Tag Archives: packaging

What straps for pallets are best for shipping?

The best straps for pallets for shipping depends on what you are shipping, how it is packed and, indeed, whether it is on a wooden pallet or one made of plastic or fibre board. Pallet strapping or pallet banding – also known as palletising – is a way of holding goods fast on a pallet, making transport easier and protecting the pallet’s contents.

So what are the best straps for pallets, how does a pallet banding machine work, what are pallet bands made from and how do you put them to use? Here, we show you all you need to know about palletising? Warehouse racking and pallet load

What straps for pallets are best for shipping?

The best straps for pallets for shipping is a key decision when looking at storage and transport of your goods. When transporting goods on pallets, it is essential to make sure that they are secure, so that goods in storage or in transit aren’t damaged, broken or lost. This is why you need pallet strapping. While pallets are an ideal way to corral items into one easy, stackable block, the goods have to be secured in place.

When palletised, goods are often shrink wrapped or covered with some form of film to protect them from water, dirt, dust and damage. This film can also provide some structural support. However, to make sure that your items stay firmly in place – especially when being moved around a warehouse or actually shipped in a lorry – pallet strapping is essential.

The first thing to consider is how do you get the straps on the pallets?

How does a banding machine work?

A banding machine otherwise more commonly known as a strapping machine, works by helping you run strapping around the boxes or items on the pallet, linking through the slots in the pallet, and sealing the ends together to form a solid, continuous band holding the goods in place.

Strapping machines help automate the often labour intensive task of strapping boxes and pallets, allowing for faster, easier and more cost effective ways of doing the job in your warehouse.

The pallet strapping machine wraps and tensions the pallet banding around the goods and seals the end, making a strong and lasting bond, which allows the strapping to support a great deal of force.

The machines can handle a wide range of sizes and shapes of products and can run automatically or semi-automatically as needed. Automatic strapping machines are ideal for everyday use on products that are the same day in day out. For more varied inventory, semi-automatic is the way to go.

Both allow the manual setting of the tension, so that the goods held by the strapping are secure, but not damaged.

To handle the task on a smaller scale, strapping systems and tool sets are also an option.

A mobile strapping system typically features a roll or roll of polypropylene strapping and the tools you need to wrap, cut and join the ends. A general purpose two-tool polypropylene pallet strapping machine comes with all the essentials you need to run a pallet strapping operation.

To operate such a strapping machine, the kit contains two coils of banding on a wheeled dispenser, so that it can be easily wound round the goods. A general tension device then lets the strap be tightened to its optimum tension, holding the goods in place, before the ends are joined using strapping sealer and semi-open metal seals to hold it all in place.

For more heavy duty needs there are a range of thicker and wider strapping with a greater breaking strain and, should you wish to mechanise the pallet strapping process, compact, vertical pallet banding machines can be used with a variety of tape sizes.

All these machines can be used horizontally or vertically and are easy to use by just one person, streamlining operations.

What is pallet banding made from?

Pallet banding is made from different materials – polypropylene, corded polyester, extruded polyester and steel – suited for the job at hand. The most common everyday pallet banding is polypropylene strapping, a tough plastic that is formed into ribbons, ranging between 9mm to 12mm wide. It comes in a variety of colours, thickness and several lengths, suited to a range of uses.

The key thing about polypropylene pallet securing straps is that they can be used in machines, as mentioned above, as well as by hand. Pallet banding is embossed, so that it grips the goods and offers additional strength – especially items in cardboard or wrapped in shrink wrap – preventing slippage. It comes with very straight edges, allowing for accurate machine strapping, and is supple, allowing it to mould around less regular shapes.

For more Information on which straps for pallets are best for shipping, here Is a table to help you choose the correct strapping:

What straps for pallets are best for shipping

What items should I use packing straps for?

The items that you should use packing straps for are wide in range – they can be used across a whole host of products as they are so versatile.

Wood pallets for transport and storage

Packaging straps are recommended to be used for collating parcels, bundles, ecommerce packages for shipping and some light pallets. Packaging straps are ideal for holding closed boxes that are being transported, adding an extra layer of sealing to any package.

As we have seen with pallet straps, packaging straps are easy to manipulate into place and are durable, making them ideal for all weathers and climates, as well as for strapping up everything from regularly shaped boxes to less ordered items. Being dispensed from a roll, means that you can control how much strapping you need to use and can wrap a wide range of different size items securely.

If you need to strap a range of items across a warehouse or factory setting, then portable strapping kits make it easy. They feature all the strapping material, tensioners and fixings to make the job easy wherever you are – they are even ideal for spare-bedroom ecommerce players who can do it themselves at home and make their packaging secure and professional.

For larger products or bigger pallet loads, heavy-duty pallet strapping is used. This has thicker and wider strapping and is ideally used with a pallet banding machine, which can get the required tension in place to hold the goods firmly.

While these heavy duty bands are great for securing loads, it has to be noted that If too tight the straps can rub the edges of the cardboard boxes. Pallet strapping is a gentle and effective way to hold things firm, but it pays to also protect the boxes. For this you need pallet strap protectors.

Pallet edge protectors come in two forms, which can be used together or separately to protect your palletised products.

Simple edge protectors that go under the straps prevent localised wear and tear from the strap. These are moisture resistant and offer a great deal of protection. They also help hold the straps in place.

For more all-encompassing protection from strapping and from transit, general purpose edge protectors can be used all round the edges of palletised.

Want to know more about our wide range of straps for pallets?

For additional advice on the best straps for pallets, our Experts are here to help you find the right solutions and arrange next day delivery. Simply call us on 0800 542 44 28 or visit www.rajapack.co.uk.

The best postal boxes to use for delivery

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The best postal boxes to use for delivery

Things you need to consider when looking at postal boxes that are best for delivery are not only how tough they are and what sizes they come in, but also what sort of experience they give the customer. The box, after all, is the first thing they see of your products or brand, even before they see the good themselves.

With ecommerce hitting new heights, what are the best postal boxes for shipping small, medium and large items – and how do you use them to make a good impression?

Let’s take a look at the best postal boxes for your business.

The best postal boxes to use for delivery

What are the best postal boxes for delivery? It depends on what you are sending, where you are sending it and, to some extent, what sort of impression you want your packaging to make when it arrives.

