During transit, products are prone to damage. Each shipping modality has its own set of unique challenges, which can cause products to shift or migrate during the course of their transportation, resulting in damaged goods.
Blocking and bracing materials are used to protect and stabilize the products and are important to ensure your products cannot move or shift during transit. Implementing these materials into your shipping plan can help prevent damage to your products and your relationship with customers.
Types of Blocking Materials
Corrugated Interior Packaging
Some corrugated packaging materials are designed and manufactured to be placed inside shipping boxes, preventing the movement of products and cushioning the product. These materials can be shaped to the profile of your product, ensuring there is little to no movement occurring inside the box. Alternatively, you can use looser materials that provide some cushion while also preventing too much movement.
Dunnage Air Bags
Air bags provide cargo stabilization in trailers, intermodal containers, and closed boxcars. This protection option provides additional stability and load securement.
Manufactured Honeycomb Products
At Sunrise Manufacturing, we offer many different products within our honeycomb line:
- DIAMOND-PAK®: large cell honeycomb dunnage bulkhead
- Sunrise Small Cell™: small cell honeycomb dunnage bulkhead
- DIAMOND-CORR®: drop-down collapsible void filler
- SADDLE-PAK®: dual-sided collapsible void filler for single units
- LEDGE-PAK®: collapsible bulkhead system for pallet underhang
- WOOD-PAK®: wood combined with large cell honeycomb for step-down loads
- MATCH BOOK®: corrugated void fillers that are foldable
- And even more
How to Choose the Right Blocking Materials
Consider the Shape and Size of Your Product
Does your product have sharp edges? How is it shaped? How large and wide is it? All of these questions are important to ask before deciding on a blocking material and will determine which option will protect your product the best.
Consider the Material Your Product is Made Of
How fragile is your product? Does it need a flexible or rigid solution? If you don’t take your product’s material into consideration, you may end up choosing a blocking solution that doesn’t provide enough protection or could provide too much. This is why we have customizable solutions not only in size but in strength.
Consider the Shipping Modality
What blocking and bracing materials are optimal for your shipping modality and your product? Each modality is different and may require different blocking systems to be in place. Taking the modality into consideration will save you time and money down the line.
Consider the Cost
What is your budget? What is the value of your product? Do you want or need the blocking solution to fit multiple applications? Knowing your budget for your blocking solutions will help you decide what the right option is while staying in your price range.
Consider Sustainability
Is eco-friendly packaging important to you and your customers? Do you want to reuse or recycle your packaging and blocking materials? If so, you should consider corrugated blocking solutions. Corrugate is one of the most sustainable packaging solutions thanks to its durability and recyclability.
Work with a Professional
Partnering with a professional freight securement company can help you come up with the best blocking and bracing solutions for your product. They will be able to steer you toward products that will work well for your product, modality, and wallet.
Choose Sunrise Manufacturing to Find the Best Blocking Materials for Your Needs
At Sunrise Manufacturing, we understand the importance of your product reaching its final destination in pristine condition. This is why we have designed numerous products for all of your blocking and bracing needs. From air bags to collapsible void fillers and void filler panels, along with additional packaging and freight protection products, we have you covered. Our team is happy to work with you from packaging support to creating a custom freight securement plan.
Contact our team today to see what we can do for you.