can print whatever they want on the inside or outside of the box, adding a visual element of their brand when the packages arrive at the customer. Also, a glued lid on a height-reduced box means stronger, tamper-proof, and easy-to-return packages. Custom lid design allows boxes to be easily opened and also reliably closed for better protection during returned shipments.

Finally, another discovery was that our customers need to change their mindset about the way they package. Because it is different from the way they plan the packaging process when a height reduction is an option. It’s a far more  efficient way of packaging.” 

If you had to choose one lesson from the Cut’it! EVO  launch, which would it be? 

“One of the biggest lessons we learned from the launch in  Europe was that nowadays, the unboxing experience is fast becoming one of the most important parts of e-commerce.  

Companies and customers value a high-quality unboxing experience because, in the e-commerce business, the box is many times the only physical contact point between the brand and the end consumer. 

Thus, having a high degree of protection but also offering an easy and elegant way of opening—all while saving costs and creating more sustainable packaging—is really well received by the end consumer, and it represents a more cost-efficient solution for the brand. The Cut’it! EVO is a  win-win innovation for the brand, the end consumer, and the environment,” Paul concludes. •• 

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CONCORD TOWNSHIP, Ohio – May 10, 2022 – Ranpak Holdings Corp. (“Ranpak”) (NYSE: PACK), a global leader in environmentally sustainable, paper-based packaging solutions for e-commerce and industrial supply chains, will be unveiling the next generation of its Cut’it! EVO™ in-line packaging machine at LogiMAT, the international trade show for intralogistics solutions and process management, scheduled for 31 May to 2 June in Stuttgart, Germany.

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Cut’it! EVO delivers a most innovative approach to the packing process: once the products are packed, the machine determines the highest filling point of the carton, cuts excess cardboard, and automatically applies a glued lid, resulting in a box ready for palletizing and shipping. The outcome is a smaller box, faster and leaner operations, and lower shipping costs thanks to the optimized box sizes. Easy-to-open tamper-proof parcels with tear-off strips further enhance the customer unboxing experience. A few key new features and capabilities for this next-generation automated system, which was completely redesigned, include improved reliability and productivity, and easier operation and maintenance. Additionally, online access to real-time data for insights into the operation, and online assistance enable technical support to directly access the system when needed. The system also features large transparent sliding doors that make it easy to observe inside the machine while it is operating as well as for ease of maintenance. Ranpak will be located in Hall 5, Stand A65, at the show. 

The introduction of the enhanced Cut’it! EVO is a critical step in Ranpak’s plan to expand into a wider range of automation solutions. Part of a complete packing line, which will be viewable via a unique VR experience at the booth, the Cut’it! EVO packaging machine uses sustainable paper packaging solutions.

“Cut’it! EVO processes up to 15 boxes per minute,” said Paul Spronken, Product Manager Automation of Ranpak. “It is a flexible solution that enables companies to follow the evolution of the packing needs, which includes the ability to pack an average of 25% more boxes per truckload, thereby reducing the number of trucks needed by up to 25%. Cut’it! EVO is easy to integrate into any packing operation with minimum impact on floor space, runs at high speed, and reduces the need for labor and/or temporary staff, increasingly important in today’s difficult hiring and retention environment. The system can be configured for a wide variety of box sizes, ranging from 150x230mm up to 450x650mm. For larger boxes, Cut’it! XXL is available.”

Improved Reliability and Ease of Use

The all-new design of Cut’it! EVO is configured with three processing stations: measurement, cutting & creasing, and folding/lid application. By configuring these as separate processes, the system can handle higher throughput with increased reliability. In addition, the new design features limited mechanical movement for a reduced need for maintenance. 

The easy-to-use 12-inch color user interface is ergonomically designed and can be operated from either side of the machine. The updated system includes integrated error recovery routines for fast problem-solving. 

