Packsize International LLC transformed its booth at MODEX last month into a live packaging test environment. The company invited attendees to bring products to run through the CVP Impack machine to show how automated right-sized packaging can handle varying order sizes and formats in real time.
Everything from stuffed animals and iPhones to a Hot Wheels van moved through the machine on the show floor as the company demonstrated box-last packaging workflows engineered to reduce material usage, shipping costs, and manual labor.
“We tried to figure out, how can we make our booth more interactive?” said Fray. “One of the things we love about this machine is that you don’t need to have any data upfront. We could really invite people to bring whatever their product may be and place it in the machine and see how, in just a matter of seconds, a right-sized box can be produced.”
The demonstrations illustrated how packaging is becoming more connected to warehouse automation for fulfilment operations. Rather than relying on fixed box inventories and manual packing processes, companies are adding systems that create right-sized packaging on demand, with the ability to integrate with existing equipment, robotics, and goods-to-person (G2P) workflows.
Packsize takes a box-last approach
Driving the live demos was the CVP Impack, an automated packaging machine that uses a box-last approach and can process up to 500 parcels per hour.
Once a product is placed in the system, corrugated material is wrapped around it as the machine captures product dimensions in real time to automatically create, seal, and label packages ready for shipment.
Fray said the machine is designed to integrate into existing operations without requiring a complete facility overhaul.
“This is a machine that we can bring into a brownfield environment and place without needing the dimensional data of all your product SKUs,” he said. “You place this right into your warehouse and start running packages through it almost immediately.”
The system commonly integrates into warehouse management systems (WMS), along with existing equipment such as conveyors, scanners, sortation, and downstream shipping operations.
For more automated environments, the CVP Impack can connect with autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS).
System supports box-first workflows
Fray said some customers are using the technology to create right-sized boxes before products are picked, allowing workers or automation systems to pack directly into shipping-ready containers.
“We see a lot of companies investing in AMRs and ASRS, and they want to maybe pick directly into a right-size box,” he said. “Well, we have technology that’s able to do that, so producing the right-sized box for each order eliminates the need for a tote packing directly into those boxes.”
Packaging larger, non-conveyable products
In addition to the CVP Impack, Packsize demonstrated its EM7 machine in Atlanta. Designed for a wide variety of packaging environments, the system creates right-sized boxes for individual orders with a wide range of box size capabilities.
Fray said the machine is commonly used for larger or non-conveyable products and applications that require varying box dimensions and protective packaging features.
“This machine is very popular in furniture and cabinetry, where somebody needs to create large, bulky boxes,” he said. “They need varying lengths. They need protective corners. So, this machine is very flexible.”
He added that the machine is used globally across multiple industries and can support operations with varying levels of packaging automation.
U.S. operations and sustainability impacts
In 2024, Packsize opened its manufacturing and innovation center in Louisville, Ky., to bring manufacturing closer to its North American customer base. Fray said this approach reduces lead times and helps customers move faster on automation projects while also reducing shipping from Europe.
“This localized manufacturing also allows us to reduce our CO2 impact by reducing shipping from Europe,” said Fray. “While the CVP series of machines continues to be manufactured in Drachten, Netherlands, the rest of the Packsize machine portfolio is manufactured in Louisville.”
The Salt Lake City-based company also focuses on material and shipping reductions as part of the return on investment for its automated systems.
“On average, Packsize customers save 30% on material, and a recent audit of 20 million parcels showed an average $0.50 reduction in outbound logistics per order,” said Fray.
He added that results vary based on a company’s current packaging setup and order variability.