Postal boxes come, literally, in all shapes and sizes, but are more than just cardboard boxes; they can have a variety of sizes, cross sections, linings and lids. Boxes for posting, however, do tend to have one thing in common: sealable lids, as we shall see.

Be aware, too, that postal boxes are different from cardboard boxes, the latter having different sorts of lids, as well as coming with a variety inserts to package up specific items from documents to bottles and beyond.

Postal boxes are designed to protect the goods with card, as well as having closeable lids that tend to be integrated into the main box design that not only keep the items in place and protected during transit and postage, but also make for a satisfying ‘unboxing’ experience for the customer when they receive their items.

Postal boxes typically have a sealable lid with tabs that can slot Into the main box construction. It not only makes them look and feel all the more professional but this added benefit provides reinforced sides, making them strong. Constructed with single, double or triple sides, some boxes have extra thick, rigid flute cardboard, making them ideal for ecommerce applications.

But there is more to postal boxes than just the basics. Depending on what you want to send, there are a wide variety of speciality boxes, designed to contain other things, such as books, mugs, jewellery and even delicate electronics. Each comes with its own special features, such as book boxes that have specially designed flats to protect the books keeping them snug and secure, but which are also easy to open.

Mug boxes, meanwhile, offer a wrap-around design that wedges the product In, protecting the delicate mug and is easy to access when delivered. Boxes for more delicate and valuable things, such as jewellery, can be sealed in boxes that have a self-adhesive seal on the lid.

Postal packaging for returns

Talking of seals, to make life even easier for customers, resealable boxes – postal boxes that feature a second seal that can be used by the customer once they have opened a sealed box – otherwise known as returnable packaging, are becoming increasingly popular for ecommerce, as they make it easy and safe for goods to be returned.

Cardboard boxes are also becoming increasingly popular in ecommerce, but they also have many other roles to play when it comes to choosing the right postal box solution. Standard boxes can be used for shipping or storage, protecting goods and documents from dirty, dust, some moisture, as well as shocks and impacts.

Cardboard boxes that come in A4 and A5 size are ideal for storing and protecting brochures, magazine, documents and more, either for storage or for posting and transportation. Specially designed document boxes are also available for storing and posting standard sized document boxes.

Where cardboard boxes get interesting for postage is where they can have inserts in for special uses. There is a growing business in wine and other goods in bottle – not least driven by the growth in direct-to-consumer (D2C) ecommerce brought about by the lockdown. These boxes are ideal for transportation and postage of fragile goods, with the card insert not only neatly separating the bottles, but also giving them a layer of added protection inside the box. This opens up the options for delivery of such goods, no longer needing specialist couriers.

For an added ‘wow’ factor for customers receiving bottled goods through the post, bottle presentation boxes design to hold gift amounts of wine, beer and other glassed consumables also now come with handles and a sleek design that adds to the customer experience. They also come with integral bubble-wrap linings to make things even more secure.

What to use long cardboard boxes for

Long cardboard boxes can be used for a variety of other specialist postal applications and open up a range of postal possibilities for non-standard items such as posters and more. Long postal boxes are ideal for rolled documents and come in a range of lengths and cross-sections to accommodate a rich variety of items.

Wide-opening, they allow for easy insertion of items, without buffing up the ends of the goods and damaging them. Like all postal boxes, long cardboard boxes also offer a good deal of protection from dirty, dust and even some moisture, thanks to their corrugated structure and Kraft finish. They also can be sealed up with a self-adhesives strip, again making them ideal for ecommerce.

Long cardboard boxes can also be tubular. These are ideal for posters and large documents – such as maps or plans or posters – and feature flush fitting end caps. Being circular in cross section – and made from premium grade fibre board – these tubes are very strong and are ideal for use as postal tubes.

Benefits of flat boxes for postage

Flat cardboard boxes offer a range of benefits. They are ideal for the postage of books, magazine and electronics such as tablets and even computers – and are even designed in some instances to fit standard sized Royal Mail post boxes and home letter box slots.

This design makes them ideal for sending all sorts of items through the standard post, opening up ecommerce delivery options.

Available with either up and over lids or with a single opening side, flat postal boxes offer the benefit of carefully cradling and protecting flat items for postage.

Flat boxes also have self-adhesive lids, making them not only quick to assemble, but also allow them to be secured for postage.

With all flat cardboard boxes, integral lids and double reinforced sides protect all flat items and have revolutionised how good can be packed for ecommerce – doing away with having to finds a box big enough for the goods in one dimension that is too large in all others and so needing a lot of secondary packing material.

Reasons to use foam lined postal boxes

Foam lined postal boxes are used for many reasons

Foam lined postal boxes can be used for a number of reasons. Firstly, they are ideal for sending delicate items through the post or by courier. Secondly, they are ideal for added protection to high-value and small items.

Made in a simple and strong one-piece design from triple layer card and lined with shaped non-abrasive polyurethane foam, these boxes can be used to give items a double layer of protection.

Firstly, there is the outer card, which protects from dust and dirt. Inside, when closed, the items therein are swaddled in two layers of foam, preventing shocks and knocks damaging what’s inside.

This makes them useful for sending electronic devices, such as cameras and phones, as well as jewellery and other fragile, delicate and high-value goods.

Foam slider postal boxes completely wrap items in non-abrasive foam in a slider ‘box within a box’ which not only adds double layers of protection to the items, but also makes for a solid and luxurious opening experience for the customer.

Want to know more about our wide range of postal boxes?

For additional advice on the best postal boxes, our Experts are here to help you find the right solutions and arrange next day delivery. Simply call us on 0800 542 44 28 or visit www.rajapack.co.uk.

We’ve moved: How RAJA’s new UK warehouse and offices offer more stock, more choice – and solar powered hot water

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Growth is risky at any time, but in the current climate expanding to a new premises is more challenging than ever. Yet, despite the tough environment all businesses find themselves in, and with one eye on the future, we decided to go ahead with our move to a new, bigger, warehouse and UK HQ.

And it’s big (and eco-conscious).

The new warehouse takes our inventory space from an already impressive 90,000 sq ft in the old warehouse to 267,000 sq ft – the equivalent of three and a half football pitches. It also increases racking height by a metre and a half to 13.5m – giving the new site an astonishing 40,000 pallet bays, five-times more than we previously had.

