We manufactured this retail display for The North Face to
launch their new FlashDry fabric. Produced over a year ago; it surely was one
of those challenging projects we all run across every few years. Not only were many operations required but the
client was out-of-state.
(click to enlarge)
The primary specification from the client for this project
was to utilize a honeycombed paper-based graphic display board as
the main support structure. This light weight corrugated product is
environmentally friendly, 63% recycled, rigid and 100% recyclable. This
material is available under several trade names “BioBoard” and “Falcon Board”
are the two most popular.
For this type of project, a client should typically specify
the general shape, size and style of the display.
Questions will certainly arise and such answers will help
the vendor meet the client’s expectations:
* How long will the campaign last?
* Will the display’s structural style meet the client’s
lifespan requirements in a retail environment?
* How much weight is the display required to support?
* Will the display be refilled?
* Will the display be shipped flat or assembled with
product?
* How will the display be distributed? What about drop
shipping?
* Who shall be responsible for the display assembly, store
personnel or retail reps? Displays assembled by store personnel generally need
to have very clear and concise assembly instructions. Professional setup teams
can generally handle more complex displays with less supervision.
After the set of specifications were received we generated the
first round of CAD structural samples. This particular display was complex
because the honeycomb board (side and center supports) and the display strips
require CAD cutting while the corrugated shelves can be traditionally die cut.
Honeycomb board can’t be die cut and thus is more expensive to trim/finish. We
produced an unprinted blank display for the customer to review. I recall we
produced a couple of rounds of samples and eventually produced two rounds of
digitally printed samples for approval. One of the biggest challenges with this
project; the shelves had to angle inwards a few degrees to keep the product
from spilling onto the floor. This affected not only the shelf holes but also
the side support holes and the position of the center support slots. Three crucial
alignment points that needed to match using different cutting methods and
machines.
The BioBoard was a custom order size a) it was a mill order
quantity anyway b) the custom sizes allowed us to keep the budget intact and
reduce waste.
Once we received structural approval, the race was one. Color
approval proofs were produced and sent to the client. Due to the quantity of
displays ordered, digital printing was not an option. Oversized 4 color litho
sheets were printed and mounted to the BioBoard on two sides. The outside
facing sheets had to be mounted consistently in the same position which reduced
the need to CAD align each board during the cutting process. The inside support
panels were 100% rich black ink and the register was not important, there was
simply plenty of bleed.
The trays were printed and mounted in a similar fashion as
the vertical supports; however after die cutting the standard B-Flute
corrugated tray covers they were sandwiched around a middle layer of ½”
BioBoard. This created a very strong shelf with accurate positioning holes.
The CAD cutting of the vertical supports and the shelf sign
panels required production time on two different ZUND cutters to meet the
client’s schedule. The BioBoard material can’t be cut using a spinning router
bit; an EOT “electric oscillating tool” must be used (which holds a knife blade
with a special profile). Of course these are expensive as compared to traditional die cutting and take time to cut properly.
1-1/2 weeks of ZUND cutting was required. There were 600 panels to cut @ about 11 minutes
per panel. My next blog post will be about the ZUND cutting system.
Once the panel and shelf sign production was started, the
schedule required us to start the pack-out and shipping. Each panel was foam
wrapped and secured to protect the printed surface, the additional parts
(fasteners etc.) were gathered and all the elements were placed inside a large
one piece shipper. Don’t forget to
insert the store premises assembly instructions which were provided by the
client.
A word on the little black fasteners (the round dots on the sides of the image); they are inter-locking snap-fit fasteners (64 per display, bagged).
A word on the little black fasteners (the round dots on the sides of the image); they are inter-locking snap-fit fasteners (64 per display, bagged).
The shipping addresses were furnished as an Excel file. Some
shipments were individual while others were multiple sets to the same address. And
of course bulk sets were sent to The Northface distribution warehouse.
