Wrap-Around Case vs RSC vs Tray Pack: Why a Brazilian Coffee Roaster Chose Wrap-Around for 250g Vacuum Packs
A medium-sized coffee roaster in Minas Gerais, Brazil, came to SunAura Machinery last year with a packaging line bottleneck. They had grown from roasting 200kg of coffee a day to 2 tons a day, and the case packing stage — three people manually placing 20 vacuum packs into regular slotted container (RSC) boxes, folding flaps, and taping — had become the slowest and most expensive station on the line. The question was not whether to automate case packing. It was which case format to automate into, because the three mainstream options for cartoning consumer products (wrap-around blank, regular slotted container, and tray pack) use very different machinery, use very different amounts of cardboard, and cost very different amounts per case.
This case study breaks down that decision. If you are packing pouches, bottles, cans, or jars into cases for distribution, the choice between wrap-around, RSC, and tray pack is one of the most consequential line decisions you will make. It affects your cardboard cost, your equipment cost, your retail shelf presentation, and your shipping damage rate.
The Three Case Formats
Wrap-Around Case
A flat blank of corrugated board is wrapped around the product collated in a single layer, glued at the side seam. There are no top and bottom flaps to fold — the board forms the walls, top, and bottom in one continuous piece. It uses 15–25% less cardboard than an RSC and is stronger because the corners are continuous. It requires a dedicated wrap-around case packer ($60k–$150k). It is the standard for bottled water, cans, and pouches at high speed.
Regular Slotted Container (RSC)
The standard brown shipping box: scored, folded, glued or stapled at the factory, opened on site, loaded, and closed with tape or glue. It is the most flexible format — works for any product size, any speed, any automation level. It requires a case erector and a case sealer. Total equipment: $20k–$60k. It uses more cardboard than wrap-around but is the cheapest format to source from any box maker.
Tray Pack (with or without film)
A low corrugated tray holds the product, usually with a plastic film overwrap (shrink or stretch) or a cardboard sleeve. No top or side walls — just a tray. It uses the least cardboard but provides the least protection. It requires a tray former and an overwrapper. Equipment: $40k–$90k. It is standard for multi-packs of canned beverages, snacks, and bottles displayed on retail shelves.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Dimension | Wrap-Around | RSC | Tray Pack |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cardboard usage | Lowest (100 index) | Highest (~125 index) | Low (~60 index) |
| Equipment cost | $60k–$150k | $20k–$60k | $40k–$90k |
| Case speed | 20–60 cases/min | 10–40 cases/min | 30–100 cases/min |
| Product protection | Excellent (continuous walls) | Good (standard) | Poor–Medium (open top) |
| Retail shelf display | Closed (no display) | Closed | Open (display-ready) |
| Glue or tape | Glue (side seam) | Tape or glue | Film overwrap |
| Product size flexibility | Medium (size changeover 20–40 min) | High (any size) | Low (tray size fixed) |
| Shipping damage risk | Lowest | Medium | Highest (film can tear) |
| Best for | Bottles, cans, pouches at high speed | Multi-SKU, low-medium speed | Retail multi-packs, canned beverages |
Why Wrap-Around Won for Minas Gerais Coffee
One SKU, one size, high volume
The roaster’s core SKU was a 250g vacuum-packed coffee pouch. They packed 20 pouches per case into a single layer. They did not have 50 different case sizes — they had one case size. That is exactly the use case where wrap-around pays off: one fixed product collated into one fixed case size at volume. The $60k–$150k wrap-around case packer, which would be overkill for a 50-SKU operation, paid for itself fast on a single-SKU line.
Cardboard savings over RSC
Wrap-around uses about 20% less cardboard than an RSC for the same internal dimensions. At 50,000 cases per month, that cardboard saving was R$0.80 per case — roughly R$48,000 per year in material cost. The wrap-around case packer’s $80k price tag was paid back in under 2 years on cardboard savings alone, before counting labor.
Labor: 3 people down to 1
The manual case packing station had 3 people: one loading pouches, one folding flaps, one taping. The wrap-around case packer replaced all three with one operator who monitors the machine and replenishes blanks. At Brazilian industrial wages, that is R$120,000 per year in labor savings. Combined with the cardboard saving, the payback was under 12 months.
Tray pack was rejected for export
The roaster exports to the US and EU. Tray packs with film overwrap do not survive ocean freight well — the film tears, the pouches shift, and the case arrives as a pile of loose bags. They needed a closed, protective case for export. Wrap-around gave them that protection without the extra cardboard of RSC.
Measured Results
After 6 months on the line, the roaster reports: case packing throughput went from 8 cases/minute (manual) to 35 cases/minute (wrap-around); cardboard cost per case dropped 22%; labor on the case packing station dropped from 3 FTE to 1 FTE; export damage rate dropped from 2.1% to 0.4%. The total investment — wrap-around case packer + blank feeder + integration with the upstream flow wrapper and downstream palletizer — was R$320,000. The payback was 11 months.
When RSC Still Makes Sense
- Multi-SKU operations. If you pack 20 different product sizes into 20 different case sizes, a case erector + sealer that handles any size blank is more flexible than a wrap-around machine that needs 20–40 minutes of changeover per size.
- Low volume (under 10 cases/minute). A $40k case erector + sealer beats a $80k wrap-around packer if your line is small.
- Product that needs top/bottom flaps. Some heavy or sharp products need the double-wall protection of a folded RSC. Wrap-around’s continuous wall is strong but not double-thickness at the flaps.
When Tray Pack Wins
- Retail display multi-packs. Canned beverages, snack bars, and bottled water sold in 4/6/12-packs at retail benefit from the open display tray. The consumer sees the product immediately.
