Bound Box
Client
Project
Packaging Design
Year
2023
Overview
Encaja’s Bound Box is a reusable wooden shipping crate used across industries. The system works well except for one part: the metal staples that hold the boards together. Every time workers disassemble a crate, they need and external tool to remove the staples. This damages the wood grooves, shortens the crate’s lifespan, and the loose staples have nowhere to go when storing flat-packed boards.
The final design replaces rigid metal with elastic staples. Two stainless steel ends connected by a natural rubber band. The staple stretches to place and remove without tools, doesn’t damage the wood grooves, and wraps around stacked boards for a compact storage solution.
The Result
After prototyping we refined dimensions, angles, and materials into a production-ready design that Encaja could manufacture.
Enboxing
There are three components that keep the box together: two stainless steel ends and one natural rubber band. Steel ends are shaped at 60° to grip the wood grooves of the panels. For assembly, simply stretch the staple, place both ends in grooves and release. Even easier to disassembly: pull to stretch and lift out. Since workers don't need tools to remove the staple, the wooden boards stay intact throughout the process.
Packing it up
The staple's flexibility allows it to hold boards when crates are empty. Staples wrap around the board stack, grouping everything into one unit. This solves another issue: staples won't get lost when boxes are transported empty. Impact
