Inside a furniture factory, panels are handled far more often than they are shipped. A board stack moves from the press to the edge bander to the assembly line, and every move is a chance to chip a corner or mark an edge that has already been banded. Paper edge protection at the stack corner is cheaper than a rework ticket at the assembly station.
Profile data for panel handling
| Move | Protection | Material |
|---|
| Fork entry | Board on the two entry edges | Paper, single trip |
| Stack banding | Board under every band | Paper |
| In-plant loop, 20 moves | Plastic corner guard | Plastic |
| Outbound pack | Corner plus rim, white top | Paper |
| High gloss finish | White top, 40 mm leg | Paper |
The three moves that cause most panel damage
Fork entry under a stack. The tine touches the bottom panel edge and lifts, and the bottom sheet takes a mark that cannot be sanded out after banding. A board along the two fork entry edges of the bottom panel solves it.
Banding at the stack. The band compresses the panel edges and leaves a line that shows after edge banding. Boards under each band spread the pressure.
Stacking against a wall or another stack. The corner hits first, and a chipped corner on a melamine panel is visible on the finished cabinet.
Where paper loses to plastic in a plant
In a factory with returnable in-plant stillages, plastic corner guards last for months and paper does not. If the same stack is moved twenty times before shipping, paper is the wrong material for the in-plant move and should only be used for the outbound pack.
The honest split: paper for outbound and for single-trip moves, plastic for in-plant loops. Mixing the two by habit rather than by route is where packaging cost leaks.
Edge banded panels need a wider leg
An edge banded panel has a 1-2 mm band of PVC or ABS on the edge, and that band is what chips. The protector leg must cover the band and a strip of the face, so a 40 mm leg is the practical minimum on a 25 mm panel.
For high gloss or super matt finishes, white top board is preferred because kraft can leave a shadow mark when the stack is compressed in warm weather.
Questions buyers ask before ordering
Should we use paper in the plant at all?
Only for single trip moves and outbound packs. For returnable in-plant stillages plastic lasts longer and works out cheaper.
Will the board mark a high gloss panel?
A clean, dry natural kraft board is safe; white top removes any doubt in hot weather.
What leg width for a 25 mm panel?
40 mm minimum, so the leg covers the edge band and a strip of the face.
Can the boards be cut to panel length exactly?
Yes, to the millimetre, and bundles are labelled by length.
Do you supply boards for the edge bander infeed?
Yes, short 300-400 mm pieces are usual at the infeed and outfeed.
Mail the dimensions you need, the number of pallets per month and the destination port to mona@hengnicepacking.com for a costed offer.
