HSM Packaging Systems: Replacing Bought-In Void Fill With Your Own Cartons

Every shipping operation runs two cardboard flows in opposite directions. Board arrives full of inbound goods and is thrown away; cushioning is purchased, stored and shipped out again. An HSM packaging system connects the two — the carton that arrived this morning becomes the protection around what leaves this afternoon. It removes a purchase, a storage requirement and a disposal cost simultaneously, which is why the payback tends to be faster than people expect.

How the conversion works

A ProfiPack converter cuts a flattened carton with an offset slit pattern and stretches it. The board opens into a three-dimensional honeycomb lattice many times its original thickness — springy, grippy and genuinely protective. It is the same physical principle as the paper mesh cushioning sold by the roll, made from material you already own.

• Honeycomb mats: for wrapping, interleaving and lining cartons. The general-purpose output.
• Strip output: loose-fill for filling voids around irregular items.
• Continuous production: the mat emerges as a running ribbon, so packers take what they need rather than working from a stored stock.

What it actually removes from your costs

• The void fill line item: bubble wrap, air pillows, foam chips and paper mesh. Pull twelve months of invoices — this number is usually larger than people assume.
• Waste hauling volume: cardboard stops leaving the building as waste. If you pay by pickup or by container volume, this is frequently the bigger saving.
• Storage: bought-in cushioning is mostly air, and air stored on pallets is expensive floor space.
• Stockouts: you cannot run out of a material you manufacture on demand from a supply that arrives daily.

Our cardboard versus bubble wrap ROI analysis puts numbers to the comparison, and the ProfiPack overview covers the range.

Sizing a converter to your operation

• Board thickness: single-wall is universally handled; double-wall is not. Check what actually arrives at your dock before choosing.
• Working width: sets the mat width per pass, which determines how quickly a packer can wrap a large item.
• Throughput versus packing rhythm: most operations convert ahead of a shipping run rather than during it. Match the machine to the batch, not the individual parcel.
• Placement: the converter belongs near the packing bench and near where inbound cartons are broken down — walking board across a warehouse defeats the purpose.

The range is in ProfiPack, with adjacent options in cardboard shredders and specialty shredders. A model-by-model comparison is in our C400 vs P425 guide.

Where it fits well and where it does not

• Strong fit: substantial inbound cardboard AND regular outbound shipments of fragile or awkward goods. Both halves of the loop present.
• Partial fit: plenty of cardboard but little shipping. You have a disposal problem, and a baler press addresses it more directly.
• Poor fit: low shipping volume, or products requiring precisely moulded protection rather than cushioning.
• Fit for non-cost reasons: plastic-free packaging is a real differentiator for US consumer brands, and it is visible to the customer opening the box.

Running it well

• Strip heavy tape first: plastic tape gums the cutting rollers over time.
• Flatten before feeding: partly collapsed cartons are the main cause of jams.
• Convert in batches: build a small buffer before a shipping run so the machine never becomes the bottleneck.
• Exclude contaminated board: waxed, greasy or wet cartons go to recycling, not through the converter.
• Keep consumables to hand: see supplies and accessories.

FAQ

Does converted cardboard protect as well as bubble wrap?

For cushioning, interleaving and void filling, yes — the honeycomb structure absorbs impact and grips the product rather than letting it slide. Precision moulded support remains a job for purpose-made inserts.

How quickly does a converter pay for itself?

Add your annual void-fill spend to your cardboard hauling cost and compare. Operations with balanced inbound and outbound volume commonly clear the machine within one to two years.

Do customers react well to cardboard cushioning?

Generally yes. It reads as deliberate and environmentally considered, and it goes into the same recycling stream as the box — no separation required by the recipient.

Can I still bale the cardboard I do not convert?

Yes, and most sites do. Convert what you need for packing, bale the surplus — see balers and compressors.

Run your own numbers: pull last year's void-fill invoices, add your cardboard disposal cost, then browse ProfiPack models rated for the board you actually receive.