And while we are looking at the numbers, the new-build also has 20 HGV docking bays and four level access doors – more than double the number of bays of the old site.

This is a big step up for RAJA UK and not only makes it possible to offer a wider range of stock right now, but also will ensure future growth needs are met in the years ahead.

RAJA UK's new packaging warehouse docking bays

Driving growth

So what is driving that growth? At RAJA, we have always been a distance selling specialist and since the 1970s, we’ve used catalogues as a major way of doing this. Underpinned with the support of telesales, account managed customers and a strong field sales team.

Since 2000 – when the Group launched its first website in France – the business, like many others, is becoming increasingly digital. Web sales now account for a third of our business, email and e-procurement 41% and telephone sales 22%. Digital transformation is well underway.

As a result, we are focussing on becoming the business supplies provider of choice across Europe with hundreds of thousands of products available to core target customers.

With this in mind, the entire RAJA Group’s CMS is being completely updated during 2020 and early 2021, the web is undergoing an extensive top to bottom overhaul and key best-in-class eprocurement services are being implemented to drive long term digital growth.

Catalogues continue to be a central part of our growth strategy, however, with spend here approximately 1/3 of budget to digital marketing’s spend of 2/3. Seven years ago, this split was the other way around and this continued drive of digital is only likely to continue over the coming years.

The effect of the Coronavirus pandemic

Like most businesses, the onset of the coronavirus pandemic and associated lockdown that followed was a cause for concern for us. Lockdown happened at the end of March – the new warehouse was set to open in late June.

However, after some early fears, the RAJA team realigned how we operate during that pandemic – catalogues that were literally hot-off-the-press were parked, while digital spend was switched to bottom of the funnel stuff such as affiliates and PPC.

The RAJA UK team also reacted quickly to the business opportunities in April and focussed our sales teams on the business sectors that were growing quickly. We also rapidly developed a whole range of COVID-19 products such as distancing floor markers, tapes, masks, plexi-screens etc and launched these products on the website daily.

We also found ourselves well placed to tap into the massive up-tick in ecommerce. As the UK – as well as, the world – went into lockdown, the need for ecommerce packaging from businesses exploded as existing online retailers and those that were new to ecommerce all started to need packaging to ship out their goods.

As a result of this, sales have grown very strongly through April and May and marketing budgets were readjusted to take advantage of this sales growth.

And with the consumer switch to ecommerce set to continue, the new warehouse ideally positions us to continue to service and grow this market.

The new build also provides an extra 14,000 sq ft of office space over the old building. While this 24,000 sq ft was not originally ear-marked to be used straight away, it proved perfect for accommodating existing staff in a socially distanced way during lockdown.

Going green

The move to the new warehouse, a vital part of RAJA UK’s long term growth strategy, was also undertaken to make the business more sustainable. The new site has several features that are expected of a modern sustainable building.

LED lighting is used throughout the warehouse and offices to reduce energy consumption. The site also has a solar hot water system and rainwater harvesting to ensure efficient heating and use of water – reducing the impact on the environment and helping reduce operating costs as well.

The site also features charging points for four electric cars – which can easily be expanded further as required. The company is also encouraging car sharing by allocating 12 car parking spaces specifically for employees to do this – although this will have to be something that comes into play once the COVID-19 lock-down is relaxed enough to allow this to safely happen.

The building’s owner, Prologis, also carbon offsets each building it builds and leases. This new building has been carbon offset through the protection of 351 acres of rainforest at the Orangerie Bay project in Southern Papua New Guinea through the charity Cool Earth.

Water storage tanks at RAJA UK's new packaging warehouse

The future

All this new space has proved useful during the pandemic, but it was originally conceived for growth – and that growth is very much at the forefront of our plans for 2020 and beyond.

We are looking, over the next five to ten years, to grow the size of the in-stock product range by three or four-times current levels. This will provide customers with an even wider and extensive choice of products, which can also be delivered faster.

One area we are looking to expand is into food packaging. With ecommerce providing a massive boost to online grocery – both among the large players and smaller, independent purveyors of produce – the demand for food grade and protective sanitised packaging has also grown. And we are looking to capitilise upon this.

Sustainable packaging is also going to be a growth area across the board, which we will leverage the new warehouse to tap into.

As we are also part of the wider RAJA Group and, with the investment in this new-build, we have been able to create this bigger and better warehouse. Cementing our position to become not only more established in the UK, but also to maintain our position as the leading distributor of packaging supplies, business supplies and equipment across Europe.

As digital transformation continues, changing shopping habits can be catered for and new lines can be added as the ecommerce and packaging markets grow and change. And it can all be done from an ultra-modern, ultra-sustainable site.

Triple Wall Packaging: An Overview

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Single, double and triple wall cardboard boxes are all designed to fit different purposes and for use in different circumstances. Triple wall is the strongest and most heavy duty of the three options, so what is it that makes the triple wall box so strong, and what are triple walled boxes best used for?

The science behind triple wall corrugated cardboard boxes

The strength of any corrugated box lies within its material and its construction. Standard fibreboard corrugations have two components: the liner board and the medium. The liner board encloses the connected mediums of arched material, all cemented with strong adhesive – the sandwich like construction is where the strength of corrugation lies.

There are 5 types of standard box wall construction: these range from A-flute to F-flute – examples of the formation of A, B flute cardboard and C flute corrugated cardboard can be found below:

A-flute is the thickest gauge of corrugated card, followed by C and then B to F in alphabetical order. C flute corrugated cardboard is the most commonly found size due to it being a happy medium between A and B-flutes. As a compromise it offers good strength but without compromising ease of use or storage.

When making multi walled boxes it is common for a combination of different flutes to be used as each category has different characteristics which can help to strengthen a box. A frequently used combination in corrugated boxes is BC flute corrugated, which consists of one B flute corrugated and one C flute corrugated – it’s usually regarded as a strong box-type and can hold very large items safely.

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Why use bubble wrap rolls when shipping items?

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Bubble wrap: fun to pop, but essential for the packaging and shipping of items from tiny pieces of jewellery in bubble bags right up to wrapping up furniture, pictures and even industrial parts.

