Russian dolls as a model for logistics

Clever logistics using the modular principle

To optimally fill a container or loading space, packaging must meet certain size and shape requirements. When one opens a container or loading space, one is often reminded of a matrioshka - the colorfully painted Russian dolls shaped like an egg. More and more packaging comes to light, and this packaging may then contain progressively smaller packaging. Frequently, several layers of packaging have to be opened before the actual good appears. The concept of modular packing here ensures economical use of capacity.

Modular packaging systems

Modulation facilitates the creation of a transport chain

A coordinated, modular packaging system is necessary because various companies generally operate together in a transport chain Transport chain and different packaging stages may be involved. This means the sizes of smaller packaging (e.g., small containers, pallets), larger packaging (e.g., containers) and loading spaces must match.
To meet this need, the packaging industry has developed a packaging or space displacement module with a superstructure based on the pallet for single, group and shipping packaging.

This packaging module is 400 mm x 600 mm, making it perfectly compatible with an 800 mm x 1200 mm pallet and with a 1000 mm x 1200 mm pallet. An entire system of modular packaging is derived by subdividing the basic module of 400 mm x 600 mm or by multiplying these unit dimensions. This standard is widely used in Europe. North America uses ISO pallets that use different sizes. But the principle remains the same.
The interior dimensions and capacities of larger packaging (e.g., containers) must be able to accommodate the external dimensions and capacities of the smaller packaging (e.g., pallets) to be stored in the larger units. But the different interior dimensions of containers can result in altered space utilization with pallets. For example, the size of a Euro pallet Euro pallet does not conform to that of an ISO container. As a result, an ISO container bearing Euro pallets is not optimally loaded.
In order to make the best use of both space and area, the height of the packaging units has to be considered. Uniform loading heights for Euro pallets are recommended in the food processing sector to facilitate work between wholesaling and retailing. Important measurements in the size selection of modular packaging are [1, 2]: