Why the edge is the part that matters
A plywood export box is a set of flat panels held together at their edges. Every load path in the box — lifting, strapping, stacking, dragging across a container floor — passes through those edges. Once the edge is crushed or split, the box is no longer square and the goods inside lose the clearance they were packed with.
That is what a steel edge is for. A galvanised steel strip is folded around the panel rim and set flat against the panel face, so the panel edge is protected by steel rather than by exposed plywood.
Before the line starts: sizing the panels
Everything downstream inherits the accuracy of the first cut. If the panel is short, the steel edge is formed against the wrong reference; if it is long, the edge has to be chased into place at the press.
Panel sizing sits upstream of the standardized production system: panels are cut to size before they reach the line.
The standardized production system is therefore three stages, run in this order: buckle fastening, steel-edge forming and hydraulic pressing.
Forming the steel edge
The GA-8000 high-speed steel-edge forming machine folds the galvanised strip around the panel rim. It runs an OMRON PLC control system with an INOVANCE servo drive and a premium guide-bushing die assembly, at a rated power of 6 kW.
| Machine dimensions (L × W × H) | 3,100 × 800 × 1,600 mm |
|---|---|
| Recommended floor space | 5 × 2 m |
| Rated power | 6 kW |
Pressing the formed edge flat
A formed edge that is left standing proud of the panel does not seat properly when the box is assembled, and it concentrates stacking load on a narrow line. The GA-series 2.5 m steel-edge hydraulic press sets the formed edge against the panel with a 30 t nominal press force across a 2.5 m working width.
The press uses a magnetic die with slide-out removal, which is what makes a die change practical between box sizes. Machine weight is 1.5 t and rated power is 3 kW.
Fastening the panels
The DA-8000 nailless plywood box buckle machine drives steel buckles through the panel joint. It is specified for plywood from 5 mm to 12 mm and uses a 120 kg hydraulic die assembly, with bearings and fastening screws in 304 stainless steel.
Because the buckle wraps the joint instead of piercing a line of nail holes along the panel edge, the plywood edge is not perforated by fastening — which is usually the first failure point on a nailed timber crate.
The order of operations
The published production system runs three stages in sequence: buckle fastening, steel-edge forming and hydraulic pressing. Fastening acts on the panel joints; forming and pressing act on the edge. Tell us how your box is built and we will confirm the sequence for your line.
- Fasten the panel joints with steel buckles at programmed positions
- Cold-roll the galvanised steel strip into the edge profile
- Press the formed edge onto the panel under hydraulic force, then close the box