Edge protector
Also called: corner board, edge board, angle board, corner protector
An edge protector, or corner board, is an L-shaped strip of laminated paperboard, plastic or other material placed on the vertical or top edges of a unit load. It spreads strapping and stretch wrap pressure, protects case corners, and can add vertical stacking strength.
In depth: How to stretch wrap a pallet: film, pattern and containment force
Edge protectors sit between the load and the strap or film at the corners, where pressure is highest.
Typical specifications
| Field | Typical values |
|---|---|
| Profile | L (angle), U (channel), flat |
| Leg size | About 1.5 to 3 in (38 to 76 mm) per leg |
| Caliper, light duty | About 0.080 to 0.120 in (2.0 to 3.0 mm) |
| Caliper, medium duty | About 0.150 to 0.200 in (3.8 to 5.1 mm) |
| Caliper, heavy duty | About 0.250 to 0.400 in (6.4 to 10.2 mm), for example under steel strap |
| Length | Cut to load height; about 6 to 240 in (152 to 6096 mm) available |
Values are typical supplier ranges. Moisture-resistant grades exist for cold or humid storage.
Why it matters
- They stop strapping from cutting into corrugated corners.
- Vertical edge protectors add column strength to the corners of the load, which helps when loads are stacked.
- They square up the load and reduce film tearing at corners.
On a spec sheet or RFQ
List edge protectors as a line item with profile, leg size, caliper, length and quantity per unit load (usually 4 vertical, sometimes plus top edges). PDS includes corner and top-edge protectors among its unit load stabilizers.
Common confusions
Edge protectors are not tier sheets, which lie flat between layers, and not a pallet collar, which forms sides around the pallet.
Related
- GlossaryStrappingStrapping, also called banding, is a steel or plastic band tensioned and sealed around a load, often through or around the pallet, to hold heavy or rigid items together and to the pallet. The main materials are steel, polyester (PET) and polypropylene (PP).
- GlossaryStretch wrapStretch wrap is a thin, elastic plastic film, usually linear low-density polyethylene, wound tightly around a unit load under tension. It holds the cases together and to the pallet so the load stays stable in handling and transit.
- GlossaryUnit loadA unit load is a group of items, usually cases on a pallet or slip sheet, secured together so it can be stored and moved as a single unit by a forklift or pallet jack. It includes the pallet, the packaging, the stacking pattern and the stabilizers.
- GlossaryTier sheetA tier sheet (layer pad) is a flat sheet of corrugated board, solid fiber or plastic placed between layers of a unit load, or on the pallet deck, to spread weight, bridge deck gaps and stabilize the layers. It is not lifted by equipment.
- GuidesHow to stretch wrap a pallet: film, pattern and containment forceAnchor the film to the pallet, not just the load: make three or more turns at the base with the film rolled down over the top deckboards, spiral up with about 50% overlap, finish with two or more turns at the top, and tuck the tail. Set the wrap by containment force, not film thickness or number of turns.
More in Handling and storage
- GlossaryAutomated storageAutomated storage, often called AS/RS (automated storage and retrieval system), stores and retrieves pallets with stacker cranes, shuttles and conveyors instead of forklift drivers. It needs pallets with tight dimensional tolerances, low deflection (often 0.5 in, 13 mm, or less) and sound bottom decks.
- GlossaryBlock stackingBlock stacking is storing unit loads directly on top of one another on the warehouse floor, in rows and columns, with no racking. The bottom pallet and the packaging carry the whole stack, so static load and box compression strength limit the height.
- GlossaryConveyorA pallet conveyor moves loaded pallets on driven rollers or chains instead of a forklift. The pallet's bottom deck is the running surface, so the orientation of bottom boards, flatness, deflection and condition decide whether it runs reliably.
- GlossaryDrive-in rackA drive-in rack is high-density racking where the forklift drives into a lane and places pallets many deep on continuous rails along each side. The pallet is supported only along two edges, so its capacity across the unsupported direction governs.
- GlossaryFork tinesFork tines are the two steel arms on a forklift or pallet jack that slide into a pallet's openings to lift it. Their width, thickness, length and spacing set the minimum size of the pallet's openings and affect its dynamic load rating.
- GlossaryPallet dispenserA pallet dispenser is a machine that holds a stack of empty pallets and releases them one at a time, usually onto a conveyor feeding a palletizer. It needs pallets with consistent dimensions, flat decks and sound bottom boards.
Last reviewed 2026-09-24. 246 words.