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Unilever's Journey to Optimizing Packaging Designs & Reducing Prototype Costs with IoT
Applicable Industries
- Life Sciences
- Packaging
Applicable Functions
- Product Research & Development
Use Cases
- Intelligent Packaging
- Manufacturing Process Simulation
The Challenge
Unilever, a global leader in the consumer goods industry, was seeking ways to maintain its innovative edge in the male grooming market. The company was particularly focused on differentiating its Lynx (Axe) brand from competitors. The challenge was to adopt a simulation and analysis approach for designing a new deodorant packaging concept. However, Unilever lacked an in-house team of analysis engineers and needed a development partner to assist with the design and testing of the new can.
About The Customer
Unilever is a multinational consumer goods company with a strong presence in the male grooming market. The company is known for its commitment to innovation and differentiation in its product offerings. For its Lynx (Axe) brand, Unilever was looking to adopt a simulation and analysis approach for designing a new deodorant packaging concept. However, the company lacked an in-house team of analysis engineers and needed a development partner to assist with the design and testing of the new can.
The Solution
Unilever partnered with Altair ProductDesign to tackle this challenge. The deodorant can design concept was initially created by Unilever, with Altair ProductDesign conducting optimization to define material layouts for stiffening the cap’s button and optimizing the load path through the can’s side walls. A detailed model was then developed to investigate a series of 'what if' scenarios such as loading values, geometry changes, and material options. This process identified areas for reinforcement throughout the cap and measured the effects of different material properties on stiffness and stress. These were then ranked against manufacturing cost, providing valuable metrics for material selection decisions. Altair ProductDesign also empowered Unilever with a set of new process tools developed specifically for packaging design. Known as the 'Atlas' system, these tools were created over a 4-5 year period in close collaboration with Unilever’s Capability Development team, enabling Unilever’s CAD and concept designers to perform analysis studies very early in the design process.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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