The Center for Packaging and Unit Load Design is eager to begin utilizing the $50,000 donation that their industry partner, Lightning Technologies, has recently made to the center. Lightning Technologies is known for their innovative pallet design called the Lightning-GARD, and the funds they donated have been earmarked for the purchase of a variety of sensors that can be used in conjunction with their pallet and others. Associate Professor Laszlo Horvath, director of the center, will be making the most of the donation by ensuring that students get the proper education on both using the sensors and analyzing the data collected.

These sensors can measure and track a wide array of conditions. From the changing temperatures inside a shipping container to each tiny vibration that a palletized unit load experiences during travel, the sensors will provide a wealth of information. The data collected will have the potential to change how global packaging and distribution systems work by giving companies new information on which to base their organizational and financial material handling decisions.

The sensors will also provide companies with real-time alerts in case of an emergency during the shipping process. “For example, many foods and medicines go bad quickly if they aren’t kept at a certain temperature,” Horvath said. “If temperature sensors are installed in the truck that’s carrying these shipments, the company will be notified as soon as the temperature changes so the truck driver can be alerted that something is wrong.”

This fall, students will start learning how to incorporate the new sensors into their distribution packaging research projects. Students will be working with American Woodmark, a local furniture manufacturer, in order to collect real-life data by placing sensors on the company’s furniture shipments. The information learned through this research could lead to significant industry improvements in the coming years.

The sensor research sponsored by Lightning Technologies is the latest laboratory upgrade in a multi-year project to improve the center through the implementation of lean management techniques and increasingly technological advancements. “Distribution packaging isn’t currently an area where we use a lot of high-tech sensors, but we want to build a program around smart and connected packaging,” Horvath said. “The sensors aren’t even the most exciting part. We’re developing a cutting-edge program that is at the intersection of business and science, and will help prepare students to make decisions regarding this technology that will benefit their employers.”