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When ABB came to us for a development project to replace their predominantly metal and hard board coil reels for their supply chain with a cardboard alternative, we were excited to help.
These coil reels weren’t easily recyclable because of the metal components. They also required extensive tooling to get them ready for the next stage of the production line. While the new corrugated reels are assembled on-site, they require minimal tooling, improving both speed and operational efficiency. This meant that sustainability efforts and production efficiency were lower than they could be.
There were also a lot of different variables we needed to consider in this project. The final variants we identified lead to a range which consisted of:
These could be combined in a multitude of different combinations.
Our team identified that a corrugated cardboard coil reel could replace the existing metal and solid board construction - provided it met the strength and performance requirements of ABB’s heavy-duty cable winding machinery.
This wasn’t simply a case of swapping materials. The coil reels form an integral part of the manufacturing process, as they are mounted directly onto industrial cable winding machines. That meant the new design had to:
A key part of the development was ensuring the cardboard drum could deliver the same performance as the original wooden construction. Our team carefully analysed the weight and tension of the cable being wound onto the reels in order to determine the correct material specification.
Following extensive testing, we selected a BC flute double wall board grade to deliver the required strength-to-weight ratio. For the largest reel size, the drum material was doubled over, further increasing the structural integrity where the greatest loads were applied.
Given the variations in machinery and the dimensional combinations required, this project involved significant R&D.
Our team conducted:
Samples were also supplied to ABB for real-world testing. In addition to trials on their machinery, the customer even shipped several reels via courier to assess how they performed during transit and how they returned after distribution handling.
The result was a robust, precision-engineered corrugated reel system that could be used across the entire required range.
This project highlights how The Box Factory approaches bespoke packaging development as an integrated engineering solution.
By combining structural design expertise, material knowledge and real-world manufacturing trials, we delivered a packaging system that improved sustainability, reduced production line friction and, in turn, lowered costs and supported brand positioning.
For global manufacturers like ABB, packaging is more than protection, it’s part of the production process.
