Success Story: Optimized Sleeve Pack Redesign for Cost Savings & Efficiency

Client Overview

The client was facing product damage and safety issues due to utility-knife use required by their existing carton design, which often resulted in cut wire harnesses and HS&E incidents. Their RSC cartons were also difficult to break down, creating unnecessary labor and handling challenges. Adept redesigned the packaging with a Sleeve Pack system featuring die-cut trays and removable side panels, eliminating the need for knives and improving usability. The new design reduced packaging costs by 25% per pallet, delivered $895K in annual savings, and virtually eliminated cut-related quality and safety incidents.

The Challenge

An automotive manufacturer was experiencing significant product damage and operational inefficiencies due to their existing carton-based packaging. Their team needed a redesigned solution that would:

  • Eliminate product damage caused during carton opening

  • Improve day-to-day handling and usability for associates

  • Remove the need for utility knives, which were causing injuries and quality issues

  • Streamline disposal and reduce unnecessary labor

  • Reduce total packaging costs at scale

Adept Packaging was brought in to engineer a safer, more robust, and more cost-effective packaging solution.

Our Approach

To eliminate product damage, improve handling, and increase the robustness of the packaging, Adept Packaging engineers developed a redesigned solution featuring:

  • A Sleeve Pack design with top/bottom die-cut tray closure to simplify access and eliminate the need for cutting.

  • Removable side panels, designed as four (4) individual components.

  • Operators could remove the top cover and then remove as many panels as needed to achieve full access to wire harnesses—without ever using a knife.

  • At the corners, overlapped liner construction provided double-strength reinforcement, removing the need for an inner sleeve.

This structural approach improved durability, reduced touch points, eliminated blade use, and streamlined both line-side handling and end-of-line disposal.

The Impact

The redesigned Sleeve Pack delivered measurable improvements across quality, cost, and safety:

  • 25% reduction in packaging cost per pallet

  • $895K in annual packaging savings for high-volume imported wire harness shipments (initially forecasted at $1M)

  • Virtual elimination of all cut-related quality incidents

  • Complete removal of HS&E incidents related to utility-knife use

The client achieved safer operations, reduced total cost of ownership, and strengthened packaging robustness for domestic and international supply chains.

This isn't just a fix. It’s a transformation.

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