New Generation Features and Connectivity 

Cut’it! EVO fits in with the latest trends that will be on display at LogiMAT, including digitization. This next-generation solution, which was entirely redesigned, features many improvements that increase reliability, productivity, and uptime, in addition to access to online support. Its 12-inch color user interface and integrated cameras also make it easier for operators to manage the operation of the equipment and ensure optimum quality. For problem resolution and quality assurance purposes, the camera system can store up to 40 hours’ worth of video. In addition, integrated, laser-based measuring devices detect bulky, overfilled boxes, handling them selectively to prevent the system from jamming. Different integration options are available depending on the customer’s logistical layout. The updated, modern design, including its large transparent sliding doors, provides easy access to all areas of the machine for optimal maintenance

Easy to Integrate

The next-generation Cut’it! EVO in-line packaging machine was developed based upon Ranpak’s 50 years of sustainable packaging experience together with robust feedback from customers using Ranpak equipment in the field. This information enables the Ranpak engineering team to ensure ongoing improvements to performance and to be able to adapt each machine exactly to customer requirements. This often includes recommendations for third-party solutions that can be integrated to deliver enhanced functionality, such as a variety of conveyors and robotics solutions. One example is Ranpak’s partnership with Caja Robotics which provides complimentary technology for order fulfillment. Together, these two solutions optimize fulfillment processes starting when e-commerce orders are placed and received for picking, to packing and shipping when the order is ready, thereby combining depalletization, picking and packing capabilities. Other partners are engaged as needed or as dictated by the customer’s unique requirements or integrator preferences. This approach positions Ranpak as the preeminent end-of-line expert for distribution centers of all types and sizes.

For more information about Ranpak, please visit www.ranpak.com.

Note to journalists: To schedule a one-on-one meeting with Ranpak experts at the show, please contact monika.d@duomedia.com or +49171 2049157.

About Ranpak 

Founded in 1972, Ranpak's goal was to create the first environmentally responsible system to protect products during shipment. Ranpak’s mission is to deliver sustainable packaging solutions that help improve supply chain performance and costs, reduce environmental impact, and support a variety of growing business needs globally. The development and improvement of materials, systems, and total solution concepts have earned Ranpak a reputation as an innovative leader in e-commerce and industrial supply chain solutions. Ranpak is headquartered in Concord Township, Ohio, and has approximately 850 employees. Additional information about Ranpak can be found on its website: https://www.ranpak.com.

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The General Sales Manager of Ranpak Australia, Peter Forsyth said: “We are humbled by the recognition. It is an honour to know that our industry peers have judged our work to be positively impactful in ways that support the environmental practices our company was founded on.”

WrapPak Protector

Ranpak’s 100% paper-based solution, the WrapPak Protector™, was recognised in the competition for its insulation abilities compared to plastic-based alternatives. The paper insulation pads are formed with a unique stitching process that traps air between two sheets of kraft paper. This helps to insulate and maintain a consistent temperature for the delivery of food, meat and other cold products. Unlike other competing products (made of plastic), the paper material of which the pads are made is completely curbside recyclable.

According to Forsyth: “WrapPak Protector™ is an optimal solution for retailers and perishable products distributors. It’s a completely on demand product at the packing stations, so it eliminates the need to store bulky coolers and panels, freeing up floor space. It’s a winning product, from the shipper’s floor to its disposal at the other end of the line.”

Worldstar Packaging Awards

The winning entries in the PIDA Awards will move on to the Worldstar Packaging Awards, which is one of the major events of the World Packaging Organisation. This worldwide organisation was founded in 1968 to encourage the development of packaging technology, science, access and engineering in contributing to the development of international trade and stimulating education and training in packaging.

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The way we take care of our environment has been a hot topic all over the world for quite some time. Just think about the discussion on pollution in the oceans and the huge amount of plastic waste that is produced. 

The environment is sending a wake-up call to the world, governments worldwide finally seem to be willing to hear it. While plastic is ruining nature and ocean life, the best defence is to use less of it and to make sure that it won’t stay the easiest option for everyone.

