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习题答案
PART II

ANSWERSTO END-OF-CHAPTER QUESTIONS

CHAPTER11: PACKAGING AND MATERIALS HANDLING

11-1. How do product characteristicsinfluence packaging and materials handling considerations?

One consideration is a product’s physicalcharacteristics. Substances exist in three forms—solid, liquid, gas—and eachform has specific packaging requirements. For instance, metal cylinders are onemethod for the packaging of gases, whereas metal pails can be used for thepackaging of liquids. Another physical characteristic is the product’s capabilityto withstand the elements. Coal can be exposed to rain, whereas salt pilescannot. In a similar vein, some products can be exposed to freezing conditions,whereas others cannot. Product density (weight per volume) is yet anotherphysical characteristic that can affect packaging conditions.

11-2. What is the building-blocks concept?How is it applied to the handling of packaged goods?

With the building-block concept, a verysmall unit is placed into a slightly larger unit, which then might be placedinto a larger unit, and so on. The building-blocks hierarchy is important toremember because each of the different building blocks is inside another andtheir total effect must be to protect the product. They function in acomplementary sense; for example, when a consumer-size package is very solid,the larger packaging elements require less-sturdy packaging materials becausethe smaller packages themselves are sturdy.