Bubble wrap is an ideal lightweight way to protect goods in transit, shipping and storage. Being on a roll, can be cut to size and used in any dimensions to wrap pretty much any shape or sized item. It can also be used to fill in the voids in boxes, to protect electronics from static and moisture and can be used to line envelopes.

In short there is pretty much no packaging operation that bubble wrap can’t be used in. Here we find out why bubble wrap is so vital and how to choose the best bubble wrap solution for your business.

Why use bubble wrap rolls when shipping items?

Bubble wrap is one of the easiest ways to protect delicate items when storing or shipping them – sticking it on a roll makes it simple. You can just pull and tear off the exact amount you need.

Bubble wrap is one of the most effective forms of protective packaging – not just because it is fun to pop, but because it offers an unprecedented degree of protection, being both shock absorbing and abrasion resistant. It is also lightweight and extremely flexible.

It not only offers great protection, but also flexibility – both physically and in how adaptable it is. It can be wrapped around items, regardless of their size and to some extent their shape. If you get it on rolls then you can cut and tear it to size to fit around all manner of items as you need it.

It is also lightweight and so can be used to give maximum protection, without adding unduly to shipping costs.

That’s why a Bubble wrap roll is a very popular highly-effective kind of packaging for ecommerce. By simply tearing off the amount you need means that you can use just the right amount, making it economical as well as protective.

Bubble wrap rolls offer bubble wrap in a range of sizes, both in terms of how big the roll is and how big the bubbles on that roll are. This can help make sure that you offer the most effective level of protection for the goods you are packing.

What size rolls of bubble wrap should I use?

When it comes to bubble wrap, size is important – both the size of the bubbles and the size of the rolls. Smaller bubbles are ideal for protecting smaller, more delicate items, while larger bubbles are there for scaling up to protecting larger goods, even industrial parts.

Choose the right bubble type

Choosing the right bubble typerap

Choosing the right sized rolls of bubble wrap is important as it has to match the dimensions of the things you are packing. Large, flat picture frames, for example, will need rolls that are wider than the picture frame to give maximum protection for the minimum amount of wrap.

Large bubble wrap and even bubble wrap blankets, featuring much larger bubbles, are ideal for protecting large items such as furniture or for interleaving between items to offer impact protection.

Large bubble wrap rolls come in widths of up to 1500 mm, allowing for the wrapping and protection of large objects.

Smaller bubble wrap can be used to mould around every contour of the items being shipped and, for sensitive electronics, comes with antistatic properties to protect not only from bumps and bangs, but also from damage caused by static.

Small bubble wrap comes on rolls that range from 500mm wide through 750mm and up to 1000mm, allowing for excellent protection and tight packaging of items from the very small right up to things that are quite sizeable, like pictures, computers and more.

Additionally, for the eco-conscious age, small bubble wrap made from at least 15% recycled material is also available, offering the usual degree of protection, as well as helping meet environmental impact demands.

Soft bubble wrap blankets offer an alternative way to wrap. These Jiffy FURNI-soft® bubble wrap blanket that combines bubble wrap with a soft non-abrasive woven polypropylene layer that protects furniture and delicate surfaces from scratches and marks.

This furniture wrap bubble blanket is a modern alternative to woollen blankets for antique dealers or furniture retailers looking for durable protection whilst shipping or storing. The bubble blanket has also been designed to absorb excess moisture to protect delicate or high value articles and can be reused.

If you are looking to save space in the warehouse – and need to store a large quantity of bubble wrap – then space saving wrap rolls are also available. These 200m long rolls have interlocking bubbles so that, when rolled up, the bubble warp roll takes up much less space, as shown above.

These offer all the usual benefits of bubble wrap, but also can be stored more easily.

Other types of protective packaging

Bubble wrap rolls and sheets is just one of the many kinds of protective packaging available for shipping, storage and transport.

Bubble wrap has also found its way into lining bubble envelopes that offer an ideal solution for packaging and posting items, and are ideal for CDs, DVDs, brochures, clothing, jewellery or books and are available in a range of sizes. Easy closure with a self-adhesive peel and seal strip.

Bubble envelopes and bubble bags – even antistatic ones – meanwhile are ideal for the packaging of small goods. These come with self-adhesive strips and are ideal for protecting small electrical items and other fragile items that need to be posted – a boon in the ecommerce era.

Bubble bags are lightweight flap closed pouches made of bubble wrap that offer supreme protection, their small air-filled bubbles provide excellent protection against knocks and bumps to your products while in storage or transit.

Bubble wrap bags have a smooth inside finish which ensures products can slide in and out easily without scratching.

Bubble wrap vs foam packaging

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Foam wrap, made from up to 35% recycled pre-consumer resin, is a light, soft way to package and store goods, especially those that run the risk of being scratched.

The wrap, which comes in rolls to be cut to length or sheets to save time, offers a great way to protect goods that are to be then put into other packaging solutions, such as boxes, preventing bumps and scrapes and protecting from surface damage.

Want to know more about our wide range of bubble wrap rolls?

For additional advice on the best bubble wrap rolls and packaging solutions, our Packaging Experts are here to help you find the right solutions and arrange next day delivery. Simply call us on 0800 542 44 28 or visit www.rajapack.co.uk

What postal tubes are best for mailing?

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Receiving an unexpected parcel or your online shopping has allowed us to have some access to the outside world, as we stay safe at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Making sure that not only what we use to send in the post to our friends and family, or what is shipped to customers – is fit for purpose – but the item remains intact.

Shipping parcels

Here we find out just what postal tubes are and what to use them for.

Postal tubes are great for packing, storing and shipping everything from posters to oversized documents to even engineering parts and anything that is long and thin. They come in a vast variety of shapes and sizes, including triangular ones that can stack.

They offer a safe and secure way to contain things, keeping dust, dirt and moisture out. They even come in clear plastic to show off your items.

What postal tubes are best for mailing?

Not everything fits in nice oblong postal boxes. Documents, maps, posters and even some more three dimensional objects – long thin ones – all need their own neat way of being stored, transported or shipped: and for these items there are postal tubes.

As anyone who has tried to bend the tube inside a roll of tinfoil will know, anything with a circular cross section offers a really strong structure, both laterally and length ways. No wonder that everyone from the Ancient Egyptians on wards used columns and tubular structures for their building supports.

