HOW TO OPEN A CLAMSHELL PACKAGE

Even though a custom clamshell is great for retailing a product, there are many detractors who feel that the rigid outer shell is nothing but a nuisance, especially when it comes time to opening it. The best and safest way to open a clamshell is a heavy duty utility knife. Simply puncture a slit into one half of the clam right above or below the flange, then cut slowly but firmly around 3 sides of the shell until you can pull open the clam and access the product. It would be safest to wear thick gloves to keep them safe from sharp edges on the PVC. Also, make sure the product is secured with a vice or some other object that keeps the package stationary as you cut it open.

Clear PVC, or Polyvinyl Chloride, has become a preferred method of protecting and displaying a product at retail for 2 main reasons: 1) The glossy, satin finished gives an otherwise simple product a high perceived value, and 2) RF sealed clamshells are theft proof. These are the reasons that you will find most higher end products encased in a reflective clamshell package that requires a chainsaw to open. Conversely, if a clamshell was easy to open with anything but a knife then one of the most important design features would be obviated.

There are other varieties of a clamshell packaging that Assemblies Unlimited has experience with and some you may want to consider for your particular project. These include: hinged clamshells, 2 piece blisters, Mock Clam, trap blister, rail seal clamshell, clamshell with bubble locks, snap fit clamshell, trim an