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FEFCO 0425.1

Heavy-Duty Side-Locking Tray

  • Available in a wide range of custom configurations & material selection.
  • Order 1 sample. Or order 100K+ units. Or anything in between.
  • Affordable delivery across North America.
  • Design support, warehousing, testing, assembly available.
  • Widest machinery capability in America via 30+ specialist partner plants.
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Product details

Top highlights

  • Double-thick side walls provide excellent lateral crush resistance
  • Assembles via mechanical friction locks without tape or adhesive
  • Open-top design means a master carton or separate lid is necessary for parcel transit

About this product

The heavy-duty side-locking tray is a one-piece, open-top package that assembles without tape or glue. By rolling its long side walls 180 degrees inward, it traps the end flaps and locks securely into the base, creating a rigid, double-thick flank.

Because this design concentrates its structural reinforcement along the sides, it provides exceptional lateral crush resistance. It is frequently used for dense agricultural produce, heavy hardware kitting, and retail-ready displays where both stacking strength and a clean presentation matter.

Common uses

  • Agricultural produce transport
  • Heavy hardware kitting
  • Retail-ready shelf displays
  • Internal warehouse parts organization

Get a quote

Share what you know. We'll take it from there. Or email us at info@herculeindustrial.com

Best Price Guarantee

Already have a packaging quote? Let us beat it.

Send us the quote you have. We will beat it for the same specifications, quantity, and delivery requirements.

Upload a competing quote

Free quote review. No obligation.

30+specialist partner plants

We supply through the plant best suited to your price, material, production, and delivery requirements.

Why we can beat a lower quote

30+ plants give us more ways to lower the price.

Each plant has different machinery, material costs, order minimums, and freight rates. Our buying volume helps us secure better pricing. We then quote through the plant that gives you the lowest total price for your requirements.

Send us your current quote. Watch us beat it.

Attach it to the quote form or email it to us. We'll review it free and send you our price.

Upload a competing quoteinfo@herculeindustrial.com
Best Price Guarantee terms

To qualify, send a written supplier quote dated within the past 30 days and addressed to your company. It must cover the same dimensions, construction, material, print, finish, quantity, tooling, freight, delivery date, and delivery location. The guarantee does not cover taxes, expired quotes, liquidation or clearance sales, or obvious pricing errors.

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Heavy Goods, Pallet Loads, and Retail Displays

Palletized bulk transport

The double-wall sides support significant vertical weight, making this tray useful for stacking heavy machine parts, dense components, or agricultural goods on pallets.

Retail shelf-ready packaging

The rolled side walls hide the raw fluting of the corrugated board, providing a clean, framed presentation for products. It keeps items organized and accessible for shoppers without looking like a raw shipping carton.

Internal kitting and parts organization

The glueless, rolled edges create a clean interior. This makes it a durable, reusable open tray for moving kitted parts between workstations or organizing components on warehouse shelving.

Agricultural and produce distribution

The open top allows for necessary ventilation, while the reinforced sides provide enough rigidity for careful stacking in high-humidity environments when paired with moisture-resistant board.

Industrial Kitting, Agriculture, and Warehousing

Hardware and industrial components

Dense, heavy items can easily bow the walls of a standard single-layer tray. The continuous double-wall side configuration absorbs lateral impacts and prevents the tray from splaying outward under heavy payloads.

Agricultural and produce packing

Often used for fresh produce, the open top allows for ventilation and easy access. The reinforced sides provide enough rigidity for careful stacking in high-humidity environments when paired with the right board.

Warehouse and fulfillment centers

For internal loop storage, the mechanical locks allow the tray to be assembled quickly at the pack bench and broken down flat when not in use, saving valuable floor space.

When to Consider a Different Tray or Mailer

Parcel and courier shipping

As an open-top tray, this package exposes the product. If the item is shipping through a mixed-carrier network, evaluate a side-locking mailer with an integrated lid, or plan to use a separate master carton.

High-speed automated fulfillment

This tray relies on manual assembly or a specialized plunger-style tray erector. If your packing line uses standard linear folder-gluers, a crash-lock or four-point glued tray may be a better fit.

Close variants and lookalike dielines

The closest library neighbors include 0425b, 0425, 0425a. Use this as a variant check if a buyer brings an old code, sample, or dieline that looks close. The deciding details are usually the lock, slot, closure, wall build, part count, or fold sequence.

