In 2018, ARMOR stepped in to assist BMW in enhancing its rust-prevention efforts for packaging and shipping metal parts. After assessing BMW’s existing methods, ARMOR provided suggestions that not only resulted in effective rust prevention but also reduced plastic waste, providing a win-win solution for BMW.
Background Information: BMW manufactures metal parts in the United States and exports them to various locations overseas, including China and South Africa. These parts are packaged and included as part of comprehensive kits containing all the components necessary for assembling an entire BMW automobile upon reaching their final destination. Given that these parts are unpainted, raw metal alloys, it’s essential that are protected by dependable and effective rust-prevention packaging to ensure they remain corrosion-free during their lengthy overseas shipping and transport.
Prior to partnering with ARMOR, these parts were enclosed in a single-layer (mono-extruded) VCI poly bag sourced from another VCI vendor. ARMOR proposed replacing the VCI bags with those made of their DEFENDER™ VCI film, featuring a multi-layer design that provides several advantages.
The DEFENDER is composed of three layers of film that are combined or co-extruded into one. This multi-layer design places ARMOR VCI Nanotechnology™ rust prevention on the inner layer closest to metal parts, while the middle and outer layers provide superior oxygen and moisture barriers, durability, and puncture resistance.
This strategic placement reduces the required amount of VCI resin without compromising performance, resulting in significant cost and resource savings. The DEFENDER can be downgauged by 25-30% without affecting performance, leading to a decrease in raw materials and resources that are never used or introduced into the environment. For BMW, using less film meant less waste and cost savings.
The success of this story is best told by its remarkable results. By switching to ARMOR DEFENDER rust-prevention bags, BMW has saved over 500,000 pounds of plastic from use or disposal in landfill.
Click on the ARMOR Rustimonial pictured above for a just-the-facts overview of this success story. For more information on Armor Protective Packaging’s full line of packaging products, visit the ARMOR website or contact your ARMOR sales representative.