Egyptian columns show the strength in the roundness of tubes (Image: Needpix)

For this reason, postage tubes offer a nice, simple and above all strong way to store and mail a range of delicate items, being made from thick card and with robust and moisture resistant plastic end-caps that not only keep dirty and other things out, but also aid structural integrity.

What can I ship in poster tubes?

The strength and protection that these tubes offer makes them ideal for the storage and shipping of all sorts of things. Their primary use, however, is as poster tubes, which see posters, large format documents or maps tightly wrapped and slotted inside. With the end caps fitted the items are protected from dirt, dust and moisture, as well as from getting torn, bent, folded and all the other things that can happen to posters and other flat paper items.

However, posting tubes aren’t limited to just handling posters. Anything that is also long and narrow, that can withstand being rolled and that fits into the wide range of sizes of tubes available can be posted, shipped or stored in a tube.

Poster tubes come in a range of size, accounting for both length and different diameters to accommodate a wide variety of posters, documents and more. They also come in a range of thicknesses, from lightweight ones through to tubes made from 3.5mm thick heavy-duty card, which are super sturdy and tough.

It is important to remember when choosing the right tube length that you also allow space for the end-cap, which can take up several centimetres of the tubes length.

Are cardboard tubes safe?

Cardboard tubes are ideal for storage and transport of delicate items such as oversized documents, posters, maps and more. They are also very safe.

With plastic ends affixed, these tubes are pretty tough when it comes to stacking and shelving, as well as when sent through the post of courier networks – even overseas.

Unlike most plastic end caps, tamper-evident ones are designed to fit flush to the end of the tube and can only be removed by breaking the perforated area around the top of the tube. Once broken, the cap is still intact enough to prevent damage to the contents and to keep them secure, but if someone has tried to open it in transit, it is clear from the damage at the top of the tube.

And to keep all everything super safe, you can even get spare end caps, so that you can keep reusing the tubes even if the ends caps get damaged or lost.

What are the best tubes for posters?

Of course, the main use of packaging tubes is as tubes for posters. Any ecommerce business that sells things like posters or maps or even rare or valuable documents needs to use a postal tube – not just for the post, but also to take things home in from a store.

The best tubes for posters are those that are long enough to accommodate the posters longest length (plus a bit to allow for the end caps) and of a suitable diameter so that means the poster or document being put in isn’t would too tightly, as this can lead to the kind of creasing you are seeking to avoid by using the tube in the process.

To make a real impact with your posters, there are also clear plastic tubes that show off what is inside. Made from lightweight polypropylene, these tubes screw together and are much more water-resistant. They are also great for being reused, so are ideal for storage – especially of special items such as maps.

Packaging tubes don’t have to be round. Triangular section postal tubes are made of thick card and offer an extra level of protection to things like posters and parts. They also have the added advantage that they can be stacked more easily and won’t roll all over the place.

Extra-large sizes of triangular tubes up to 1100mm in length make these long postal boxes ideal for industrial plans or blueprints, or for long or cylindrical parts. Quick to assemble, such postal boxes are constructed by folding along the pre-creased grooves and sealed with a tough self-adhesive strip, with no need for glue or tape.

What can you reuse postal tubes for?

Aside from being really perfect for the shipping and storage of blueprints, posters, documents and even engineering parts, postal tubes also have an excellent ‘second life’. Why not Get crafty and creative with postal tubes!

Want to know more about our wide range of postal and poster tubes?

For additional advice on the best poster and postage tubes, our Packaging Experts are here to help you find the right solutions and arrange next day delivery. Simply call us on 0800 542 44 28 or visit www.rajapack.co.uk.

Types of edge and corner protectors

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When it comes to transporting products we all want our goods to arrive in perfect condition. If palletised or stacked, packages can be particularly vulnerable as their square edges and corners are particularly exposed to bruising or crushing. But help is at hand: as part of the wide range of packaging materials available to retailers and shippers are a plethora of edge and corner protectors.

From foam corner protectors to sturdy cardboard edge protectors, there are a vast array of solutions to this problem, both in standard and non-standard size. Here we take a look at what is on offer and how best to use them.

Types of edge and corner protectors

There are a wide range of edge and corner protectors designed to suit the needs of the wide variety of packages stacked and wrapped, palletised and shrink wrapped. Let’s start at the corners, as these are particularly prone to bangs and bashes as boxes are stacked and moved around and loaded against each other for transit purposes.

Corner protectors can be made of either cardboard or foam. Corner foam can be either a simple ‘U’ shape corners protectors or, more elaborately, full corner protectors design to protect in three dimensions, each designed for very specific uses

U shaped foam corner protectors are designed to grip tables, shelving, wooden boards or furniture for added protection during transit or storage. They are strong and absorb small impacts, as well as being temperature resistant between -40 and +100ºC.

3D foam corners, meanwhile, are designed to provide protection and extra support to the corners of boxes and palletised goods. They are simple to pop on the corners and are non-abrasive.

Both these and the ‘U’ shaped foam corner protectors are made from closed cell polyethylene foam, CFC and HFC free. They are also 100% recyclable.

How do edge protectors work?

Edge protectors, meanwhile, have a very different role to play. They are similarly used to protect the edges of boxes and palletised boxes from bumps and bashes, but they can also beused to protect the boxes from the fixings used to hold boxes together and on the pallets themselves.

They are also used to add structure and strength to palletised boxes, especially under shrink and film wrap. Together with the fixings and the wrap, these cardboard or foam edge protectors add structure and stabilise loads, so that not only are the goods protected from knocks and bangs, but won’t collapse under their own weight or puncture the cardboard when being moved.

Also available are edge protectors that are used to help support strapping and fixings. These come in both cardboard and moulded plastic, with the plastic offering able to both protect the package from the force of the strap as well as holding the strap securely in place, preventing potentially dangerous movement of the packages.

White card protectors such as moisture resistant edge protectors, also have their specialist uses. While affording protection to stackable pallet loads and held with fixings, these moisture resistant, poly-coated white paper protectors are ideal for use where the pallets are to be stored in cold and/or damp locations for a period of time, such as in a cold store.

These moisture resistant edge protectors stabilise, protect and reinforce unsteady or variable pallet loads during transport and storage. Keeping their strength in humid conditions they can also be used to add reinforcements to cartons.

How do corner protectors work?

