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Edge Protectors, Corner Protectors, Corner Guards, or V-Board?

After decades of manufacturing spiral paper tubes and paper cores, we dove into manufacturing v-board. The raw materials are the same, and it just made sense for us to add it to our product line.

Around the office, we call it “v-board” but on our website, we call it “edge protectors”. We all know what we’re talking about, but why do we have two different names for the same product?

Well, it turns out, we’re not alone. From manufacturer to manufacturer, “v-board” might be called “corner protectors”. The exact same product that we might call “v-board” might not be called “v-board” by somebody else.

We’ve learned to work around the challenge of have a product have multiple names, but for the newbie, it couldn’t be more confusing. When somebody googles “corner guards”, looking for the product we make, they might find themselves on a website offering products that will help help new parents “baby proof” their house.

If you’re looking for v-board, corner protectors, corner guards, or edge protectors, just keep at it. You’ll eventually find a supplier of the product you’re actually looking for.

Where do you manufacture?

For the past couple of years, our supply chains have been irregular to say the least.

We used to order parts and components without thinking twice about lead times, let alone availability. That has all changed, and has caused many to ask us where we actually manufacture our paper tubes and edge protectors.

The Answer: We manufacture in the Los Angeles area. Exactly where we’ve been since 1949.

If you are having challenges getting paper tubes and/or edge protectors from your offshore supplier, please consider contacting us.

Save time and money buying from a domestic manufacturer.

Serving Los Angeles since 1949

Spiral Paper Tube & Core was founded by George Hibard Sr., a US Marine and World War II veteran, nearly seventy years ago.

A machinist by trade, he designed and fabricated most of our first machines. From 1949 to 2004, we were located south of downtown Los Angeles at 8802 S. Graham, Los Angeles, CA 90002.

Bursting at the seams, we needed a bigger building, more more efficient transportation, and additional office space.

Originally, we manufactured spiral paper tubes such as garment tubes, tape cores, and mailing tubes. All were, and still are,  relatively simple to manufacture and serve a wide audience.

Over the years, we’ve explored more industries, discovering even more spiral paper tube needs. This has resulted is us making smaller diameters, larger diameters, shorter tubes, longer tubes, thinner tubes, thicker tubes, as well as adding custom paper, plastic and metal end closures.

In 2002, George Hibard Jr., like his father, designed and fabricated a machine that manufactured a paper product with a few different names: edge protectors, corner protectors, or simply “v-board.”

Invisible to most retail consumers, this v-shaped corner protector can always be seen at big box retailers such as Costco and Sam’s club on pallets of merchandise still shrink wrapped on the shelving.

 

With nearly seventy years of business under our belts, we’ve learned, grown, adapted, and have enjoyed serving Los Angeles with our paper packaging and shipping products. We’re looking forward to another seventy!

See our Edge Protectors in action!

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We toured a major retailer on a recent visit to Washington state. We spotted our Edge Protectors in action and wanted to show you a few different ways they’re used.

The Edge Protectors in these photos have white paper on the outside (top) and kraft paper on the inside (less visible side).

If you look closely, you can see that some pieces seem to have multiple layers – this is an indication of a thicker piece.

In some photos, the Edge Protectors are being used to protect the product and primary packaging. In others, they’re being used to increase column strength.

Can you tell the difference?

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Have a question about Edge Protectors? We’d love to hear from you! Contact us anytime.

Freight companies are damaging our shipments. What can we do?

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If you ship corrugated boxes on pallets, you’ve probably said this before.

A few years ago, box manufacturers started making cardboard boxes with higher recycled content. This is good for the environment but bad for logistics. What you may have saved by purchasing a more economical box, you’re paying for in freight claims.

What’s the solution?

Protect your LTL and truckload shipments by adding Edge Protectors along the vertical and horizontal corners. Paper Edge Protectors protect vulnerable corners during transit.

When metal or plastic strapping is used, Edge Protectors also help distribute the force of the banding, resulting in a secure and protected shipment.

Combining a few Edge Protectors with those recycled boxes will continue to save you money, and help you avoid future freight claims.

Visit our product page for additional technical specifications.

 

Can You Identify the Edge Protectors?

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Did you select the middle image? Congratulations!

Edge Protectors are also known as Corner Protectors. They’re used to protect edges and provide additional column strength when used vertically. In the picture above, they’re being used to do both.

Edge Protector Facts:

  1. made with recycled paper
  2. usually white on the outside (top) and kraft brown on the inside (bottom)
  3. shaped into a 90 degree angle
  4. can be printed

Why Are Edge Protectors Important?

When paper is initially made from wood, it has long, strong fibers. Each time paper is recycled, the fibers are shortened, reducing its strength. A common egg carton is the end of the road. The paper has been recycled so many times it has no structural strength. It’s barely strong enough to hold a dozen eggs.

It’s more economical for corrugated box makers to use recycled paper to make boxes. The higher the recycled content, the shorter the fibers, the weaker the box.

The majority of business-to-business shipments (boxes) are sent on wooden pallets, which is why Edge Protectors are needed. Low-quality boxes are set on pallets, with an edge protector placed on each of the four corners, then stretch wrapped. Together, the wooden pallet, weak corrugated boxes, and thick Edge Protectors create a sturdy shipment.

It’s more economical for businesses to combine a cheaper, low-quality box with Edge Protectors than it is to purchase corrugated boxes made with less recycled content.

Merry Christmas from all of us at Spiral Paper Tube & Core!

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Another wonderful year is coming to a close at Spiral Paper Tube & Core.

As a local manufacturer of paper tubes and edge protectors, our paper products have continued to give us the opportunity to meet great people who either use or distribute our products.

Since 1949, our family owned and operated shop has valued the personal relationship we have with our customers. Read more…

Paper Edge Protectors – Corner Protectors – Kraft Angleboard

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In 2004, Spiral Paper Tube & Core started manufacturing Edge Protectors.

WHY ARE EDGE PROTECTORS NEEDED?

Paper prices were on the rise and manufacturing corrugated boxes became increasingly more expensive. In order to keep providing cardboard boxes at reasonable market prices, manufacturers decided to use lower quality paper.

The most common example of a low-quality paper product is the egg carton. The paper used to make an egg carton has been recycled so many times that it can only be molded or formed. It has very little structural strength, but it is good enough to hold a dozen eggs.

Read more…

Los Angeles Packaging Supplies and Shipping Supplies

 

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Virtual shopping has exploded the retail marketing business over the last two decades. In 1994 very few people had internet access compared to roughly 84% of households with internet access today. Smartphones have increased online sales between 2010 and 2014 from 24% to 58%. Today, over three-quarters of adults have made some sort of online purchase whereas only half had done so in 2008. Consumers have discovered that with online convenience they can pay bills, research places to eat or visit, and shop.

Read more…

Ordering Shipping and Packaging Supplies

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The information highway is responsible for a vast majority of communications and sales throughout the world. In the United States, online sales are estimated to account for roughly 60% of all retail sales and will equate to approximately $370 billion. These figures do not include web-influenced sales such as research, browsing, and mapping retail products and stores.

This figure also does not include retail sales of items not purchases or rarely purchased on line such as gasoline or restaurant meals. Retail manufacturers will be more successful in online shopping with products that do not have a need to be touched or seen first hand.

Read more…