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FEFCO 0432

Heavy-Duty Self-Locking Produce 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

  • Unglued, self-locking assembly with fold-over side walls
  • Top flanges and folded walls support pallet stacking
  • Open top provides loading access and top airflow

About this product

Growers and bulk food distributors use self-locking corrugated trays to move fresh produce and baked goods. FEFCO 0432 uses fold-over walls and structural top flanges.

The standard form has no dedicated ventilation or hand-hole cutouts. Its open top still provides loading access and top airflow.

Common uses

  • Fresh fruits and vegetables
  • Bakery assortments
  • Meat and poultry transport
  • High-density retail display

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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Agricultural and Bulk Display Applications

Fresh produce and agricultural transport

The open top and extensive side ventilation allow fruits, vegetables, and berries to breathe during transit. The double-thick side walls and top flanges support heavy pallet loads without transferring weight to the delicate goods inside.

Pallet-to-shelf retail display

Because the tray presents the product cleanly and requires no unpacking, supermarkets and grocers can move loaded trays directly from the delivery pallet to the retail shelf.

Bakery and meat distribution

When manufactured with appropriate food-safe or moisture-resistant boards, the tray provides a rigid, breathable carrier for bulk baked goods or packaged meat products moving between facilities.

Field packing and harvesting

Since the tray ships flat and requires no tape or glue for assembly, agricultural workers can erect the trays directly in the field or greenhouse as they harvest crops.

Supply Chains Using the Produce Tray

Farms and packing houses

Growers rely on this tray because it ships flat, sets up without adhesive, and withstands the humid, cold-chain environments typical of fresh food distribution.

High-volume food processors

Facilities moving thousands of units daily often pair this tray with automated plunger erectors, bypassing the manual labor required to seat the friction locks by hand.

Supermarket distribution centers

Retail logistics teams use these trays to break down bulk shipments into shelf-ready units, reducing the labor required to restock produce aisles.

When to Consider a Different Tray Style

Individual parcel delivery

This is an open-top tray. If you are shipping goods through a courier network, the friction locks can pop under drop shock, and the contents will spill. You must use a sealed master carton or switch to a closed mailer.

Lightweight retail kitting

If you are packing lightweight items and do not need extreme vertical stacking strength, a simpler display tray without top flanges will use less corrugated board and assemble faster.

Close variants and lookalike dielines

The closest library neighbors include 0433, 0482, 0482b. 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.

Production and Packing Decisions

Manual assembly versus automated erectors

While the tray requires no tools or tape, pushing the thick double-wall rollovers down and snapping the tabs into place requires repetitive hand force. High-volume operations should plan for specialized plunger tray-erecting machinery.

Board thickness and fold clearance

Heavy-duty agricultural boards provide great strength, but they make the 180-degree rollovers harder to fold. The factory must precisely tune the crease allowances so the inner walls do not bind and the locking tabs seat fully.

Moisture and cold-chain resistance

Standard kraft board absorbs moisture in refrigerated environments, which can soften the friction locks and cause the tray to collapse. Discuss water-resistant coatings if your supply chain involves cooling or high humidity.

Ventilation versus stacking strength

You must balance the need for airflow against the need for vertical load capacity. Removing too much material from the side walls for ventilation will directly reduce the tray's ability to support heavy pallets.

Structural Adjustments

Ventilation hole sizing

The size and placement of the airflow cutouts can be adjusted based on the product's cooling needs. However, removing too much material from the side walls will directly reduce the tray's vertical stacking strength.

Hand hole placement

The die-cut lifting holes on the narrow ends can be resized for better ergonomics, but they must be balanced against the risk of the board tearing under heavy payload tension.

Top flange width

The horizontal ledges along the top edges can be widened or narrowed to accommodate specific pallet stacking configurations or to provide more clearance for the product inside.

Board and packing details

Die-cutting waste and nesting efficiency

The extended rollover flaps create a large flat footprint, which limits how many trays can be cut from a single corrugated sheet. Additionally, the ventilation circles and hand holes generate heavy internal scrap that the factory must cleanly strip to prevent machine jams.

Pallet Interlocking Variants

Stacking ears for interlocking pallets (0432a)

If pallet stability is your primary concern, this variant adds upward-protruding tabs along the top flanges that lock into the base of the tray above it. It typically reduces side ventilation to maximize rigidity.

Additional notes

Cold-chain structural integrity

If your produce requires refrigeration, standard corrugated board will absorb ambient moisture and weaken the friction locks. Always specify the expected humidity and temperature range so the correct water-resistant board can be quoted.

Related Trays to Compare

0422: Standard Display Tray

A simpler open tray that rolls over the short ends instead of the long sides. It lacks top flanges and ventilation, making it better for lightweight retail display rather than heavy agricultural transport.

0432a: Interlocking Produce Tray

A direct variant that trades maximum airflow for vertical stacking ears, preventing heavy trays from sliding off the pallet during transit.

FAQs

Shipping and Route

Can I ship this tray through a parcel courier?

No. The open top exposes the product, and the mechanical friction locks are not designed for mixed-courier networks where drops and tumbling occur. It is built for stable, palletized freight.

Assembly and Packing

Does this tray require glue or tape?

No. The tray holds its shape entirely through mechanical friction. The side walls roll over 180 degrees and lock into base slots using corrugated tabs.

Can we assemble these on a standard folder-gluer?

No. Because there are no glued seams, standard linear folder-gluers cannot process this blank. It must be erected manually on a pack bench or formed using a specialized automated plunger erector.

Board and Performance

Can we use a thicker board for heavier produce?

Yes, but the factory must adjust the template fold clearances. If the board is too thick and the double-creases are not tuned correctly, the rollover walls will bind and the locking tabs will pop out.

Modifications

Can we add more ventilation holes?

You can, but every cutout removes load-bearing material from the side walls. Excessive ventilation will weaken the tray's ability to support heavy pallets.

Cost and Production

Why might this tray cost more than a simple slotted box?

The extended rollover flaps and top flanges require a much larger flat corrugated blank than a simple slotted box of the same volume. It also requires full die-cutting tooling to create the locks, vents, and hand holes.

Board and Performance

Can we stack these trays on heavy pallets?

Yes. The top flanges act as structural ledges that distribute the weight from the tray above, allowing for high-density pallet stacking without crushing the contents.

Assembly and Packing

Do the locking tabs require tape to stay closed?

No. The tension of the folded corrugated board continuously pushes the tabs against the slot edges, maintaining the mechanical lock without any adhesive.