Synergy of Packaging Engineering

It is a fact and beyond doubt that packaging structures developed on the drawing board and on your Apple Macs would remain as designs only if the synergy between the Designers, Engineers and the Machine developers does not happen.

Whatever is on the design concept needs to be put into measurements and functional elements needs to be configured. The opening and closing mechanism are specially critical in packaging as far as the consumer interfacing is concerned. While the Designers can create the concept the mechanisms have to be worked out by the Engineers. However the Engineers need the Machine Manufacturers to work out if a machine packing is possible or not in the specified mechanism.

Machine Manufacturers may come up with a lot of changes,suggesting that to make the machining possible those changes are inevitable. Very often these changes may not be palatable and may start impinging upon the design itself. This is the time that the Designers have to start thinking on how to find a mid way to the problem, what can be done so that the concept is retained and yet the worries of the Machine manufacturers are worked upon. For this the approach that one has to take is how to work upon the suggestions from one another and how to build upon synergistically.

The best way to visualize and discuss is to work out the mockups and try to make them as functional as possible. Often because of the paucity of time one may be tempted to go ahead without the mocking up and re mocking up. However there are significant advantages as only a mock up brings out the issues which often get missed out if seen only on the paper.

Solutions are never so easy and often need several iterations and corrections. To get a design concept to the engineering , to the machining and finally to the consumer is a journey and a partnership, for the ultimate advantage of the Consumer.