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FEFCO 0945

Corrugated Cushion Pad

  • 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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30+specialist partner plants

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Product details

Top highlights

  • Replaces plastic foam blocks with 100% fiber-based corrugated board
  • Relies on manual folding and friction-fit inside the master carton
  • Uses a simple rectangular profile with straight parallel creases

About this product

The 0945 cushion pad is a heavy-duty corrugated shock absorber designed to replace EPS foam blocks. It starts as a flat sheet and folds into a dense, tubular spacer that creates a dedicated crush zone between your product and the outer box wall.

The main tradeoff is pack-bench labor: operators must fold the pad manually and hold it closed against the board's natural spring-back while sliding it into the master carton.

Common uses

  • Appliance corner protection
  • Furniture edge blocking
  • Industrial component void fill

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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Practical packing jobs for the 0945 cushion pad

Heavy-duty side shock absorption

Creates a localized crumple zone for heavy appliances, furniture, or industrial equipment that need separation from the outer box wall.

EPS foam replacement

Transitions protective packaging away from molded plastic blocks to a fully paper-based, curbside-fiber-based system.

Blocking and bracing

Fills large, specific voids in a master carton to prevent heavy items from shifting during rough transit.

Corner and edge standoff

Keeps fragile panels and painted edges away from impact zones by creating a deep, folded air gap.

Industry and product fit

Appliance and furniture shipping

These sectors often need deep, rigid standoffs to protect corners and flat panels from side impacts without paying to line the entire box.

Industrial component kitting

Shipping heavy metal or electronic parts requires dense, localized blocking to survive freight handling. A folded corrugated tube absorbs massive energy before failing.

Heavy electronics and server transport

Rack-mounted equipment and heavy chassis units benefit from localized crush zones that keep sensitive components away from the outer carton walls.

When to consider a different internal fitment

When pack-bench speed is the priority

Compare the 0929 open C-channel. It offers less crush resistance because it does not roll into a closed tube, but it folds much faster and fights the operator less during insertion.

When you need protection on all four sides

Compare the 0904 full perimeter liner. A 0945 pad is localized for one side or corner; a 0904 wraps the entire internal perimeter of the master box.

When you need a self-locking corner

Compare the 0974 triangular corner brace. It locks into shape before insertion, reducing the tension operators have to hold.

Close variants and lookalike dielines

The closest library neighbors include 0946, 0941, 0942. 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.

Decisions that shape the final pad

Board grade and folding fatigue

Heavy double-wall board provides massive shock absorption but drastically increases the physical effort required to fold the pad. Your packing team will have to fight the board's natural spring-back all day.

Fold allowances

The internal creases must be precisely calculated for the exact board thickness. If the allowances are wrong, the nested panels will bind against each other, and the tube will not roll closed.

Pack-bench workflow

Operators need two hands to roll the pad and hold it closed while inserting it. This makes it a poor fit for high-speed automated packing lines.

Delivery state and storage

Pads ship completely flat, maximizing pallet density compared to molded foam blocks. This reduces warehouse footprint but shifts the assembly burden to the packing floor.

Template adjustments

Standoff depth

The depth of the crush zone can be extended or reduced by changing the width of the folded legs, directly altering how much void space the pad fills.

Contact face width

The main flat panel can be widened to distribute impact loads over a larger surface area of the product.

Board thickness scaling

Upgrading to double-wall board increases crush resistance but requires recalculating all internal fold dimensions so the thicker panels do not bind when rolled.

Board and packing details

Production path for simple rectangles

As long as the pad remains a simple rectangle with parallel creases, it follows a straightforward production path. Adding locking tabs or relief cuts changes how the board is cut and prepared.

Flat delivery and storage

Unlike molded foam blocks, these pads ship completely flat. This maximizes pallet density and saves warehouse space before use.

Additional notes

Physical fold testing

Always request a physical sample in the exact board grade you plan to use. A board that looks great on paper might be too stiff for your packing team to fold efficiently by hand.

Related packaging to compare

0946: Cushion Pad

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.

0942: Cushion Pad

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.

FAQs

Packing and assembly

Can this pad be inserted by automated packing equipment?

Standard suction effectors struggle with this design. The pad relies on unfastened folds and board spring-back, requiring manual tension to hold it closed during insertion.

Will the pad stay folded on its own?

It acts as a friction-fit component. The board naturally wants to spring back flat, so it relies entirely on the tight space between your product and the outer box wall to hold its shape.

Production and tooling

Does this require shaped cutting?

If the design uses only straight parallel creases and a rectangular outer profile, it follows a simpler production path. Adding tabs, slots, or angled cuts changes how the board must be prepared.

Board and material

What board grade works best for shock absorption?

Heavy single-wall or double-wall board provides the highest crush resistance. However, thicker board requires precise fold allowances and makes manual assembly much harder for your packing team.

Modifications

Can we add locking tabs so it holds its shape?

Adding tabs or slots is possible, but it changes the manufacturing route from simple straight cuts to shaped cutting. This alters the production path and preparation time.

Comparisons

How does this compare to EPS foam blocks?

It provides comparable localized shock absorption and ships flat to save warehouse space, but it requires more pack-bench labor to assemble than dropping in a pre-molded foam block.

Inserts and product fit

Does the pad need to cover the entire side of the product?

It is designed for localized blocking. You can use two narrow pads at opposite ends of a heavy item rather than one massive sheet, reducing total material use.

Route and shipping

How does the pad handle repeated drops?

The corrugated flutes crush to absorb severe impacts. Once crushed, that specific zone loses some of its original standoff depth, making it best suited for single-trip shipping rather than multi-use returnable packaging.