AGROCHEMICALS
A concrete target for this commitment was to further reduce operators ’ exposure and make technologies such as closed transfer systems ( CTS ) available to all European farmers and operators by 2030 . CTS technologies are already used across different industries to ensure people ’ s safety when handling products . These technologies increasingly have sparked the interest among agricultural manufacturers . Several companies have invested in R & D and testing to find systems to transfer crop protection products into the spray tank without having to open and close the container manually . As a member of CropLife Europe , Syngenta supports the 2030 commitments and has tested different CTS technologies . We saw a benefit in supporting the ‘ Easyconnect ' ** CTS technology , which consists of a unique screw cap and a coupler . The cap can be pre-fitted to containers from all corporate members of CropLife Europe as they now support the Easyconnect CTS and are part of a working group on the subject . This allows farmers to choose from a wide range of products from different agricultural industry players .
Design thinking approach
To design the new container , Syngenta applied a customer-centric approach . Representatives from different departments joined forces designing the new container . The team was led by design thinking , an approach that has become popular because it focuses on solving the problems of real people . Design thinking is also an agile , iterative process , which allows for shorter design loops to let customers test the solution and find out whether it fulfils their needs . It enables continuous interaction with farmers , which contributes to a highly motivating project environment . However , it also comes with challenges , as teams have to step away from functional biases and assumptions to focus on analysing
Drop tests conducted with EvoPac containers in Switzerland
farmers ’ feedback and turn it into design features . Our design process started with meeting different growers to map their journey when using crop protection products at the farm and especially their experience in handling containers at filling . After the first round of grower input , workshops were held to craft insights in order to design solutions and prototypes , which were tested by growers . We asked growers to test the prototypes with the Easyconnect CTS technology to ensure compatibility and as such both capture growers ’ evolving needs in package design and deliver the best ergonomics when using it with the Easyconnect CTS . These design loops continued until the growers indicated that the container fully met their needs . EvoPac * delivers all of the practical advantages of easy-to-use packaging which were introduced with the launch of Syngenta ’ s S-pac range . The design includes advanced new features for easier handling , pouring and rinsing , and features that make the new packaging excellently compatible with the Easyconnect CTS . The container is versatile by its compatibility with the Easyconnect CTS . It has a robust rotating handle for upside-down rotation and precise positioning on the coupler . The container has improved visibility of the measurement scale , which is provided with both up-down and down-up measurement to improve accuracy . EvoPac also supports improved flow-ability . The container ’ s central neck , shoulder profile and symmetrical design ensure anti-glug , fast and safe pouring , and improved rinsing ability . The grip and handle have also been improved : there is more space between the hand and cap for easy lifting and removal from cases , while the adaptable handle makes handling easier for both right- and left-handed people . Finally , EvoPac is made of translucent material for greater visibility of remaining product and to make it easy to check that the empty container is properly rinsed .
Reliability demands
To create a reliable design , the packaging engineering team validated the new container by conducting functional and performance tests using pilot moulds of each container component . Tests were also meant to measure grower convenience and the impact of the container ’ s design on rinsing when used with the
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