Cross-border e-commerce: The Power of Paper

What is the power of paper. Paper is one of the most sustainable products as it is made from renewable resources. It is biodegradable and can cycle back in its original source for renewable energy. As trees grow they absorb CO2 from the atmosphere. Furthermore, as a wood product, paper also continues to store carbon throughout its lifetime. It is a non-toxic biodegradable material. Biodegradable Biodegradation is the process by which biological organisms break down substances into basic compounds like CO2, water, and biomass. For natural items like paper this process can take as little as a week to a few months. Other man-made products, like plastics, can take so long to degrade that for all practical purposes they are considered non-biodegradable.

Download the full whitepaper on Ranpak's site. Find out more here.

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Have you ever ordered frozen food online? If so, you can imagine how unsatisfying it would be to receive your frozen veggies completely defrosted? Keeping food products chilled or frozen is a challenge that lots of online food retailers struggle with. There are solutions like plastic, or expensive EPS boxes, but these do not meet the sustainable standards of today and tomorrow. To think about more sustainable alternatives, we talk to Dan Roumen, Product Manager Thermal Packaging at Ranpak.

The growing food market Food is a booming business. All day, every day, people are consuming food. As the market is this large, it is surprising to see that selling food online has grown at a much slower rate than markets like clothing and consumer electronics. In the last couple of years, the market has been catching up, and is now growing quicker than ever. Statista found that the current size of the world’s food market is expected to be $82,714m in 2018*1, which is expected to grow 10.7% per year, resulting in a market volume of $137,596m by 2023. The largest segment of the food market is the restaurant-to-consumer delivery market, with a total volume of $65.302m dollar in 2018. On a global scale, the Chinese food market is the largest in terms of turnover ($32,908m in 2018).

As the above mentioned research shows, the market is flourishing. However, there are some challenges both B2B and B2C food markets still face. One of these challenges is that a lot of food is distributed chilled or frozen. Therefore, packaging solutions that offer proper thermal protection are very important. According to Roumen, requests were filed to see if a more sustainable solution could be created. “These requests focused mainly on the question of how to keep products cold, while keeping them packaged securely. Paper is a very sustainable product which can be recycled completely and its strength makes it a perfect product to use in packaging. We created a hypothesis that paper could be used as an insulating material.”

Study temperature

In the past, solutions such as EPS boxes have been developed to keep food cold, however the boxes are far from environmental friendly. “With the knowledge that the demand for a more sustainable solution was rising, we started with our partner Antalis UK to perform research on an environmentally friendly solution. Our ultimate goal: reduce costs and create a sustainable, new kind of thermal protection that is easy to use, flexible and fully recyclable, while realising a cost reduction,” says Roumen. To offer such a solution, it is important to have a good look at all variables that need to be taken into account. “One of the most important is – obviously – the temperature profiles of the packed products. Secondly, transport and storage might differ, so these must be considered as well,” explains Roumen.

A third important variable is the “Phase Change Materials” (PCMs) and insulating materials that are being used. “We designed the tests that we wanted to perform to see if we could validate our hypotheses,” Roumen tells. “We designed WrapPak paper, a thick 70 grams waved-layers paper variant and performed temperature tests in climate chambers. While the paper was originally designed for cushioning purposes, it proved its functionality for this solution as well. Our test investigated the differences in temperature when filling the boxes with the products and one, two or three layers of the WrapPak paper as insulating materials, compared to boxes filled with foil bubble, liners, EPS panels or boxes. The results proved that the paper filling kept the products at least an equivalent period as cool or cooler for a longer period, while at the same it was more flexible and cheaper to ship the products. Regarding EPS solutions, the paper solution is much more sustainable, as it is completely recyclable, renewable and biodegradable. More layers of paper can be used to increase the insulating rate; in warmer periods an additional layer of paper can be applied.” The concluding results of the research Ranpak performed indicated that paper was a great alternative. It can be used combined with dried ice or with gel packs. “A big advantage of this paper solution is that it is easily adaptable to any size of box compared to traditional packaging techniques. It reduces the amount of filling materials used and the paper is fully recyclable, making it a cost-reducing sustainable alternative,” Roumen explains.

