If you ship bottles of wine or craft beer, you know how costly breakage can be. Cardboard crossbars can cut shipping damage, reduce returns and slash after-sales costs. In this guide, you’ll assess vulnerabilities, explore crossbar options, compare solutions, design your own system, integrate with other packaging box inserts, and measure performance to refine your approach.
Assess packaging vulnerabilities
Understand breakage costs
When a bottle breaks in transit, you bear more than the value of the lost product. You pay for labour to repack orders, shipping to retrieve or replace goods, and possible compensation to your customers. Breakages can also dent your reputation among distributors and end consumers, triggering new orders for damage control. Mapping these costs helps you justify investment in protective packaging.
Identify transport hazards
Shipping containers face jolts, vibrations and shifts at every stage, from forklift handling to road transport and loading docks. Bottles can slide, collide or concentrate pressure at weak points. For instance, a sudden stop in a delivery van can subject a pallet to around 2 g of force, enough to shatter an unsupported bottle. By cataloguing your typical routes and handling steps, you can pinpoint where protective measures should focus.
Analyse product fragility
Not all bottles are the same. A slender wine bottle with delicate glass walls behaves differently from a sturdy craft beer growler. Check manufacturer thickness specifications or perform drop tests on representative samples to gauge fragility. You should also account for fill level, temperature swings and potential moisture exposure. Armed with this analysis, you can tailor your crossbar design to your product’s unique demands.
Explore cardboard crossbars
What are crossbars?
Cardboard crossbars are flat strips made of corrugated board, placed horizontally between rows of bottles. They create cells that keep containers separated, absorbing shocks and distributing stacking loads. Unlike loose filler or foam inserts, crossbars lock bottles into position, reducing lateral movement and minimising the risk of collision.
Materials and structure
Most crossbars are fabricated from single- or double-wall kraft board, chosen for its strength-to-weight ratio and recyclability. High-grade options may use a three-layer flute for extra rigidity in heavy-duty applications. Since 1924, Estic-Maillot Packaging Group has specialised in cardboard crossbars, leveraging nearly a century of expertise to optimise board thickness and flute profile. With eight production sites across France, Europe and the United States, Estic-Maillot ensures local supply and consistent quality (Estic-Maillot).
Why they reduce breakage
Crossbars work by creating a stable matrix of cells that hold each bottle in place. They channel stacking loads through the packaging structure rather than through the bottle necks. If your pallet experiences side-to-side motion, the corrugated material flexes slightly, dissipating energy before it reaches the glass. The result is a durable yet lightweight protective layer that integrates seamlessly with standard cases.
Compare packaging solutions
Compare key attributes
When evaluating crossbars against other dunnage options, focus on protection, cost, sustainability and customisation.
Protection level
Crossbars offer high protection by preventing direct bottle-to-bottle contact, comparable to plastic moulds and superior to loose fillers.
Cost
Cardboard crossbars typically fall into the low- to medium-cost bracket, undercutting plastic moulds and foam inserts on a per-unit basis.
Sustainability
Made from recyclable and often recycled board, crossbars have a low environmental footprint. Foam inserts may end up in landfill, and plastic moulds can be harder to recycle depending on local facilities.
Summary table
| Attribute | Cardboard crossbars | Foam inserts | Plastic moulds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protection level | High | Medium | High |
| Cost | Low-medium | Medium | High |
| Environmental impact | Low | Medium | Low-medium |
| Customisation | High | Medium | Low |
| Handling efficiency | Good | Varies | Good |
Design crossbar solutions
Measure and size accurately
Begin by measuring your case interior dimensions, including length, width and height. Allow for a clearance of 2 to 3 mm per cell to accommodate board thickness and ease insertion. For a standard 12-bottle wine case, you might specify crossbars with cell dimensions of 75 mm by 75 mm, adjusted to your bottle’s maximum diameter.
Choose custom or standard
Off-the-shelf crossbars come in set cell sizes and material grades, ideal for rapid deployment and lower minimum orders. If your bottles have unusual shapes or you need branding, work with your supplier to develop custom die-cut designs, printed patterns or reinforced edges. Custom runs may carry a higher unit cost but improve both fit and consumer perception.
Assess production factors
Consider lead times, minimum order quantities and print options. A family-owned specialist like Estic-Maillot can offer flexible batch sizes and short runs, helping you test prototypes before scaling. Confirm moisture resistance if you ship in humid climates or need cold-chain compliance.
Integrate with other inserts
Combine with box inserts
For multi-product shipments or mixed pallet loads, integrate cardboard crossbars with packaging box inserts. Inserts can partition your case vertically, while crossbars provide horizontal separation. This dual approach prevents both side-to-side and end-to-end movement, creating a fully stabilised unit.
Add honeycomb layers
Honeycomb cardboard sheets add a lightweight, high-strength layer beneath or above crossbars to absorb vertical shocks. This is particularly useful when stacking pallets in warehouses or during rail transport. Honeycomb inserts work best when sandwiched between crossbar layers, forming a composite structure that balances flexibility and rigidity.
Use modular kits
If you handle a variety of bottle formats, consider modular crossbar kits with removable or adjustable strips. This allows you to reconfigure dunnage quickly without ordering multiple bespoke sizes. Such systems reduce inventory and support agile logistics for seasonal product lines.
Measure performance improvements
Track damage rates
Implement a baseline measurement by recording breakage incidents per pallet or per shipment over a set period. After introducing crossbars, continue logging the same metric. Even a reduction from five incidents to one incident per month can justify your packaging investment.
Calculate your ROI
To gauge return on investment, tally your monthly savings: multiply the number of prevented breakages by the total cost per breakage (product, labour, returns). Subtract your packaging costs over the same period. Divide net savings by packaging costs to get your ROI ratio. For instance, if you save £2,000 in damage costs and spend £500 on crossbars, your ROI is 4:1.
Adjust for feedback
No one solution fits every condition. Gather feedback from your warehouse team and carriers, note any difficulties inserting crossbars or changes in handling time. If your workers report strain or slowdowns, tweak your design by adjusting board thickness or edge profiles. Continuous improvement keeps your logistics lean and your bottles intact.
Frequently asked questions
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What sizes do cardboard crossbars come in?
Most suppliers offer standard cell dimensions ranging from 65 mm to 85 mm to fit common bottle diameters. You can also request custom sizes for narrow necks or wider growler formats. Always measure your case interior and bottle diameter to ensure a snug fit. -
Can I reuse cardboard crossbars?
Yes, crossbars can be reused several times if kept dry and undamaged. Inspect them for creases or weak edges after each cycle—replace any strips that show wear to maintain high protection levels. -
Are cardboard crossbars moisture-resistant?
Standard kraft board has moderate moisture resistance. For cold-chain or humid environments, specify B-flute or C-flute boards treated with a water-repellent coating. Confirm storage and handling recommendations with your supplier. -
How do crossbars compare to foam separators?
Crossbars provide protection comparable to foam while offering greater sustainability and lower cost. Foam may cushion certain impacts better, but crossbars excel at preventing movement and distributing stacking loads. -
How do I order custom crossbars?
Reach out to a crossbar specialist—ideally one experienced in beverage packaging—to discuss your case dimensions, bottle profiles and branding needs. Provide a simple sketch or sample and request prototypes. After approving the fit, you can scale up your order with confidence.