Hardware Podcasts

S6E51 Eric Richins | What It's Like Being A Packaging Engineer

Being an Engineer · 19 Dec 2025 · 20m · Episode 51

What this episode covers

Eric Richins, a packaging engineer at Stryker with 10 years of experience, explains the complexities of medical device packaging, distinguishing between primary, secondary, and tertiary layers and the critical role of the Tyvek sterile barrier. He details the regulatory hurdles of sterilization methods like ethylene oxide and gamma radiation, and the massive documentation required for validating automated packaging lines. Richins discusses the challenges of implementing new automation, such as a carton erector that increased throughput from 400 units in three hours to one every six seconds, while managing the gap between design intent and production reality.

Most relevant to

large enterprises

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Stryker, Pipeline Design & Engineering
Materials
Tyvek

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