In the logistics industry, there are concerns that the labor shortage will become even more serious with the tightening of regulations on overtime work for truck drivers from April next year. There is a growing movement among companies to reduce the size of their products and streamline delivery.
Unicharm, a major manufacturer of daily necessities, has developed a technology that can compress paper pants for adults by about 1% more than before without changing the contents.
By bonding the material of the paper pants and the rubber using the heat generated by ultrasonic waves without using adhesives, it is possible to compress the product while improving the comfort of wearing.
According to the company, it is expected to reduce the transportation volume of about 10,1000 trucks by 10 tons per year.
Takenori Nakajima, general manager of the Wellness Care Marketing Division, says, "We would like to consider further use of this technology."
In addition
, Kao, a major consumer goods company, has reduced the thickness of disposable sheets used to wipe desks and other surfaces by removing air from the inside of the product packaging.
By devising a packing method, it is possible to carry it in cardboard boxes that are about half the size of conventional boxes.
The company says it has been able to double the number of goods that can be transported at one time by a 1-ton truck.
In addition
, CGC Japan, which handles food and daily necessities, lowered the height of the edible oil bottle by about 2 centimeters without changing the contents, resulting in a reduction in the size of the cardboard and improving the efficiency of delivery.