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FEFCO 0773

Ear Hook Lock 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

  • Locks mechanically without tape or factory adhesive
  • Requires fine flutes or solid board to prevent corner binding
  • Ships completely flat to maximize inbound freight density

About this product

This single-piece corrugated tray locks into shape using four mechanical ear hooks that slide into corner slots. Because it requires zero factory gluing, it offers a simpler production route compared to standard pre-glued trays.

The tradeoff is manual assembly time. Packers must fold and lock the corners by hand, making this package practical for short runs but potentially slow for high-volume fulfillment lines.

Common uses

  • Bakery and pastry carry-out
  • Short-run component staging
  • Retail counter displays
  • Catering and event transport

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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Horizontal loading and short-run presentation

Bakery and retail carry-out

The shallow depth and open top allow horizontal loading of pastries or flat goods. The unglued corners provide a clean presentation without adhesive residue.

Short-run component staging

For internal factory loops or low-volume kitting, this tray provides rigid containment without requiring a glued production path.

Retail counter displays

The clean, unglued interior works well for presenting small items at the point of sale, allowing staff to build trays on demand.

Catering and event transport

Ships flat to the venue and assembles quickly without tape, providing immediate shallow containment for serving or staging.

Food service, retail, and low-volume kitting

Food service operators

Bakeries and caterers often specify this tray in solid board or E-flute for fast, on-demand assembly behind a retail counter.

Low-volume kitting teams

Operations packing small batches use this package to avoid the production requirements of machine-glued trays.

Retail merchandisers

Teams building temporary displays appreciate the clean corners and the ability to store the blanks flat in tight backrooms.

When to compare pre-glued or double-wall trays

High-volume fulfillment lines

If your pack bench processes thousands of units a day, the manual locking time of the ear hooks becomes a bottleneck. Look at the 4-Point Glued Auto-Erecting Tray (FEFCO 0771) or Crash-Lock Tray (FEFCO 0700) for instant pop-up assembly.

Heavy payload containment

The single-wall corners of the ear hook lock cannot contain heavy lateral weight. If you are packing dense industrial parts, evaluate the Roll-End Tray (FEFCO 0422), which uses folded double walls for superior rigidity.

Close variants and lookalike dielines

The closest library neighbors include 0774, EVC41041, EVC18001. 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, packing labor, and route limits

Board caliper and hook friction

Thick corrugated board makes the ear hooks difficult to force into the receiving slots without crushing the material. This tray demands fine flutes, such as E or F, or solid folding carton board.

Pack-bench labor versus production route

You are trading a glued production path for manual assembly time. This makes sense for short runs, but the labor burden may outweigh the benefits on large, recurring orders.

Outer shipping requirements

The open top provides no vertical containment. If the product is entering a courier network, you must plan for a dedicated lid or an outer master carton.

Stacking and vertical load

The single-wall corners and tapered sides act as stress concentrators. If you plan to stack loaded trays on a pallet, physical testing with your exact product weight is required.

Wall taper, nesting, and lid additions

Wall taper for empty nesting

The side walls can be angled slightly outward. This allows assembled, empty trays to nest inside one another, which helps retail staff pre-build trays before a busy shift.

Hook and slot calibration

The dimensions of the ear hooks and receiving slots are tightly calibrated to the exact thickness of the board. Changing the material grade later requires adjusting the cutting template so the corners do not bind.

Extended walls for an integrated lid

The base template can be modified to extend one of the walls into a hinged lid, turning the open tray into a closed clamshell box.

Board and packing details

Flatbed die-cutting requirements

The curved profile of the ear hooks and the narrow receiving slots require a flatbed die-cutter. This ensures the slots are stripped cleanly so the hooks can engage without tearing.

Additional notes

Board thickness and lock tolerance

The dimensions of the ear hooks and slots are tightly calibrated to the exact thickness of the board. Changing the material grade later requires adjusting the cutting template so the corners do not bind.

Related open-top trays

0422: Roll-End Tray

Consider this alternative when you need double-wall corners for heavier payloads.

0774: Ear Hook Lock Tray with Holder

Nearby FEFCO style to review if the buyer wants a similar job but the closure, flap overlap, wall build, or part count changes the package choice.

EVC41041: Corner Lock Tray

EngView neighbor that can look close in CAD. Review it if a sample or dieline seems similar, then verify closure style, slots, wall build, and assembly before treating it as a substitute.

FAQs

Shipping and route

Can this tray ship through parcel networks?

Not on its own. The open top provides no vertical containment, and the friction locks can pop open under dynamic shock. It requires an outer master carton or a dedicated lid for courier transit.

Assembly and packing

Does this tray require tape to stay closed?

No. The four corner ear hooks slide into adjacent slots to lock the walls upright mechanically. Tape is only necessary if you are sealing an outer lid over the tray.

Material and fit

Can we use heavy double-wall board for extra strength?

Heavy board is a poor fit for this mechanism. Thick material increases insertion friction, which often causes the ear hooks to crush or tear the receiving slots during manual assembly.

Production and volume

Why choose this over a pre-glued pop-up tray?

Because it requires zero factory gluing, it is highly practical for short runs, prototype testing, or operations that want to avoid glued-tray production paths.

Assembly and packing

Can automated equipment erect this tray?

Standard tray formers cannot handle this specific hook-and-slot lock. It is designed strictly for two-handed manual assembly on a pack bench.

Material and fit

Will the tray support heavy pallets stacked on top?

The single-wall corners and tapered sides act as stress concentrators, providing very little vertical compression strength. Stacking loaded trays requires physical testing with your exact product weight.

Storage and handling

Do the empty trays nest together?

Yes, if the side walls are designed with a slight outward taper, assembled trays can nest inside each other to save space on the pack bench.

Reusability

Can the tray be unlocked and stored flat again?

Yes, the ear hooks can be carefully disengaged to flatten the tray. However, repeated locking and unlocking will quickly fray the corrugated tabs and weaken the corners.