There are four major cost components for void fill: material cost; labor cost; shipping cost; and inventory cost. Air pillows offer advantages over paper and peanuts in all four areas, and AirPouch air pillows offer the best value of any air pillow. Click here to see a short video introduction of the AirPouch Express 3 system in action.

The more parcels you ship, the more you will appreciate the higher productivity and better ergonomics of AirPouch air pillows and the AirPouch Express 3. Only AirPouch offers the unique "EZ-Tear™ Perforation." Other air pillows have a perforation across the entire pillow. AirPouch's patent-pending EZ-Tear perforation is cut completely through most of the pillows, leaving about an inch connected on each side. This reduces the force required to separate the pillows as the packers load them into the parcels by up to 80%. High volume packers, who often fill thousands of boxes each day, really appreciate the ease of handling and tearing that AirPouch offers. This boosts productivity by reducing packer fatigue by helping to reduce the strain on wrists and shoulders during packing. The productivity gains from using AirPouch pillows helps reduce labor costs. To view another video of an installation at a high-volume customer, click here.

Another productivity advantage is that the AirPouch Express 3 uses boxes instead of rolls. The un-inflated pillow material is supplied fan-folded in a high-capacity box that holds 50 to 100% more pillows than standard rolls. For pillows of standard thickness (2 mil), our boxes contain 3,000 feet of material, versus 1,200 - 2,200 feet on competitive rolls. This means more run time between reloads, and lower labor costs. In addition, the boxes can be left on the floor and a 25 pound roll does not need to be lifted up to chest or shoulder height to be reloaded.

Air pillows are preferred by your customers, too

Most people receiving parcels prefer air pillows over peanuts and paper because air pillows are clean, offer the best visibility of the parcel contents and are easier to reuse and/or dispose of. Most packers prefer air pillows because they are significantly lighter than paper or peanuts, resulting in lower shipping costs. Air pillows also are inflated on demand and require less inventory storage space, resulting in lower inventory storage and operational costs. Another plus for air pillows: since there is less mess and dust compared to peanuts, air pillows help reduce cleanup time and lower labor costs.

AirPouch air pillows offer lower total cost, lower material costs and higher yield

The material costs for air pillows in general are competitive with paper and peanuts, and in many applications air pillow material costs much less. The larger the air pillow, the lower the cost. AirPouch has a particular advantage over other air pillows because the EZ-tear perforation, along with the design of the AirPouch Express 3 system, allows more air to be put into each pillow. This extra air takes up more space to "fill the void", reducing the number of pillows required and lowering material cost. You can do a simple test of the savings you can expect with AirPouch by filling a box with your current air pillow or void fill material and calculating the material cost. Then fill the same box with AirPouch air pillows and see how much you will save on the bottom line. You can also calculate the savings in shipping costs by weighing the contents and comparing shipping rates.

Build your brand with AirPouch

Most air pillows come with the pillow manufacturer's logo all over it. When your customer opens your parcel, your brand is diluted. AirPouch pillows are available unprinted, or custom printed with your logo if you prefer. Build your brand with AirPouch!

Call now for a FREE in-plant trial

The best way to determine how much you save is to call us and set up a free in-plant multi-day trial. Then you can compare all the cost savings and other advantages that AirPouch offers compared to your current void fill method. Most customers qualify for free use of the AirPouch Express 3 air pillow inflator/dispenser. To contact us, call 1 888 288 6224 or visit our website at www.airpouch.com.
AirPouch material and equipment is manufactured in the USA by Automated Packaging Systems, Inc., the only company that designs and manufactures air pillow material and systems in the USA.

Published June 1,2006