Most flap boxes are glued at the manufacturer’s joint. Some are held together by metal staples driven through the layers of the board. Which one you need depends on the load.

The two joints

A glued box has an adhesive seam. A stitched box replaces the seam with a mechanical joint: staples pass through all the layers of the corrugated board.

When glue is enough

For standard flap boxes with normal loads, gluing is the usual and perfectly good solution, and it is what most retail and e-commerce boxes use.

When stitching wins

Metal stitching is the strongest type of joint. It is meant for the heaviest loads and the thickest board, where traditional gluing is not enough. Metal is also indifferent to changes of temperature and humidity, unlike glue, and an attempt to open a stitched box leaves lasting marks on the board.

What to check before choosing it

• that the staples cannot scratch or snag the goods inside,
• that people who unpack the box are not put at risk by the metal,
• which board is used: for heavy goods 5- or 7-ply is usually chosen.

See our 7-ply and heavy-duty packaging, read the guide for resellers and send your specification through our home page.