Quick Answer:
Use Honeycomb Board when you need rigid void filling, cushioning, separation or structural support around products inside an individual package or transport packaging system.
Use Dunnage Bags when you need to fill larger gaps between complete cargo units inside a container, truck, train or ship and restrict movement during transportation.
Eltete Malaysia offers both solutions, but they solve different packaging problems.
A simple way to remember the difference is:
Honeycomb Board = protect and support the product.
Dunnage Bags = secure and cushion the cargo load.
The correct choice depends mainly on where the empty space is located, how much movement needs to be controlled and whether rigid or inflatable protection is more suitable.
Why Does Empty Space Matter in Transport Packaging?
Empty space can exist at different levels of a shipment.
For example:
Inside a box
There may be gaps:
– Between the product and outer box
– Between multiple products
– Above or below a product
– Around sensitive components
– Between palletised loads
Once complete pallets or packages are loaded into a shipping container, truck or other transport unit, there may also be larger spaces between the cargo units.
These are two different packaging problems.
Eltete Malaysia addresses them with different solutions.
Honeycomb Board can be shaped into product-specific protective and structural components.
Dunnage Bags can be inflated between cargo units to occupy selected voids and restrict movement during transportation.
What Is Honeycomb Board?
Eltete Honeycomb Board is a paper-based board with a hexagonal cellular internal structure.
Eltete describes the product as lightweight while providing compression strength, rigidity, cushioning and resistance to impact.
It can be used for applications including:
– Customised outer packaging
– Product dividers
– Void fillers
– Cushioning materials
– Edge protection
– Weight spreaders
– Paper Pallet bases
– Heavy-duty box walls
– Suitable wood-substitution applications
Because Honeycomb Board can be cut or shaped according to the product, it can become part of a customised transport packaging system rather than simply acting as loose filler material.
How Does Honeycomb Board Work as a Void Filler?
Consider a product packed inside a transport box.
If there is a gap between the product and the outer packaging, the product may move during:
– Handling
– Forklift transportation
– Loading
– Unloading
– Road transport
– Export transportation
Eltete states that Honeycomb Board can be shaped to occupy selected empty spaces:
– Beside a product
– Above a product
– Between products
– Beneath a product
– Inside a box or frame
– Within a larger transport package
The objective is to hold and protect the product while using a component designed for the available space.
Example: Honeycomb Board Inside an Export Box
Imagine an industrial component inside a large export box.
Without internal support:
Outer Box → Empty Space → Product → Empty Space → Outer Box
The product may have room to move.
A Honeycomb solution could instead create:
Outer Box → Honeycomb Support → Product → Honeycomb Support → Outer Box
The Honeycomb components can also perform several functions simultaneously.
For example, one customised component may:
– Fill empty space
– Cushion the product
– Separate products
– Spread weight
– Protect a surface
Eltete’s die-cut Honeycomb Board can also be converted into product beds, dividers, cushioning materials and corner-protection components.
Q – What Are Dunnage Bags?
Eltete Dunnage Bags are inflatable cargo-securing cushions used to fill selected empty spaces during transportation.
Eltete identifies applications including:
– Containers
– Trucks
– Trains
– Ships
Instead of supporting an individual product inside its box, a Dunnage Bag is generally positioned between complete cargo units.
For example:
Pallet Load → Dunnage Bag → Pallet Load
When inflated correctly within the suitable void, the bag fills the space and creates controlled pressure between adjacent cargo units.
Q – How Do Dunnage Bags Help Secure Cargo?
Imagine several palletised loads inside a shipping container.
If there is a large gap between two pallets:
Pallet A → Empty Space → Pallet B
transport movement can allow the loads to shift.
Eltete Dunnage Bags can occupy the gap:
Pallet A → Inflated Dunnage Bag → Pallet B
Eltete describes Dunnage Bags as cushions that help protect cargo against impact and reduce movement or collapse during road, rail and sea transportation.
This makes them particularly relevant once products have already been:
– Packed
– Palletised
– Stabilised
– Loaded into the transport unit
The Dunnage Bag then performs a cargo-level securing function.
Eltete itself distinguishes the two by explaining that Honeycomb Board can handle selected internal packaging voids, while Dunnage Bags are available for cargo-level voids between complete loads.
Honeycomb Board vs Dunnage Bags: Rigid vs Inflatable
Another important difference is the structure of the solution.
Honeycomb Board Is Rigid
Honeycomb Board is a solid structural component.
It can be:
– Cut
– Die-cut
– Shaped
– Layered
– Converted into customised inserts
This makes it useful where a product requires a defined physical support.
For example:
A machine component needs to remain centred inside a box.
A customised Honeycomb component can be designed to fit around it and maintain its position.
Eltete can convert Honeycomb Board into cushioning, product beds, dividers and other exact packaging elements required for the application.
