Refrigerator of the Future

While we are all trying to fit that last bit of left-over pie in the fridge after our annual Thanksgiving feast we wonder how this new refrigerator might work. 

Russian designer Yuriy Dmitriev came up with this really interesting concept for a refrigerator that uses no energy. The confluence of bio-tech and every day life is really going to change things, even if this idea does not pan out.

Puts a whole new spin on the idea of stuffing something into the fridge.

Dimensional Weight Changes

On December 29th you may be paying a lot more to ship UPS.

Beginning on 12/29/14 UPS will be using dimensional weight to determine the shipping charges you will be paying for ALL your packages not just those that are greater than 3 cubic feet (5184 cubic inches) as in the past. FEDEX will start doing this on January 1st.

This means that 18 x 12 x 12 box that holds a 4 pound product that you currently pay $9.11 to ship to Zone 5 (The most common shipping zone for UPS) will cost you $11.81!

That is a $2.70 increase! Almost 30% more!

Dimensional weight is calculated by measuring the L (Length) x W (Width) x H (Height) of the outside of the box and dividing by 166.

8 x 8 x 8 = 512/166 = 3.08lbs. This package will now ship at 4lbs  (UPS/FEDEX always rounds up) regardless how much the content weighs.

We got to thinking about the factor for domestic shipments:166. Where did this number come from? It is a number selected by UPS and FedEx- but why 166?

Then, like a bolt a lightning, it struck... the rounding factor for 'STOCK BOXES'!

A quick calculation shows that all the standard sizes 8x8x8, 10x10x10, 12x12x12 will be just over the next pound up (In our example above the 8x8x8 box is 3.08 which = 4lbs in UPS/FEDEX land).

The trend is alarming. This also means that we can engineer a box to be a full pound less by designing customized packaging to lower shipping costs that will have little or no discernible impact on your packaging.

At Kelly Box and Packaging, we have been working with our customers to right size packaging and educate our buyers as well as their shipping departments on ways to reduce the effect of these shipping increases. Have you looked at the impact to your shipping costs? Do you want to work with experts that understand these new rules and know how to effectively change your packaging to reduce costs? Get in touch with your KBPC rep today!

2014 Corrugated Art Show

When most people think of corrugated, they imagine the boxes in the shipping department or the recycle bin at the curb. However, we have found that this medium is much more versatile than that. We are very excited to showcase Corrugated Art at our upcoming exhibit at Artlink in Fort Wayne, IN.

Artists from the community as well as students from the University of Saint Francis have transformed these utilitarian sheets into works of art. The Chainsaw (left) was created for our last show and we can't wait to see what this year brings.

Check out our website for more pics from previous shows and check back next week for this year's creations!

http://www.kellybox.com/corrugated_art.html