Altair Case Studies Optimizing Appliance Packaging for Global Distribution: A Case Study on Mabe

	Optimizing Appliance Packaging for Global Distribution: A Case Study on Mabe Altair

Optimizing Appliance Packaging for Global Distribution: A Case Study on Mabe

Altair

Technology Category	Analytics & Modeling - Digital Twin / Simulation
Applicable Industries	Packaging Transportation
Applicable Functions	Product Research & Development Quality Assurance
Use Cases	Intelligent Packaging Virtual Prototyping & Product Testing
Services	Testing & Certification
Challenge	Mabe, a global company that designs, produces, and distributes appliances to over 70 countries, faced a challenge in improving the protection of its washer-dryer by optimizing packaging material. The company wanted to reduce potential transit damage to its products while avoiding the use of excessive packaging that would lead to significantly higher material and shipping costs. The challenge was to produce an optimized packaging design that took into account a variety of loading scenarios and alternative package designs, and to do so early in the design stage, before any physical testing of the packaging was performed. Mabe also wanted to transfer the analytical simulation techniques developed for the washer-dryer to packaging for other products in the future, allowing the company to optimize and accelerate its design efforts. Read More
About Customer	Mabe is a global company that designs, produces, and distributes appliances to more than 70 countries. Incorporated in 1946 in Mexico City, the company produces a wide range of goods including fridge freezers, ovens and washer-dryers. For white goods manufacturers like Mabe, the quality of the design and engineering of their home appliances is paramount for the best possible customer experience. However, these products are all subject to potential drop and impact damage from the warehouse through to transportation to the customer’s doorstep. Mabe, a $3 billion global company headquartered in Mexico City, understands the importance of carefully designed packaging to protect the 15 brands of appliances that it designs, manufactures and distributes for sale in 70 countries. Read More
Solution	Mabe collaborated with Altair ProductDesign for its experience in applying optimization strategies for an extensive array of products and packaging. The first task was to generate a finite element analysis (FEA) model that accurately represented Mabe’s product and its packaging structure. Altair's HyperWorks’ pre-processing solution, HyperMesh, was utilized to create a complete FEA model of all the product’s relevant structural components as well as such packaging structures as expanded polystyrene (EPS) foams, laminate paper and corrugated board. Altair ProductDesign engineers were then able to subject the virtual model of the washer-dryer and packaging material to the same loads that they endured in physical testing. Topology optimization using HyperWorks’ OptiStruct and HyperStudy technologies were utilized to improve product protection, reduce material costs, reduce packaging weight and improve performance of both the EPS foam structures and the laminated paper corner posts. Read More Log in to view content
Contents

Technology Category

Analytics & Modeling - Digital Twin / Simulation

Applicable Industries

Packaging

Transportation

Applicable Functions

Product Research & Development

Quality Assurance

Use Cases

Intelligent Packaging

Virtual Prototyping & Product Testing

Services

Testing & Certification

Challenge

Mabe, a global company that designs, produces, and distributes appliances to over 70 countries, faced a challenge in improving the protection of its washer-dryer by optimizing packaging material. The company wanted to reduce potential transit damage to its products while avoiding the use of excessive packaging that would lead to significantly higher material and shipping costs. The challenge was to produce an optimized packaging design that took into account a variety of loading scenarios and alternative package designs, and to do so early in the design stage, before any physical testing of the packaging was performed. Mabe also wanted to transfer the analytical simulation techniques developed for the washer-dryer to packaging for other products in the future, allowing the company to optimize and accelerate its design efforts.

About Customer

Mabe is a global company that designs, produces, and distributes appliances to more than 70 countries. Incorporated in 1946 in Mexico City, the company produces a wide range of goods including fridge freezers, ovens and washer-dryers. For white goods manufacturers like Mabe, the quality of the design and engineering of their home appliances is paramount for the best possible customer experience. However, these products are all subject to potential drop and impact damage from the warehouse through to transportation to the customer’s doorstep. Mabe, a $3 billion global company headquartered in Mexico City, understands the importance of carefully designed packaging to protect the 15 brands of appliances that it designs, manufactures and distributes for sale in 70 countries.

Solution

Mabe collaborated with Altair ProductDesign for its experience in applying optimization strategies for an extensive array of products and packaging. The first task was to generate a finite element analysis (FEA) model that accurately represented Mabe’s product and its packaging structure. Altair's HyperWorks’ pre-processing solution, HyperMesh, was utilized to create a complete FEA model of all the product’s relevant structural components as well as such packaging structures as expanded polystyrene (EPS) foams, laminate paper and corrugated board. Altair ProductDesign engineers were then able to subject the virtual model of the washer-dryer and packaging material to the same loads that they endured in physical testing. Topology optimization using HyperWorks’ OptiStruct and HyperStudy technologies were utilized to improve product protection, reduce material costs, reduce packaging weight and improve performance of both the EPS foam structures and the laminated paper corner posts.

Impact #1	The application of Altair's simulation-driven design approach and optimization technologies resulted in improved product protection and reduced packaging material costs for Mabe. The use of these tools allowed Mabe to create an optimized packaging design early in the design stage, reducing the necessity for repeated physical testing. The successful application of these techniques to the washer-dryer packaging has also enabled Mabe to transfer these analytical simulation techniques to packaging for other products, optimizing and accelerating its design efforts. By extending its use of the HyperWorks tools to packaging design, Mabe expects to benefit from a reduced time to market, lower prototyping costs, less physical testing and improved product protection.

Impact #1

The application of Altair's simulation-driven design approach and optimization technologies resulted in improved product protection and reduced packaging material costs for Mabe. The use of these tools allowed Mabe to create an optimized packaging design early in the design stage, reducing the necessity for repeated physical testing. The successful application of these techniques to the washer-dryer packaging has also enabled Mabe to transfer these analytical simulation techniques to packaging for other products, optimizing and accelerating its design efforts. By extending its use of the HyperWorks tools to packaging design, Mabe expects to benefit from a reduced time to market, lower prototyping costs, less physical testing and improved product protection.

Benefit #1	The maximum acceleration levels experienced by the product were reduced by 29%
Benefit #2	The maximum product strain was decreased by 28%
Benefit #3	Peak reaction forces had reduced by as much as 22%

Benefit #1

The maximum acceleration levels experienced by the product were reduced by 29%

Benefit #2

The maximum product strain was decreased by 28%

Benefit #3

Peak reaction forces had reduced by as much as 22%

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Overview

Optimizing Appliance Packaging for Global Distribution: A Case Study on Mabe

Operational Impact

Quantitative Benefit