Most of us have mailed something. Boxes, containers, letters, all move across our world every day by the hundreds of thousands. While we’re concerned that our packages arrive on time and to the correct destination, we sometimes don’t think so much about the package itself, the container that protects the many times precious cargo. However, entire lines of research work to improve just that.

Better boxes. Better liners. Better plastics and bindings. Much of this research, of course, happens at the companies that then ship the containers. Some of that research happens in independent institutions. And now, some of that research happens here in Memphis, Tenn.

Created in the summer of 2010, the Healthcare Packaging Consortium was created on the campus of Christian Brothers University. Encouraging participants to ‘think inside the box,’ the Consortium advances the knowledge related to healthcare packaging through education and research. Leading efforts is Consortium Coordinator Siripong Malasri, PhD, PE, and Professor of Civil Engineering.

The Consortium results from ten years’ work in the Department of Engineering at CBU, beginning when department leadership was approached by Medtronic and FedEx. “They wanted to talk about a packaging program,” says Malasri. “They were willing to help us.” The leadership group would soon include several other major partners, including other Memphis-based medical device giants Smith & Nephew and Wright Medical Technology, Inc., pharmaceutical leader Merck Consumer Care, and logistic players Evergreen Packaging and Plastic Ingenuity.

Help has come in many forms, including necessary but expensive equipment to fill the now over 20,000 square feet of laboratory space. Malasri proudly exhibits machines that create new types of packaging by cutting materials or creating plastic molds, that test the packaging in a variety of climate and altitude controlled environments, and that simulate light and heavy packages dropping small to large distances. Other assistance to build the laboratory came from generous grants from the Assisi Foundation of Memphis, Inc., along with several other local foundations.

According to Malasri, the Consortium’s provides a function unique in Memphis, but in industry and academia in general. “We’re actually a commercial lab,” he says. “Most industry and school labs are internal only. They don’t service customers.” In contrast, the Consortium provides research that directly affects the customer experience. Example: regulations applying to moving products from factories to distributors are numerous and rigid. However, moving products from loading palettes to store shelves includes less oversight. One result is that products, such as cough syrup, can be damaged. “When packages are opened at the retail locations, there is sometimes breakage, leakage,” Malasri explains. “The customer doesn’t want that and won’t buy the product.” In the Consortium laboratories, researchers can simulate what happens to products, recreating scenarios that can literally destroy boxes, containers, or bottles. The data offers insight that can lead to possible solutions.

Sometimes, solutions are not complicated. “Bubble wrap,” Malasri reports, smiling. “We tried a number of solutions, including types of foam. They didn’t work well. Bubble wrap, though, works well.” According to Malasri, the use of bubble wrap can reduce up to 25% of distribution-related damage. It’s a cheap solution that saves companies money, makes for safer products, and makes customers happier.

At this time, Consortium researchers are extending their research to other forms of container design, including those with protective materials on the outside of the container as well. According to Malasri, the Consortium is only beginning. “We are just now one year into operations,” he says. “Now, we want to get our name out there, publish papers, and get more recognition.” Some of that recognition has already happened in one big way: the Consortium is one of a very few packaging laboratories that has achieved the prestigious status of an International Safe Transit Association certification.

Along with recognition, part of the Consortium’s growth includes building academic programs around the research and laboratory. In a short time, CBU has created courses focused on packaging and is working to develop an entire Bachelor of Sciences program, with two seniors currently taking courses toward the degree. Also, Malasri says the Consortium has developed a certification both for students and industry professionals, estimating that over thirty such certifications already have been awarded. “We are an academic institution, and we want to give our undergraduates opportunities.” The industry ties can help the undergraduates after leaving CBU as well. “Because they get real-world experience, Consortium members can hire the students when they graduate.”

It’s a matter of sometimes looking inside the box to find the best solutions.

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