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ECMA E14.20.00.00

Wrap-Around Cup Sleeve

  • 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

  • Designed for a single row of tapered cups or tubs
  • Top lock holes capture product rims for secure retention
  • Intended for automated wrap-around packing lines

About this product

This wrap-around sleeve is designed to unitize a single row of tapered cylindrical products, such as yogurt cups, dessert pots, or snack dips. It forms a tight, glued enclosure around the primary containers, using specialized lock holes along the top creases to capture the protruding product rims and prevent them from sliding out the open ends.

Because the side panels taper inward to match the draft angle of the cups, this sleeve is intended for automated wrap-around cartoning equipment. It provides a continuous billboard for retail branding while relying entirely on the primary cups for vertical stacking strength.

Common uses

  • Yogurt and dairy multipacks
  • Dessert pot unitization
  • Snack dip rows
  • Beverage cup grouping

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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Retail Multipacks And Cup Unitization

Tapered Cup Multipacks

The inward-sloping side panels are specifically angled to hug tapered cups. This keeps the unitized pack tight and prevents the primary containers from rattling or shifting during retail display.

High-Volume Retail Unitization

With closed side panels, this sleeve maximizes the printable surface area for branding and nutritional information, making it a strong choice for grocery shelves where the primary cup labels might be obscured.

Dessert Pot Grouping

For premium desserts sold in twin or quad packs, the continuous top and side panels offer a large canvas for high-end graphics while keeping the individual pots securely grouped.

Snack Dip Rows

Small, tapered tubs of hummus or guacamole can be bundled into a single retail unit. The lock holes engage the tub lids, ensuring the row stays intact from the store shelf to the consumer's home.

Dairy, Deli, And Snack Packaging

Automated Packing Lines

This sleeve is supplied as a flat blank and is formed directly around the product. It is intended for facilities running automated wrap-around cartoners with adhesive capabilities, rather than manual fulfillment operations.

Retail Grocery Displays

The closed side panels provide a clean, uninterrupted surface for branding, which is useful in crowded dairy or deli aisles where standing out is critical.

Club Store Multi-Packs

When grouping multiple primary containers for bulk sale, this sleeve provides the necessary unitization without adding the weight or material cost of a fully enclosed carton.

When To Consider Open Sides Or Tab Locks

Hand-Packed Operations

If your fulfillment process relies on manual labor, a wrap-around sleeve is difficult to hold under tension while gluing. A pre-glued auto-bottom tray or a simple drop-in carrier may be a more practical choice.

Products Without Protruding Rims

This design relies on the top lock holes catching the lip of the cup. If your product is a smooth cylinder without a rim, the sleeve will not retain it laterally, and a fully enclosed carton or a different retention mechanism should be evaluated.

Straight-Walled Cans

Because the side panels taper inward, this sleeve is not designed for straight-walled beverage cans. A vertical-panel sleeve is a better fit for standard cylindrical cans.

Cup Taper, Rim Fit, And Packing Route

Matching The Draft Angle

The taper of the sleeve's side panels must precisely match the draft angle of your cups. If the angle is off, the sleeve will either bow outward or fail to wrap tightly, compromising the glued bottom seam.

Lock Hole Sizing

The rectangular slots on the top creases must be sized to your specific product rim. Too tight, and the board may tear during machine wrapping; too loose, and the cups may slide out the open ends during transit.

Board Flexibility And Grain

The board must be flexible enough to fold cleanly over the product's edges without cracking, especially since the side panels fold past 90 degrees. Grain direction is usually oriented to support these long folds.

Adhesive Zone Planning

Adhesive is applied to a flap that overlaps underneath the product row. If you are using a coated board or heavy varnish, the glue zone must be left unvarnished to ensure a secure bond.

Adjusting Lock Holes And Retention Curves

Top Panel Overhang

The curved extensions on the front and back of the top panel can be adjusted for aesthetic reasons or to provide slight additional coverage over the first and last cups in the row.

Lock Hole Placement

The spacing between the lock holes can be adjusted to match the exact diameter and spacing of your primary containers, ensuring a snug fit.

Bottom Retention Curves

The base template has straight edges on the bottom panel, but curved contours can be added to provide extra physical blocking at the base of the cups.

Board and packing details

Master Shipper Requirements

Because the ends are open and the sleeve itself offers no vertical crush resistance, these multipacks must be packed into a corrugated master shipper for distribution and warehouse storage.

Base Template Versus Bottom-Curve Variants

E14.20.00.00.a (Bottom Retention Curves)

Adds curved contours to the bottom overlapping panels. This provides extra physical blocking at the base of the cups, reducing the risk of the product sliding out the open ends compared to the straight-cut base template.

Additional notes

Rim clearance and lock hole tearing

If the product is heavy and the lock holes are too tight, the board can tear at the corners during transit vibration. Testing with actual product weight is recommended.

Related Wrap-Around Sleeves

FAQs

Product Fit

Can this sleeve hold straight-walled cans?

This specific template is designed with tapered side panels for angled cups or tubs. For straight-walled cans, a vertical-panel sleeve is a better fit.

How does the sleeve keep the cups from falling out?

It uses lock holes positioned along the top creases. When the side panels fold down, these holes open up to capture the protruding rims of the cups, locking them in place.

Production Path

Is this sleeve suitable for hand packing?

Wrap-around sleeves are formed tightly around the product and held under tension while the bottom seam is glued. This process is generally intended for automated wrap-around cartoning equipment.

Shipping Route

Does this sleeve protect the cups during shipping?

The sleeve unitizes the cups for retail display but does not bear vertical weight. The primary cups must support any stacking load, and a corrugated outer case is required for transit.

Print and Finish

Where is the adhesive applied?

Adhesive is applied to a flap that overlaps underneath the product row. The glue zone should be left unvarnished to ensure a secure bond.

Samples

How should we test the fit before production?

You should test a physical mock-up using the exact cups and lids you plan to sell. This verifies that the lock holes engage the rims correctly and that the side panel taper matches the cup.

Product Fit

What happens if the side panel taper does not match the cup?

If the taper angle is incorrect, the sleeve will either bow outward or fail to wrap tightly, which can compromise the glued bottom seam and reduce product retention.

Design Options

Can the side panels be opened up for better product visibility?

Yes, if you need more of the primary cup to be visible, you can evaluate an open-sided wrap-around sleeve, which features large cutouts in the side panels.