DS Smith has partnered with Greek aluminium producer ELVIAL to introduce a new fibre-based industrial packaging method designed to protect heavy aluminium products during transport.
The solution, known as Fanfold, has been developed specifically for ELVIAL’s operational requirements in Greece, where the company manufactures aluminium products used in doors, windows, lighting systems, automotive components and medical equipment. The wide variation in product size and shape required a packaging approach capable of adapting to different dimensions while maintaining structural protection during shipment.
The Fanfold system is built from a single sheet of corrugated fibre-based cardboard that forms an accordion-like structure. This design allows the packaging to be adjusted around items of different sizes, enabling ELVIAL to package a range of aluminium profiles using the same material format.
According to DS Smith, the packaging replaces the multiple corrugated sheets previously used by ELVIAL. The design also aims to reduce the need for additional filling materials by providing cushioning within the folded structure itself. The company says the solution can help improve storage efficiency and optimise transport space.
Giorgos Filippoglou, Managing Director of the packaging division at DS Smith Hellas Greek Cluster, said the project reflects the company’s approach to designing packaging around specific customer operations.
“Our collaboration with ELVIAL reflects DS Smith’s philosophy around sustainability and the company’s commitment to creating packaging solutions that are designed to fit the operational needs of the customer as precisely as possible. Fanfold is a fantastic example of innovation in industrial packaging,” Filippoglou said.
He added that the system supports both supply-chain efficiency and sustainability objectives. “The solution offers flexibility and reliable protection for customers’ products and meets with both a supply chain optimisation and sustainability agenda. We are proud that we are successfully helping our customers in the Greek industrial sectors and strengthening their position as competitors in the wider international marketplace.”
ELVIAL distributes aluminium systems both domestically and internationally, making transport durability a key requirement for its packaging solutions. The Fanfold packaging has been designed to provide stability during handling and shipping while remaining compatible with the company’s automated production lines without requiring process modifications.
The companies say the approach can also support recycling and material reduction objectives by minimising the amount of packaging material used while improving storage and transport efficiency.
Tania Tzika, President of ELVIAL, said the partnership supports both operational performance and sustainability targets.
“For ELVIAL, the superior quality and safety of our products during transportation is a strategic priority, and especially due to our intense critical export activity,” Tzika said.
“DS Smith Fanfold offers us the flexibility we need to manage and transport products of different dimensions with confidence, while simplifying our production and supply chain processes, and helping us to reach our sustainability targets.”
The collaboration highlights the growing use of adaptable fibre-based packaging formats in industrial applications, particularly in sectors where products vary significantly in size and require protective solutions capable of integrating with automated production and logistics systems.
