Case study of CabCube in the automotive industry
How HBPO Replaced Metal Cages With a Smarter Container — and Never Looked Back
Company Overview
HBPO is Europe’s leading supplier of front-end modules to the automotive industry. Operating multiple manufacturing sites across Europe, HBPO manages a complex inbound supply chain, receiving precision components from suppliers and delivering them directly to OEM assembly lines. With production quality and logistics timing both critical to its operations, the way parts are stored and transported is not a secondary concern — it is central to the business.
Cabka is a European market leader in reusable transport packaging made from recycled plastic. Its CabCube® range of foldable sleeve pack containers is purpose-built for industrial supply chains where part protection, logistics efficiency, and sustainability all matter.
The Challenge
For years, HBPO relied on metal gitterboxes — traditional wire-mesh cages — to move supply parts across its European network. While widely used in the industry, gitterboxes were increasingly showing their limitations.
Their open design offered no protection from weather, dust, or dirt, leaving parts exposed throughout the supply chain. They could not be folded or collapsed for return trips, making empty-return logistics expensive and space-inefficient. And for precision automotive components like the air-circulation parts used in the Mercedes A-Class, a standard open cage simply could not guarantee the level of protection the parts required — with no way to separate or cushion individual components inside the container.
HBPO needed a solution that could protect sensitive parts from supplier to assembly line, reduce the cost and volume of return logistics, and support the company’s broader sustainability goals — all while integrating smoothly into its existing logistics operations across multiple European sites.
The Solution
HBPO adopted Cabka’s CabCube® 2.0 (9F) — a large foldable sleeve pack container specifically configured for its automotive supply chain. In one of the most notable deployments, the CabCube® 2.0 was customised and put into service for the transport of air-circulation parts for the Mercedes A-Class.
Each container was adapted on both the outside and the inside. External customisation — including colour-coded labels — made containers easy to identify and manage across a multi-site logistics network. Inside, tailor-made separators were fitted to keep individual parts safely isolated, preventing damage and ensuring consistent quality from first pick to final assembly.
Key features of the CabCube® 2.0 (9F) include:
- 875-litre filling volume with external dimensions of 1,210 × 1,010 × 990 mm — providing generous capacity for large or bulky automotive components
- 79% volume reduction when folded — the container collapses to just 222 mm in height, with a return ratio of 1:4.7, drastically reducing the space needed for empty returns
- Stackable up to 6 units high with a stacking load capacity of 1,450 kg — maximising warehouse density without compromising safety
- Closed deck design with a large access hatch — parts are fully protected from weather and dirt, with easy access for loading and picking
- Two-sided opening and ergonomic lid handles — improving worker comfort and reducing handling time on the floor
- Fast, flexible folding and unfolding — no specific sequence required, operable both manually and automatically in seconds
- 100% recyclable construction, with the base and lid made from recycled plastic, designed for a circular end-of-life
- Optional RFID transponders and IoT integration — enabling real-time tracking and digital visibility across the supply chain
Critically, each CabCube® 2.0 is built to last. The containers average 20 trips per year across a typical project life of 7 years — and often well beyond.
The Results
The CabCube® 2.0 rollout has delivered lasting improvements across HBPO’s European operations:
- 50% space saved on empty return logistics — the foldable design nearly halves the transport volume required for return trips, reducing cost and emissions
- 14 folded containers per truck stack vs. 3 unfolded — dramatically increasing return-trip density on mega trucks (13.6 × 2.48 × 3.0 m)
- Zero quality issues in transportation — tailor-made internal separators ensure parts arrive at assembly lines in perfect condition
- Pan-European adoption — all HBPO factories across Europe now use the CabCube® 2.0 successfully across a range of supply parts
- Long asset life — averaging 20 trips/year over 7+ years, each container delivers sustained value well beyond a typical packaging lifecycle
Client Testimonial
David Schulz, Logistic Engineer, HBPO
“All our factories in Europe use CabCubes® 2.0 very successfully for a range of supply parts. In our upcoming projects, the CabCube® 3.0 proposes a new solution for our space-optimized transport systems.”
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Key Takeaways
- Part protection and logistics efficiency are not a trade-off: A closed, customised container with internal separators solved a quality problem and a cost problem at the same time.
- Foldability transforms return logistics economics: A 79% volume reduction on return trips means fewer trucks, lower costs, and less carbon — compounded across every cycle of a 7-year asset life.
- Standardisation across sites multiplies the benefit: Deploying a single, consistent container solution across all European factories simplifies handling, training, and logistics management at scale.
- Durability is the real sustainability multiplier: A container that completes 140+ trips over its lifetime — and is then fully recyclable — far outperforms any single-use alternative on both cost and environmental impact.
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