Technology Never Stops: Engineering & FIFA World Cup Soccer Balls
June 10, 2014
As we prepare for Thursday’s kick off the biggest sporting event of the year (the World Cup, not the Milwaukee Brewers’ Racing Sausages), we’re reminded of how engineering makes the world – and soccer balls – go around. The design of the ball can greatly enhance what the wizards on the pitch can make it do.
It’s all about cause and effect, and our customers rely on us to make their shipping and packaging needs a reality and advance their abilities.
See, Ernest Packaging Solutions isn’t just about packaging. We’re also about taking on unique packaging challenges. Anyone can sell you a box, bubble wrap or liners. But can they engineer a solution for you? You don’t want a box, you want the right box, and that takes experts who know how to create new and better packaging.
Technology changes, and that means you can always perfect little elements for greater results. We see this in the history of World Cup soccer balls. The ‘70 World Cup in Mexico used an adidas base with 32 black-on-white panels. Eight years later, the Argentine World Cup soccer ball had 20 leather panels. The ‘82 ball was the first with rubber inlaid over the seams to keep water out, and the ‘86 ball was the first to feature a poly-coated ball.
The list goes on and on. The ‘94 American ball had polystyrene foam, allowing for higher acceleration. The 2002 ball’s thicker inner layers made it more precise, and the 2010 ball was molded, making it more rounded than any previous installments. And now we see the 2014 ball: heavier than the last one with deeper seams and a slightly textured surface.
These changes don’t just happen – they’re expected to happen. If a new World Cup games arrived, and officials just said, “We’re using the same ball as last time,” people would be shocked.
Much has changed, and continues to change, in the packaging industry, as well. If you haven’t updated your packaging in years, you could be missing out on advances in cold-chain, shock absorption, weight reduction, sustainability and more. The biggest sporting tournament in the world never stops advancing, and neither should your packaging.
Ready to move your packaging forward? Contact us today to learn about new and exciting solutions available to you.