- High-speed canning lines. Tray packers run at 60–100 cases/minute, faster than wrap-around. At 1,200 cans per minute, only a tray pack keeps up.
- Domestic, short-haul distribution. If the case goes from your warehouse to a regional DC in the same country, the open tray with film overwrap is adequate. It is export freight where tray packs fail.
Integration With the Upstream Flow Wrapper
The wrap-around case packer sits immediately after the flow wrapper. The wrapper outputs pouches at a certain rate; the case packer collates them into groups of 20 and wraps them. The integration between these two machines is where most projects stumble.
Collation lane design
Pouches come off the flow wrapper in a single file. They need to be collated into a row of, say, 5 across by 4 deep before the case wraps. This is done with a collation lane — a powered conveyor that gathers pouches against a backstop, then a push-bar pushes the row into the case position. The lane must be sized for the pouch dimensions. If pouches are 150×80mm, the collation lane is sized to hold 5 across.
Speed matching
The flow wrapper runs at 120 pouches/minute. The case packer needs 20 pouches per case, so it must run at 6 cases/minute. At 6 cases/minute the wrap-around packer is well within its capacity (20–60 cases/minute). But if the wrapper runs at 200 pouches/minute, the case packer must run at 10 cases/minute — still fine. Match the upstream speed to the case packer’s collation cycle; do not size the case packer slower than the wrapper output.
Reject and gap handling
If a pouch is missing (wrapper splice, film change), the collation lane will have a gap. The case packer must detect the gap and not wrap a half-full case. A photoeye on the collation lane detects missing pouches and holds the case until the lane fills. This is a standard feature but worth specifying explicitly — some budget machines omit it.
What Not to Buy
- Do not buy a wrap-around packer for 10 different case sizes. The 30-minute changeover per size kills your throughput. Use RSC for multi-SKU lines.
- Do not skip the blank feeder. Wrap-around case packers need a magazine feeder that stacks 200–500 blanks. Buying the packer without the feeder means an operator hand-feeds blanks — the machine runs at 10 cases/minute instead of 35.
- Do not use tray packs for ocean export. Film overwrap does not hold up to container stacking. Use closed cases for anything that crosses an ocean.
- Do not over-specify the case size. A wrap-around case that is 50mm larger than the product wastes cardboard and causes product shift. Size the case tightly to the product collation.
- Do not forget the downstream palletizer. The wrap-around case is slightly different in dimensions from an RSC. Make sure your palletizer and stretch wrapper are set for the new case size.
5-Year Cost Comparison
For a roaster packing 600,000 cases per year, the numbers show why wrap-around paid for itself in 11 months. Manual RSC packing looked like “free” because it used no equipment, but three people costing R$120,000 per year add up fast. Tray pack saves cardboard but the film overwrap and export damage make it a net loss for ocean freight. Wrap-around sits in the middle — higher equipment cost than RSC erector/sealer, but lower cardboard and lower labor than any alternative.
| Cost line (5 yrs, 600k cases/yr) | Manual RSC | Wrap-Around | Tray Pack |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equipment capex | $0 (manual) | $80,000 | $60,000 |
| Cardboard cost | $600,000 (RSC) | $468,000 (−22%) | $280,000 (tray) |
| Film overwrap | $0 | $0 | $90,000 |
| Labor | $600,000 (3 FTE × 5 yrs) | $200,000 (1 FTE) | $200,000 (1 FTE) |
| Export damage / claims | $250,000 | $50,000 | $400,000 (film tears) |
| 5-year total | $1,450,000 | $798,000 | $1,030,000 |
FAQ: Case Format Selection
Can I switch between wrap-around and RSC on the same machine?
No. They use different blank geometries and forming mechanisms. Some machines are convertible, but the conversion costs nearly as much as a new machine. Choose one format and stick with it.
What case size should I use for 20 pouches?
For 250g vacuum packs, a single-layer collation of 20 pouches is typically 400×300×120mm. The wrap-around case internal dimensions should match this. Your pouch supplier can give you the exact pouch dimensions; build the case around them.
Do wrap-around cases need tape?
No. The side seam is glued with hot melt adhesive. The case is closed and sealed in one motion. No tape station needed, which is one of the labor savings.
Can I use a wrap-around case for glass bottles?
Yes, but add internal dividers or pads. Wrap-around walls are continuous but do not separate individual bottles. Glass bottles need dividers to prevent bottle-to-bottle contact during transit.
Does SunAura supply wrap-around case packers?
Yes. We supply wrap-around packers, case erectors + sealers, and tray formers, integrated with upstream flow wrappers and downstream bag palletizers. Contact our engineering team with your product collation and target case speed, and we will spec the right format.
Bottom Line
Wrap-around cases win for single-SKU, high-volume export products like coffee pouches, bottled water, and canned beverages. RSC remains the flexible default for multi-SKU and lower-speed lines. Tray packs win for retail-display multi-packs and high-speed canning lines that do not ship long distances. The Minas Gerais roaster moved from manual RSC to wrap-around and cut case packing cost by 45% in 12 months.
The lesson: case format is not a one-size-fits-all decision. Count your SKUs, measure your per-case cardboard and labor cost, and factor in where the case ships. If you run one SKU at volume for export, wrap-around pays back fast. If you run 50 SKUs at low speed, a case erector plus sealer will be more flexible and cheaper. Talk to our engineers before you spec the machine — we will help you run the numbers.
SunAura Machinery designs and integrates case packing, sealing, and palletizing systems for food, beverage, cosmetics, and consumer goods. We will help you choose the right case format based on your product mix, volume, and distribution channel. Contact our engineering team with your product collation and target speed, and we will spec the line.
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