Rapid response · Poka-yoke positioning
Developed and operational in under 4 hours. A simple solution to restore the missing fold perforation in a batch of boxes and continue preparing orders.
See the tool in action
A batch of packaging boxes arrived with a section of the perforation line missing. When folded in that area, the cardboard resisted or tore.
Returning the batch and waiting for replacements would have jeopardised delivery deadlines. The need was specific: recover the available boxes and keep packing work moving.
A manual tool was designed and built with a body 3D-printed in engineering-grade PETG and an alignment reference against the box. A section of metal rule, prepared with cutting edges and gaps at the required pitch, recreates the missing perforation.
A plate secured with three screws holds the rule to the body. The 3D-printed part provides support and positioning; the metal element performs the cutting.
3D-printed in engineering-grade PETG, with a support surface for applying manual pressure.
The alignment reference helps prevent misplaced or skewed cuts.
Intermittent perforation and fastening with three screws.
The solution brings together what was needed to resolve the issue: position the cut, hold the rule securely and transmit the operator’s pressure. A simple, economical tool adapted to that box.
Place the tool’s alignment reference against the box to position the rule where the perforation is needed.
Apply manual pressure to the body to create a line of intermittent cuts.
The poka-yoke function lies in the positioning: when the tool is aligned against the box, its geometry locates the rule and helps prevent misplaced or skewed perforations. The operator repeats the operation using the same reference.
From the call to a working tool
The intervention recovered the boxes without returning the batch and kept orders moving. Design, manufacture and deployment were completed within the same urgent response.
7Axis provided a practical response in time: understanding the fault, designing the right support and turning it into a tool ready for work.
Articles
A closer look at the decisions behind this solution.
Returning it is the right answer on paper. But sometimes the return costs more than the defect. A simple tool, designed in hours, can make the difference between stopping and keeping deliveries moving.
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