DS Smith’s new fibre chassis packaging rescues Iberian automotive supply chains

SPAIN – DS Smith Tecnicarton has unveiled a 100 percent corrugated cardboard packaging solution for automotive chassis, offering a lightweight, recyclable alternative to traditional metal containers that frequently disrupt production flows.

The Fibre-Based Automotive Chassis Packaging Solution emerged from collaboration with a major tier supplier facing recurring supply chain headaches.

When returnable metal containers get stuck in transit, due to component shortages, transport delays, or sudden production interruptions, assembly lines grind to a halt.

DS Smith’s innovation provides a quickly deployable emergency alternative that keeps factories running until normal flows resume.

Award-Winning Design Meets Heavy-Duty Demands

The packaging system comprises a recyclable box pallet folding structure, supporting base, body, and cover.

Corrugated cardboard positioners at the base and upper sides lock heavy chassis parts securely in place, preventing movement during road or sea freight.

These positioners are easily replaceable, and custom inserts optimize space utilization for different component configurations.

Antonio Cebrián, cluster SMI manager at Tecnicarton Southwest EMEA, explained that the solution was created in response to challenges around existing metal-based reusable packaging.

Despite its incredible robustness, the lightweight design makes it easy to manoeuvre, ensuring production continuity under any circumstance while supporting customers’ circular economy objectives.

Performance Without Compromise

The fibre-based design maintains the same technical specifications and performance standards as traditional non-fibre packaging.

Its significantly lighter weight benefits handling and storage, while the mono-material construction means components don’t need separation for different waste streams, simplifying recycling at end-of-life.

The solution also facilitates direct-to-line delivery, integrating seamlessly into existing manufacturing and assembly processes without requiring repacking or intermediate handling.

This reduces internal operations, improves logistics efficiency, and ensures parts arrive at the production line in correct sequence and condition.

Industry Recognition and Real-World Validation

The packaging has already garnered significant industry acclaim. It won at the Liderpack Awards in 2023 and received a WorldStar Global Packaging Award in the Transit category in 2024 for its collaboration with Gestamp Metalbages, a Spanish entity within the global Gestamp Automotive Group.

This recognition validates the solution’s effectiveness in real-world automotive applications.

DS Smith‘s broader automotive packaging portfolio includes corrugated trays replacing expanded polypropylene for components like headlights, featuring double-fingerprint die cuts that prevent scratches and damage during transit.

The company also developed plastic-free corrugated solutions for BMW wheel carriers, with each 8kg component secured within 3D inserts folded using an accordion technique.

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