Walther Faltsysteme GmbH will develop the market model for Euro Plant Tray eG - the final decision has now been made. The Euro Plant Trays are to become part of the new European industry standard for plant trays and gradually replace the disposable trays.
150 million plant trays are destroyed every year in Germany - the Euro Plant Tray eG (EPT) cooperative wants to change this. Their goal: to establish a reusable system and pool management for reusable plant trays, the Euro Plant Tray. The company Walther Faltsysteme took part in the tender and successfully completed a practical test with 20,000 plant trays. The EPT has now made its decision, to go on sale with two tray models in 2024One of the two is the Walther plant tray. This is comparable in format to the Normpack 400 for pots of twelve centimetres and is therefore particularly suitable for top-heavy plants from the houseplant sector. The Walther Folding Box Group is not only responsible for the design, but is also the manufacturer.
The construction of the final tray turned out to be more difficult than initially assumed. „Initially, we developed a design on the computer based on the specifications and our own assumptions. But even with the first prototypes in 3D printing, we realised that not all the pots fitted as well as we had initially hoped,“ explains Stephan Engelhardt, design engineer at Walther Faltsysteme. This is because, unlike the disposable trays, the reusable plant trays are more rigid. Just one of the reasons, why the reusable products are not simply a copy of the previous disposable trays made of high-quality polypropylene. The catalogue of specifications also included special water reservoirs. „We also added bars to improve and control the dimensional stability and stackability of the empties.“
3D printing was followed by further prototypes and then Series production of 20,000 units with a tool from our own tool shop. These were extensively tested in the spring. „During the test phase, we regularly received feedback and constructive requests for changes from the participants and adapted our product accordingly,“ says Andre Hecker, responsible for the project at Walther.
As a result, the catalogue of requirements has changed time and again. The different pot sizes available on the market were a major challenge, which should all stand securely in the tray. The designers therefore analysed around 100 plant pots from different manufacturers to determine a perfect fit. „We also tested how quickly water runs off in the stack and how much load the trays can withstand when stacked. We also visited nurseries to gain an insight into the work and handling of the trays,“ says Stephan Engelhardt.
Source: Walther folding systems
Walther - More news
Folding boxes with individual colour gradients
Walther develops reusable trays for Euro Plant Tray
Walther supplies reusable plant trays for DIY stores
Roll container wins Red Dot Award
Generation change at Walther Faltsysteme
