1. Packing Cartons
Little Things can Make a Big Difference
Expanded Presentation
February 21, 2011
By Philip Vantassel, C.P.M.
Printer1@Charter.net

2. Questions?
• Who has received packages?
• Who has received broken items?

3. Why Broken Items?
• Air – the shippers enemy
• How items are packed
• The material used to pack

4. How to Calculate Carton Size
• Size of item being shipped
– 8.5x11”
• Maximum weight of carton
– Client specification
– Standard is 40 pounds in printing

5. Width and Height
• Add .125” on all sides
– Allows items not to get caught up in carton
– Allows for variation in manufacturing
• Add additional space is needed when there
are multiple items across the carton
• Size of item to be packed 8.5x11”
– 11.25 x 8.75” inside carton

6. Calculate Carton Dimensions
• Length x Width x Height
Height – 12.25”
Width - 8.75”
Length - 11.25”

7. Depth
• How are the items packaged?
– Shrink-wrapped in 250’s or 500’s
– Kraft wrapped in 250’s
– Loose
• Thickness of Item or Package?
• Weight of item or Package?

8. Calculate Carton Depth
• Shrink wrap packages are 2” in Height
• Weight is 6# per package
• 40#/6=6 packages
• 6 packages x 2” = 12” + .25
• Carton weight = 1#

9. Protect Product
• Chipboard placed top and bottom
• Chipboard protects bottom sheets from being
wrinkled/creased from carton flaps. The chip
board allows for smooth transition so bottom
sheets do not need to be thrown out
• The chipboard on the top protects the product
from the knife so the blade doesn’t slice the
top sheets when opening the carton

10. Sealing with Clear Tape
• Managers choice
• Saves time
– Semi-automated machines
• Saves money
• Brown/White reinforced tape

11. Weakness of Clear tape
• Clear tape is the weakest point of carton
• To improve – use reinforced paper tape
Paper
Clear

12. Carton Reinforced Tape
• Carton will break before
tape will give

13. Unstable Skid or Pallet
• Cartons are more likely to
move on a skid when they
are stacked in straight
lines.
• Increased possibility of
damage from cartons
shifting or falling during
transport

14. Pack a Skid or Pallet
• Brick wall
• Interlocking

15. Labeling
• Position
• Information on the label
• Color

16. Label Position
• How is the carton going to be stacked?
• Place on end that will be facing out
• See where the customer prefers

17. Label Information
• Purchase Order number
• Form number
• Title of the form
• Quantity
• Language
• Carton number to total number of cartons

18. Label Color
• Use color labels to differentiate between
versions of the same form
• For example: White – English
Yellow - French

19. Carton
Strength

20. Carton Material
• Stamp with carton specifications
• Size
• SKU

21. Low Profile Cartons
• Increased surface to interlock on skid
• Ability to go through shrink tunnel for
international shipping specification

22. Carton Shrink Machine
• Shanklin Form-Flow
Wrapper with Heat Shrink
Wrapper - Model F3. –
• Package size 4"W 1/8"H x
6"L minimum to 15"W x 6"H
x 48"L.

23. No Stack Cones
•Use Multi Language if shipping
over seas