Germany-based Orbis Europe (Hürth; www.orbiseurope.eu) said its “IonPak” is UN-certified reusable transport packaging for Lithium-ion batteries that can be adapted to all battery sizes and quantities.

Low-pressure injection moulding is used to manufacture large HDPE load carriers in EU standard dimensions of 1,200 mm × 800 mm and 1,200 mm × 1,000 mm. The carriers are lined with a thermoformed polyethylene inner packaging made for protecting and containing hazardous materials. Lithium-based batteries are classified as hazardous goods under international transport law; they belong to Hazard Class 9, “Miscellaneous Dangerous Goods”.

Orbis is a subsidiary of US-based Menasha (Neenah, Wisconsin; www.menasha.com), which produces returnable plastic transport packaging and pallets, and the third-oldest family-owned manufacturing company in America. Originally started in 1849 as a wooden bucket supplier, Menasha now makes cellulose-based packaging solutions for a variety of industries. The company has more than 5,500 employees at locations in Europe and North America and most recently generated sales of around EUR 2 bn.

In 2016, Orbis opened its first European location in Hürth near Cologne / Germany. At the sites in Hürth and Ipa / Belgium, the company now employs around 15 sales staff. Undisclosed partner companies in Germany are said to be producing the large load carriers and pallets on Orbis moulds.