Nesting and Denesting Design in Molded Pulp: Making Trays Flow Through Automated Lines

High-speed packing lines fail when trays stick together or jam in the denester. Molded pulp can be engineered for clean nesting and single-tray denesting — with draft angles, separation lugs, and rim geometry that let trays stack compactly for shipping and separate reliably for automation.

The Scenario: Three challenges in nesting design

Nesting and denesting design faces three challenges:

Pain Points

• Trays must nest tightly to save space in storage and shipping;
• Denesters must separate exactly one tray at a time without sticking or jamming;
• Draft angles and lugs must not compromise the product fit inside the tray.

The Solution: Three molded-pulp nesting solutions

Molded pulp offers three solutions for automation:

1. Controlled draft angles Engineered draft angles let trays nest compactly while separating cleanly in the denester.

2. Separation lugs and stops Molded lugs and stops keep a small gap between nested trays so they don't vacuum-stick.

3. Rim geometry for reliable feed Rim and lip geometry is tuned so robotic and vacuum denesters pick one tray at a time.

The Result: Smooth automated flow

With these solutions, trays flow through automated lines without jams, cutting downtime and labor. Molded pulp nests and denests as reliably as plastic trays, with a smaller footprint.