System, method, and storage medium for determining a packaging design for a container

A method for estimating transportation costs for transporting manufactured parts from a departure location to a destination location, comprising:

• selecting at least one 3-D CAD model of a manufactured part;
• determining a number of manufactured parts to be transported from the departure location to the destination location;
• selecting a vehicle type for transporting the manufactured parts;
• selecting a 3-D CAD model of a container defining a receiving region;
• automatically generating a plurality of 3-D part packaging designs for the receiving region wherein each 3-D part packaging design comprises a distinct orientation or positioning of at least the 3-D CAD model of the manufactured part and a first 3-D CAD model and selecting a first 3-D part packaging design from the plurality of 3-D part packaging designs;
• automatically determining a number of containers for transporting the manufactured parts based on the first 3-D part packaging design and the number of the manufactured parts to be transported;
• automatically determining a number of vehicles for transporting the manufactured parts based on the number of containers to be transported and a number of containers that can be held with the cargo volume of the selected vehicle type;
• and
• automatically determining an overland transportation cost associated with transporting the parts from the departure location to the destination location based on the number of vehicles.

A method for estimating a cost of dunnage for protecting parts while transporting manufactured parts, comprising:

• selecting at least one 3-D CAD model of a manufactured part;
• determining a desired number of the manufactured parts to transport;
• selecting a 3-D CAD model of a container defining a receiving region;
• automatically generating a plurality of 3-D part packaging designs for the receiving region wherein each 3-D part packaging design comprises a distinct orientation or positioning of at least the 3-D CAD model of the manufactured part and a second 3-D CAD model and selecting a first 3-D part packaging design from the plurality of 3-D part packaging designs;
• selecting a type of dunnage to be used in the container;
• automatically determining a desired amount of dunnage for the selected type of container based on the first 3-D part packaging design and the type of container;
• and
• automatically determining a cost of the selected type of dunnage based on the amount of the dunnage to be used in the container and a number of the containers to be utilized for holding the desired number of manufactured parts.

A storage medium encoded with machine-readable program code for determining a packaging design for one or more containers, the program code including instructions for causing a processor to implement a method, comprising:

• selecting at least one 3-D CAD model of a manufactured part;
• selecting a first 3-D CAD model of a first container defining a first receiving region;
• automatically generating a first plurality of 3-D part packaging designs for the first receiving region wherein each 3-D part packaging design comprises a distinct orientation or positioning of at least the 3-D CAD model of the manufactured part and a second 3-D CAD model and selecting a first 3-D part packaging design from the first plurality of 3-D part packaging designs;
• and
• generating a first dunnage design based on the first 3-D part packaging design and the first receiving region;
• wherein a first volume defined by the first 3-D part packaging design and the first dunnage design can be held within the first receiving region.

A storage medium encoded with machine-readable program code for estimating transportation costs for transporting manufactured parts from a departure location to a destination location, the program code including instructions for causing a processor to implement a method, comprising:

• selecting at least one 3-D CAD model of a manufactured part;
• determining a number of manufactured parts to be transported from the departure location to the destination location;
• selecting a vehicle type for transporting the manufactured parts;
• selecting a 3-D CAD model of a container defining a receiving region;
• automatically generating a plurality of 3-D part packaging designs for the receiving region wherein each 3-D part packaging design comprises a distinct orientation or positioning of at least the 3-D CAD model of the manufactured part and a first 3-D CAD model and selecting a first 3-D part packaging design from the plurality of 3-D part packaging designs;
• automatically determining a number of containers for transporting the manufactured parts based on the first 3-D part packaging design and the number of the manufactured parts to be transported;
• automatically determining a number of vehicles for transporting the manufactured parts based on the number of containers to be transported and a number of containers that can be held with the cargo volume of the selected vehicle type;
• and
• automatically determining an overland transportation cost associated with transporting the parts from the departure location to the destination location based on the number of vehicles.

A storage medium encoded machine-readable program code for estimating a cost of dunnage for protecting parts while transporting manufactured parts, the program code including instructions for causing a processor to implement a method, comprising:

• selecting at least one 3-D CAD model of a manufactured part;
• determining a desired number of the manufactured parts to transport;
• selecting a 3-D CAD model of a container defining a receiving region;
• automatically generating a plurality of 3-D part packaging designs for the receiving region wherein each 3-D part packaging design comprises a distinct orientation or positioning of at least the 3-D CAD model of the manufactured part and a second 3-D CAD model and selecting a first 3-D part packaging design from the plurality of 3-D part packaging designs;
• selecting a type of dunnage to be used in the container;
• automatically determining a desired amount of dunnage for the selected type of container based on the first 3-D part packaging design and the type of container;
• and
• automatically determining a cost of the selected type of dunnage based on the amount of the dunnage to be used in the container and a number of the containers to be utilized for holding the desired number of manufactured parts.