Castle Industrial invest £500,000 in landmark static packaging test centre

One of the most comprehensive static packaging test centres in the UK has opened at Castle Industrial’s state-of-the-art facility in Lancashire.

The £500,000 investment sees the company play host to an array of testing equipment that can help customers ensure their products are packaged and transported in a cost-effective and safe manner.

The test centre pulls Castle Industrial into a global testing network, which includes their partners in the far east and Europe. There are only a select few packaging companies in the world who have the same level of technology that Castle Industrial now possess.

Among the machinery added to the test centre in Carnforth is:

• Acceleration bench – to stress test pallets against conditions they will face during transportation
• Tilt vibration bench – to ensure pallets are packaged correctly and in the most efficient way possible
• Fully automated wrapper – this handles all aspects of wrapping with no human interaction

Real-time data and live testing will play a vital role in the new test centre, helping to display the effect of changes to the overall load of pallets, for businesses to optimise their packaging and logistics solutions.

Speaking of the newly launched test centre Callum James, Director at Castle Industrial said: "The recent investment in this innovative testing centre reflects a strong commitment to offering customers real-time, data-driven insights to optimise their packaging processes.

“With load stability remaining a top priority, this facility will serve as a dedicated space for our experts to conduct live testing, further solidifying our reputation as the leading authority on packaging efficiency. Our pledge to every customer is to optimise pallet load stability, reduce cost and reduce plastic using accurate world class market leading testing equipment.”

In recent years the company have gone from strength to strength, with Castle Industrial’s turnover increasing by 75% in the last 3 years, from £12 million in 2020 to £21 million in 2023 – and now the business is looking to capitalise on that growth and open up avenues into new partnerships with a global customer base.

Castle Industrial already have the likes of Ikea, EDF Energy and L'Oréal utilising their services, and the investment in the test centre is set to draw in more large-scale calibre customers from across the UK.

The new test centre enables businesses to test their packaging at source, rather than needing to do this at their facility, leading to no downtime or disruption to their operations.

Castle Industrial specialise in load stability, helping businesses around the UK to ensure their inventory is loaded onto pallets in a way that minimises damage and waste plastic wrap. The test centre is set to improve the company’s ability to optimise solutions, helping to reduce waste and overall costs for businesses.

Load Stability Specialist at Castle Industrial, Ben Thompson said: “The testing centre gives us the ability to practice what we preach, and back up our on-site testing, with a more comprehensive analysis.

“This data-driven approach allows us to be proactive in finding a made-to-fit solution for our customers, giving them greater confidence in achieving ultimate load stability.”