Where edge protectors protect from knocks, fixings and add structure, corner protectors are very specifically designed to protect the corners of items such as tables, worktops, shelves and other ‘flat’ goods that have pronounced and often sharp corners.

Table corner protectors can be either plastic or foam and simply slip over the edges of the corners and prevent bumps. Foam corners grip the surface of the table and protect both the table and those handling it from sharp edges.

One solution for tables, worktops and other furniture corner protection are expanding corner protectors, that can stretch from 20 to 40mm and so can handle non-standard sized items.

Similarly worktop corner protectors are vital to preventing these expensive and often bespoke pieces of wood, stone or metal from getting damaged during routine handling. With worktops costing many hundreds – sometimes thousands – of pounds, preventing them getting bashed or chipped; damage that could write off the whole piece.

As we have seen, there is also a need for safety corner protectors, where the corner protectors not only protect the goods, but also protect those handling the goods.

While heavy duty pallet racking protectors protect vulnerable pallet racking uprights and end-frames from damage from fork lift trucks, protect corners of buildings and doorways and can be put around machines, more simple foam and plastic protectors popped on the ends of shelves and other goods stop personnel hurting themselves when handling the goods.

Foam corner protectors vs cardboard corner protectors

So where do you use foam corner protectors and where do you use cardboard corner protectors? Foam corner protectors are ideal for use where edges aren’t straight, as they are flexible as well as strong. Their ‘spongey’ consistency also makes them ideal for adsorbing small impacts and are good a gripping the surfaces of things that are made from glass, such as pictures, mirrors and glass table tops.

Foam protectors can also be coloured, offering warnings or indications of the nature of the goods being protected – as well as making sure it is clear they have to be removed for use.

Cardboard edge protection, meanwhile, is used for protection but is often more useful for handling pressure points under fixings and strapping, as well as providing additional structure, strength and stability to packages. It too can be coloured or have warnings printed on it, but typically is used in its natural state.

Some other corner protectors

There are a number of other cardboard and foam protectors available for pallets, packages and non-standard shaped goods.

Cardboard pallet corners are ideal for added protection for the corners of square palletised goods in warehouses and during transit. Solid and shockproof these carton protectors are ready to use, just apply to the corners of your product.

L-shaped cardboard edges are ideal for protecting individual boxes, both from damage and from fixings. They are also ideal for non-standard sized and non-palletised items.

Often used in conjunction with other protective materials, extruded mesh sleeves are ideal for protecting very delicate objects before they are boxed up. They are strong, flexible, colourful and ideal for glassware.

Self-adhesive foam blocks are protective pads that stick to the inside of cartons and protect the contents from movement or damage. Supplied in sheets one surface has a permanent adhesive protected with a peel off backing. The foam pads are pre-scored; just snap them off the sheet.

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Want to know more about our wide range of cardboard and foam edge and corner protectors?

For additional advice on cardboard and foam edge and corner protectors, mesh, blocks and all kinds of fixings, our Packaging Experts are here to help you find the right solutions and arrange next day delivery. Simply call us on 0800 542 44 28 or visit www.rajapack.co.uk.

The best shipping boxes to use for certain items

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Increasingly in the ecommerce era the packaging is as important as the goods contained therein. Not only does the box in which goods are shipped protect the items in transit, but also can offer part of the experience of receiving the item itself – especially if it is a gift for someone else.

So join us as we take a look at what kinds of shipping boxes and gift boxes there are for everything from everyday objects to special gifts such as books, mugs, pictures and more.

The best shipping boxes to use for certain items

Ecommerce has seen something of a resurgence in the fortunes of the cardboard box. Getting goods ordered online to where they need to go requires the best shipping boxes, which come in all shapes and sizes, to both protect the goods in transit and, increasingly, to offer a nice ‘unboxing’ experience for the recipient.

From book boxes designed to accommodate the latest in publishing, to mug boxes and picture boxes, packaging for shipping is now spoiled for choice. So how do you choose?

What is available runs from simple flat cardboard boxes for everything from magazines to more delicate items such as electronics right through to specialist boxes for things like computers or keyboards through to bespoke packages designed for much more specific purposes.

These boxes come in a range of sizes, but can also be used with packaging materials to further protect the goods and help them fit snuggly in the box.

But the humble cardboard box is more complex than you may imagine. While they come in standard sizes as seen, they also come in a variety of other forms to make packing – and unpacking– goods slightly easier for both the shipper and the customer.

Double wall, flat telescopic cardboard boxes

Telescopic boxes offer flexible ways to package

For example, there are telescopic boxes which feature a main body with a lid that slides over it. This allows for the packaging of items that are of non-standard sizes and shapes, as well as meaning that package and shippers need only minimal different types of boxes for a wide range of goods.

However, these are just the beginning: for specialist products, or to offer a good fit, there are many other boxes to choose from.

What are the different types and sizes of book boxes?

Amazon started in Jeff Bezos’ garage back in 1994 – at number 5, Bellevue, Washington on 5 July 1994 to be precise – selling books. And today, books remain a large part of what is send through the mail. To protect these valuable and beautiful things there is a growing range of bespoke book boxes that are specially designed to make sure your rom-coms, classics or reference works arrive in mint condition.

The different types of book boxes available are designed around basic book sizes – as well as accommodating CDs, DVDs and box sets – while offering some flexibility as to the thickness of the book or box set.

As well as this there are a range of ways that the boxes can be sealed shut.

Book boxes are cleverly designed one-piece cardboard contraptions that fold beautifully over the book to make it easy to package up and just as easy to undo when it arrives.

Thanks to its clever design, these boxes can adjust in height to accommodate a single book or multiple books, as well as single or multiple CDs or DVDs, boxsets and more.

Book boxes can be glued, taped or strapped together

Sealed closed with an adhesive strip, glue, tape or strapping, book boxes are secure and tough for postal or courier transportation, offering shock protection, especially on the corners. And no one wants a book with bent corners, do they?

Brown book boxes with adhesive strips and red tear strip

Self-adhesive tape on book boxes makes them easy to seal

Some book boxes come with their own adhesive tape built in, making it even easier to assemble them around the goods being shipped and stuck down.

What are the best shipping boxes for pictures?

Shipping pictures comes with its own set of challenges and picking the best box for your pictures depends on their size and shape.

