Fraunhofer software optimizes shipping boxes

The Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML has developed new software for optimizing shipping cartons. The application, named CASTN (Carton Set Optimization), aims to reduce the empty space in shipping cartons, which can bring both economic and ecological benefits for companies.

Air in cartons represents a common problem that often goes unnoticed. This air not only increases material consumption but also transport volume and the associated emissions. CASTN offers a solution by making the actual volume utilization rate of shipping cartons transparent. In many companies, this value is below what would be reasonable from a regulatory and economic perspective. Given the new European packaging directive, which mandates a minimum volume utilization of 50 percent, transparency in this area is becoming increasingly important.

The software enables companies to analyze their current volume utilization rate and, based on this, create an optimized standard carton set. This set is tailored to the specific item and order structure of the company. A central element of CASTN is the data-driven approach. An integrated data check verifies the quality of the item, order, and carton data used. Lukas Lehmann, project manager at Fraunhofer IML, emphasizes: “Optimization is only as good as the data it is based on.” Therefore, CASTN also assists companies in evaluating their data foundation and identifying weaknesses, which is often underestimated in practice.

The introduction of CASTN could represent an opportunity for many companies not only to reduce their costs but also to contribute to the reduction of packaging waste. The software thus represents a step towards more efficient and sustainable logistics.