A laminate plank is a thin board with a machined click profile on two edges. That profile is the most fragile part of the product and the one thing that cannot be repaired: a crushed tongue will not lock, and the plank is scrap. Protecting a flooring carton is therefore about the ends of the pack, where the click edges sit.
The pack, not the plank
Planks ship in a carton, and inside the carton they are stacked and banded. The click edges face outward at the two ends of the pack, and that is where a knock lands.
A U channel over the end of the pack covers the exposed profiles of the whole stack in one piece, which is faster on the line than protecting planks individually.
Specification at a glance
The channel is sized to the pack thickness, not to a single plank, and the leg only needs to be long enough to cover the click zone.
| Pack | Channel | Leg | Note |
|---|
| Carton end | Pack thickness | 30-40 mm | Covers the click zone |
| Pallet corner | Carton stack | 40 mm | With corner boards |
| Retail stack | Pack thickness | 30 mm | Must stay on when lifted |
| Long edges of a pallet | As needed | 40 mm | Where cartons are exposed |
| Sample packs | Single plank | 25 mm | Short pieces |
Cartons, pallets and the home-centre stack
For a carton, channel on the two short ends inside the carton is enough. For a pallet of cartons, channel on the pallet corners where cartons are exposed, plus the usual corner boards.
Retail stacks are handled by customers, so the pack is opened and re-stacked. A channel that stays on the carton through that handling is worth more than one that falls off at the first lift.
Moisture and the swelling risk
Laminate core is HDF, which swells at an open edge. A dry channel does not waterproof anything, but it keeps the pack ends off a damp warehouse floor, which is where most swelling starts.
Keep channels wrapped until use. A bundle left open in a humid warehouse is soft before it is ever fitted.
Questions buyers ask before ordering
Should I protect each plank or the pack?
The pack. A channel over the end covers every exposed click profile in one piece.
Will the channel protect the click tongue?
It protects the exposed profiles at the pack end, which is where handling damage lands.
Does it stop edge swelling?
It keeps the pack off a damp floor. It is not a moisture barrier.
Can it be printed with the décor name?
Yes, useful in a retail stack where the carton design carries the brand.
How long are the pieces?
Usually 300-600 mm for a carton end, or cut to the pack width.
Share the drawing or the four key numbers with mona@hengnicepacking.com and we will confirm feasibility before quoting.
