Lightweighting while retaining functionality: RPC design

05 Sep 2018 --- RPC Design has implemented a redesign of the award-winning Westland lawn spreader pack that has delivered valuable sustainability benefits. The new container is now lighter and easier to assemble while still “retaining all the user-friendly benefits of the original.”

The Aftercut Even-Flo lawn spreader pack features an integrated chute that ensures the most even spread of granules during spreading. The redesign retains all of the features of the original and works in the same way, but has reduced the number of components in the pack from nine to three, resulting in an overall weight reduction of 40 percent.

This has been achieved by incorporating the handle into the body of the container rather than it being part of the dispenser. This maintains easy handling for the end-user while meaning that the dispenser no longer needs to bear the weight of the full bottle, allowing the dispenser to be lightweighted.

In addition to the existing folding spout and ball that evenly distributes the fertilizer and the large labeling area for on-shelf branding and user instructions, the new pack features a tamper-evident clip, a simpler label shape for more efficient application, and an enhanced removal mechanism for the dispenser to make refilling easier.

“Our original spreader pack was a step-change in the effective dispensing of our market-leading Aftercut,” says Stuart Lusk, Westland’s Head of Supply Chain.

“This new version is the perfect evolution, providing a more efficient and sustainable pack while keeping all the original consumer benefits,” he adds.

The base container for the new pack is blow molded in HDPE at RPC Promens Industrial Rushden, and the dispenser injection molded by RPC M&H Market Rasen.