Shipping boxes for pictures are another specialist box that again is designed to protect very fragile items. Flat and often self-sealing, these boxes are designed to protect pictures – which feature delicate glass, wooden frames and often delicate paper prints – on the move.

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Similar in design to book boxes, shipping boxes for pictures are one-piece cardboard constructions that fold over the goods – again with some flexibility as to thickness of the picture frame – that offer excellent shock and scratch protection.

These packing boxes for framed pictures, too, can be self-sealing or can be sealed using tape or strapping to hold them closed until the recipient is ready to open them up.

What are the different types of cardboard gift boxes?

As said, increasingly the packaging in which things are delivered – especially gifts – is all part of the unboxing experience: not least if it is an actual gift ordered by one person and sent to another.

Cardboard gift boxes come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, colours and styles to suit a wide range of gift giving.

Cardboard jewellery boxes add a touch of class

One of the most obvious gifts that finds itself inside a cardboard gift box is jewellery. Cardboard jewellery boxes offer protection, but with tastefully coloured card and lined with linen and padded packing, these boxes are ideal for not only protecting the items in transit, but presenting them beautifully when they arrive where they are heading.

Wine is also a gift – and there is a box perfect for that

But not all gifts are jewellery shaped. Wine is also being sent as a gift, along with all manner of other things – and there is wide range of gift boxes to suit all these lovely things.

Pillow gift boxes for small delicate items

But how do you seal these elegant boxes closed? Tape and strapping may be secure, but could spoil the elegant effect you are going for. To solve this problem, many gift boxes now have magnetic seals built in.

Gift boxes come with magnetic seals to avoid using tape and straps

These boxes have a flat magnet on their lid flap and a flat metal plate built into the face of the box, so that when the lid is closed it seals shut with enough force to keep it closed in transit, but not so tight that it can’t be popped open by the lucky recipient.

When is the best time to use a mug box?

While we all like to get jewels, wine or other lovely gifts, there is also a roaring trade in mugs and mug boxes have been specially created to make sure these fragile, ceramic items can be transported safely and securely.

The best time to use a mug box is when trying to ship such a mug. Increasingly, with the commoditisation of printing, people can have also sorts of fun things printed on mugs and this roaring trade has been boosted greatly by ecommerce.

But there is a choice to make when looking at which mug box to use for your product.

Deluxe crash-tested boxes for mug are also available

Like book boxes and shipping boxes for framed pictures, mug boxes are easy to fold around their prized content and have been specially designed and tested with a double thickness base, triple thickness sides to protect fragile handles and rims, and reinforced corners to defend against knocks in the post.

For extra protection there are other specially designed boxes that features a crash-lock base, as well as an inner cardboard fitting that holds the mug in place obviating the need for void filling packaging material.

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Want to know more about our wide range of shipping boxes for specific items?

For additional advice on the best shipping boxes for specific items, our Packaging Experts are here to help you find the right solutions and arrange next day delivery. Simply call us on 0800 542 44 28 or visit www.rajapack.co.uk.

The difference between shrink wrap vs stretch wrap

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Shrink wrap and stretch wrap are both perfect packaging solutions – both are tear resistant, water-proof, dust-proof and help hold bundles of items together for storage, transport and retail. But what are the differences and how can each be used? Let’s find out.

The difference between shrink wrap vs stretch wrap

Shrink wrap is a staple of the packaging and warehousing industry and, as we have seen in previous blogs, it can be used to cover everything from small goods to helicopters – but it isn’t the only way to cover goods to protect them in transit and storage. There is also stretch wrap. So what’s the difference and what can they be used for?

Both are used to package up separate products to keep them together for transport and storage. Both are made from the same thing – polythene, typically – and both are usually good at protecting the products.

The key difference comes in how the wrapping is done and why. Stretch wrap sees the products wrapped tightly in the wrapping film until everything is secure. The stretch film is stretched to about 300% of its natural size in this process and, when in place, tries to shrink back to its original side – creating a firm hold on the goods.

The same applies with shrink wrap, only it is then heated to 100 to 150ºC and allowed to cool – where it then shrinks even further to form an even tighter fit round the items.

Why would you do this? It is all about what you want to do with the goods. Stretch wrap is generally more for transport, typically, found wrapping boxes and more to keep them together on pallets for transport. While shrink wrap is generally more often used for displaying your product, to contain products in the retail, food and pharmaceuticals businesses to protect goods for sale. You may have well already seen goods pilled high in supermarkets, and items wrapped in boxes on pallets.

What is shrink wrap film?

Shrink wrap film is made from a kind of plastic known as a polyolefin – the most common forms of which are Polythene and PVC. It is a strong, often transparent – although doesn’t have to be, as we shall see – and offers protection to heat, cold, moisture, dust and other contaminants.

When heat shrunk over goods and pallets, it provides a puncture proof and secure way to hold items together for storage and transport and is an ideal way to package things.Continuous shrink wrap rolls are ideal for wrapping outsized and irregular loads

For pallet loads, the ideal way to deploy the wrap is from a roll that offer a continuous sheet of shrink wrap material that can be wrapped around as many times as needed and round all sorts of irregularly shaped or tall pallet loads. It is also available in extra wide for really big loads.

Shrink wrap roll with perforations

For more standardised loads, shrink pallet covers on a perforated roll can be torn off, slipped over the load and then heated and shrunk into place. For best results raise the pallet to a position where you have easy access to the underside – then pull the cover down underneath the corners of the pallet.

These are made from 120 micron low density polythene and come in range of sizes. To work out the cover height that you need: Load height + 1/2 width + 140 mm. For example, if your load is 1160 mm high (including the pallet) on a standard 800 x 1200 mm pallet, you need a cover with a minimum height of 1160 + 400 +140 = 1700 mm.

So how do you actually apply the shrink wrap? A shrink wrap machine can be used to both wrap and shrink smaller items. These are ideal for retail products as the clear wrap displays items professionally, and is highly secure and tamper-proof as the film takes the shape of the product.

For larger loads, the equipment needed to do the wrapping involves specialist machines that can spin the pallet and wrap the goods and heating equipment to do the heat shrink.

Once wrapped, the packages need to be heated to shrink the wrap. This is done using heat guns. These come in a range of sizes and shapes to suit all budgets and work by burning butane to produces ambient heat. This shrinks the wrap but is gentle enough not to over heat the products therein.