Board Thickness, Assembly Route, and Transit

Board thickness and fold clearance

This tray is highly sensitive to board thickness. Because the side walls must roll a full 180 degrees, thick double-wall board demands precise crease adjustments. If the fold allowances are too tight, the hinges can crack and the lock tabs will fail to seat.

Manual packing versus tray erectors

Operators must overcome the stiff fold-memory of the board to seat the 180-degree roll-overs. For high-volume runs, specialized automated tray erectors can handle the assembly, but the die-cut lock holes must be calibrated to the machine's mandrels.

Transit route and closure

Since the tray relies entirely on mechanical friction locks, severe drop shocks can cause the tabs to pop open. Discuss the intended shipping route to determine if an outer shrink wrap, strapping, or master carton is necessary.

Print surface and friction

High-gloss varnishes or slick coatings can reduce the mechanical friction needed to keep the locking tabs secure in the base slots. If heavy coatings are necessary, the lock geometry may need adjustment.

Practical Template Adjustments

Ventilation and carrying holes

For produce or heavy parts, ventilation slots or carrying hand-holes can be added to the end walls. This improves ergonomics and airflow, though it marginally reduces the overall crush resistance of the ends.

Lock-hole clearance tuning

The base slots can be widened or narrowed depending on the exact board caliper and the specific automated tray erector being used, ensuring the tabs seat securely without binding.

Flap extension for full double-wall

The interior roll-over flaps can be extended to reach the floor of the tray, maximizing lateral crush resistance and creating a completely flush interior side wall.

Board and packing details

Lock tab friction and surface finishes

The structural integrity of the tray depends entirely on the mechanical friction of the locking tabs in the base slots. High-gloss varnishes or slick coatings can reduce this friction, increasing the risk that the tray springs open under heavy board tension.

Clearance and Friction Tuning

Clearance-adjusted variants

For specific automated tray erectors or extremely thick board grades, internal variants adjust the lock-hole dimensions and flap clearances to ensure the tabs seat securely without binding.

Additional notes

Blank size and material efficiency

The extended side flaps necessary to create the 180-degree roll-over walls increase the overall footprint of the flat blank. This provides exceptional strength but results in more corner offcut waste than a standard slotted box.

Related Packaging to Compare

0425b: Tray with Self Locking Walls

Close FEFCO sibling to review if a code suffix or older dieline may point to a variant. The broad shape can be similar while locks, slots, clearances, or fold sequence change the package.

0425: Tray with Self Locking Walls

Close FEFCO sibling to review if a code suffix or older dieline may point to a variant. The broad shape can be similar while locks, slots, clearances, or fold sequence change the package.

FAQs

Shipping and Route

Can this tray be shipped through standard parcel networks?

Not on its own. Because it has an open top and relies on friction locks that can pop open under drop shock, plan to use a separate lid or an outer master carton for courier transit.

Assembly and Packing

Does this tray require tape or glue to assemble?

No. It assembles entirely through mechanical friction locks. The side walls roll over the end flaps and lock into pre-cut slots in the base.

Board and Material

Can this be made from heavy double-wall corrugated board?

Yes, it is frequently used with double-wall board for heavy agricultural or industrial loads. However, the fold clearances and lock holes must be precisely calibrated to the board thickness so the hinges do not crack during assembly.

Assembly and Packing

Is this compatible with automated packing lines?

It cannot be processed on standard linear folder-gluers because it has no glue seams. It can be automated using specialized plunger-style tray erectors, provided the lock holes are tuned to the machine.

Product Fit

How does this differ from a standard open tray?

Standard trays often have single-layer walls all around. This tray rolls its side walls inward to create a continuous double-thick flank, significantly increasing lateral crush resistance and hiding raw corrugated edges.

Print and Finish

Can the tray be fully printed?

Yes, the flat blank allows for excellent printability on the prominent double-wall exterior. However, heavy varnishes or slick coatings should be tested, as they can reduce the friction needed to keep the lock tabs secure.

Assembly and Packing

What keeps the tray from springing open?

The structural integrity depends entirely on the mechanical friction of the locking tabs seated in the base slots. The tabs resist the natural spring-back tension of the folded corrugated board.

Adjustments and Options

Can we add carrying handles to this design?

Yes. Hand-holes can be die-cut into the shorter end walls to improve ergonomics for heavy loads, though this removes a small amount of load-bearing material from those panels.