GCSE Graphic Products Surface Developments or nets Summer Examination 2011

3D containers and Surface developments What are surface developments? Surface developments are the 2D or Flat versions of an item that are to be assembled into a 3D object. Each Surface development is a flat shape that is scored, creased and sometimes glued before being folded into a 3D shape. Examples of surface developments may include Easter egg packaging, or fast food meal packaging. Surface developments are often designed on CAD. This helps to reduce waste, and allows the designer to create a range of the same item in various sizes.

3D containers and Surface developments Surface development manufacture Paper and card with straight edges are cut to shape and size on a large guillotine. For irregular shapes a machine process called Die Cutting is used. Die cutting is an expensive option that is used when a large number of unusually shaped objects need manufacturing. Narrow blades are shaped to the outline of the surface development ad fixed to a board. When this is pressed down onto the printed surface it cuts around the outline of the surface development, similar to a pastry cutter. Round edged steel strips called creasing bars or creasing edges are then used to squash the fibers of the board where a fold is needed. Hot melt glue guns may then be used to assemble the product Tessellation is used to allow multiple items to be cut from a sheet of board, as tessellation helps to reduce waste.

Die Cutter

Card Mechanisms Joining or Locking Card Card can be glued together using a variety of glues, or designed in such a way that it becomes self locking. These are often referred to as ‘crash bottomed’ packaging. A similar design to that used in McDonalds Happy Meal packages. The containers arrive flat but are quickly constructed to make a 3D box. Sometimes paper/card mechanism are used to interlock or fasten a packaging unit, which is not meant to be permanent. Often this type is used in the designs for confectionary packaging.