With a solution at hand, Ranpak started the implementation of their new solution. Diet Chef, a company that focuses on helping people who wish to lose weight by creating their meals for them, is one of the first to start with the WrapPack paper solution. “We created a machine to make the use of the paper even easier. Diet Chef now uses an ideal combination of box size and filling material which is provided by the machine in the exact amounts. It required decent training for all packers, but as the process is simple, they quickly knew how our solution worked. So far, they have provided us with extremely positive feedback,” Roumen concludes. ••

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Henk Teunissen, CEO and founder of Rivièra Maison talks to us what it means to create an experience on all consumer touchpoints.

It all started in a flower shop…

It did. In 1975, I started to work in my parents’ flower shop. Ten years later I became the owner. During that time, I bought a container of pots in Malaysia and sold them in the Netherlands. They were extremely popular. It was the start of us selling home decoration. A few years later, in 1993, we opened our first store, selling furniture and decoration. Nowadays, we have eighteen stores in the Netherlands, four in Germany, two in Norway and a total of more than 600 outlets worldwide.

What about Rivièra Maison’s e-commerce adventure?

Until 2012, our webstore worked as a franchise organisation. Online was not as important as it is now, and besides that, we didn’t have a lot of knowledge about it. It was in 2013 when we really started working with the webshop, which we combined with our website a year later. Now our shop is running on a Magento platform and it is our biggest shop. Cross-border, our German webshop is growing continuingly, together with the growth of our brand.

What are the challenges for you in the sector of furniture and decoration?

One of our biggest challenges is to remain innovative in terms of design and style, because if we fail to renew ourselves, we will notice this instantly. Another challenge is to keep growing cross-border. We offer a full concept, all based on experience – we try to express that both online and offline. Customers want to be able to shop on a convenient time for them, at any place and any time they wish.

How do you support your e-commerce business operationally?

We have an in-house e-commerce team that focuses on the daily online business. To provide the same service online as we have in our brick stores, we have hired a customer service team to help answer questions and help our customers. Besides that, we reorganised our logistic processes so we can handle more webshop orders. We have also looked at the way we were packing our products and the packing materials we were using, as some of our products are very fragile and we have been considering the possibilities to pack them in a way to minimalize the occurrence of damage. We have partnered with Ranpak, who were able to provide us with packing materials we could use for all our fragile products.

Riviera Maison focuses on an unpacking experience. How do you do that?

At Rivièra Maison, everything is about creating a vibe and experience. One of these aspects is unpacking a webshop order. We pack each online order in a special designed Rivièra Maison box, as opposed to a standard brown box. When opening the box, customers smell a scent of our Rivièra Maison home fragrance, the Ibiza fragrance. Ordered products are packed in liquid paper, accompanied by some small decoration depending on the season. In fall, we add pinecones, in summer it’s shells.

What is the big benefit of this unpacking experience?

Customers recognize our way of packing – they experience this as a little party. Besides that, our customers can identify that we have sent them their order. The Ibiza fragrance is also spread in our stores and as all of our boxes get a little bit of this fragrance, they get the real Rivièra Maison feeling. The way of packing and the decoration make it a unique experience when you get your order delivered at home. We provide the same experience in our stores, where gifts are beautifully and exuberantly packed.

Where do you see Riviera Maison in five years?

We want to grow, mainly in Germany and Scandinavia. Opening more stores and expanding the number of places where people can buy our products from. We expect that our online channel will grow, but our brick stores will still exist. The way we see things, online and offline will blend together. Our ultimate goal is to make Rivièra Maison a worldwide known brand.

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In today’s online shopping era there’s only one chance to make a good first impression. A positive unboxing experience is key in making this impression.

On behalf of Ranpak, Harris Interactive surveyed over 1000 online shoppers across Europe and the USA in July 2016 to uncover their brand packaging expectations and recent unboxing experiences focusing on in-the-box packaging materials. The results show a preference for paper packaging materials in order to increase consumer repurchase intention and loyalty. For more information, please contact Steffie Leszczynski, Manager Marketing Communications

Download the new whitepaper

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