Tip: Do you know how to use a heat gun?

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What is stretch wrap film?

To all intents and purposes, stretch wrap is the same as shrink wrap – only you don’t heat it to shrink it. When wrapped around pallets and products using a stretch wrap machine, the wrap is stretched to some 200 to 300% of its static length. Once applied it then tries to pull itself back into its original dimensions, tightly gripping the products.

There are several kinds of stretch film. Blown stretch film is tear and puncture resistant and is suitable for use in deep freeze storage and comes in six thicknesses and two widths – and can be black or transparent.

There is also cast stretch film, which is clear, tear resistant and will cling to itself and products for secure hold. By sticking only to itself, it prevent products on pallets from moving while in transit. This pallet wrap is very popular in the food industry.

Cast stretch wrap sticks to itself and is popular in the food industry

Cast stretch wrap is very versatile. For wrapping consignments weighing less than 500kg use standard 15 or 17 micron film. For consignments weighing up to 700 kg use the stronger 20 micron film. For additional strength and tough conditions use the 30 micron film and to conceal the contents of your pallet use the black cast stretch film.

So how do you put stretch wrap on? Well firstly, it depends on how many pallets or items need wrapping! For more than 15 pallets a day, use a stretch wrap machine to speed up end of line wrapping. Otherwise stretch-film dispensers or mini stretch film rolls would be more suited.

Looking for more packaging information?

Our Packaging Experts are here to help you find the right solutions. Simply call us on 0800 542 44 28 or visit www.rajapack.co.uk.

How to use a heat gun for shrink wrapping

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Using a heat gun to wrap and package goods is quite straightforward. Shrink wrapping offers a sturdy, protective and professional way to pack goods for storage, transport and even for sale. But to get the best from the material, the wrap needs to be heated so that it can shrink – and that means using a heat gun. Here we take a look at how to choose the right wrap for your needs and then how to use a heat gun to make it work.

Can I use a heat gun for shrink wrapping?

Yes you can use a heat gun for shrink wrapping, it is ideal for professional and effective packing. Shrink wrap is a highly efficient way to protect goods for transit and storage. But for it to work effectively the goods in question have to be wrapped – in the wrap, and then heated so that the film shrinks into place – holding its contents tightly and securely.

To do this you need a shrink wrap heat gun. The film is made from polyolefin plastic, most commonly polythene and PVC. It is a strong, often transparent and offers protection to heat, cold, moisture, dust and other contaminants. It is also puncture proof and offers a secure way to hold items together for storage and transport and is an ideal way to package various items.

But to get the best out of it the polyolefin plastic needs to be heated so that, as it cools, it shrinks to tightly wrap the goods. But be careful when you heat shrink wrap, as it requires care – so as not to damage the plastic and the goods beneath.

PVC heat shrink rolls shrink at 80 degrees Celsius and have a retraction rate of 40%. It isn’t recommended for food packaging.

How to use a heat gun for shrink wrap

So how do you shrink wrap goods and pallets of goods for transport or storage? For goods on a pallet, or mixed goods that are of non-uniform size and shape, a good starting point would be to use a shrink wrap roll.

Using shrink wrap on an easy to use roll, is a simple method to help palletising or collating. The shrink wrap roll can then be simply un-rolled, and the polythene wrapped around the goods as needed. Allowing for the change of contours and shapes, this helps hold together the goods ready to be heated and shrunk into place to create that all-important tight support and protection.

Shrink wrap on a roll comes in a range of sizes to allow for a variety of sized pallets, goods and needs. Including extra wide for those particularly big or awkwardly shaped products.

It can be found as both a continuous roll of film, this helps to accommodate non-uniform and varied sized and shaped loads. The film can also be manually cut to size, or it is available as a perforated roll, which can be torn off easily for use in sections to cover the load.

To work out the cover height that you need: Load height + 1/2 width + 140 mm. For example, if your load is 1160 mm high (including the pallet) on a standard 800 x 1200 mm pallet, you need a cover with a minimum height of 1160 + 400 +140 = 1700 mm.

Alternatively, it comes as shrink wrap bags, available in a roll, or shrink wrap pallet covers that can be slipped over the items or pallet ready to be shrunk into place.

Individual shrink pallet covers are available in two sizes – the smallest pallet covers are suitable for pallets with a maximum height of 1160mm and the large pallet covers are suitable for pallets with a maximum height of 1760mm. Manufactured from 120 micron low density polythene, the film is also available as shrink pallet covers perforated on a roll and on a continuous roll.

Prepare your loads by ensuring it is tidy as possible, then secure the load on your pallet, pull the shrink film cover over the whole load. For best results raise the pallet to a position where you have easy access to the underside – then pull the cover down underneath the corners of the pallet.

With shrink wrap pallet covers or bags, pull the bags down over the goods into place.

Then the heating begins. To get the best out of the shrink wrap it needs to then be shrunk into place by using a heat gun. This is done using a shrink wrap gun.

A shrink wrap gun is a heated gun that uses butane or propane gas to create a flame, which is contained in a safety housing which gets hot and radiates heat onto plastic wrap. It is crucial that no contact occurs between the flame and the film – or the film will ignite and burn.

These tools are safe and light enough to use all day long. It is available as part of a complete kit, complete with gas canister, lengthy hose and gun. Some systems are also mobile – featuring a film gun and trolley kit, complete with a portable propane bottle – so that the wrapping can happen on the move within the warehouse or packaging area.

A great example is the RIPACK 3000 Shrink film gun, which is safe and easy to use. The flame is never in contact with the nozzle, which stays cool avoiding any risk of burning. The flame fans out to cover a large area making the shrink process quick and easy.

This heat shrink gun is ergonomic, lightweight (1.22kg) and designed to keep operator fatigue to a minimum with its soft grip handle. The RIPACK 3000 is supplied in its own case and includes a regulator, 8 metres of hose, adjustment spanner and instruction manual. There is a spare igniter store in the handle. The case is sturdy enough to be used as an operator platform. Powered by propane gas (not included).

Want to know more about heat guns?

For additional advice on different packaging films, wrapping machines and heat guns, our Packaging Experts are here to help you find the right solutions and arrange next day delivery. Simply call us on 0800 542 44 28 or visit www.rajapack.co.uk.