New and improved packaging for TotalSource radiators

Radiators are big and bulky, and notoriously difficult to ship. To prevent transit damage, François Geers (Product & Procurement Manager) and his team addressed the issues head-on. “Radiators are heavy,” François explains. “They have sharp corners, which can damage the packaging. Also the connectors often stick out and can break when the load is not handled properly.”

“In the past, we tried collaborating with some of our suppliers to find solutions to these problems. They would suggest foam or special types of wrapping, but these solutions would usually only address one of the issues, and we’d still face transit problems.” 

That’s when François and his team reached out to the in-house experts.

Bepco’s packaging engineers have decades of experience in preventing transport damage. “All credit should go to them, really,” says François. “When we approached them, they happily took full ownership of the project. They analysed our problem in detail and came up with a workable solution.” 

The result is simple yet effective. The design consists of an outer box made from thick, heavy-duty cardboard. Inside, the radiator floats within the box, with a large buffer space on each side. This protects the radiator from shocks, drops and protruding objects. In addition, it also prevents warping caused by heavy boxes being stacked on top of it.

“We tried everything to test the new packaging,” François laughs. “We pierced boxes with sharp objects, dropped them and stood on them, and nothing... Nothing damaged the radiator. We’re now pretty confident that we have the right solution. Customers can have total confidence that radiators will arrive scratch- and dent-free, ready to use.”

Not only is it a practical solution, it’s also a sustainable one: “The packaging only consists of recyclable paper and cardboard. This aligns with Bepco’s strategy to reduce our carbon footprint.”