Continental Saves 100,000 Kilometers of Truck Journeys Thanks to Smurfit Kappa

Packaging is an essential part of product development in all industries. Today more than ever, companies are required to reduce their CO₂ footprint and packaging is often a key factor in this. This is because there is often unnecessary primary and secondary packaging. Products in large packaging are individual and, therefore, an unnecessary amount of empty volume is transported. The technology company Continental relied on Smurfit Kappa, a specialist in fibre-based packaging, to optimize the packaging of its rubber timing belt set. The result: Continental now saves 98 truck journeys, 100,000 truck kilometers and 390 tons of CO₂ per year when transporting this set, according to the companies.

Continental has developed numerous innovations since it was founded in 1871. From rubber products for horse hooves to the invention of tread tires for cars in 1904, the company is a driver of innovation for mobility in the areas of vehicles, machines, traffic, and transportation. Among other things, the ContiTech division manufactures timing belt drives.

ContiTech is not only concerned with the continuous further development of its products. The company was looking for a new packaging concept for its timing belt kit with water pump. This is used in the automotive sector: in engines in which the timing belt also drives the water pump, the pump should also be replaced every time the timing belt is changed. The kit includes all the necessary components.

Previously, all individual parts (timing belt, water pump, two idler pulleys, a tensioner pulley, a replacement sticker, and fastening materials) were packed in a total of up to five components, which in turn were sent in a larger outer box. The problem: a lot of air was transported. The challenge for Smurfit Kappa was to find a smaller, lighter and more sustainable solution. Smurfit Kappa had to take into account ContiTech's different production requirements.

In order to understand the processes and requirements, Smurfit Kappa analyzed the entire supply chain as a first step. With its own SupplySmart Analyzer, the packaging company can penetrate complex processes on the customer side and develop an individual packaging concept based on simulations.

Two Instead of Five Components

The result for ContiTech is an optimized one-piece packaging with an integrated inlay, which consists of just two components. A specially folded upper cardboard insert separates the sensitive water pump from the remaining parts. In the lower part of the double base, the timing belt, two idler pulleys, a tensioning pulley, replacement stickers, and fastening material are separated and protected by an additional four-part fold.

The change in packaging led to enormous improvements. Simplified production: there is less waste in production and the packaging steps have been simplified. ContiTech saves around 50 percent material in the cardboard packaging.

Space Saving and More Convenience

Thanks to the compact packaging, around 70 percent more kits fit on a transport pallet. This saves ContiTech 98 truck journeys or 100,000 truck kilometers and thus 390 tons of CO₂ per year, according to a press release. This space saving also means convenience for dealers and workshops: the workplace remains clearer and they have less packaging waste to dispose of.

The cooperation between ContiTech and Smurfit Kappa illustrates the enormous savings potential resulting from the reduction of empty volumes. Due to the large savings in material and CO₂, Smurfit Kappa was immediately commissioned to analyze further packaging sets.