Panels for Packaging
Product Type
Subcategory
Crates and cases used to package and transport other products are often a combination of solid wood framing around a wood-based panel.
Industrial cases are often just the wood-based panel jointed with metal hinge sections, which allow the empty crates to fold down to be stored easily without taking up too much space between uses.
Traditionally, most wood-based panels used for packaging have been made of thin Plywood, especially birch, but the embargo on birch plywood from Russia has prompted a shift to species such as European poplar and Chinese poplar Plywood instead.
OSB has also dominated some packaging applications for many years, and is continuing to see growth in the sector thanks to its availability and low-carbon benefits.
Common materials used to create packaging panels include:
- Packaging Plywood: Packing Grade Plywoods are industrial plywoods used to pack goods, creating a solid, protective barrier during transport. Plywood packing solutions are cost effective and often made from economical materials such as Grade B and C hardwood veneers.
- 5×5 Birch Squares: 5.5 (or 1.5m square) Birch Sheets are a common size for sheet goods in Europe, used to form the basis of the packaging.
The type of wood panels used depends on the goods being transported, particularly when dealing with industrial goods.
All wood used for export packaging will need to be ISPM-15 compliant, which is usually by achieved by using specific kilning schedules for these grades of wood.
ISPM-15 wooden pallets and packaging must be heat-treated prior to use, in order to prove that the wood has been heat-treated appropriately and is free of pest infestations – especially important to ensure pests aren’t transported between countries, and when the packaging is being used to transport food and other similar products (see Assembled Packaging for more information).
