The reusable box combines a modular pallet-sized system with tracking, digital connectivity and automation-ready handling. Series production is underway in Austria, with industrial and military trials providing the next test for the connected reuse concept.
A reusable transport box designed to work with automated handling and connected logistics systems has moved into series production in Austria, following a multi-year development effort involving BOOXit, POLYTEC and tooling specialist HAIDLMAIR.
The BOOXit system is designed for more than 100 transport cycles and incorporates continuous tracking, NFC identification and ERP connectivity. The boxes can be robotically handled and stacked in interlocking configurations, bringing asset identification and automation compatibility into the package design from the outset. BASF, which supplies the Ultramid B3K polyamide 6 used in the boxes, released additional technical details on September 24.
Based on the standard European 1200 x 800 mm pallet footprint, the modular system includes different box sizes that can be used with or without lids and loaded from either the front or top. BOOXit’s CLICKit system allows boxes to be interlocked and stacked at 90-degree angles, providing another option for stabilizing the load.
More Than a Durable Box
The digital side of BOOXit is particularly relevant for reusable packaging. Tracking and identification can provide shipment visibility, but they can also help operators keep tabs on the reusable assets themselves as they move between facilities and trading partners.
BOOXit has positioned the concept around connected, circular logistics rather than simply selling a longer-lived replacement for corrugated packaging. That opens possibilities for both managed closed-loop applications and potentially broader pooling arrangements. The commercial model is still taking shape, however. The partners have not yet detailed how a pool would operate, including asset ownership, rental arrangements, cleaning, collection and redistribution.
For now, the boxes appear particularly well suited to industrial loops where return flows can be managed, and the value of automation, tracking and repeated use can be captured.
BOOXit CEO and co-founder Dr. Peter Entenfellner pointed to the combination of physical and operational requirements behind the system.
“With Ultramid B3K, BASF supports our box solution, which combines several key requirements of modern logistics: robust mechanical performance, efficient processing, and the ability to implement intelligent reusable systems economically,” Entenfellner said. “When boxes are repeatedly used, stacked, transported and handled in automated systems, selecting the right material can make a decisive contribution to operational reliability.”
From Development to Real-World Trials
POLYTEC began industrial production of market-ready BOOXit boxes at its Ebensee facility in September. BOOXit developed the product, while POLYTEC brought industrialization and manufacturing expertise to the project and HAIDLMAIR supplied the injection moulding tooling. Research organizations, technology partners and the Austrian Armed Forces also contributed during development.
POLYTEC brings substantial reusable packaging experience to the partnership. The company says it has produced more than 100 million reusable logistics boxes, particularly for food logistics. It also manufactures several million fruit and vegetable containers for one of the world’s largest reusable transport packaging poolers.
The Austrian Armed Forces will test the containers under operating conditions, while industrial customer trials are also getting underway. The system was originally developed for industrial logistics, although interest has expanded into defence applications. BASF also sees potential in healthcare and pharmaceutical logistics, including temperature-controlled movement of sensitive medical products and diagnostic materials.
The trials should provide a clearer picture of where BOOXit fits and how broadly its connected reuse model can be applied. The next question is how the boxes perform over repeated trips, and what kind of return and asset-management models develop to support their adoption.
Rick LeBlanc, EMBA, is the founder and editor of Reusable Packaging News (subscribe to the free newsletter) and editor of Western Pallet Magazine. A supply chain journalist with more than 30 years of experience, he specializes in pallets, reusable packaging, material handling and related operations. Rick is co-author of Pallets: A North American Perspective and Pallets & Progress: A Collected History of Pallets and Palletized Handling 1922–1945. He is also an advisory board member of the Virginia Tech Center for Packaging and Unit Load Design. Read Rick’s full bio.