Alfred Fielding
Alfred Fielding was an American engineer who in 1957, with Swiss partner Marc Chavannes, invented the air-bubble plastic sheeting later sold as Bubble Wrap, and co-founded Sealed Air in 1960.
What they did and why it matters
Fielding gave shippers a light, cheap cushion that changed how fragile goods are protected, and bubble wrap is still a standard void fill at pack stations. He and Chavannes heat-sealed two plastic shower curtains while trying to make textured wallpaper, trapping air bubbles that did not sell as decor. The material found its market as packaging, and the pair formed Sealed Air Corporation in 1960. A Stevens Institute of Technology engineering graduate, Fielding served as executive vice president and director until he retired in 1987. Packers choosing between bubble wrap, air pillows, and paper fill weigh protection against dimensional weight, a tradeoff his invention started.
Events
Sources
- Pop Sensation! Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day Has Stevens Connection (Stevens Institute of Technology) stevens.edu
- The Accidental Invention of Bubble Wrap (Smithsonian Magazine) smithsonianmag.com
- Sealed Air (Wikipedia) en.wikipedia.org