1 Definition of packaging

China's national standard GB/T 4122.1-2008 "Packaging Terminology Part 1: Foundation" indicates: "In order to protect the product in the circulation process, facilitate storage and transportation, promote sales, according to certain technical methods and the use of containers, materials and auxiliaries, etc. the overall name. It also refers to the use of containers, materials and auxiliaries in order to achieve the above-mentioned purposes in the process of applying a certain method of operation activities."

As a kind of material entity, packaging must be reflected through certain materials, forms and structures. With the changes of the times, packaging has become an important bridge between products and consumers, and it has also become an important medium to provide people with a variety of lifestyles. For a long time, packaging with tangible, emotional and rational intertwined characteristics, get the attention of consumers and effectively promote the sales of goods and economic development.

2 Functions of packaging

The role of packaging is essentially practical. To this day, practicality still plays a major role in the form and function of packaging. It not only helps in the delivery and circulation of goods, but also makes the products present in an attractive form. Modern packaging has many functions, the main of which are the following three functions:

(1) Protection function. Protecting the product is the primary function and the main function of packaging. The significance of the protection function of goods is multiple. Such as physical protection of goods to prevent external damage, chemical to prevent deterioration of goods; for example, dark beer bottles can prevent radiation deterioration, vacuum packaging to prevent commodity contact with air oxidation. A product (or commodity), from the factory to the hands of consumers, has to go through multiple circulation links, it has to go through a long time of several months or even years, and it has to withstand various climatic influences such as severe cold and heat. Therefore, the packaging must have effective shockproof, moisture-proof, rust-proof, anti-corrosion, anti-theft and other protection functions.

(2) Convenient function. Packaging must consider convenient transportation, convenient loading and unloading, convenient stacking, convenient display, convenient sales, convenient carrying. Easy to use and easy to handle. It must have broad flexibility in production, circulation, storage, use and environment.

(3) Promotion function. The appearance of the packaging should attract customers through the shape, color and pattern, and its decorative effect plays an important role in attracting customers and promoting sales on the market shelves.

3 Packaging materials

According to the different characteristics of the materials used in packaging, packaging containers can be divided into two categories: rigid packaging containers and flexible packaging containers.

(1) Hard packaging containers mainly use glass, ceramics, metals, etc. as raw materials, and are processed into bottles, cans, boxes, boxes, etc. through mold thermoforming process. Such containers are not easy to deform, waterproof, and are widely used in wine, Beverages, medicines, chemicals and other products, as well as product packaging with high protection requirements such as moisture-proof and oxidation-proof. Hard containers can be used as inner packaging or outer packaging, so that the packaging of most liquid products has a high moisture-proof, anti-corrosion, anti-oxidation, anti-deformation function.

(2) Soft packaging containers are mainly made of soft, easy-to-fold paper materials, textile materials, woven materials and other raw materials into boxes, boxes, bags and other packaging containers. This kind of packaging modeling damp, heat, pressure after easy deformation, but the molding process is simple, the price is low, the publicity effect of the printed goods is obvious, is one of the most widely used packaging forms in the market.