Thickness is the most quoted and least understood number on a paper edge protector. It is the wall build, measured across the laminated board, and it ranges from 2.5 mm to 8 mm on our lines. What it controls is resistance to cutting and to compression; what it does not control is how widely the load is spread, which is the leg width.
Wall thickness data
| Wall | Typical use | Limit |
|---|
| 2.5 mm | Light cartons, PP band | Creases under heavy band |
| 3 mm | General cartons, panels | Not for steel band |
| 4 mm | Furniture, appliances | Watch the fold on cold board |
| 5 mm | Heavy panels, machinery | Cost step, justify it |
| 6-8 mm | Steel, out of gauge | Fold radius, consider two boards |
What the number actually measures
The wall is measured across the flat laminated board before folding, not across the folded corner. A 5 mm wall folded at 90 degrees measures about 7 mm across the outside of the corner because of the material doubled at the fold, which is why buyers who measure the corner are sometimes surprised.
Tolerance is a real variable. A wall quoted at 5 mm is typically held within a working tolerance, and the plies are what produce the number, so a 5 mm wall from one supplier may have a different ply count from another.
Choosing by what fails
If the band cuts through the board, the wall is too thin. If the corner crushes under a stack, the wall is too thin. If the surface is marked but the board is intact, the wall is adequate and the leg is too narrow.
Below 2.5 mm the profile creases at the fold under normal band tension and stops spreading load. Above 8 mm the board becomes difficult to fold tightly and the fold radius starts to bridge the corner, so two thinner profiles back to back are usually better than one very heavy one.
Thickness and cost, honestly
Cost scales with fibre content, so moving from 3 mm to 5 mm is a real cost step, not a rounding error. Before going up a grade, check whether a wider leg at the same wall would solve the problem, because leg width is usually cheaper per unit of improvement.
For a pack that already works at 3 mm, going to 5 mm buys margin, not performance. That margin is worth paying for on a long sea leg or a heavy stack, and not worth paying for on a domestic carton.
Questions buyers ask before ordering
Do you measure thickness at the corner or on the flat?
On the flat laminated board before folding. The folded corner measures thicker because of the fold.
Is 5 mm always better than 3 mm?
Only if the failure is cutting or compression. For surface marks, width matters more than thickness.
What tolerance do you hold?
A working tolerance on the quoted wall. Send the measurement method with your enquiry so the sample matches your inspection.
Can I get a mixed thickness in one order?
Yes. Sizes are quoted separately and bundled by size.
What is the thinnest you make?
2.5 mm, and below that the profile creases under normal band tension.
Mail the dimensions you need, the number of pallets per month and the destination port to mona@hengnicepacking.com for a costed offer.
