Mondi simplifies Stiebel Eltron’s water heater corrugated board packaging
Key takeaways
- Mondi has helped Stiebel Eltron cut its corrugated packaging variants by more than 75% while maintaining protection for its water heater range.
- The redesigned packaging system uses standardized corrugated board grades and white digital printing to improve flexibility, efficiency, and branding consistency.
- The solution enables faster product launches, shorter production changeovers, and reduced packaging complexity across different markets.
(All image credits: Mondi).Mondi has optimized the packaging for Stiebel Eltron’s water heater range by using fewer types of corrugated board grades, achieving a reduction of more than 75%, while maintaining optimal product protection. The solution makes use of digital printing in white.
Adam Fros, head of product development, building services at Stiebel Eltron, says: “By supporting us through every phase of the packaging redesign, Mondi delivered a holistic concept that helped us reduce complexity and improve efficiency through an optimized packaging approach.”
“At the same time, white digital printing gives us the flexibility to adapt designs quickly, providing a scalable basis for future product launches.”
A wide range of packaging designs and materials can make procurement, production, and logistics more complex, explains Mondi.
Stiebel Eltron used 150 packaging variants, but the German electrical heating company sought to refine its packaging portfolio as part of a broader redesign, utilizing Mondi’s expertise.
The paper-based packaging company notes that it analyzed its long-standing customers’ existing corrugated packaging solutions and grouped them according to product weight and transport requirements. Through this process, Mondi says it selected the most suitable brown corrugated board grade for each product group to create a more structured portfolio.
Digital printing on board
The revamp also included the conversion of four-color printed designs to a “modern” design, as described by the companies, which uses white digital printing on brown corrugated board to facilitate a consistent look across the product range.
The revamp converted four-color printed designs to white digital printing on corrugated board.Mondi argues that this solution helps simplify Stiebel Eltron’s packaging system and enables flexibility for different market requirements through digital printing.
White digital printing can further support the harmonization of the packaging concept, according to the paper packaging company. It says that white printing enables multiple designs and print volumes to be produced on the same material base without requiring an additional setup.
Meanwhile, Mondi’s digital printing solution combines different variants within a single production run to reduce changeover times, costs, and help avoid overproduction. Its use of white color supports the precise reproduction of fine details on brown corrugated board, including small text, QR codes, and barcodes.
The company introduced white ink to its digital printing range for corrugates last year, reflecting a growing demand for white digital printing on brown packaging and designs that strengthen brand recognition while supporting environmental sustainability.
Earlier this year, it unveiled packaging made of brown kraftliner with white digital printing for Riedel Glas, a manufacturer of premium glassware headquartered in Austria.
Electronic pack optimization
Stiebel Eltron can introduce new solutions faster without the need for additional box tests following the introduction of Mondi’s packaging and printing system, the companies highlight.
Additionally, the packager used existing material specifications combined with new packaging designs that can be adapted while avoiding added production complexity, according to the companies.
They add that the packaging concept can also make the handling of smaller volumes and their branding more efficient and consistent across regions, with high-quality printing supporting the premium positioning of Stiebel Eltron’s products.
Recently, Mondi has provided cardboard packaging for a number of electronics providers. For example, it created a customized corrugated packaging solution for the Turkish technology company Argesim Teknoloji’s sensor-based products.
The packager also partnered with Ovoko, an online marketplace for car parts, to co-create packaging to meet the demands of its e-commerce supply chain, and with the Polish bicycle manufacturer Polana Bikes to co-develop a packaging solution that aims to improve the shipping and storing of high-end bikes while enhancing the unboxing experience.
