ExpandOS protective fill provides a sustainably sourced, SFI-certified, paper-based replacement for single-use plastics such as bubble cushioning and foam.
The system works simply. Transformation Packaging LLC, the company that produces ExpandOS, processes giant rolls of KraftPak style paperboard at its plant in Ohio. The company’s paper press punches a unique pattern into the paper and die cuts it, then folds the paper into bundles that are stacked onto pallets for shipment to customers.
The name ExpandOS connotes the essence of this protective packaging: using our Expanders, customers create three-dimensional pyramids on site, running the bundles of pre-punched and die cut paper through machinery that folds, crimps, and separates the sheets into protective packaging that conforms to the shape of objects that need to be protected during shipment.
Used by Gulfstream Aerospace, Cummins Diesel, Epson America, Hubbardton Forge lighting, and companies in ceramics, automotive, glass, and tableware, ExpandOS is a lightweight, highly protective, cost-effective, labor-saving protective fill that eliminates the need for single use plastics typically used to protect fragile objects.
The secret to ExpandOS unique protective abilities comes from the design of the paper pyramids that lock in place around a fragile object and stay locked. The edges of the pyramids have small serrations that connect to neighboring pieces and also to the boxes in which they are placed.
This year, working with a box-on-demand company, Transformation Packaging was able to create a high speed and adaptable automated protective packaging system for Epson that bottom-fills boxes and then, after the item is placed onto the bottom fill, top- and side-fills around the object. The package filling system automatically adjusts for volume of the box and volume of the object being protected, providing each box, ranging in height from nine to 31 inches, with just the right amount of ExpandOS.
This solution represents a huge step forward in the protective packaging world, customizing the volume of protective fill to fit boxes automatically while providing the unique ability to fill around and on top of a fragile object. And, it does all this while using paper that is SFI-certified, recyclable, biodegradable, and reusable.