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ECMA D20.20.21.62

Flanged Food Tray with Separate Lid

The D20.20.21.62 is a two-piece folding carton designed for automated food packing. It features a tapered tray with webbed, leak-resistant corners and a continuous horizontal top flange, paired with a separate flat lid.

Because the lid has no mechanical locks, this package relies on a secondary process such as heat sealing, adhesive, or an outer sleeve to secure the closure. It is a strong choice for ready meals, chilled foods, and catering applications where barrier performance and automated filling are useful.

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  • Available in a wide variety of configurations.

At a glance

  • Two-piece design: tapered tray and separate flat lid
  • Webbed corners resist leaks from wet or viscous contents
  • Usually relies on automated plunge-forming and external lid sealing

Common uses

  • Ready meals
  • Frozen foods
  • Catering packs
  • Bakery assortments

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Automated Food and Catering Applications

Ready Meals and Frozen Foods

The continuous top flange provides a reliable surface for sealing, while the webbed corners prevent sauces or gravies from leaking through the bottom of the tray. This makes it very suitable for chilled or frozen entrees.

Bakery and Catering Packs

The tapered walls allow the empty trays to nest efficiently before filling, and the wide top opening provides excellent presentation for assorted baked goods or catering portions.

Fresh Produce and Cut Fruit

The webbed corners hold natural juices, while the separate lid allows for clear plastic covers to show the fruit clearly in retail environments.

Deli and Prepared Foods

Useful for chilled deli items that need a secure top seal to prevent spills during retail display and transport home by the consumer.

Food Service and Retail Grocery

High-Volume Food Production

This tray is built for speed. It is delivered flat with pre-glued corners, ready to be plunge-formed on an automated line. It is not a good fit for manual, low-volume hand-packing due to the specialized erection and sealing steps.

Automated Heat-Sealing Lines

Facilities equipped with film or board sealing heads benefit from the continuous horizontal flange, which provides a consistent surface for applying the separate lid.

Retail Grocery Displays

The tapered walls allow the trays to be stacked efficiently on shelves, while the wide top opening presents the food clearly to shoppers.

When to Consider Alternative Trays

When using roll-fed film instead of a board lid

If your packing line applies a continuous film seal from a roll rather than dropping individual board lids, compare this to the D20.20.21.00, which is the exact same flanged tray without the separate cover plate.

When manual packing is needed

If you are packing by hand and need a lid that closes securely without machinery, consider a tray with an integrated hinged lid and mechanical friction locks.

Decisions for Automated Lines

Sealing Method and Flange Width

The width of the top flange should match your sealing equipment. Whether you are using heat-seal equipment, ultrasonic welding, or adhesive, the flange dimension can be adjusted to ensure a reliable bond with the lid.

Board Coating and Barrier Needs

While the webbed corners physically block leaks, the paperboard itself needs protection from moisture. Discuss poly-coated boards or other barrier coatings based on the water or fat content of the product.

Lid Material and Visibility

Decide if the separate lid should be made from the same paperboard as the tray or a clear plastic sheet for retail visibility.

Packing Line Erection

Confirm that the packing facility has the automated plunge-forming equipment needed to erect the pre-glued webbed corners efficiently.

Flange and Taper Adjustments

Wall Taper Angle

The outward lean of the walls can be adjusted. A steeper angle improves nesting density for empty trays, but extreme angles can stress the webbed corners during folding. The taper should be matched to your automated denesting equipment.

Flange Width and Profile

The horizontal top rim can be widened or narrowed to match the specific contact area of the sealing equipment, ensuring a consistent seal around the entire perimeter.

Tray Depth

The height of the walls can be adjusted to accommodate different portion sizes while keeping the same base footprint, allowing multiple product sizes to run on the same sealing line.

Board and packing details

Two-Material Runs

Because the lid is a completely separate blank, it can be cut from a different material than the tray. A common configuration uses a poly-coated board for the tray and a clear plastic sheet for the lid to provide product visibility.

Additional notes

Nesting and denesting behavior

The tapered walls allow the pre-glued, flat-folded trays to be stacked efficiently in the feeder of an erecting machine. The exact taper angle should be verified against your specific denesting hardware to prevent jamming.

Related Tray Styles

FAQs

Closure and Sealing

Does the lid lock onto the tray automatically?

No. The lid is a simple flat sheet that rests on the top flanges. It is secured using a secondary process such as heat sealing, food-safe adhesive, or by sliding the entire tray into a tight outer sleeve.

Production and Packing

Can this tray be assembled by hand?

While it is physically possible to push the tray open by hand, it is inefficient. This package is specifically designed to be plunge-formed by automated erecting machinery on a high-speed packing line.

Product Fit

Is this tray completely liquid-tight?

The webbed corners provide excellent resistance against thick liquids, sauces, and grease. However, true liquid-tight performance depends entirely on selecting the correct barrier-coated board and achieving a perfect seal on the lid.

Shipping and Route

Can this package be shipped individually in the mail?

No. This is a primary product container. The flat lid and tapered walls are not designed for direct parcel courier shipping on their own. It relies on a corrugated outer master carton for shipping.

Materials

Can the lid be made of clear plastic?

Yes. Because the lid is a separate flat piece, it is very easy to run the tray in a coated paperboard and the lid in a clear, sealable plastic film or rigid sheet.

Manufacturing

Does the webbed corner design affect manufacturing?

Yes. The tray relies on a folder-gluer capable of folding the corner gussets 180 degrees and gluing them flat. This is a specialized gluing process compared to standard straight-line cartons, making it a better fit for repeat packing programs rather than short trial runs.

Print and Finish

Can the tray be printed on the inside?

Yes, the inside of the tray can be printed, but food-safe inks and appropriate barrier coatings are necessary if the printed surface will touch the food directly.

Delivery and Storage

How are the empty trays delivered?

The trays are delivered flat with the webbed corners pre-glued. They are then popped open by automated equipment at the packing facility, which saves storage space before filling.

Review your sealing equipment and barrier requirements to ensure this flanged tray fits your production line.

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