Custom Packaging Electronics: Balance Charger Case Study

The SmartShield team has designed custom packaging for everything from aeroplane nose landing gear to large medical imaging devices. But not every product we protect is huge, heavy or difficult to handle.

Sometimes, it’s less about solving a challenge and more about getting the job done just right– like a recent brief to create protective custom packaging for a lithium-ion battery charger.

And just because a product fits neatly in your hands doesn't mean its packaging should be an afterthought.

How will it be protected on its journey? Can it be packed quickly and consistently? What will the customer see when they open the box? And what happens to the packaging afterwards?

These were all things we considered when developing this solution. And while the finished design might look pretty simple, there's actually a lot going on inside that little box!

Let’s take a look at the challenge, solution and results…

The Challenge

The product itself was a lithium-ion balance charger, designed to help recover batteries when they dip below their minimum charge.

The charger works by slowly adding equal amounts of charge to each battery cell, bringing the battery back to a level where it can accept a regular charger again.

For the packaging, the requirements were clear.

The charger needed to be protected from shock and vibration during transportation, while the unit and its accessories needed to stay securely organised inside the box.

Packing also needed to be quick and straightforward, and when the package reached the customer, everything needed to arrive neatly presented and easy to access.

Plus, rather than relying on packaging that would simply be thrown away after opening, there was an opportunity for us to create something the customer could continue to use.

The SmartShield Solution

For the outer packaging, we used a single-wall kraft wing-lock mailer.

It's a relatively simple box design, but there are some hard-working details behind that simplicity.
The wing-lock closure means the box can be opened without a knife and doesn't require tape to close it. That helps keep the packaging clean and presentable when it's opened - and, importantly, means it can easily be closed again.

Inside, we created a custom starch-based foam set designed around the charger and its accessories. 

Rather than simply filling empty space around the product, the insert gives each item its own place within the package.

This helped protect the equipment from shock and vibration during transport, while also keeping everything organised and making the packing process quicker and more consistent at the other end.

Another brilliant benefit of the starch-based foam we use in our foam sets? They can simply be washed down the drain once the packaging is finished with. Just add water and the starch-based material dissolves with no bulky foam left to dispose of.

So when the customer opens the box? Everything is where it's supposed to be.

Custom Electronics Packaging with Sustainability in Mind

Protection wasn't the only consideration when selecting the materials for this project.

The foam set is manufactured from a 100% recyclable starch-based material (as mentioned above, this means it can be washed down the drain when it’s no longer needed.) 

The kraft mailer was also designed with reuse in mind

Because there's no need to cut through tape or damage the box to get to the product, the packaging remains usable afterwards. Our electronics client can simply close the box back up and carry on using it to store and protect the charger and its accessories when they're not in use

It's a small detail, but one that can help extend the useful life of the packaging.

The Results

This one small box does several important jobs.

Along with giving the balance charger protection during transportation, it also provides:

• Protection from shock and vibration during transit
• A custom insert that keeps the charger and accessories organised
• Faster, more straightforward packing
• A neat and professional presentation when the customer opens the box
• A 100% recyclable starch-based foam solution - that can be safely washed down the drain when finished with
• A tape-free box that's easy to open, reclose and reuse for storage

Conclusion: Small Product, Big Journey

We work on plenty of packaging projects for large, heavy equipment, but smaller electronic products can need just as much consideration.

They still have a journey to make, and they need to arrive protected, organised and presentable, with packaging that works for the customer at the other end too.

Got a product that needs its own custom packaging solution? Talk to the SmartShield team about your requirements.