Free tool
Case pack and master carton calculator
Start with one product. The calculator works out how many units go in an inner carton, how many inner cartons go in a master carton within your weight and size limits, and how those cartons stack on a pallet and load into a container. It is free and runs in your browser, with no sign-up.
How it works
From one product to a full container
Enter the product
Give the size and weight of one unit, the heaviest master carton your warehouse accepts and the pallet you ship on. Fix the units per inner or the inners per master if your customer sets them.
The carton build is designed for you
Every arrangement of units in an inner carton and inner cartons in a master is tried against your limits, then each master carton is fitted to the pallet. The build that ships the most product for the freight weight wins.
See the pallet and the container
Get the carton sizes and weights, cartons per layer and layers per pallet, and how many units fit in a 20ft, 40ft or 40ft high cube container. When nothing fits, it names the limit that stopped it and what to change.
For your whole range
Every product's packaging in one place
This calculator runs the same packaging engine as dblFeature. dblFeature keeps a packaging specification for each product variant and adds what a single calculation can't:
- Carded and shelf-ready packs
- Your own carton boards, with their weights and allowances
- Freight cost per unit saved with each specification
- Versions, approvals and comments on every specification
- A specification sheet to send your supplier
- Container load plans that mix several products
Questions
Frequently asked questions
- What is a case pack?
- A case pack is the number of units packed together in one carton, and the carton they go in. Most products ship in two levels: an inner carton of a few units, and a master carton (also called a shipper, outer or case) holding several inner cartons. The case pack decides how many cartons fit on a pallet, how heavy each one is and what freight costs per unit.
- How do I work out the master carton size?
- Start from the unit: arrange units in rows and layers to make the inner carton, add an allowance for the board, then arrange inner cartons in the master the same way. Check the master against its weight limit and the largest size your warehouse handles, then check how it fills the pallet. The calculator does every combination at once and keeps the best.
- What is the difference between an inner carton and a master carton?
- An inner carton holds a handful of units and is the pack a store or a picker handles. A master carton holds several inner cartons and is what goes on the pallet. Some products, such as bagged garments, skip the inner carton and go straight into the master; untick inner cartons to calculate that way.
- Can I calculate bagged products such as garments?
- Yes. Choose Bagged as the package format, enter the outside size of the carton the bags go in and how many it holds, and say whether that carton is an inner carton or goes straight on the pallet as the master. The calculator does the rest the same way.
- How many cartons fit on a pallet?
- It depends on the carton size, the pallet footprint, how high the load can be stacked and how much the pallet can carry. The calculator tries every carton layout that fits the pallet, including mixed orientations, stacks as many layers as the height limit allows, and checks the weight against the pallet's rated load.
- What weight limit should I use for a master carton?
- Many warehouses and retailers set a limit for cartons lifted by one person, commonly between 15 and 25 kg. The calculator starts at 16 kg. Check the limit your warehouse, carrier or customer sets and enter that.
- How many pallets fit in a 20ft or 40ft container?
- It depends on the pallet standard and on whether loaded pallets can be stacked two high. The calculator works out a palletised load and a floor-loaded one, where master cartons are stacked straight on the container floor, for 20ft, 40ft and 40ft high cube containers.
- Is the data I enter stored?
- No. The calculator runs in your browser, so nothing you type is sent to dblSuite.