Dunnage Bags Are Inflatable
A Dunnage Bag performs differently.
Eltete Dunnage Bags contain a kraft-paper outer structure together with an internal plastic liner that helps retain air pressure.
The bag is positioned within a suitable gap and inflated.
This allows the bag to expand into the available space.
Therefore, Dunnage Bags can be useful where the void is:
– Relatively large
– Between complete cargo units
– Irregular within the approved application
– Created after products have already been loaded
They provide a different function from a rigid structural insert.
When Should You Choose Honeycomb Board?
Honeycomb Board is a strong starting option when the packaging problem is close to the individual product.
Choose Honeycomb Board when:
1 – You need internal void filling
– There is unnecessary space between the product and its outer packaging.
2 – You need product separation
– Multiple products are packed together and should not make direct contact.
3 – You need cushioning
– The product requires additional protective material around vulnerable areas.
4 – You need a structural support
– A product needs to be supported in a defined position.
5 – You need weight distribution
– A concentrated load needs to be spread across a larger area.
6 – You need customised protection
The protective component needs to follow the dimensions or shape of the product.
Eltete Honeycomb Board can be shaped into the exact packaging elements required for these types of applications.
When Should You Choose Dunnage Bags?
Dunnage Bags become more relevant when the problem occurs after the products are already packaged and loaded for transportation.
Choose Dunnage Bags when:
1 – There are gaps between palletised loads
– Empty spaces exist between complete load units.
2 – Cargo could move inside a shipping container
– Movement needs to be restricted during transportation.
3 – You need cushioning between cargo units
– Adjacent loads need separation and cushioning.
4 – You are shipping by road, rail or sea
– Eltete identifies trucks, trains, containers and ships among the transport applications for its Dunnage Bags.
5 – The void is better suited to an inflatable filler
– The available space is more practical to fill using an inflatable bag rather than a rigid custom component.
Example 1: Electronics Packed Inside a Box
Suppose an electronics manufacturer is exporting equipment.
Inside the outer box there is:
– The electronic unit
– Sensitive components
– Empty space around the product
This is primarily an internal product-protection problem.
A Honeycomb solution may be shaped into:
– Product beds
– Side supports
– Top cushions
– Dividers
– Void fillers
to hold and protect the product within its packaging.
Recommended starting solution: Honeycomb Board.
Example 2: Palletised Cartons Inside a Shipping Container
Now imagine cartons have already been:
1 – Packed
2 – Stacked
3 – Placed on a Paper Pallet
4 – Protected with Edgeboard
5 – Wrapped or strapped
6 – Loaded into a shipping container
There is still a large gap between two complete pallet loads.
This is no longer mainly an internal packaging problem.
It is a cargo movement problem.
Eltete describes exactly this type of application for Dunnage Bags: the bag can be placed within selected spaces between cargo units to cushion the load and help restrict movement during transportation.
Recommended starting solution: Dunnage Bags.
Can Honeycomb Board Be Used Inside a Shipping Container?
Yes, depending on the application.
Eltete also lists Honeycomb Board as a void-filling material and refers to its use as a void filler for securing cargo.
Therefore, the distinction is not simply:
Container = Dunnage Bag
and
Box = Honeycomb Board.
The better distinction is:
Use Honeycomb Board when you need:
– A rigid component
– Structural support
– Defined dimensions
– Product-specific protection
– Separation
– Weight spreading
– Customised cushioning
Consider Dunnage Bags when you need:
– An inflatable void filler
– Cargo-level cushioning
– Movement restriction between loads
– A solution that expands into a suitable transport void
The final decision depends on the dimensions and function of the space being filled.
Can Dunnage Bags Replace Internal Packaging?
Generally, they should not be treated as a replacement for proper individual product packaging.
Eltete distinguishes Dunnage Bags from internal cushioning placed inside individual cartons. Their main role is to control suitable spaces between complete cargo units.
A Dunnage Bag does not replace the need for suitable:
– Product cartons
– Pallets or Slip Sheets
– Edge protection
– Internal cushioning
– Load stabilisation
– Wrapping or strapping
Instead, Dunnage Bags can become another component in the complete transport packaging system.
– Can You Use Dunnage Bags and Honeycomb Board Together?
– Yes.
In fact, the two products can solve different problems within the same shipment.
For example:
Stage 1 — Product Protection
Honeycomb Board
is used inside the outer packaging to:
– Support the product
– Cushion sensitive areas
– Fill internal gaps
– Separate components
Stage 2 — Load Unitisation
The packaged products may then be:
– Palletised
– Protected with Edgeboard
– Wrapped
– Strapped
Stage 3 — Cargo Securing
Once the complete loads are placed inside the container:
Dunnage Bags
can be positioned in suitable voids between the cargo units.
This follows Eltete’s wider Transport Packaging Solutions concept, where different products can be combined according to the protection and transport requirements of the application.
