A half slotted box (often written HSC, half slotted container) is a regular slotted container with the top flaps omitted. You get four walls, a glued or taped bottom, and an open top. It is measured exactly like any other corrugated shipper: internal length x width x depth, with length being the longer dimension of the open face.
There is no industry size chart for half slotted boxes, and iBox does not publish one either. The box is sized to whatever goes inside it, usually because it is going to be capped by a telescoping lid, dropped into a shelf, or loaded on a line.
How the three numbers are taken
Read the opening first, then the height. Length and width describe the open face, depth is the wall height from the inside of the bottom to the top edge. Written in the standard order, a box described as 12 x 9 x 6 has a 12 in by 9 in opening and 6 in walls.
- Measure the product at its widest point, not at its label or its narrowest waist.
- Add clearance for whatever is going in with it: a pad, a bag, a partition, or void fill. A tight hand fit on the bench turns into a fight on a packing line.
- Write the result as an internal dimension, then say so out loud on the quote. This is the single most common error we see on an incoming spec.
- If a lid is going over the top, the lid is sized from the outside of the base, so the base has to be dimensioned first.
Board thickness changes the outside, not the inside
If you specify internal dimensions, the flute you pick is added to the outside. That matters for case count per pallet layer and for anything that has to slide into fixed shelving. These are published industry figures, not iBox stock sizes:
| Flute | Approximate caliper | Flutes per foot | Common use |
|---|---|---|---|
| E | 1/16 in (1.6 mm) | about 90 | Small printed boxes, litho laminated retail packs |
| B | 1/8 in (3.2 mm) | about 47 | Die cut mailers, inner trays, light shippers |
| C | 5/32 in (4 mm) | about 39 | The most common general shipping board |
| A | 3/16 in (4.8 mm) | about 33 | Cushioning for light, bulky contents |
| BC double wall | 1/4 in (6 to 7 mm) | combined | Heavy contents or high stacking |
Where half slotted boxes are actually used
Three jobs account for most of them. First, as the base of a two piece set with a telescoping lid, where the lid depth determines how much of the base it covers. Second, as a bin or tote on a shelf or cart, cut to the shelf depth so it does not overhang. Third, as an inner container inside a larger master case, where the open top lets a line worker load it without opening flaps.
If your use is the second one, the shelf dictates the length, so start there rather than at the product. Our guide to sizing a bin box walks through that case in detail.
Ordering, minimum and turnaround
Minimum order is 100 boxes. Pricing starts from about $0.48 per unit at bulk volumes and is confirmed on your written quote, since board grade, print and size all move it. The cutting die, the plates, design support, US shipping and a digital proof before anything prints are included, which is why an internal size that actually fits your product costs no more to tool than rounding to a near standard number.
Production runs in three lanes: rush (expedited production with air freight), standard (air) and cost saver (sea). The floor is from about 7 business days, plus 2 to 5 for delivery, and specialty imported work can run up to about 12 weeks. Rush carries a premium of about 7 to 25% depending on the job. We produce in West Chicago and in Guangzhou, so the lane you pick also decides which plant runs it. Plain corrugated shippers in this shape are also covered on our corrugated boxes page, which is where you order.
If you have the product in front of you and a tape measure, you have everything a quote needs. Send the internal length, width and depth, the weight, and whether a lid is going over the top, and request a quote. We will confirm the board grade and tell you if the size should shift a quarter inch for a cleaner fit.
