Tool kits are a packing problem disguised as a product. A typical kit contains a case, a set of tools, and accessories-drill bits, sockets, drivers, adapters. Each item has its own cutout in the case, but the cutouts are never exact. Items rattle. Items move. By the time the kit reaches the customer, something has shifted and the presentation is spoiled.
One assembler we spoke to produces kits for industrial and automotive customers. Their volumes are moderate, a few hundred kits a week. Their packing line is a long bench with stations for case loading, tool insertion, and final sealing.
Their old method for filling gaps was bubble wrap, cut into pieces by hand. It was slow, inconsistent, and generated a large amount of waste. They also found that bubble wrap compressed over time, so kits packed on a Friday arrived loose on a Monday.
The machine they installed is the Aircosan PT30. It converts cardboard into strips, running at 10 metres per minute, with a 55cm working width and 10mm thickness capacity. It sits at the end of the bench. The strips are produced as needed and pushed into the gaps around tools and accessories.
The assembler was specific about why strips work better than mesh for this job. Mesh is bulky and does not compress into small gaps. Strips are flexible and can be folded or pushed into irregular spaces. They also hold their shape better under vibration.
The results were modest but measurable. Packing time per kit dropped slightly, mainly because hand-cutting bubble wrap was eliminated. Customer complaints about rattling kits stopped. Material costs fell to near zero, since the cardboard arrives with incoming tool shipments.
One limitation they mentioned. The strips need to be clean. If cardboard with heavy printing or adhesive residue is used, the strips can leave marks on light-coloured tool cases. They now sort cardboard before feeding it.
Aircosan manufactures these units, including models up to 120cm wide. For a kit assembler, that scale is not relevant, but the build quality is. The PT30 has run daily for over a year without a service call.